1. Isn’t This Kind of
What We Wanted?
Blended Learning, COVID and
What’s Next
Chris Kennedy, Superintendent of Schools
West Vancouver
September 24, 2021
4. We have seen the best
and worst of technology
in the last 18 months
5. HARD TRUTH – we have
learned which schools and
districts were faking their
way in the new world, and
which ones were truly
invested. The fakers were
exposed.
8. What many want for their children is the
benefits of digital learning
Relevant, connected,
unlimited
9. So, how did it go with blended
learning?
We asked:
•Students
•Staff
•Parents
10. For some students
. . . .
Blended learning works
better for some students
than others (heck so does
face-to-face) and when they
can self-select into
courses. We saw from the
data that we did have a
quarter of students that
saw blended learning as a
net positive.
12. For some
courses . . . .
Blended learning works more
easily in some content areas
than others. Again back to
our health rules, it was
random this year which
classes ended up being
blended so we could not go
through the thoughtful
process of deciding that
maybe PE 10 should be face-
to-face but Social Studies 11
might work well as a blended
course.
16. Avoiding the
snap back . . .
So the following can flourish:
• Ongoing national conversation
• Growth of video and social media
• High schools are changed forever
• Health is a permanent partner
• Digitization is FINALLY here
• Equity
• Learning Outdoors
25. Towards the Future
Improving teaching and learning
•Equipping teaches with sound pedagogical and technological knowledge
•Supporting more personalized and engaging learning
Teaching
and
learning
Building digital resilience
•Developing digital competence
•Using appropriate digital mediation strategies at home and school
Building
Providing skills for the future
•Developing the higher order thinking and social and emotional skills
that a digitized and automated world requires
(OECD 2020)
Providing
We are excited for the fall . . . With the possibilities of transformation greater than at any point this century.
In some ways it has done everything we always hoped, and in other ways – we met the low expectations of its critics.
We have seen where there is conference. With devices tools and training.
If you didn’t have the wires all organized . . . The truth finally came out . . . . .
People wanted blanket canned plans . . . . For
Won’t this further divide our students (and teachers) into haves and have-nots?
Given that it is unlikely any grand plan will come together to support all students and staff with technology, implementation will be incremental.
We got close in the spring – need to get over the finish line
We should be able to say all students in our province have a reliable internet device and all families have internet access – by getting so close we proved this is possible and it is a must!
What Does Support Look Like?
Now more than ever this is true. There are few rules in a pandemic – it is all new - so let’s celebrate those who are pushing
It is a time for leaders not just followers. Let’s not get locked into a model – we need many models right nwo
Tension between formal and informal learning will increase; what matters most is what happens in informal settings – the true learning! This is something we have not reconciled yet.