# Blended Learning in K-12/Blended Learning In Grades K-2

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Blended learning within early childhood education is an interesting
concept; *how can a student who lacks the ability to read and write be
part of a virtual community?*

While many of the children at the primary level lack the ability to
read, incorporating technology enhanced learning is still a reality.
Teachers can enhance an existing curriculum, improve communication with
the school community and devise forums which reinforce & enrich the
early childhood education. Even though adaptations must occur in order
for e-learning to be successful with young children, primary students
\"should not be excluded from the virtual learning world simply because
of their age and developmental levels\" (Scott; 2003).

When the topic of blended learning arises people often think of students
meeting within a classroom setting and then continue the learning
experience online in the comfort of their home. However within primary
classrooms, blended learning can be more comparable to technology
integration; serving the class environment as a teaching aide. Since
many primary classrooms now have a technology center which can include
anywhere from one to half a dozen computers e-learning is becoming a
reality. While this is not the true definition of blended learning, this
type of face-to-face instruction followed by independent activities
based on individual student needs is the building blocks for higher
level blended learning.

**Blended Education: Application Examples**

*Curriculum*

An overview of the primary classroom sees children learning to read,
beginning to add, and exploring numerous topics for the first time. Most
classrooms are brimming with children, lacking an aide and overloaded
with information. By investigating each subject within a primary
classroom, teachers can envision how blended learning can be a real part
of early childhood education.

Incorporation of technology into the primary classroom can be as a
simple as bringing the students to a website which better illustrates a
story explored in class. For example, if a class reads \"Brown Bear,
Brown Bear, What Do You See?\" written by Bill Martin, Jr. to further
extend upon the story a primary teacher may set a website such as Animal
Vocabulary on a computer in the technology center.

Language arts within a primary classroom can be enhanced with a learning
community such as The Monster Exchange. This website has the children
collaborating with children all over the United States and beyond to
work on descriptive writing. Children draw a picture of a monster and
write a description of the creature in class, the teacher inputs the
picture and description into the website. Classrooms connect with
another class, read one anothers\' descriptions, and then try to
recreate the original monster. Pictures are set up side by side in the
Monster Gallery for comparison. Children can access the monster website
at home and work collaborately with their families.

A primary teacher knows all too well that purchasing enough math
manipulatives for the whole class can be quite expensive and often not a
reality for every school. Technology and blended learning offer a
solution. If an educator works with his/her class on a lesson about
patterns, he/she can direct students to practice the lesson on Virtual
Library of Math Manipulatives. To begin this lesson the teacher would
explore patterns in numerous ways using varying sets of manipulatives to
illustrate patterns; however when it comes to having a set of coins or
buttons for each student this might not be a feasible. Solution: if a
teacher uses this website within a lab setting in which all the students
are using a computer, children can play with patterns independently,
make mistakes, ask questions and the best part no buttons, coins or
colored bears to clean up.

Often time history is neglected because the basic skills often take top
priority in the primary classroom. Using e-learning is a great way to
further explore topics such as history. One very interactive website
explores George Washington. During the month a February a 3rd grade
teacher, for example, can set this website up as a favorite within her
computer center. Each child can be required to view the site and make a
comment in the notebook next to the computer. Those comments can later
be shared as a class.

Since science resources are so abundant online, we can look at blended
learning from a different angle. A second grade class designed this
Space Website. After learning about space in class, the children worked
within groups to develop a virtual learning area made for children in
primary grades. The students and teacher took what they knew, blended it
into technology and now other students can benefit.

*Communication*

Blended communication could be the most successful form for the new
generation of parents. Quite often information relayed to a primary
student quite often does not make it to the ears of a parent. Besides
traditional classroom visits, parent/teacher conferences and telephone
calls, many teachers of all students are realizing that reaching parents
through emails, websites and discussion boards are more fruitful in
contacting parents. Designing an online community where teachers can
post and explain information about their teaching methods can help
clarify classroom procedures. With the same regard, parents can ask
questions, review announcements, and become an active part of the
classroom through a virtual environment. Searching within Yahoo groups,
numerous groups can be discovered which join parents and education
groups. "Some schools are exploring the use of video conferencing and
\'streamed\' (stored for viewing at home) videos to promote parent
understanding and involvement in student learning\" (Starr, 2005).

This blended communication is even opening up a place for parent input
to class learning. Teachers can design questions through online
questionnaires from places like SurveyKey. Educators can ask parents
about issues with in the class, specific needs and concerns. As parents
respond, a teacher can make adjusts and improvements. Once again this is
extremely important within younger students, as they often have a
difficult time expressing experiences which they may have in class.

*Reinforcement & Enrichment*

Teachers at every level grapple with the difficulty of addressing the
needs of each child within a classroom, however this challenge is
extremely prevalent within the early childhood classroom as students are
exploring the building blocks of education. This challenge can be aided
with blended learning.

Studies have been surfacing for years that foreign language instruction
should begin at the elementary level instead of postponing that learning
until high school, however due to budgetary concerns, foreign language
classes seem like a frill (Walker, 2004). By teaching another language
to young children, we give them the greatest chance to fully absorb a
second language. If an elementary school does not offer a foreign
language classes, teachers and parents can still expose primary students
to another language through technology. From simple websites which
vocalize the French Alphabet to websites which allow the students to
progress through activities to learn Spanish.

Within primary grades a child many times needs extra practice. The web
has the amazing ability to give kids extra help in a way different from
group classroom instruction, maybe in a form in which a child learns
better. For example, if a teacher has introduced new letter sounds and
she/he notices a student is struggling, the student can either use the
computer center to practice or a Phonics website address can be send
home for parents to use as practice.

**Adaptations for Blended Learning in Early Childhood Education**

One major concern for young children on the Internet is safety. While
students within upper grades understand the seriousness of broadcasting
their personal information, often younger students are ignorant to that
fact. In order to protect the identity of students, it is recommended
that students work as a group. Since group work is quite prevalent
within a primary classroom, it is very realistic that young children
work as a group within a virtual learning environment, collaborating on
answers to contribute. Students can work as a face-to-face group in the
classroom, develop an answer and post the response within their virtual
environment. Working as a group also alleviates the need to post
responses using full names, pictures and other personal information,
instead the children post as, for example, *The Green Group*.

The design of a virtual community needs to be adapted for the younger
set. Since the literacy development varies greatly within grades K-2,
sites should use pictures and common shapes to navigate through the
information. As streaming video and digital voice technologies improve
and are becoming more common site participation becomes more user
friendly for those with limited reading skills. Responses within an
online learning environment need to be configured with developmental
needs in mind. Answers may need to be multiple choice or give the
contributor the ability to \"draw\" an answer.

Sites which are made specifically for online classes such as Moodle or
other course management systems are not appropriate for the early
childhood environment because \"younger students may not have the study
skills, reading abilities and self-discipline to fare well without a
class to go to\"(Russo, 2001). That does not mean they need to be
excluded from the virtual community, we just need to think of these
years as their preparation for becoming part of a **Brave New World** of
teaching.
