Teaching Reading Through Blended Learning

"Reading" Nick Youngson. Date first licensed: August 2016 
http://www.thebluediamondgallery.com/wooden-tile/r/reading.html

I want to begin this post by outlining my learning goal for you as the reader! By the end of this post, I want you to understand the importance of implementing Blended Learning within your classroom. I will do this by teaching you the positive reasons for utilizing blended learning through the teaching of reading. I believe applying such a powerful concept, to a specific area of teaching, will help narrow down and expose the special and amazing qualities of blended learning.

So first things first, what is blended learning?

There are many misconceptions regarding the definition, concept, and practice of blended learning. Jen Jonson touches on these misconceptions at the beginning of her video Blended Learning and Technology Integration:

Jonson communicates that blended learning is not simply technology integration, and warns us not to get “too caught up in the tools”. Using instructional design, we can leverage technology intentionally to restructure the classroom in a way that increases student involvement, engagement, and input. You are essentially blending face-to-face interaction with online discussion, research, and resource curation. You are transitioning away from teacher delivering information to student, to students interacting and collaborating with each other. The focus is:

* Sharing and collaborating
* Seamlessly blending online and offline work
* Increasing student control and autonomy
* Utilizing an online classroom space
* Repurposing time for more problem-solving, inquiry, and critical thinking 

Blended Learning and Reading

Now that we understand what exactly blended learning is, we can apply it to teaching reading. I feel as though reading is often viewed as an independent and individual activity. We also visualize reading as reading a physical hard copy book. None of this would seem to relate to blended learning. But that is exactly why I think it is a great skill to apply to blended learning, to really draw out the progressive features of this style of learning. In my opinion, blended learning can provide three major learning aspects for teaching reading:

(1) Access to a variety of text
(2) Collaboration
(3) Online reflection

Resource Curation and Research

The Ontario Curriculum for Grades 1-8 Language states that students are to read a variety of texts and range of materials that illustrate the many uses of reading. By “reading widely” and frequently students may develop a richer vocabulary and become more attuned to the conventions of the written language (10). In the article Content Literacy, Dr. Perry Klein proposes that content literacy is “the ability to read, write, create, interpret, and present a range of media” (1). The article discusses the need for fiction, non-fiction, an overall variety of texts, self-selected reading where students choose the topic relating to their interests. Blended learning is the most logical vehicle for providing students with a variety of texts to read. It also aligns with self-discovery of interests and passions, as students are free to roam and explore social media platforms such as Instagram, education or reading blogs, e-books, online articles, and much more. By implementing content literacy and blended learning, students are able to become engaged through a variety of diverse text options; ultimately sparking student interests and passions.

Collaboration

In the article Adolescent Literacy: Engaging Research and Teaching it is discussed that collaboration in the classroom is also extremely important. Students are already online via video games, social media, and online forums, and are already often “[participating] in collaborative efforts leading to collective goals.” Blended learning would utilize a platform such as GoogleDocs, where students can compile all of their expert knowledge into one document, providing all students have access to the relevant knowledge. I can visualize students using this learning strategy to improve their summarizing skills, ability to be concise, and critically thinking. A teacher could provide students with a story, informational text, article, or even comic book, split up the reading into sections. Each student becomes an expert on their reading section and then using the online platform they collaborate to compile a summary of the entire text, reaching a collective goal. This relates to the article's theory that asking students to individually take summary notes, sharing said summary notes, and incorporating ideas from the entire group is an important teaching strategy. This also aligns directly with the curriculum, which requires students to “think clearly, creatively, and critically about the ideas and information encountered in texts in order to understand, analyze, and absorb them” (10).

Online Reflection

Additionally, Klein discusses utilizing learning logs; writing informally about what they are reading, what they have learned, what questions they have, and what the most important ideas were. Klein reiterates that students should set goals for their reading and then after reading, write what they have learned; reflective reading. Taking this concept to the next level via blended learning, one could use the online platform of a “blog” to log all of their reflective writing. The curriculum states that students should use reading to discover their interests, abilities, and personal development (10) as well as “reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading” (11). Reflection would center around what the curriculum expects: discovering their curiosities and skills relating to reading. A blog shared with the teacher would increase accountability for the student to stay on track with their reading, work on completing their goals, and stay up to date with their reflection. Teachers would have easy access to the student’s growth, development, success, and struggles.

I hope you now understand the importance of implementing Blended Learning within your classroom and that I gave you some relevant strategies on how to apply Blended Learning to teaching Reading!