Digital Learning Day, a national celebration of learning through digital media and technology, is just around the corner. Across the nation on February 6, more than 2 million students and 20,000 teachers are expected to participate in this year’s Second Annual Digital Learning Day.
Here at Education Elements we are excited to see this national focus on learning through technology, and are encouraged that more educators and students will learn about the benefits of blended learning. As a preview to Digital Learning Day, we offer our Top Ten Ways to celebrate it:
- Schedule online demos with several digital curriculum providers to learn about which content best meets the needs of your students.
- Talk with teachers at your school about blended learning and what it means and how it could improve student outcomes (There are many definitions of Blended Learning, but here’s how we at Education Elements define it: “Blended learning uses technology to create a learning environment where students have daily opportunities for individualized learning and teachers have the opportunities, resources and time to differentiate small group instruction in a classroom.”)
- Technology enables great teaching. Interview teachers to understand what needs they have that blended learning could help solve (e.g. more time for small group instruction, more effective way to look at student performance frequently).
- Invite a principal of a school that is using technology to differentiate instruction to talk with you and your staff about the integration of technology.
- Engage with the community. Create a forum (online or in person) to discuss with parents how digital learning can enhance learning for students.
- Create a lesson or project for students that integrates technology into the lesson plan. Here are some ideas.
- Sign up for blended learning blogs and follow thought leaders on Twitter. Some we recommend are: Innosight Institute (@InnosightInstit), BlendedLearningNow (@CEETrust), Getting Smart, (@GettingSmart) and BlendMyLearning (@BlndMyLearning).
- Create a digital space (such as Wallwisher or Pinterest) for students to share with teachers ways that they learn with technology when they are not in the classroom.
- Schedule a visit to a blended learning school in your area. (Contact us if you need help finding one).
- Watch the Digital Learning Day free webcast at 1 pm EST. The webcast will focus on how great teaching, combined with effective technology, makes a positive impact on improving America’s schools, particularly those that serve high-risk and high-poverty populations.
For more information on Digital Learning Day or to register to view the free webcast on Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. EST, visit www.digitallearningday.org/splash. Look out for more information around how Education Elements is celebrating it across the country.
