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Granite School District > Educational Technology > Blog > Blended Learning

Blended Learning

Now Registering: Personalized Learning (Ed Tech Tuesdays Pick Five Series)

The next sessions of our GSD Ed Tech Tuesdays professional development series start up the week after Winter Recess. Join us in the library at Granite Connection High School on January 7, 2020 or at the TLC on January 21, 2020 to explore the what, why, and how of personalized learning.

In personalized learning, students engage in relevant material and instruction that challenges them appropriately and is based on their interests, skills, and needs. When learning is personalized, every student engages with the right material and instruction to challenge them appropriately and get them to the next level. In this session will look at the what, the why, and the how of personalized learning.

[Read more…] about Now Registering: Personalized Learning (Ed Tech Tuesdays Pick Five Series)

Lesson Design Idea: Tic-Tac-Toe Hyperdoc Template

Post and template created by Sarah Wright, School Technology Specialist, Calvin Smith Elementary and Westbrook Elementary

Sometimes combining best teaching practices and technology is daunting; it can be hard to know where to start. When one of my teachers asked for a simple template to follow, I created this flexible hyperdoc in Google Drawings that can be adapted for any content. The template follows the structure of building for depth: it gives teachers ideas of tools and activities that will help to introduce and  reinforce content, as well as tasks for students to apply new knowledge. With a focus on blended learning principles the template includes “tech-free” options as well as digital tools.  [Read more…] about Lesson Design Idea: Tic-Tac-Toe Hyperdoc Template

Teacher Spotlight: Ashley Moore, Diamond Ridge Elementary

Blended Learning at Diamond Ridge Elementary

Diamond Ridge has one Chromebook for every student in all grade levels this year. Their School Technology Specialist, Ashley Moore, works with teachers and students in the classroom to help them integrate the technology in fun and meaningful ways.

On this visit to Diamond Ridge, Ashley pushed into a fifth grade class with Mrs. George and a first grade class with Mrs. Harbaugh.

Cindy George, 5th Grade

Mrs. George’s 5th graders learned about using onomatopoeia in their writing and picked up some new tech skills along the way.

Students write poems with onomatopoeia words in Google Slides
Students write poems with onomatopoeia words in Google Slides

Her students drafted poems using Google Slides. After writing their poems, students used the Screencastify Chrome extension to video record themselves reading their poems.

Students record themselves reading their poems using the Screencastify Chrome Extension
Students record themselves reading their poems using the Screencastify Chrome Extension

They then posted their poems to a shared wall using Padlet, where all the poems could be enjoyed by the whole class.

Stephanie Harbaugh, 1st Grade

Mrs. Harbaugh’s 1st graders learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin and practiced using the Chromebook trackpad.

Trackpad practice with plant life cycles
Trackpad practice with plant life cycles

Ashley taught Mrs. Harbaugh how to use LanSchool with her students, so that getting websites and documents out to her little learners is easy.

Ashley Moore and Stephanie Harbaugh set up LanSchool, a classroom computer management tool
Ashley Moore and Stephanie Harbaugh set up LanSchool, a classroom computer management tool

Many thanks to Mrs. Moore, Mrs. George, Mrs. Harbaugh, and their students at Diamond Ridge Elementary for allowing us a peek into their blended learning classroom activities.

Spotlight Created by Teresa Bruin, Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader.

Teacher Spotlight: Jody Lynn Tolley, Skyline High

Jody Lynn Tolley teaches American Sign Language at Skyline High School, and is a member of the first cohort in the Educational Technology Endorsement Program. In this spotlight Ms. Tolley describes how having Chromebooks in her classroom has opened many new ways for her students to learn about ASL and Deaf culture. She also speaks to the value of the Canvas learning management system in keeping students up to speed when they miss her class, as well as giving them valuable skills that enable them to succeed in navigating future college classes.

Spotlight Author: Celia Powell, Granite District Educational Technology Specialist

Featured Resource: PowerMyLearning

PowerMyLearning is a free personalized learning platform that allows teachers and parents to design and assign custom activity playlists for students by choosing from thousands of games, interactives, videos, and simulations selected from across the world wide web. [Read more…] about Featured Resource: PowerMyLearning

Teacher Spotlight: Dennis Hummer, Cottonwood High School


Dennis Hummer teaches Chemistry at Cottonwood High School. Mr. Hummer works with his students using the Flipped Classroom method, also known as the “backwards classroom.” The Flipped Classroom involves a blended learning model where students access lectures, demonstrations and other information at home, then come prepared to do labs and homework in groups during class. The students act as student tutors and problem solvers and are able to seek guidance as needed from the instructor. This form of teaching compliments differentiated instruction and project-based learning.

In addition to the spotlight video above, check out all of Mr. Hummer’s Chemistry course videos on his YouTube channel. Here is one of his recent review videos:

You can also follow Mr. Hummer on Twitter: @Hummer_Chem. Here is one of his recent tweets, showing his students in action in the lab:

Spotlight Author: Celia Powell, Granite District Educational Technology Specialist