Five years ago, Clayton Christensen’s Disrupting Class (2008) predicted that by 2019 50% of high school courses will be delivered online in various forms.  Today, the Claton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation believes that 90% of that online learning will be in the form of blended learning. Blended Learning is defined as a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace and at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home (Horn & Staker, 2012). With many tools having synchronous and asynchronous attributes, learning exploration continues in multiple environments, including outside of the school building.

On Thursday, June 13 at 9 PM EDT,  #BYOTchat will discuss blended learning.

• The importance of blended learning
• The advantages and disadvantages of blended learning
• How to start a blended learning program
• Different models of blended learning
• How to efficiently manage both classroom teaching and blended learning

How we use technology outside of school has a huge impact on how we use technology inside the classroom.  There has been a lot of discussion on the adoption / integration of technology into the classroom, but very little discussion on how we as educators use technology outside of the classroom.

Jon Bergmann @jonbergmann (http://flipped-learning.com/) is an excellent example of an educator who uses technology outside the classroom.  Here is a video of Jon explaining Boyle’s Law while bicycling up Mt. Evans – the highest paved road in North America!  This video demonstrates how a very engaging educator uses technology outside the classroom for the betterment of his students.

How do you use technology in your life?

On Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 9 pm EDT, #BYOTchat will discuss BYOT outside the classroom.

#BYOTchat is thrilled and honored to announce that award-winning educator, author, and internationally known speaker Tony Vincent will be #BYOTchat’s guest moderator on Thursday, February 28. The topic will be Project-Based Learning. To learn more about Tony and amazing things that he is doing check out his website – Learning in Hand with Tony Vincent

Project Based Learning in Hand from Tony Vincent on Vimeo.
Source:  www.learninginhand.com/pbl   (Used with permission.)

Join Tony and the #BYOTchat team at 9 pm EST on Thursday, February 28!

 Tony, keynote speaker
at the Illinois Computing Educators  ICE13 Conference
February 27, 2013

#BYOTchat is excited to welcome Instructional Technology Specialist Jenny Grabiec (@techgirljenny) as guest moderator to lead a discussion on misconceptions of BYOT.

“Misconceptions about BYOT” by Jenny Grabiec

With any BYOT initiative in K-12 education, there are advocates and there are those that think it’s a ‘terrible, horrible, no good very bad idea.’

 

I often read articles in online newspapers about schools who have initiated BYOT programs for staff members and students at K-12 public schools. The comments at the end of these articles include a barrage of misconceptions about BYOT and many of these posts come from misinformed parents.  Many simply do not understand the importance and the need for allowing teachers and students to use their own devices within an educational environment.  Many of the questions/comments are as follows:

 

Continue reading on: http://techgirljenny.wordpress.com/

Join Jenny and the #BYOTchat team on Thursday, February 21 at 9 pm EST to discuss BYOT misconceptions.

Sometimes, unplugging is good for the soul – and for the spouse!  #BYOTchat will not have an official chat tonight, but feel free to tweet with the #BYOTchat hashtag.

We are very excited about our upcoming chats!

• February 21 – Jenny Grabiec @techgirljenny (www.techgirljenny.com) to lead the discussion on “Parents and BYOT”.
• February 28 – Tony Vincent @TonyVincent (http://learninginhand.com/) to lead the discussion on Project-Based Learning
• March 14 – Ron McCallister @rondmac  (http://rondmac.wordpress.com/) Leadership for BYOT
• March 21 – Special high school student-led #BYOTchat with selected students from across the United States serving as guest moderators.

Happy Valentine’s Day, and we’ll see you Thursday, February 21.

During last week’s #BYOTchat, we asked what you wanted to chat about.  Thank you for the great suggestions!  Now here is your chance to vote for Thursday’s topic.

#BYOTchat Beta 2.0

#BYOTchat will celebrate its first year anniversary on Thursday, January 31 by recapping lessons learned about BYOT. We want you to share your BYOT successes and failures, what you have leaned, and what you want to learn.

Beta 2.0

#BYOTchat is in a constant state of beta – always changing, always trying to improve. We want your feedback! Tell us what topics workd and didnt work, tell us what information you need. Tell us how we can improve #BYOTchat.

Join us on Twitter at 9 pm EST on Thursday, January 31.

Thank you, for being a valuable member of the #BYOTchat PLN!