{"id":3306,"date":"2015-03-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-30T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/blog\/cw_post\/it-starts-with-pedagogy-how-lindsay-unified-is-integrating-blended-learning\/"},"modified":"2020-02-05T12:54:41","modified_gmt":"2020-02-05T17:54:41","slug":"it-starts-with-pedagogy-how-lindsay-unified-is-integrating-blended-learning","status":"publish","type":"cw_post","link":"https:\/\/aurora-institute.org\/cw_post\/it-starts-with-pedagogy-how-lindsay-unified-is-integrating-blended-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"It Starts with Pedagogy: How Lindsay Unified is Integrating Blended Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Elements<\/a>
Click to Enlarge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is the fifth post in a series on Lindsay Unified High School. See the\u00a0first<\/a>,\u00a0second<\/a>,\u00a0third<\/a>, and fourth<\/a> posts.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

The first thing you need to know about blended learning at Lindsay Unified School District is that they never use the term blended learning.<\/p>\n

Joe Vagt, Director of 21st Century Learning and Technology, explains:<\/p>\n

In our process of developing a personalized, performance-based system, we have had rich conversations about pedagogy, instruction, and assessment. We didn\u2019t see blended learning as something new or different \u2013 it\u2019s just a way for us to use technology in a way that provides even more opportunities for our learners.<\/i><\/p>\n

When I went to the pre-conference workshop with Heather Staker at the iNACOL Symposium, it confirmed for me that we had the pedagogical pieces in place. We also already had a strong orientation to learner ownership, offering students choice in how they convey their learning. Essentially, the philosophy of performance-based learning was the same as that of blended learning.<\/i><\/p>\n

The question we have to ask ourselves now is how to leverage technology to make our philosophy even more viable throughout the district. Technology is another tool to make PBS (performance-based system) a reality.<\/i><\/p>\n

How is LUSD thinking about using technology to support learning and teaching?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Vagt explained, \u201cWe are trying to create a model that allows technology to enable a cycle of inquiry that leads to higher order skills. In many cases, Learning Facilitators (LFs) already put their curriculum online, but we weren\u2019t drawing on the full benefits of technology. We want to see technology used to support learners developing foundational knowledge (Level 1 and 2 learning) and then lead them into further inquiry and application working with their peers and LFs. We want to make sure LFs are able to use their time to work with students around Level 3 and higher learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

LUSD created a design team \u2013 including Chief Academic Officer Lana Brown, Performance-Based Specialist Rebecca Midles, learning facilitators, and technology specialists \u2013 to develop their technology-supported inquiry approach. The team reviewed all the different models of blended learning and realized that there were core elements to each one, including:<\/p>\n