The Essential Blended Learning PD Planner

Dr. Stepan Mekhitarian serves as the Director of Innovation, Instruction, Assessment, and Accountability for Glendale Unified School District, and he was one of the main leaders responsible for transitioning the large district to distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stepan previously served as the Coordinator of Data and Blended Learning in Los Angeles Unified School District. He has been passionate about instructional technology and data-driven decision making since his first year as a public school teacher. He has a wide breadth of experience in classroom and leadership positions, and holds degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, Harvard, and Loyola Marymount University (LMU). Stepan's doctoral research at LMU's Educational Leadership for Social Justice Program focused on the skills and training needed to effectively implement blended learning across schools and systems. He is a Google Certified Trainer, a Microsoft Innovative Educator, Blended Learning Universe Expert Advisor, and lecturer for the Instructional Technology for School Leaders course at LMU.

Foreword Preface Acknowledgments About the Author INTRODUCTION PART I: A NEW VISION FOR LEARNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: HOW WILL SCHOOLS TRANSITION BACK TO THE CLASSROOM? LEVERAGING BEST PRACTICES FROM THE DISTANCE LEARNING EXPERIENCE WHAT IS BLENDED LEARNING? BLENDED VS. DISTANCE LEARNING FOUR BLENDED LEARNING MODELS ENHANCING CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING THROUGH BLENDED LEARNING LEVERAGING BLENDED LEARNING TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER KEY TAKEAWAYS CHAPTER 2: RETHINKING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN BLENDED LEARNING A WORD ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP SHIFTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY GATHERING THE DATA DEVELOPING A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN WITH A SUSTAINED FOCUS ON INSTRUCTION TEACHER-LED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT OFFERS LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND INCREASED BUY-IN CONSIDERATIONS BEYOND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT KEY TAKEAWAYS PART II: APPLYING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE CHAPTER 3: SUPPORTING RIGOROUS LEARNING FOR ALL DIFFERENTIATED SUPPORTS FOR EQUITABLE ACCESS RIGOROUS, CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING TO FACILITATE CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING STUDENT COLLABORATION KEY TAKEAWAYS CHAPTER 4: EMBRACING PERSONALIZED ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK ASSESSMENTS TO GATHER ACTIONABLE DATA ACTIONABLE FEEDBACK FOR ALL STUDENTS FACILITATING SELF-MONITORING PEER FEEDBACK KEY TAKEAWAYS CHAPTER 5: CREATING A BLENDED LEARNING CULTURE THE RISE OF DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP TRAINING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN A BLENDED LEARNING MODEL ESTABLISHING A COLLABORATIVE LEARNING CULTURE IN CLASSROOMS TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION AND MANAGEMENT KEY TAKEAWAYS PART III: BRINGING TOGETHER TRAINING AND APPLICATION INTO ONE COHESIVE PROGRAM CONCLUSION: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER CREATING A VISION BASED ON THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FOCUSED LEADERSHIP DURING THE TRANSITION BUILDING YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TEAM COLLABORATING WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS AS STAKEHOLDERS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR A NEW WORLD References Index

Long before a pandemic indelibly changed the world of education, Dr. Mekhitarian revolutionized blended learning PD across the state. Now an entire nation of educators benefits from the roadmap laid out in this book that navigates the transition to in-person blended learning instruction. Both students and teachers will benefit from this robust plan that promotes thriving versus just surviving. -- Dr. Silke Bradford This work does not lament what is lost from our past, judge where we are right now, or warn of what is to come. Rather, Dr. Mekhitarian speaks to educators in all levels and puts action to practices necessary for high-quality blended learning with the goal of successful transition back into classrooms where lessons learned are not lost but leveraged to address issues of equity and access. -- Jessica Conkle Dr. Mekhitarian is an educator with an uncompromising dedication to excellence. He has thought exhaustively through this transition we will all be making from Distance Learning to a "new normal" that heavily leverages technology. -- Dr. Alyce Prentice Mekhitarian's Essential Blended Learning PD Planner should be in the hands of every educator as we prepare to transition from a remote learning program to the post COVID classroom. School teams will be able to map out their site based plans to integrate instructional technology and blended learning strategies, while differentiated learning to ensure student success. This is the new must-read for every educator. -- Narek Kassabian, Ed.D. INSIGHTFUL! Stepan Mekhitarian provides a clear path to an attainable future of high-quality education for all students. Classroom teachers will find insightful best practices, instructional leaders a nuanced approach to professional development, and academic institutions a must-read for teacher preparation courses. A perceptive, instructional guide for authentic student learning experiences. -- Rebeca Andrade, Ed.D. Many educators transitioned from brick and mortar learning to distance learning overnight and are grappling with a future that looks very different from our past. Reading this book gave me confidence that our education systems and pedagogy in the near future will likely be more effective and equitable than anything we've strived for in the past. -- Hrag Hamalian This is a must-read for all educators facing a changing learning landscape. What jumps out at you is that Dr. Mekhitarian clearly knows what the inside of a classroom (in-person and virtual) looks like and truly gets that we all need tools we can use right away to make a difference for students, particularly those often left behind. -- Dr. Drew Furedi We have entered a new world where now, more than ever, we need guidance to navigate the digital space with innovative practices guided by sound theory. Dr. Mekhitarian provides us with support for continuing our work with confidence, regardless of what the future holds. This is an invaluable resource for teachers, school leaders, and professors of education-and the stakeholders they support. -- Dr. Elizabeth C. Reilly This is an invaluable resource for educational leaders and professional developers who are engaged in implementing effective classroom instructional practices that combine traditional classroom strategies with instructional technology tools. The author, an expert on blended learning and instructional technology, provides a guide with templates for schools and districts. A must-have resource. -- Merle Price Mekhitarian's book is a guide and a pathway for all educators who plan to truly integrate technology in their classrooms once students and teachers get back in the building. The key now is to learn from the mistakes of 2020. This book has the lessons all educators need. -- David Carr Understanding the knowledge that distance learning provided, Dr. Mekhitarian creates a framework that shifts this information into the classroom where educators can expand and differentiate it for diverse populations. Offering a concise explanation of blended learning, content examples, and useful templates this book is a valuable professional development resource. -- Stephanie A. Lowe In time for our present reckoning in schools, Mekhitarian provides a practical guide to conceptualize and actuate holistic blended learning at system and classroom levels. Based on successful implementation cases and research, this guide is quite useful for educators designing equity-centered technology integration, constructivist pedagogy, and effective professional development. -- Dr. Ernesto Colin This book clearly articulates how blended learning can be used to enhance learning with visuals and ties to social justice that bring the ideas of the book to life. A must-have resource for any educator that is serious about transitioning back to the classroom and incorporating the benefits of a blended learning model that will inevitably improve student outcomes. -- Dr. Silva S. Karayan Accelerating student outcomes requires addressing challenges head on and generating innovative solutions. As we transition to a new platform for educating our students, Dr. Mekhitarian has provided a succinct blended learning PD plan for leveraging the best of distance and classroom learning. This is a must read for educators who want to ensure their students continue on the pathway to success. -- Vivian Ekchian, Ed.D. The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge that the current generations are living through. How we educate our students changed with a flip of a switch to blended/distance learning. If done right, blended learning is effective. Post pandemic education will very likely include blended learning as one of the options districts will offer. This is the book to get it done right. -- Hagop Eulmessekian The Essential Blended Learning PD Planner guides educators through a step-by-step approach to Blended Learning. Dr. Mekhitarian's methods have proven to be successful in our district and his suggestions are derived from actual experience, which ultimately provides a realistic and tangible approach for all educators. -- Dr. Mary Mardirosian This is a fantastic resource and tool for all educational institutions! A clear and common-sense approach for implementing innovative blended learning environments that work across all learning platforms! -- Dr. Lena Richter Dr. Mekhitarian has delivered a must-read for educators interested in guiding their districts or schools to an accurate blended learning approach. He explores instrumental ways of taking all we learned during distance learning and incorporating that into an integrated approach for the future. He has found the delicate balance of theory and practice to create a roadmap that educators can follow. -- Dr. Matthew Horvath As a teacher and instructional leader, this book is a call to action for all educators - a revitalizing approach that serves a guidebook for school leaders in a creating a plan that ultimately will reimagine the future of education. -- Mary L. Tang Mekhitarian provides school leaders with practical strategies for implementing a constructivist pedagogy into a blended learning environment. He shares specific guidelines for professional development and tech tips. This book is a valuable resource for educators to hone their skills as facilitators of learning and move toward giving students greater agency, ownership, and academic engagement. -- Michelle Spencer Dr. Mekhitarian addresses the shake-up that COVID-19 brought to education. He proves that there is no return to the norm. His shows that he has the expertise to explain what education will become. This book will guide educators as they move through these changes. Stepan shows change is a good thing and that we are on the cusp of some exciting times as education changes to be better for all. -- Robert Martin Dr. Mekhitarian offers a clear view of what effective teaching and learning must look like that's critical for 21st century learning, especially during this unprecedented time. This book is a must-read for administrators and teachers in providing differentiated support for our diverse students who come from different socioeconomic, racial, and cultural backgrounds. -- Ruth Kim