Self-KnowledgeAlthough the four concepts mentioned above are equally interdependent, the notion of self-knowledge is seemingly foundational. Even the famous martial artist and philosopher Bruce Lee would have agreed. According to him, “A great deal of pure self-k
Self-KnowledgeAlthough the four concepts mentioned above are equally interdependent, the notion of self-knowledge is seemingly foundational. Even the famous martial artist and philosopher Bruce Lee would have agreed. According to him, “A great deal of pure self-knowledge and inner understanding allows us to lay an all-important foundation for the structure of our life from which we can perceive and take the right avenues.” Think about it. How many times were you asked the right questions as a student? Questions such as: What are your talents? How do you learn best? What distracts you from learning? What are your most challenging weaknesses? What ignites your curiosity? Who was your favorite teacher of all time and why? How will (insert course name) advance you towards your ultimate goals? Without playing an armchair psychologist, all teachers can do one magical thing before ever assigning any learning tasks: allow students’ voices to be heard by challenging them to examine their learning styles, strengths, weaknesses, ambitions, and passions. What will they gain? Self-knowledge. What will you gain? Students who know exactly what they want and how they plan on getting there. Want to see our first assignment for students entering the Blended Learning Academy at East Hall High School? Take a look here.
Shared KnowledgeAnother pivotal principle of a successful blended learning academy is shared knowledge. Without a doubt, all productive environments, whether an educational institution or a Fortune 500 company, practice sharing knowledge. By encouraging students to be transparent learners, they exemplify the wise saying from Ben Franklin, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Here are just a few ways our blended learning team will foster such an environment. First, students will fashion their own personal profiles in such a place as to be visible by all. Each profile will begin with a student picture just above a detailed list of his/her weaknesses, strengths, talents, interests, and aspirations. Of course, this information stems from the student survey mentioned above. Also, each student will be asked to post the current status of in-progress projects or assignments, as well as any areas of needed help. By encouraging, not forcing, students to be transparent and honest with their education, a wealth of shared knowledge is created and maintained by individuals who realistically see themselves as “works-in-progress” and as possessors of unique talents and abilities. This student profile will not be limited to only students. No, sir. No, ma’am. My teacher profile will be posted also with an eager request for anyone, student or teacher, to help me learn Spanish. All notes will be shared by using Google Drive and by merging Evernote with IdeaPaint. Frowned upon gadgets like smartphones will be welcomed, and social media giants Twitter and Facebook will be leveraged to constantly share knowledge. Likewise, YouTube and SchoolTube will be our digital vehicles to transport our knowledge all around the globe. To further enrich this culture of shared knowledge, two distinct walls will anchor our facility. A Past & Present wall will showcase digital and physical artifacts of exemplary student work. Imagine a perfected essay held by a small picture easel just below a ray of soft lighting. Whether the work of art is a rap parody with originally written lyrics or a mashed-up video showcasing an authentic rendering of algebraic equations, imagine a student’s digital project looping continuously on a wall-mounted flat-screen. In fact, just imagine amazing products that demonstrate mastery of standards from all courses. No matter if the products are digital or physical. As long as they represent knowledge, they should be shared. The second wall is equally as powerful. The Future wall will showcase a physical and digital shared Google calendar to keep all students abreast of the ever-evolving activities. A la the movie Good Will Hunting, students will also be encouraged to challenge their peers by posting unsolved problems, unfinished thoughts, unanswered queries, and unfulfilled requests for help on educational assignments.
OptionsWith a learning model bolstered by self-knowledge and shared knowledge, limitless options to show students’ mastery of standards is a discernible reality. Like I mentioned earlier, blended learning is NOT just digital learning. It is not, and cannot, simply be the image of a student tapping away on a computer while he consumes online content and has all surroundings muffled by oversized and overpriced headphones. I have witnessed some online courses that are basically digital versions of the same boring worksheets that have been so tirelessly thrown at kids for decades. Can online courses work? Absolutely. Are online courses synonymous with blended learning? Absolutely not. Blended learning is all about options that originate from inviting students to be co-leaders of their own education. Having devoted sufficient time for introspection, students are able to discuss with their content facilitators (formerly known as teachers) how t