Design Series Part 3: The Importance of the Teacher

Posted by Alan

"Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is most important."

- Bill Gates

Thus our focus is only on hybrid (or blended) learning, which is the best way to integrate both the critical role of a teacher and the benefits of technology.

Here is what some teachers have to say about their hybrid learning experience:

• "The combination of both face-to-face learning and online learning allowed me to both personally interact with students and monitor their progress. Overall, the hybrid course was a wonderful experience for both me and my students." Ken Logan (Math Teacher)
• "One of my favorite exercises is peer collaboration and editing of essays and projects. The students truly enjoy sharing their work with others. Through discussion groups, students have the opportunity to improve their writing and get more ideas from others in class."Holly Wilson (English Teacher)
• “Students as independent learners makes them more responsible for their learning, thus improving outcomes”. Lisa Dawley (Chair of the Department of Educational Technology Boise State University and Thesys Advisory Board member)

Click here to read Part 1 or Part 2 of this series.

Photo of Bill Gates from University of Wisconsin

Design Series Part 2: How It Works

Posted by Alan, Principal Solutions Strategist

"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
- Steve Jobs

Our key design principles at Thesys are:

• Be student-centric. Students want education that is fun and to be active as creators of content. We have students as part of our team that develops courses from the beginning--not just for testing or review, but actually designing from the start.
• Use common core standards--since this is where things are headed.
• Allow teachers to easily customize a course. They are the ones who should be in control.
• We serve as a curriculum integrator in a core structure--meaning we are curators who intentionally take the best Open Education Resources and put them in the right spot to affect better learning outcomes.
• Add 21^st Century Skills-based content. Yes, it’s a cliché, but none the less valuable for today’s world.
• Utilize Multiple Learning Strategies, realizing that students have different intelligences for learning.
• Incorporate university best practices, as this is where students are headed (so it’s really part of preparing for college).

Click here to read Part 1 of this series.

Photo of Steve Jobs from Reviews of Electronics