Presentation for SPERA31 (Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia) at Deakin University, Geelong, 4-6th November, 2015.

1. A Digital Toolbox for
Blended Learning
Environments
Britt Gow, Hawkesdale P12 College

2. Science, Maths, Biology and
Environmental Science
(online) teacher at
Hawkesdale P12 College
SW Victoria, Australia
Technoscience blog since
2008
Twitter @brittgow
brittgow@gmail.com
Skype: britt.gow
http://digitaltoolbox.wikispaces.com

3. Introduction
1. What are blended learning environments?
2. How does this relate to the conference
theme “Mapping Education Policy
Landscapes – Rurality and Rural Futures?”

4. Blended learning is a continuum……

5. From no technology whatsoever…

6. to access anytime, anywhere.

7. Blended Learning at Hawkesdale
P12 College, Australia

8. “A decade ago, a
review of Australian
science education,
revealed many
students were
disappointed with
their high school
science. Today, this
disenchantment
continues, as
evidenced by the
declining number of
students choosing to
study science in
senior secondary
school.” Prof. S. Cory

9. Created online with “Create-A-Graph”
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/index.asp

12. • The Power to Engage
• Students use technology already
• It's not going to go away...it will only grow
• Professional development
• Employers want their workers to use internet tools

13. What does blended learning mean
for rural students?
• Access to modern learning environments
• Meet students in their “zone of proximal
development”, as well as the spaces they like
to operate in (context )
• Ensure there are a variety of ways that
students can access the knowledge & skills
• Provide authentic opportunities for learners
to find their passion

14. “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” Stephen Heppell

15. Today’s learner’s are:
• Multi-taskers
• Digitally literate
• Mobile and connected 24/7
• Experiential and Social
• Visual / spatial learners with
• Fast response times & short attention spans

16. ● Know your students well and how they learn
best
● Mix it up - offer a variety of learning
opportunities
● Use photos, diagrams, cartoons, video, music
● Give students choices
● Tell a story and create memories with all the
senses
● Provide opportunities to create a product
Six Strategies…..

17. S
Increasing success in an
online environment.
(+, +)
Successful in both face to
face and online environments.
(-, -)
Less successful in both
face to face and
online environments.
Increasing success in a face to
face environment
(+, -)
Successful in a face to face
environment, but not as
successful in an online
environment.
(-, +)
Successful in an online
environment, but not as
successful in a face to
face environment.

18. S
Increasing success in an
online environment.
Confident, well-organised,
persistent, independent
learners
Increasing success in a face to
face environment
Sociable, likes teamwork and
learning collaboratively.
Persistent, flexible, good
technology skills,
introverted, difficulty
socialising.
Lacks confidence and
persistence, poor
organisational skills,
needs structure &
scaffolding.

19. Teacher
Student Parent
Traditional classrooms

20. Student
Teacher Parent
21st century classrooms

21. Student
Teacher Parent
School Family
Peers

22. Knowledge
Skills Attitudes
Traditional Learning

23. Knowledge
Skills Attitudes
21st Century Learning

24. Knowledge Skills Attitudes
Literacy
Numeracy
Digital literacy
Critical thinking
Collaboration
Communication
Creativity
Media skills
Technology
skills
Confidence
Persistence
Organisation
Resilience
Teamwork
Flexibility

25. Collective Knowledge Construction
● Connect
● Communicate
● Collaborate
● Collective Knowledge Construction

27. Over 50,000 views
and 1,200
downloads on
Slidesharehttp://www.slideshare.net/brittgow/malaria-powerpoint

28. https://www.youtube.com/user/brittgow/videos

30. Polycom with GTAC, Melbourne

31. https://bubbl.us

33. http://padlet.com/

35. http://www.slideshare.net/brittgow/year-7-minecraft-maths

36. Twitter
• Experts in your
classroom
• Global
conversations
• Instant answers
to your
questions
• Just-in-time
conversations

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

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

41. https://quizlet.com/Brittgow

42. Start small – find a tool that meets a
learning need in your classroom.

43. 1. Are some students more likely to
complete their studies and achieve
good outcomes by participating in an
online learning environment?

44. 2. What characteristics of students are
likely indicators of success in an online
learning environment?

45. 3. Is virtual, blended provision just
a different way of doing the same
things?

46. 4. What teaching strategies are
more effective in an online
learning environment?

47. 5. What aspects of virtual
classrooms are advantageous to
student learning?

48. Thank you for your participation in
this workshop session.
Please contact me if you have any
questions, contributions or if you
would like to explore these
questions further.
brittgow@gmail.com
brittgow @ Twitter

49. 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”