Submitted by Val Capel and Michele Randle, 3rd-grade teachers, Hamilton Elementary School
Note: The information in this profile represents 2012-13 unless otherwise indicated.
School Overview
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School Description
Three years ago, the three third-grade teachers at Hamilton Elementary School realized that they weren’t using enough technology in their classrooms so they asked for and received a grant from the district to buy 30 iPads to use for in-class online learning. In SY2011-12, using the iPads and in-class laptops, the three third-grade classes at Hamilton Elementary School became fully blended and started using a combination of online and offline resources to create a unique and individualized learning experience for students.
Blended Learning Program
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Program Model
Program model: Station Rotation, Flex
Model description
Third-grade teachers at Hamilton Elementary School use two different blended-learning models to deliver content and instruction. During math instruction, students rotate through three stations, which include an individualized online-learning station using iPads, an individualized online-learning station using laptops, and an offline, teacher-led instruction station. For all other subjects, teachers set goals for students to accomplish and then allow students the freedom to choose between using online resources, offline resources, or both in accomplishing that goal. Students can move among learning modalities on an individually customized and fluid schedule depending on which resources they chose to complete their assignment.
Program Description
How much time do students spend on campus in this blended-learning program? How much of this time do students spend learning online or with educational software?
Students are required to be on campus for 100 percent of the school day. The two blended-learning stations in the Station Rotation model usually last 20 minutes each and on a whole, students spend 2-3 hours of the 7-hour school day learning online or using educational software. In the flex portion of the program, how much time students spend online varies depending on what type of resources students decide to use.
Briefly describe the offline components of this blended-learning program.
The Station Rotation model used for math instruction has only one offline component, which consists of teacher-led, small group instruction. The offline components in the Flex model vary depending on what type of resources students decide to use. Components can include one-on-one instruction with the teacher, creating posters or dioramas, individual reading, some paper-and-pencil worksheets, and individual research.
How are the online and offline components of the program connected to provide an integrated learning experience for students? How do data from different learning modalities inform each other?
Administrators and teachers use data from both online and offline components of the program to provide an integrated learning experience for students. Teachers use offline district assessment data to seek out online resources, content, and learning tools that will help students understand the material better. Teachers also use online student data to track student progress, offer remediation to students struggling in certain areas, and inform their planning of small-group work and project prompts.
How does this blended-learning program fit into the rest of the students’ school day?
The blended-learning program encompasses the third-grade class at Hamilton Elementary School and students do not rotate to different classrooms throughout the day. They are with the same teacher in the same blended-learning environment for the entire school day. Teachers start by taking attendance and then move to math instruction which consists of the three-station rotation. After math instruction, students engage in some project-based learning where they create goals for projects and use technology when appropriate. Afternoons are usually reserved for literacy work in which students have lots of opportunities to learn online, and some self-directed, independent work wherein students can choose between using online or offline resources to reach their goals.
What are the teachers’ roles and responsibilities in both the online and offline components of this blended-learning program?
In the Station Rotation model used for math instruction, the teachers’ offline responsibilities include leading small-group instruction, overseeing paper-and-pencil assignments, engaging in one-on-one remediation, etc. Their responsibilities in the online components of the blended-learning program include troubleshooting technology problems with students and looking for online resources that best fit the needs of their students.
In the Flex model, teachers’ offline responsibilities include mapping out projects, suggesting resources for students to use, and monitoring student progress. Their responsibilities in the online components of the model include some troubleshooting of technology issues, student data collection and analysis, some grading of assessments, and some online resource recommendation. Teachers make a concerted effort to let the students direct their own online learning.
What other adults are involved in this blended-learning program (e.g., paraprofessionals, learning coaches, counselors) and what are their roles and responsibilities?
The school employs pre-service teachers to help out in the classrooms for an hour or two per week. An information-technology specialist works with teachers to gather, synthesize, and analyze student data to better inform the way the teachers use technology in the classroom.
Briefly describe the set-up of physical space for this blended-learning program.
The classrooms at Hamilton Elementary School are specifically designed to look nothing like the traditional classroom. Instead of desks, the classrooms are furnished with everything from couches to beanbag chairs in an effort to make the physical space feel more like a lounge or a living room than a classroom. Each classroom has what is called an “anchor space” – an area that usually serves as a whole-group meeting place. If students are working independently, they are free to use whatever space they want, which can include couches, beanbag chairs, or even the floor.
How are students grouped within this blended-learning program?
For most instruction, students are grouped based on ability level determined by pre-assessment data gathered by teachers. The groups can change daily depending on subject material and teacher discretion. During project-based learning, students are grouped together based on common interests.
Do students have some element of control over the pacing of their learning? Are students tied to a semester-based course schedule or can they complete courses at any time? Briefly describe any requirements or benchmarks in place to ensure student progress.
Students do have some element of control over the pacing of their learning, but teachers have set some basic parameters for pacing based on Common Core and District standards. Students usually move through units within a subject as a whole group, but teachers do allow students to move ahead in some units if they demonstrate mastery of the material. During the self-directed portion of the program, students can move as quickly or as slowly as they want within the parameters set by the teachers.
Describe the academic results of the program, using quantitative data where possible.
Since implementing blended learning into our classrooms, the level of student engagement has risen greatly. The assessment results demonstrate the power of this level of engagement. This past school year, 100% of our students passed every third grade, district math unit assessment. Every third grader made significant gains in reading fluency, accuracy and comprehension.
What have been the biggest obstacles in implementing this blended-learning program? What has needed adjustment along the way?
Researching and finding new online resources and tools can be incredibly time-consuming and within the current model, the three third-grade teachers must to do all of that research by themselves. Additionally, some tension comes from the fact that some school staff members are not comfortable with the different ways the third-grade teachers run their classrooms. And finally, because the three teachers started implementing blended-learning into their classroom following years of traditional teaching experience, they have dealt with a steep learning curve.
Have you or are you planning to scale your program model to more/other schools?
Hamilton Elementary School and Hamilton Community Schools have no formal plans to scale the program model to other grade levels or other schools within the district. However, the third-grade teachers report that administrators and other teachers at the school have expressed interest in using the blended-learning model in other grade levels.
Contact Information
Name: Val Capel, Michele Randle, and Jodi Sikma
Title: Third-grade teachers
Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Website: hamilton.troy.k12.mi.us