Presentation at the "Perfecting the Blend" conference in Ballarat, 2012.

1. Perfecting the Blend Conference
“Digital Toolbox for Blended Learning”
Britt Gow
http://moourl.com/qz4e3
Mt Clear College
Friday, 7th December, 11.30am

2. Science, Maths and VCE
Environmental Science
Online teacher at
Hawkesdale P12 College
SW Victoria
Technoscience blog since
2008
Twitter @brittgow
brittgow@gmail.com

3. In 2011 and 2012 I have used
Blackboard Collaborate to teach
Unit 3 and 4 VCE Environmental
Science to students from
different schools around the
state. We connected for 90
minutes each week
synchronously and used my
blog, email and Facebook
asynchronously.
We have met at Ecolinc, Bacchus
Marsh in term 1 and at
EcoBeach Apollo Bay YHA during
term 3 holidays.

4. • Audio and video
• Interactive whiteboard
• Text chat
• Polling tools
• Emoticons
• Web tours
• Application sharing
• http://moourl.com/qz4e3

6. “Hi Britt,
I just wanted to thank you for everything this year. I
wouldn't have been able to do Environmental Science
without you and you've made it so easy and enjoyable.
Really do appreciate all the work you've put in, thank you!!
I was also wondering if I can put you down as a referee
when I'm applying for jobs. The letter of recommendation
you've already written me is awesome.
Regards, Dannielle :) ”

8. “Britt, i would just like to thankyou for being such a great
teacher this year, even if it was only via blackboard collaborate.
the classes that you provide for students like me, that dont have
the oppotunity to study enviromental science at their own
school really benefited me in the long run. Your classes are very
sucessful and give great oppotunites. so thankyou once again.
and thankyou for offering to be a referance for me, and i will be
sure to take that offer up in the near future.
thanks so very much britt, and i wish you well, for you next
blackboard collaborate year, i will be sure to highly reccommed
enviromental science to anyone, looking at the course.”

10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1bnOMHr8gE&feature=plcp

11. What framework to use?
• PoLT?
• e5 (engage, explore, explain, evaluate,
elaborate)?
• Bloom’s taxonomy?
• Collective Knowledge Construction (IdeasLAB)?
• Quality task, Learning intentions, Success
criteria and Feedback?

12. Content – CSF, VELS, national
curriculum
The 21st Century Learner –
Multi-taskers, connected 24/7,
sociable, visual.
Context – Platform and Teacher – Flexible,
strategies - classroom, outside, experienced, knows student
online interests & needs

13. Learning Model by Illeris (2207)
Content - Incentive –
Interaction –
Cognitive Affective
Social component component
component

15. How do you define blended learning?

16. How do we define Blended Learning?
http://digitaltoolbox.wikispaces.com/Blended+L
earning
“Blended learning refers to any time a student
learns, at least in part, at a brick-and-mortar
facility and through online delivery with student
control over time, path, pace or place.”

19. Findings from brain research:
• Brains are unique, specialized and not equally
good at everything
• Brains are designed for fluctuations rather than
constant attention – searching for changes
• Emotions are critical to successful learning –
threat and anxiety impair learning
• Multi-sensory input is desired by our brains
• Brains continue to change throughout our lives

21. How does brain research impact on
your teaching in the face to face
classroom?

23. Enriching the online environment
• Positive emotional support
• Encourage social interaction
• Allow active participation
• Multi-modal presentations (text, images,
voice, other audio, video, web tours,
application sharing, drawing tools, clip art and
icons, quizzes, maps)

25. Which is the best reason for uptake of
technology in classrooms?
A. The power to engage students
B. Students use technology already
C. It's not going to go away...it will only
grow & employers want skilled workers
D. Professional development

26. Which of the following are
characteristics of 21st C learners?
A. Multi-taskers and digitally literate
B. Sociable, mobile and connected 24/7
C. Visual / spatial learners with fast
response times & short attention spans
D. All of the above

27. “Teaching is an art form not
a delivery system.”
“A tool is only as powerful
as the creativity of the
person who uses it.”
“A cupboard full of
instruments does not
produce music – a suitcase
of web tools does not lead
to creativity on it’s own.”
Sir Ken Robinson

29. and
• social bookmarking
• register
• create a profile
• connect with like-minded individuals & groups
• Join a conversation
• Share an artefact (link,
photo, screenshot, wordle
concept map, video…….

30. http://storify.com/brittgow/perfecting-the-blend-2012

31. for word clouds

32. Bubbl.us for concept maps

35. We use Skype and Blackboard Collaborate to
connect with our Scientist in Schools partner,
Melissa Toifl, from CSIRO Land and Water
Technologies, in Highett and Clayton.

36. @genegeek
Catherine
Anderson, a
geneticist from
Canada.

38. @ScienceMags
Magdeline Lum, a
Metallurgist, photographer
and science writer from
Perth

39. http://magdelinelum.com/

43. “Each of the three pre-service teachers worked with three
different mentor teachers and spent time with the ICT expert
teacher to learn how to use various online programs. They
also had welfare support from a leading teacher, and
participated in full staff meetings, school camps and
excursions. These were all valuable experiences that allowed
the PST's to have contact with many, if not all, the staff of our
small, rural school.”

47. “If our kids are going to live longer than us, they need to have
a passion for learning to sustain them. Not content
knowledge, but learning to learn. One eighth of the 21st
century is gone already – get cracking with 21st century
learning” Prof. Stephen Heppell

48. Memory and retrieval
• Mnemonics – acronyms or rhymes
• Humour – cartoons and YouTube
• Famous quotes that resonate
• Chunking (5, 7 or 9 points)
• Movement and colour
• Mystery & surprise
• Use patterns
• Mix it up

49. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jul/08/denial/

50. Mnemonic - CHIPPO
Remembering factors causing biodiversity loss:
• Climate change
• Habitat destruction
• Introduced species
• Pest plants
• Pollution
• Overharvesting

51. Practical considerations
• Technology does not replace experiments
• Does every student have access to devices?
• Does every student have internet access?
• Preferred learning styles?
• Concentration span – mix it up!
• Plan B and Plan C
• Best tool for the job of learning

52. http://allthingslearning.wordpress.com/tag/classroom-management/ 2/12/12

53. REFERENCES
• Clemons, Stephanie A. (2005) “Brain-based
learning: Possible Implications for Online
Instruction”
• Illeris, Knud (2007) “How We Learn: Learning
and Non-learning in School and Beyond”
• Olsen, Richard (2011) “Understanding Virtual
Pedagogies for Contemporary Teaching and
Learning”