January 2014
Connecting the people of Vancouver Public Schools

Download Lewis and Clark transforms with blended learning 01-29-2014 (2.82 MB)

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Lewis and Clark transforms with blended learning


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  • In case I haven’t yet told you, happy new year! In Vancouver Public Schools, 2014 is off to a terrific start. Earlier this month, students began applying for our secondary magnet programs, including the new Lewis and Clark High School, which is the subject of this month’s podcast.

    Last fall, Lewis and Clark became a place where staff and students are charting their own paths to success, to borrow the school’s motto. They blazed ahead with one-to-one technology and blended learning—a combination of online and face-to-face instruction, small group work, and flexibility of time and space.

    To really understand some of the benefits of blended learning, ask sophomore Alyssa Gregory.

    As an eighth grader, Alyssa had dabbled in online learning. But she missed interacting with people. She enrolled in a traditional high school for her freshman year, yet needed more support to be successful. So she investigated other options. Lewis and Clark sounded perfect.

    The mix of online instruction through Edgenuity and face-to-face time with teachers and kids provides the support Alyssa needs. She says that she gets more one-on-one time, and teachers are available to help.

    The blended learning model also gives students the freedom to set their own schedules. No bells. Alyssa enjoys being her own pacesetter. If she gets stuck, she knows that she can take extra time to learn the subject thoroughly.

    Edgenuity’s email and calendar functions help Alyssa stay organized. The future filmmaker says that learning how to stick to a schedule will help her in college and the workforce.

    And Principal Rob Duncan observes that students have increased ownership of their education since the school’s redesign. He says that there are times when learning is teacher-led and teacher-driven, and there are times when it’s student-centered and student-led. The Lewis and Clark staff sees the value in that model.

    Other people have discovered the value, too. Recently Lewis and Clark was featured in an article on blended learning in District Administration magazine. And so far, attendance has increased 19 percent over last year. Students have shown that they want to be in school—a powerful endorsement of Lewis and Clark’s new direction.

    I’ll leave you with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. This quote speaks to Lewis and Clark’s transformation, but it has relevance for us all as we continue our work in Design II, Chapter 2.

    Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

    Take care,

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Episode 001: Helping a new student find her way home
Episode 002: Walking together for kids
Episode 003: "Heart work" endures
Episode 004: Mentoring "pays it forward"
Episode 005: Teachers inspire a family
Episode 006: Employees brighten the work environment
Episode 007: Our own prodigal son
Episode 008: A community mourns the loss of Gordon Patterson
Episode 009: Harvesting dreams
Episode 010: Seeing challenges as opportunities
Episode 011: Attitude makes the difference
Episode 012: Putting students first
Episode 013: Coming home
Episode 014: Superheroes of Vancouver Public Schools
Episode 015: Highlighting "Bright Spots"
Episode 016: Gifts for the future
Episode 017: Equitable funding for our children
Episode 018: Working together to meet our students needs
Episode 019: Rx for student success: Instructional rounds
Episode 020: Riding the waves of music
Episode 021: Discovering one's voice; there's an app for that
Episode 022: Graduation…The key to a better life
Episode 023: Wrestling against the odds
Episode 024: One employee, one school district to watch
Episode 025: Gifted young poets inspire and excel
Episode 026: Fortitude
Episode 027: Being present
Episode 028: New year's resolutions
Episode 029: Springing into new beginnings
Episode 030: Lessons from the NSBA Education Technology Site Visit
Episode 031: Phoenix rising—and graduating—from the ashes
Episode 032: Storytelling
Episode 033: From the community come reasons to be thankful
Episode 034: The giving spirit
Episode 035: Lewis and Clark transforms with blended learning
Episode 036: New technology tools
Episode 037: Success stories draw governor, mayor
Episode 038: All I really need to know
Episode 039: As one chapter ends, another begins
Episode 040: Jumping over achievement gaps
Episode 041: Compassion strengthens district

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