Blended Instruction
Baltimore, Maryland
Contact:
Nina S. Roa
Lead Specialist
Maryland State Department of Education
Division of Career Technology & Adult Learning
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-2595
Phone: 410-767-0172
Fax: 410-7333-2099
Email: nroa@msde.state.md.us
Website: www.msde.state.md.us
Mission
The MSDE is committed to providing workshops to support the development of integrated projects by teams of secondary academic and technical teachers, school administrators, industry partners, postsecondary educators, special educators, and other partners. These projects are designed to integrate high-level academic and technical content in ways that engage students in learning challenging materials and skills. Each project incorporates the Maryland Core Learning Goals, Skills for Success, and National Industry Skills Standards. The goal of each project is to engage and motivate students to master more complex materials by connecting concepts to applications in the real world.
Organization
Organization Type: University, Community college or two-year college, Education Agency - State, Regional or Intermediate, Local, School, Business, Industry partners are participants in Blended Instruction work groups.
Geographical Area: State or commonwealth
Primary Setting: Community-based training site, Middle or junior high school, High school, Four-year college or university, Community college, Regular education class, Competitive employment worksite, Community resources
Funding: External funding source - Federal School-to-Work Implementation Grant and State School-to-Work Implementation Grant
Consumers
Target Population: Secondary education students With and without disabilities, Teachers or faculty - Secondary education and Postsecondary education, Business people or employer, Teachers or trainers
Disability Areas: All disabilities
NTA Framework Categories
Description
WHAT ( Blended Instruction Work Session)
Blended Instruction supports Maryland’s commitment to school improvements and provides a framework for preparing students for the upcoming high school assessments. Blended Instruction Work Sessions are one-day professional development opportunities open to all teachers in the state of Maryland. Teams of academic and occupational instructors, special education teachers, guidance counselors and school improvement team leaders and/or school administrators, and their post-secondary and industry partners work in one of two different strands. Participants in Strand 1 design projects for students that integrate Maryland’s High School Core Learning Goals in english, math, science, social studies, and the skills for success with national industry skills standards in one of four career clusters (Health and Biosciences; Manufacturing, Engineering Technology; Environmental, Agricultural and Natural Resources; or Business Management and Finance. Participants in Strand 2 align curriculum around industry themes in the four clusters.
Agencies Involved
The Division of Career Technology and Adult Learning (DCTAL) has worked closely with the Division of Instruction and Staff Development (DOISD) in the development and organizing of the Blended Instruction Work Sessions.
Dates
Four Blended Instruction Work Sessions have been held thus far. Their dates were: March 7, May 19, and November 5, 1997, and April 21, 1998. We plan to host more Blended Instruction Work Sessions in the future.
Evidence of Success
Success Story
During the school week of September 29 to October 3, the look of their classrooms and classes changed dramatically for about 65 students at Easton High School. One day their classroom was Windmill Branch Stream, located behind EHS, and at the end of the week, their classroom was outside the Pickering Creek Environmental Center.
"I think the most exciting thing is that we expanded the classroom walls," said Richard R. Leader, executive director at the PCEC. "It makes learning more fun, and I think that is what this faculty is designed for." Sophomore Corynne Young agrees: "I think it is very nice to have a facility like Pickering Creek in Easton so that the children have a place to learn about the great outdoors."
The Talbot County Public School System, PCEC, and the Office of Economic Development sponsored this blended educational program. Three different classes of EHS students, mostly sophomores, participated in the program. Algebra, agricultural science, and biology were the three classes from which students were taken and combined into three new learning groups. The three new groups then took turns going through four different instructional areas.
"So these kids had to form a bond because they don’t normally work together," noted Deborah Urry, coordinator of Career and Technology at the Talbot County Board of Education’s central office.
"They also learned how to work together in a group," Urry added. "They had a lot of teamwork and team building to do during the week."
Sophomore Rebecca Lee also appreciated this special learning opportunity that she, Ewing, and the other students had received. "Most people don’t get to come out here and learn how all of this affects the environment," said Lee.
The students learned how to create spreadsheets and other charts using the data they collected from their water quality tests done on the stream. They also learned how to write letters, reports, and presentations, so they could share the results of their findings with their school and community.
"I think it is very exciting to see young people doing presentations and showing concern for the environment," said Lee D. McLane, president of the board at PCEC. "It makes me want to go back to teaching to be among these youngsters again."
The students were just as excited as McLane was.
"I really like the blended service project because it was fun, it helped us learn more about the environment, and it gave us a break from a regular school schedule," said Tara Gannon, sophomore.
Rachael Lyons, another sophomore, reaffirmed what Gannon said: "I like it because I think we learn better when we go out and do hands-on activities."
Urry hopes to have many more integrated projects like this one at EHS. She said the school is planning on doing two more projects next semester with hopefully, four more teachers, totaling eight in all. The school is also hoping to continue to double the number of teachers and students involved in the blended educational program until all the teachers, students, and their subjects are covered in the program, Urry noted.
"We’re trying to make learning relevant," said Urry about the desire to incorporate as many subjects as possible into the program. She added, "We’re trying to make students realize that what they learn in high school is meaningful and that they will use it."
Products
Integrated Projects - A collection of integrated projects designed by Maryland educators and business partners • Maryland State Department of Education • 1997 • Call (410) 767-0170 • FREE