Two experts in the field of blended learning will share the importance of having a planned policy and support structure in place for any blended learning program to be successful. Greg Klein has been involved with Oakland Public Schools in the implementation of blended learning for many years and co-wrote the Oakland Unified case study where he identified critical success factors for blended learning adoption. More on this case study can be found on this website. Samantha Sherwood became a blended learning teacher several years ago and then helped open a blended learning school in New York Public Schools, where she now serves as the Assistant Principal. She researched the journey of a blended learning teacher as part of her Masters degree and has documented the characteristics and support systems needed for a successful blended learning teacher and a successful blended learning classroom. More info: www.inacol.org

1. Planning, Implementation and
Policy Considerations for
Blended Learning Programs
• Greg Klein, Director of Blended Learning, Rogers Family
Foundation
• Samantha Sherwood, Vice Principal, Bronx Arena High
School, New York City Schools
October 2013

2. Blended Learning
• “a formal education program in which a
student learns at least in part through
online delivery of content and instruction
with some element of student control over
time, place, path, and/or pace and at least
in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar
location away from home…”
- (Horn and Staker, 2013)

3. Tech-rich = blended

4. Teaching and Learning
• What the student is
doing and where the
student is.
 What the teacher is
doing and where the
teacher is.
 What and where the
content is.

5. Webinar Focus
• Policy, Implementation and Teacher
Support for Blended Learning Programs
– District Perspective
– School Perspective

6. Greg Klein
• Director of Blended Learning
• Rogers Family Foundation
• Oakland, CA
• Former Oakland USD teacher
and administrator.

7. Greg’s Digital Journey
• Downtown College Prep Alum Rock
• 2010-11, 3 groups of 60 middle schoolers
for 90 minutes, 1:1.
• Google, Edmodo, EverFi, Khan,
Achieve3000, pilots, pilots, pilots

8. About Rogers Family
Foundation
• Handful of Oakland-based initiatives
• 2nd
year of Blended Learning Initiative
• Fund across the district and local charters

9. Samantha Sherwood
• Assistant Principal
• Bronx Arena High School
• New York, NY

10. Samantha’s digital journey
• Developed a blended science unit for my 6th
grade class
during my third year of teaching.
– Project-based
– Was hooked on the high level skills students developed
• Joined Ty Cesene to help start Bronx Arena
• Researched the characteristics of a successful teacher and
classroom in a fully blended class as part of my Master’s
thesis.
• Continue to innovate at BAHS

11. About Bronx Arena / iLearnNYC
• 3rd
year, fully blended transfer school in the
Bronx.
• Serves overage and undercredited students.
• Unique “Arena” model has students matched to
a single teacher in 25:1 ratio
• iLearnNYC is part of a larger citywide initiative to
implement blended learning in classrooms
across NYC.

12. Lessons Learned from Oakland’s Cohorts
• Oakland Case Study
• Key Policies Identified
– RFP; use what you have; everything really
• Implementation Strategies
• Network; Device ratios; Web / Google / DC
• Teacher Support Systems

13. Greg: Our Blended Learning
Model
• What does it look like?
– Site-based design and decision-making
– Usually devices in regular classrooms, 1:2 or
1:1.
– Kids get access to personalized adaptive
online content
– Kids get access to personalized small group
instruction with teacher

14. Greg: Implementation
Stages
• Where we are now
– 8 schools: 6 in OUSD, 2 local charters
– Models vary across the sites
– Lots of tech support
• Where we are going
– SBAC readiness as a leverage point
– Opportunities to launch future cohorts

15. Samantha’s Research
• Paper: “A Mixture for Success: Characteristics of a Blended Learning
Class”
• How the teachers transforms
– Shift in mental model from “teacher centered to student centered”
• Use of technology
– Technology as a tool to re-invent the craft and the learning
experience.
– Makes it sustainable, however not the end-all-be all
• Use of data to drive instruction
– Necessary to individualize
• School Policies Identified
• Implementation Strategies
• Teacher Support Systems

16. Bronx Arena and Implementation Stages
Where are we now?
• 3rd
year and 2nd
year using
“Arena model”
• Using completely homemade
curriculum
• Beginning to really incorporate
mastery based/ competency
based learning to individualize
• Senior portfolio
• Online, customized data-
tracking system
Where are we going?
• Full competency-based
instruction for course selection
• Have students “build their own”
curriculum based on interests and
aligned to competencies
• Continue to develop data tracker
to track individualized pathways
using competencies.
• Create more dynamic curriculum
through partnerships with other
schools

17. Bronx Arena:
Blended Learning Model
• Homemade, project-based curriculum using the Legacy
model
– All curriculum created collaboratively
• Blending the knowledge with intrinsic learning.
• “Arena Model” that includes a generalist teacher and
content specialist co-teachers.
• Competency-based to individualize and personalize
• Customized data tracker to monitor student progress, set
student goals, and track competency mastery.

18. Other Discussion Items

19. How much planning is needed? How far in
advance is it important to plan?
Who should be at the planning table /
planning committee?
• District
• School
• Classroom

20. What are important Policies / Procedures
to put in place?
• District
• School
• Classroom

21. How important is Leadership?
• What do key leaders need to do to support
implementation and sustainability?
• What daily/monthly leadership activities
take place to support blended learning
direction?

22. Other Questions

23. Final Thoughts
• Samantha
• Greg

24. Contact Info
• Greg Klein, Rogers Family Foundation,
Oakland, Ca
• gklein@rogersfoundation.org, @gregdklein
• Samantha (Sam) Sherwood, Bronx Arena
School, New York
• ssherwood@bronxarena.org