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St. Mary’s 3rd graders (back left, clockwise) Wesley Armand of Hessmer, Beau Aymond of Cottonport and Demarkis Barton and Brayden Bordelon, both of Marksville, get an early look at the new iReady online instructional program the school will be using in the 2017-18 school year. {Photo courtesy of Nathan Laborde}

St. Mary’s to implement ‘Blended Learning’

Combines classroom, online instruction

Online instruction is not new to Avoyelles Parish. There are online charter schools and the Avoyelles School District uses online instruction for students who have been expelled from their assigned school.

However, St. Mary’s Assumption Catholic School in Cottonport will be the first “traditional” school in the parish to implement a new way of teaching: “Blended Learning” for the new school year.

St. Mary’s is also the first school in the Alexandria Diocese -- and possibly the first in this area of the state -- to take the plunge into merging face-to-face classroom teaching with an online component that allows students to “work at their own level and pace,” St. Mary’s Principal Nathan Laborde said.

“The use of technology will allow teachers to differentiate instruction to all of his/her students,” Laborde continued. “Those who are struggling will be able to catch up and those who are above grade level will be able to move forward while remaining in their existing class.” 

Technology plays an important role in this method.

Laborde explained that half of the students in a class will use iPads (grades K-1) and Chromebooks (grades 2-8) for a portion of their lesson while the other half receives traditional instruction from the teacher. Then the two groups switch methods for the remainder of the class time.

St. Mary’s will use the iReady reading and math programs as its computer components. iReady meets or exceeds all Louisiana State Standards in reading and math, “so students will be well-prepared for whatever school they attend after St. Mary’s,” Laborde said. The school will also use the Ready textbook component of iReady, which will enable the students, parents and teachers to link the computer work to a textbook.

iReady can be accessed by computer anywhere with internet, so the students can continue class work after school.

“This enables students to make learning an all-inclusive activity, not just something that happens at school,” Laborde said.

LEARN AT THEIR PACE

Laborde said that in a class of 25 students, there may be some who are two grade levels behind their classmates and some who may be two grade levels ahead.

“We have needed something to bridge that learning gap,” Laborde said.

In a traditional teacher-led classroom, teachers may have to hold all students back a bit to ensure those less skilled do not fall further behind. The advanced students can get bored and lose interest, which can affect their performance as well.

“With blended learning, the kids who are behind have the opportunity to catch what they missed during the online session and those who are bored to death because they already have the material mastered can move ahead and keep going,” Laborde noted.

“One thing I like about this program is the ‘online teacher toolbox,’” he continued. “After a student takes a test, the program creates a learning plan for them. It can pinpoint what skills or lessons the child missed in a previous grade that keeps him or her from succeeding in the current grade.”

For example, he said, if a student is having trouble in 3rd grade math, the “tool box” will assess the student’s work and produce a report telling the teacher what lesson in 2nd grade addressed the missing skill.

“He can’t do work at the 3rd grade level if he missed the foundation for that skill in 1st or 2nd grade,” Laborde said.

With that knowledge, the teacher can direct the student to the exact lesson that taught the missing skill. Once that skill is added to the child’s mental arsenal, he can move past the impediment and advance.

Laborde said it is important for everyone -- parents, students, teachers and school administrators -- to realize that “technology cannot replace a teacher. It can enhance what is being done in the classroom and can benefit those who are ahead or behind in the classroom subject matter, but you still have to have that teacher-student relationship.”

CELEBRATE GROWTH

Another aspect of the teaching strategy is to motivate students with positive attention for success. A student’s academic growth in a subject “will be celebrated every day, week and month,” Laborde said.

“It is not about where you begin, but about where you end up and how much you grow academically,” he continued. “We will have ‘Champion Ceremonies’ to recognize achievement and hard work each month.”

Laborde said science/social studies teacher Betsy Jeansonne has been incorporating online learning in her class for some time and has taken several training courses. Jeansonne will be leaving the classroom to become the school’s full-time technology coordinator.

“Betsy will help the other teachers manage the use of technology in the classroom,” Laborde said. “She will also help overcome any problems or questions that go along with technology.”

He said other schools that have adopted Blended Learning say an on-site technology expert is essential to ensuring a smooth transition to the program and the success of the program in the classroom.

“We have invested our money in this program and we hope it succeeds,” Laborde said. “We will do everything we can to ensure that it succeeds.”

Laborde said the school could not have made this change five years ago because the computer infrastructure would not have supported it. Over the past five years, the school has updated its infrastructure so that it can now support having over 200 devices in use at the same time.

PROS AND CONS
Many educators across the nation claim the “blended” method is more effective than traditional classroom instruction alone or solely online classes.

One advantage cited by proponents of the method is that students can work on their own with new concepts, freeing the teacher to work with students who may need more individual attention on the subject matter.

It has been claimed it helps teacher’s avoid having to teach at the “lowest denominator” to ensure students are not left behind. That, in turn, allows those students who master the subject easier to better reach their potential.

Detractors, or those favoring the traditional classroom method, point out that blended learning requires proper planning and execution due to its dependence on technological resources and tools. Technology has to be reliable -- no “system interruptions,” etc. -- easy to use and up to date to have a meaningful impact on students’ learning.

It has also been noted that team or group work can be a problem because it is more difficult to manage a group in an online setting than in a classroom or lab.

Perhaps the most potentially important drawback, especially in a rural parish with a high poverty rate, is the likelihood that students may not have ready access to the internet at home.

Laborde said St. Mary’s makes computers available to students from about 7:10 a.m. to when school starts at 7:45 a.m. Students who are enrolled in the after-school program also have access to computers during that time.

“In addition, children can have computer time during PE,” Laborde added. “We work with the PE teacher to have a rotation system so that no student misses too many PE classes.”

Laborde said the change is “about more than ‘we have a computer in the classroom.’ In fact, Blended Learning is more than just technology-enhanced education. It is a distinct model of instruction that is growing across the country and has seen tremendous successes in K-12 schools in all areas.
“We are excited here at St. Mary’s to attempt to lead the way into Blended Learning in Central Louisiana.” 

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