Activities

These are my viewpoints of the four sets of activities that schools could focus on if instruction is to shift to online learning. The four broad sets of activities described by the authors of "Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools" are deeper learning, safe care, wraparound services, and fun with friends/extracurricular activities. These are activities that schools could start to embrace with the emergence of online learning. The question is, which is the most important for your community? My community is primarily 7-year-olds that either barely speak English or do not have food at home. So here is my opinion of the four sets of activities ranked from most critical to least critical

1. Safe Care
2. Wraparound Services
3. Fun with Friends/Extracurricular activities
4. Deeper Learning

I have chosen this order for many reasons. Children of poverty need to first feel safe in their environment before any learning can take place. We learn this early on in school, but it is amazing to see it first hand in the classroom. The trust that occurs with these students can make or break a year. I may have to debate one thing the author talks about with Safe Care. It is stated that "as schools shift more of the management of content and instruction to the internet, they will have the opportunity to refocus and devote more time and resources to providing world-class physical care" (Horn,82). If and when there is more research to support that statement, I will wholeheartedly believe it. Yet, I do not see this happening with students in my community, I see it as a drawback. Until every teacher in the school is trained in the appropriate usage of blended learning and the internet, it will not refocus schools to better care, it could potentially make it worse.

I also think that Wraparound services fit into this category because of the number of things students need (physically, emotionally and mentally) before feeling like students ready to learn in the classroom. As the book states "Community schools serve dinner, subsidize transportation, help families apply for Medicaid - the list goes on. What's the alternative?" Doing these things might not guarantee student improvement, but if the schools don't do them, the majority of students have little hope and are not concentrating on school. And quite frankly, their minds are not considering technology when they walk into the classroom.

Deeper learning is a huge topic in the education world that I struggle with. I believe if teachers understand the depth of knowledge, and plan for it in lessons every day, it will help students to think critically and creatively. I just do not believe that it is the most critical need for every child. A vital role for young children is having a SAFE place to have fun with friends. It is something that I believe children absolutely need before deeper learning, especially in my community. It's as if social/extracurricular activities are the roots of the children and deeper learning is the stem and leaves. Without the roots, the plant cannot stand for itself. However, I do believe this activity IS more possible to achieve with a combination of online learning and face to face teaching. I have seen in the classroom how children can use blended learning together while practicing manners and collaboration.