What is a "blended lesson"?
Blended lessons are intended to be used as part of a blended learning environment. A blended learning environment is one where students are receiving meaningful instruction through traditional classroom activities and 1 to 1 instruction through online and technology based tools. These online lessons are intended to be only part of the instruction that students will be receiving on any given topic.
What curriculum are the blended lessons based on?
The blended lessons follow the Avancemos 1 textbook by Mcdougal Littel. The grammar topics are applicable for all Spanish 1 textbooks, but the vocabulary itself fits into the Avancemos curriculum.
What is the purpose of "tier 1" and "tier 2" for the grammar-based blended lessons?
Students all learn at their own pace, and have their own unique learning style. One advantage of a blended learning environment is being able to differentiate instruction to meet students needs. Students are able to pause, rewind, and re-watch instructional videos to learn at their own pace. Students are presented with visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities to meet their learning needs. After completing the learning activities in tier 1, students are able to receive immediate feedback by taking the tier 1 quiz. Students who have obtained a high enough level of proficiency, are able to move on. Students who did not obtain a high enough level of proficiency will move on to tier 2 for further explanation and learning activities before trying to pass the quiz again.
How does "lesson 1" and "lesson 2" work for the vocabulary lessons?
Lesson 1 provides an overview of the unit vocabulary. It allows for students to hear the words spoken in Spanish in various contexts, and provides opportunities for them to learn the vocabulary through various online activities and games. The goal for lesson 1 is when students hear or see the words in Spanish, they can come up with the English meaning of the words. Once students have passed lesson 1, they will move on to lesson 2. Lesson 2 focuses on building proficiency in being able to generate the Spanish meanings of the English words, and being able to spell the target Spanish vocabulary correctly.
How do I enter the @home tutor and other activities on classzone.com?
You may be directed to a page on classzone.com where it asks you to input your subject, level, and state before it directs you to the correct link. You will want to choose "high school world languages", "Michigan", and then choose "Avancemos 1" in the top left hand corner as the textbook. Here is a short video detailing that process. Click Here
How can teachers and students use the blended lessons?
These lessons can be used as part of a larger unit in a face to face classroom to create a blended learning environment. Students can access the lessons from a computer lab, or 1 to 1 devices that support java and flash. Teachers can use this time while the students are engaged in the lessons for speaking assessments, small group instruction, etc. Additionally, these lessons can be used in the flipped classroom model to deliver content outside of the school setting, or as a sub plan with a non-Spanish speaking sub.
How long should it take the students to complete the lessons?
First of all, each student will be different. Second, it also depends on what point in the unit they are completing the lesson. However, I would expect grammar lessons to take students between 45-60 minutes and vocabulary lessons to take at least 45 minutes for each individual lesson (Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 separately).