Where does the Overview/Introduction/Start Here module fit into the overall courses map or design?
My overview/Start Here is at the beginning of my course as well as a Welcome Announcement to help teachers get an overview of the course. I also added a video to explain the importance of collaborative ongoing professional development. I wanted to incorporate some of the ideas from Nancy Duarte’s book, Resonate, so that the teachers would realize that I have an emotional stake in what they are learning because I am a teacher, also.
How is your instructional design approach realized in the modules?
I have structured my design approach related to Bloom’s Taxonomy. I have given the teachers the opportunity to use prior knowledge, show understanding by collaborating with peers, apply what they are learning through research based on their grade level standards, analyze and evaluate by observing each other’s work and ideas, and creating materials they will use in their classroom to implement blended learning through math stations.
Where are you sharing the main course goal and outcome with your learners?
I have included the 3 column table at the beginning of the course syllabus. I also made the syllabus a file for teachers to download so they can have the interactive links as a reference once the course is over.
How does the module align outcomes, activities and assessments?
The module aligns the outcomes, activities and assessments because I referred back to the 3 column table wher the course. The modules are also based on the principles of professional learning: ongoing, supportive, engaging, modeling, and specific.
Is this student-centered or teacher-led?
This is professional development for teachers but it is based on the student-centered principles.
What is the scope of range of the instructor’s role (i.e. Presenter, Facilitator, Coach, Mentor)? Is the course blended or fully online?
For this course, the instructor is the facilitator but can also be a mentor for those who lack classroom experience. The course is fully online, but it is designed so that the collaboration piece in the modules can be done in person and implemented in a blended setting.
How are you introducing the course and yourself and how are you building the learning community?
I added a video that I created to bring teachers into the professional learning by explaining why I have create using the 5 principles of professional learning. I feel it will engage them immediately and help them understan course is designed with the purpose of allowing them to be engaged, that it is purposeful, and that it ongoing collaborative.
What is the ratio or percentage of synchronous to asynchronous collaboration?.
This course can be implemented 100% asynchronous where teachers work at their own pace. For example, a summer online PD training where teachers are allowed to work from home would be the ideal example. However, the course has a collaborative activities built into each module so administrators could choose to implement this at faculty meetings and PLCs where the collaboration is done in-person. If the course is implemented synchronously the collaboration would account for about 30% of the course.
How will you address the infrastructure, system, and support needs and issues the learner may face?
The infrastructure on my district is very reliable and a lot of the courses we do for compliance are 100% online, a some of our trainings. To allow for teachers to get the support they may need, I have embedded Conference but! the Canvas lesson so that they can request help.
More about my thoughts during the creation of this course
I created my Blended Learning course to teach teachers how to implement a station rotation model in the K-2 classroom. As I created the course, I emphasized the 5 principles of professional learning and began the course with a video I created to help give the teachers a sense of engagement to let them know this course was created to be ongoing, specific to their content, and supportive to their needs.
My modules were created with student-centered learning in mind. Even though it is for teachers, the outcomes is based on the COVA+CSLE approach to allow teachers to have choice, ownership and voice through authentic learning. Teachers are getting work collaboratively and hands-on to create resources they will be able to use in their classrooms.
My district is implementing a new math curriculum this year and the move is to incorporate blended learning with math stations. As I developed this course, I had myself and my fellow teachers in mind. I wanted to create a course that I would benefit from taking myself, and hopefully other will, too.
Blended Elementary 