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Feature Story: Hybrid Learning at Langley
FEATURE STORY:
Hybrid Learning at Langley
A New Learning Model for an Unusual Year
By Sarah Beck, Interim Head of Lower School/Director of Curriculum & Instruction
The current school year has brought unprecedented challenges and opportunities to educators in every context, and the faculty at Langley have embraced both with a commitment to serving our students at the highest level. After navigating the unexpected and abrupt transition to distance learning last spring, we shifted our attention immediately to planning an instructional model for the fall. We did so in partnership with a task force of administrators and teacher leaders who met weekly to evaluate the needs of our students and the instructional models that might best support them.
Identifying an Effective Model
The task force quickly identified what was known and what was unknown about teaching and learning in a global pandemic. We developed the following list of assumptions to guide our planning: • Treatment and/or vaccine is unlikely to be available in fall 2020 • Some students/families will need or want to stay home (for short or long periods of time) • Potential community spread or exposure will require a shift to distance learning • Socially distant instruction will have to look different from traditional in-person instruction • To deliver quality, we will need to plan before knowing local guidance for schools in September • We must plan for movement between different scenarios, based on changing contexts • Our program must be equitable for students who are home for the long or short term
We knew that any approach we took would need to reflect Langley’s balanced, inquiry-based, student-centered philosophy of instruction because it fosters independence, joy, and confidence in learning. Since it was critically important that our values continue to guide our connection with students, our top priority was ensuring their engagement throughout an unpredictable school year.
As a result, we quickly identified a hybrid model of instruction as the best way to ensure we would be able to flex
Junior kindergarten students at home and at school completed a self-portrait project this fall. Students engaged in a variety of skills throughout this project as they practiced patterns, letters, and sounds. They explored the theme of identity and made connections across content areas in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). For example, students used math skills as they considered designs for their self-portrait’s shirt. They explored themes of diversity and inclusion by matching skin tone paper and crayons to the color of their skin and talking about how skin gets color. Finally, they learned about famous artists like Frida Kahlo and how she created self-portraits using symmetry and self-expression in her backgrounds and with her hair.
our approach as the needs of our students, families, and the community rapidly evolved in the coming months. As students’ needs and local conditions changed, our model would be able to adapt quickly, causing the least amount of disruption as possible. However, we knew implementing a highly flexible model would require innovation, intentionality, and investment at the outset.
Preparing for Hybrid Learning
We recognized there would be significant challenges in delivering a hybrid model that provides high-quality instruction for both in-person and at-home learners, so we outlined both and brainstormed ways we might support each type of learner. For example, planning lessons that worked for students learning at home and in the classroom would require a new way of thinking and additional planning time for teachers. As a result, we developed a series of interactive videos for teachers to access throughout the summer with examples of how to plan hybrid lessons, tools to support their planning, and examples of specific strategies that work well in hybrid classrooms. We also built additional planning time into our weekly schedule on Friday afternoons to ensure faculty had the time they needed to plan meaningful, engaging lessons.
In addition, we knew that we would need additional technology tools and training to facilitate a smooth hybrid experience for teachers and students. Director of Technology & Innovation Brad Lands tested a variety of cameras and setups, asking teachers for input along the way and inviting administrators to experience the setup from a student perspective. As a result, we were able to identify the right tools for each age group, as well as the “views” students would have from both home and the classroom. Purposefully
Students in seventh-grade social studies experienced projects and simulations reimagined for our hybrid learning model, including one on mercantilism. In this hybrid simulation, students were tasked with operating the economic system between England and the Colonies. Teams of students were assigned colonies and raw materials to produce, and attempted to sell and trade with England. Students at home and on campus shared virtual game boards where they recorded their total earnings, raw materials, and final products. In the end, students found the system of mercantilism favored the England team, and identified the challenges to this economic system for the Colonies.
HYBRID LEARNING IN ACTION: Grade 6 “Thinking Like a Scientist”
As part of their “learning to think like a scientist” unit, sixth-grade scientists set up a fair test to see if hand washing, mask wearing, and social distancing really does reduce the amount of germ growth on bread. Students learned about the importance of a control in an experiment, as well as what independent and dependent variables are and how each needs to be quantifiable. Students also learned why running more than one trial and averaging data is essential to reliably support or refute a hypothesis. Since this project took place at the start of the year while our Middle School was in distance learning, students completed their experiments at home and shared results with their peers virtually.
Third-grade students wrote books about a topic for which they are an expert. Knowing the importance of a strong introductory sentence to engage their audience, students wrote different styles of topic sentences for each of their chapters. They used the Google Meet breakout rooms feature to share with those at home and in class the topic sentence that they ultimately chose for their draft. After discussing with his group in the breakout room, for example, 0ne student decided to use his “shocker” topic sentence, “Anakin Skywalker changed from good to bad and back to good in the ‘Star Wars’ saga,” as part of his “Star Wars” book.
Preschool Community Helper Unit
During their “community helper” unit, preschool students took on the roles of different helpers during purposeful play centers, both at home and in the classroom. A popular favorite was being a firefighter. Using a squirt bottle filled with watered-down paint, students were instructed to “put out the fires.” After a while, they really fell into character as they started shouting about new fires and rushed to put them out. Since paint was added to the bottles, the children also created a beautiful process paint art project as well. Students received a piece of the collaborative artwork to have as a keepsake and they shared it with each other during a live class time on Google Meet.
planning how students at home and in the classroom would experience the lesson became an area of intentional planning for Langley teachers.
Living Hybrid Learning
For example, in Ms. Alonso’s first-grade class this fall, students in the classroom were seated at their desks, facing the front board where they could see four of their classmates who had logged on to the Google Meet from home. Ms. Alonso was projecting her screen and was also using her document camera, pivoted toward the student desks, so students could all see each other. She welcomed everyone to Morning Meeting and then students took turns greeting each other by name, with those at home calling on students in the class and vice versa until everyone had been greeted. Then, Ms. Alonso projected slides to both groups of students while using her computer camera so that students at home could still see her as she explained how they would create a class contract together. Finally, she turned off the slides and turned the document camera to face her as she wrote on chart paper. She asked students, “What do we want our classroom to be like?” and called on them one at a time, both those at home and those in the room, recording their answers. By the end of the 20-minute lesson, each student had contributed to the class conversation and interacted with their classmates, regardless of where they were learning.
Even with the intentional planning of teachers and thoughtful investment in resources, there are moments in hybrid learning that don’t go as planned. One of the greatest challenges has been embracing the flexible growth mindset we value for our students and faculty as we have learned a new way of doing school this year.
Langley’s mission and philosophy will continue to orient us during these unprecedented times. We used these guiding principles to make difficult decisions about our instruction model and to motivate us to find a path forward. We are dedicated to our mission of ensuring all students become engaged, joyful, confident learners, and our inquiry-based, balanced, student-centered instruction is what brings this mission to life, each and every day.
In Their Own Words
Faculty and staff share their lessons learned during the pandemic
Shannon Eagan, Social Studies Teacher: “The pandemic stretched my thinking in unexpected and challenging ways. I think this resonated for students and allowed me a greater window into their daily lives.”
Danielle Stewart, Preschool Teacher: “I learned the true meaning of collaboration. When COVID struck, a virtual learning platform seemed impossible for early childBarbara Collier, Grade 5 Teacher: hood students. Through “This experience has given me a whole new insight into constant encouragement what it means to learn something new. I felt completely and communication from Robin Tatu, Librarian: overwhelmed by all the new technology, but the kind- the leadership team, we “I've experienced the ness and generosity of my peer teachers showed me pulled together and the creativity and grit of my colleagues, the patience of how we are truly all in this challenging journey together.” magic began to take form.” parents, and the remarkable joy of our students.” Bill Musgrove, Science Teacher: “The COVID experience has reinforced for me the importance of teaching 21st century Ryan McKinney, skills, such as how to creatively problem solve, take the initiative, and be adaptable and Science Teacher: agile. The future – whether it is adapting in a pandemic, sending a person to Mars, or “Adjusting to teaching and anywhere in between – will require more than memorized facts.” living while keeping safe from COVID has presented a deluge of challenges both professionally and personally. The Langley community of Ayesha Flaherty, Head of Enrollment & Communications “The pandemic has taught me that no Megan Meyer, Social Studies Teacher: “I am blown away by the administrators, teachers, and staff have all risen to a level I could never have dreamed of. matter how complex life gets, it’s the people who surround you that make all resiliency of my sixth-graders in the face of not only a global Eighteen years into my time the difference. While there have been so pandemic, but also the posat Langley, I have never been prouder to be a part of this community.” many unknowns to navigate this year, the reliable constant for me was the strength, sibility of technology issues, change in venue, and all the new things their teachers are goodness, encouragement, and positive trying for the first time.” Thida Lim, attitude of so many in our community.” Grade 4 Teacher: “The pandemic made Vance Nguyen, me dig into my resources and learn how to use tools that I may not have Megan Rounsaville, Reading Specialist: “Colleagues and students have exemplified flexibility. When we encounter a problem, we work together to solve it and grow from our mistakes. I am Middle School Assistant: “Our faculty and staff are education's first responders. From seeing the staff step invested the time in blown away by the dedication of our in to cover lunch for our otherwise.” teachers!” teachers to seeing our teachers offer additional time to Anna Shiroma, Early Childhood Curricular & Instructional Specialist: support students, I’ve been “It has been wonderful to see the collaboration and creativity in the Primary inspired by the dedication of School! We are learning new ways to engage our youngest learners and my my colleagues.” colleagues are amazing at creating and facilitating these new strategies.”
