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Letter From the President

By Jessie Woolley-Wilson, President, K-12, Blackboard Inc.

The Rise of Online Learning
As the 2010 school year begins, district administrators continue to feel tremendous financial pressure stemming from deteriorating state and local budgets.  Despite these financial challenges, many education leaders have redoubled their efforts to provide and expand online learning opportunities for their students. There is an undeniable increase in student interest for online learning experiences incorporated into daily education. We also see a strong desire among parents and, yes teachers, for online learning opportunities to be integrated into traditional face-to-face learning environments.  As the school year commences and administrators continue to seek alternative funding methods and creative ways to meet budgetary requirements mandated by district and state leadership, it is more important than ever to explore blended learning models for K-12 education as a strategy to reap cost saving benefits at the district level, and most importantly educational benefits at the classroom level.

Benefits of Blended Learning
So what are the benefits of blended learning models and what needs are really being addressed for the teachers and students in your district? In the realm of education, there will never be enough time in the school day, and ultimately the school year, for teachers to sufficiently cover all possible topics. Students have distinct interests and diverse learning needs, and if our schools are unable to provide the resources to address these needs and create engaging learning environments for all, student achievement and engagement will be compromised. Students and educators are at the core of a 21st century society, yet our traditional means of education reflect outdated 20th century practices which increase the gap between classroom experiences with real life experiences – in school, work and in our private lives. While fully online learning environments have succeeded in tailoring learning experiences for each student, this is not often possible in traditional face-to-face settings.  A blended learning model can help foster a more engaged and individualized learning experience for students in an efficient and effective way that can reenergize teachers, parents and students alike.  

The U.S. Department of Education in their Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning (2009) report concluded that students who took all or part of a class online performed better on average than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction. The capabilities of Blackboard technology empower districts to enhance classroom instruction by extending their courses online; delivering job-embedded, continuous and flexible professional development; and expanding access and equity to quality instruction. We are helping to ensure that all students have access to a personalized and connected learning environment that is engaging, individualized and effective. We want our students to succeed regardless of zip code, socio-economic status or circumstance in life.

Emergency Preparedness and Learning Continuity for Back to School
This fall, school districts will be preparing for the potential spread of the H1N1 virus, severe weather conditions and budget tightening. It is crucial that administrators have emergency preparedness and learning continuity initiatives in place in order to communicate crucial information and continue engaging students despite conditions that could interrupt school.  Learning continuity is what we define as the ability for school districts to deliver uninterrupted learning despite the outside world’s conditions and it is a significant benefit of a blended learning model. Our Blackboard Connect™ mass notification and communication solution empowers school leaders to partner with key members of their learning community to ensure they are well prepared for any time-sensitive situation they might face.  Moreover, combined with a robust learning management solution, teaching and learning can continue and progress despite the inability to conduct a class in a traditional face-to-face setting. Blackboard solutions empower K-12 school districts to focus on personalized teaching and learning regardless of time, location or situation. At the same time, we provide access to educational resources which help to improve the way schools communicate and engage with parents and students.  

Listening to What Students Want
In closing, I would like to share with you the results of a recent report published by Blackboard and Project Tomorrow^®, entitled: Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update. Project Tomorrow is a national education nonprofit organization and this report is the third in a series published in collaboration with Blackboard. It examines the Speak Up 2008 survey data collected from more than 335,000 K-12 students, teachers, administrators and parents across the nation.

The report examines the growing student interest for online learning and how district administrators are working to meet these demands. Highlights include how students are utilizing technology to become "free agent learners" and driving the demand for more online classes in and out of school. Despite the desire and need for blended learning models, our schools are limiting online classes to remediation and credit recovery opportunities, and primarily focusing their online learning initiatives towards professional development for teachers. This report shares insight from across the nation as to why students and teachers want access to classes online, the current challenges faced by districts with online learning implementations, and how online learning presents unprecedented opportunities for meeting the needs of our 21st century learners.

I invite you to read the full report here: www.blackboard.com/k12/education21c

I am confident that the 2009-2010 school year will be an exciting time for all of us in education.  Blended learning models are the key to fostering educational success amongst unpredictable events. I look forward to working closely with you this year to ensure your students are engaged, safe and successful no matter where they live or how they learn.

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Best of BbWorld 2009

At BbWorld^® 2009, Blackboard K-12 was pleased to host more than 191 members of the K-12 community. Our staff met and collaborated with many of you on a number of important district topics. Highlights from the conference included:

• Over 27 K-12 sessions
• Five students featured on our acclaimed student panel
• The K-12 lounge and its myriad activities for K-12 clients
• Funding panel exploring the use of public funds for Blackboard

For those of you that missed the opportunity to attend BbWorld, please join us for the “Best of Bb World” webinar series. These live web sessions are designed for both Blackboard and ANGEL^® K-12 clients, so please take advantage of the wealth of knowledge shared during this year’s event.Back to Top

 

NBC News Content to be Available this fall for Blackboard Classes

Blackboard has announced a unique partnership with NBC News that will enable K-12 schools and districts in the Blackboard community to enhance instruction by using NBC News Archives on Demand, a vast repository of archival and current content, organized by subject matter and aligned to state standards. Within the Blackboard environment, teachers can incorporate instructionally sound videos into lesson plans, use them to introduce topics or stimulate critical thinking, or screen them during class using projectors or Smart Boards. Students can also access the archives for research and to incorporate the content into multimedia projects. Learn how to use NBC News Archives on Demand in your classes.Back to Top

 

Share Online Learning Best Practices with the Blackboard K-12 Community

Sharing best practices is one of the strongest ways for the Blackboard K-12 community to connect with fellow Blackboard users. As a result, the K-12 User Group is growing and we want to hear from you. This fall, encourage your teachers and staff to participate in the Blackboard K-12 community by joining a special interest group, sharing teacher resources and more:

• OCM BOCES Teacher Videos – Learn how teachers in upstate New York are using Blackboard technology to engage their students as early as the elementary grade levels
• Teacher Community – Check out the one stop for Blackboard teacher resources, education information, teacher collaboration and giveaways. Enter to win a $150 prize this fall!
• Blackboard K-12 User Group - The place where members of the Blackboard K-12 community come to collaborate

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The Latest Blackboard Web Platform for iPhones and Mobile Devices

Blackboard is excited to announce the acquisition of Terriblyclever Design, LLC, the makers of MobilEdu™, a category-defining suite of iPhone™ and mobile Web applications for education.  MobilEdu allows districts to deliver a rich set of services and content to mobile devices such as Blackberries and iPhones. The applications can be uniquely branded for each school and used to connect students, parents, teachers and administrators with current events and relevant resources pertaining to their schools.  Listen to this webinar to learn more about the MobileEdu application’s capabilities.
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Emergency Preparations and Learning Continuity for H1N1's Return

Another school year is already underway and a new wave of the H1N1 virus is expected to affect schools again this fall. Is your district prepared with a notification system and a learning continuity model in the event of school closings? Learn more about how Blackboard Connect™ and Blackboard Learn™ for K-12 can ensure your students, teachers, parents and administrators remain informed and focused on learning even when faced with unpredictable healthcare challenges such as the H1N1 virus. See how schools in Southern California are preparing for the return of the Swine Flu.

Along these same lines, we’re offering a free webinar with Susan Patrick, CEO of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. She’ll review short and long-term frameworks to help schools provide learning continuity through online learning. Register today!
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