LFI - Blended
Learning
Overview
A formal education
program in which a
student
learns at least in partthrough online deliveryofcontent and instruction
with some element ofstudent control overtime, place, path, and/or pace

MAGISine
MAGISine

October 2013

Learning Futures Initiative: Blended Learningin Jesuit SchoolsANDat least in part at asupervised brick-andmortar
location away fromhomeANDincorporates the IPP
methodology and Gradat Grad outcomes.

Inside this
Issue

This year, JSEA will dedicate the MAGISine to the LFI work . The goal is to provide
the JSEA network with updates and insights into our blended learning project.—
specifically, which schools are engaged in this initiative, who are the teachers andleaders participating in this collaborative, what is different with the instruction, andhow is the approach enhancing student learning.

LFI overview
Meet the Teachers 4
Meet the JVLATeam

7

Hopes, Dreams,
and Great Expectations: Teacher
Reflections

9

LFI 2.0

11

JSEA-JVLA: Year
In Review

Last year, JSEA and JVLA each received grants to support the introduction of blended
learning into JSEA schools in a manner appropriate to our IPP methodology and Gradat Grad outcomes. This approach appears to be a way for Jesuit schools to offer the
potential benefits of online teaching and learning while preserving outcomes that we
consider integral to our mission. Those outcomes include constructive teacherstudent relationships, the community building dynamics of classroom interaction, andobjectives and methods that are Ignatian and Jesuit. We call this work the Learning
Futures Initiative (LFI).

Additionally, the JSEA MAGISine will serve as a communication tool regarding thenext phase of the blended learning project, LFI 2.0. We will share all of the essential
information one needs in order to get involved during the 2013-2014 school year.
This is exciting work and we are interested in hearing reactions from our schools.
Please send your thoughts, reactions, and insights to thomasm@jsea.org or post at
JVLA in the Technology in Education groups.

Page 2

Volume 13, Issue 1“The continued purpose of this effort is tobring together prospective benefits ofblended learning and the established mission values and approaches important to
Jesuit schools.”

BLENDED LEARNING:
A formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery ofcontent 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 AND incorporates
the IPP methodology and Grad at Grad outcomes.

LFI Overview
Ten teachers gathered in Omaha at the end of February and again in July/August for the blended
learning project. The session was well designed to center on course creation and not on technology.
Discussion focused on why we are doing this, what the goals are, and what is expected to come fromthis. Many significant questions were posed, and they were largely answered. There was a presentation of the method we are using for designing courses, moving from syllabus to units to lessons. This
worked favorably as a structure that can be consistent across courses, and that currently happens in
our schools often by exception. The teachers worked in two groups of five—one for Theology andthe other for US History—with support, guidance, and challenge from JSEA’s Mari Thomas, JVLA
trainers Jeff Hausman and Jasminne Mendez, and JVLA’s psychometrics consultant Michael Hardt,
moving into the course design at the highest level (syllabus). This came to be a very effective approach, and teachers were able to go back home with a strong sense of how to begin the work.
Excellent people, eager to make this all work, and clearly set to learn a great deal from the effort withthe consensus being that this work will benefit students and will hopefully come to be shared withother teachers and schools. By doing the work begun in February these two teams have built trustand by now truly enjoy working closely and supportively together. The teachers are accountable toone another in preparing online components that others will use with their classes.
Teaching collaboratively across school lines requires agreement on curriculum construction, accommodation to varied school calendars and class schedules, as well as respect for school policies concerning matters such as homework, testing, and software platforms. The teachers are confident that
this will work.

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Page 3

The teachers reported that this is a shared effort where “we play off each other well,” exploring together
what is unfamiliar. The teachers are committed to having this be a communal experience for students aswell. They want this to “be a better learning experience.” Students will learn from a primary teacher withcomponents from four other teachers, each working from his or her strength. Once the online materials
are in place, they can be used again, improved upon, shared with other teachers, and adapted for other students.
Teachers are constructing various learning projects requiring students to work with “classmates” from other schools. For example, US History students from different schools can represent various factions and debate the issues leading towards Succession. The intent is that at least some of these collaborative projects
will take place “in real time.” The teachers are already grouping their schools by time zone to make thismore feasible.
JVLA’s Jasminne Mendez is assisting with posting the modules that teachers design into online resourcesthat students and teachers can access easily. She will also provide recording of the teachers’ online interactions, the lessons learned, successes, and failures. Michael Hardt’s expertise assists the teachers with theprocess of designing assessments by which students move toward higher level learning challenges. Teachers will have systems for sharing questions from students, a sort of compendium of where students need
help. These questions will be banked to assist current and future teachers.
Teachers have heard from some colleagues the concern that a large amount of movement in new directions exists within their schools. Is blended learning another fad? The LFI teachers are convinced this approach is fundamental and far reaching—this work is student directed, and it will improve learning. They
point out that it is about learning and pedagogy rather than technology. All of the teachers report that
their school leaders are open and supportive of this effort. Professional development is essential for thisJesuit blended learning program and being involved in the program is key to professional development.
Teachers grow into this, and they then grow because of this. They are learning new methodology and the
new methodology is changing them as teachers.
Currently, a process is in the works for extensive program evaluation. This will include teacher reflections,student surveys, and peer observations. School administrators will surely want a hand in this as well. Someof the teachers are using more of the blended approach with some sections than with others; this will provide useful data for assessment.
The continued purpose of this effort is to bring together prospective benefits of blended learning and theestablished mission values and approaches important to Jesuit schools. That purpose is clear throughout
this work, in the Ignatian faith values and spirit of the teachers, in their attention to care for each student asa person, and to help students grow as men and women for and with others. There is also among thegroup a conviction that our mission can be strengthened by the kind of collaboration that is now possible.
We are intent on mission in our education ministry; appropriate use of technology can assist us in this ministry.
-Jim Stoeger, SJ

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Volume 13, Issue 1

Meet the Teachers
Steve Bradley:is the Department Chair and AP US History Teacher at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, OH. He has beenteaching in Jesuit education for 28 years at St. Xavier. He is a big fan of the Cleveland Browns, the Rolling Stones,
good bourbon, and Pilates.
For Steve, “Collaboration is about the sharing of ideas and methods that will serve the interests of our students.
All collaborative efforts must include the partaking and input of all members of the department. As for my role asdepartment head, I see it as my responsibility to tap the strengths and talents of department members whileproviding a relaxed (as much as possible) work environment.”
Michael Danielson:
holds many positions at Seattle Preparatory School in Washington state as Theology teacher, Media Literacy
teacher, and Yearbook adviser. He has been teaching for twenty years at Seattle Prep; this is also his twentiethyear in Jesuit education. He attended Gonzaga Prep in Spokane where one of his favorite teachers was Fr. Paul
Fitterer, SJ. “I am honored to be working with him now at Seattle Prep and thrilled both of my children havebeen able to get to know and be inspired by him as well.” Michael is also “a fan of Bruce Springsteen and The
Princess Bride, both of which make regular appearances in [his] classroom.”
For Michael, “[collaboration is an essential part of the teaching experience. We have a number of instructors
who teach in two or more departments. I, myself, teach in both the theology and art departments. I enjoy thesharing of ideas and methods that are unique to each discipline. It’s ‘curriculum cross-pollination’ if you will…
[The] yearbook is the epitome of collaboration, where a group of twenty very creative, dedicated students startwith a blank slate and over nine months transform the experiences of 700 people into a keepsake publication.
We capture the MAGIS.”
Zach Dziedzic:is the History Department Chair at Loyola Blakefield in Towson, MD. He has been teaching for 9 years at Loyola
Blakefield and in Jesuit education. When he’s not teaching, his hobby is steering for the Baltimore Dragon BoatClub team.
For Zach, “[t]eaching well is the art of collaborating well. The students in my class are never ‘mine,’ they are always ours. The more I learn about their experiences inside, outside, before, and after they come into my room,
the better prepared I am to teach them and the more my efforts will serve them in the long-run and thereby bemeaningful to them. Thus, collaboration is the means to the end of cura personalis.”
John Fahy:
Chairs the theology department and moderates the Crusader Crew at Strake Jesuit in Houston, TX. Since 2003,
John has been a part of the Jesuit educational apostolate, five of those years at Strake Jesuit. John has two dachshunds and once went on an 1,800 mile road trip with and 11 lb. wiener dog in a convertible...what a sight! He
plays twelve string guitar and wears striped socks almost daily.
John sees, “collaboration among faculty as the best way to model the life-long learning that we want our students
to pursue and to possess. I learn something from my colleagues every day, and they make me a better teacher.
Working with students, it becomes clear to them and to me that without community...our chances for growthand outstanding achievement are seriously limited. No man is an island.” A few summers ago, however, he taught
English to Jesuit scholastics in Poland.

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Page 5Dennis Moller:
is a US History teacher at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago, IL in his second year in Jesuit education as well
as at Cristo Rey Chicago. When he is not teaching, “[he] enjoys going on adventures in the city of Chicago—trying
new food, collecting records, and visiting the Art Institute.”
For Dennis, “Collaboration is very important at Cristo Rey. To me it is the idea that several people can pool theirknowledge, wisdom, and skills to achieve more than any one teacher could do on their own. I enjoy a ‘marketplaceof ideas’ about education, technology, techniques, and content knowledge across all disciplines. I am a much more
effective teacher because I am able to draw on other faculty members’ expertise.”
Andy Pruett:is the Department Chair of the Social Studies Department in Jesuit education and at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston, TX. He has been working at Strake Jesuit for nine years.
For Andy, “Collaboration is all about learning from one another. I find the teachers working on the LFI to be great
resources and full of insights. I hope to provide the same help to the teachers at my school.”
Harry Rissetto:is the Religion Department Chair at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC. He has been working at
Gonzaga and in Jesuit education for ten years. He is interested in the application of Catholic Social Teaching. He is“currently working on a book that examines the work of the Christ Child Society and the life of its founder Mary
Virginia Merrick.”
For Harry, “Collaboration is vital at all levels of education. Within a department, within a school, and now within anational body we have opportunities to share best practices, pool resources, and afford our students an opportunity for broader/more edifying interaction. I hope that my work with the Learning Futures Initiative inspires otherteachers at Gonzaga to collaborate more widely with their colleagues at Jesuit high schools across the country.”

Jeff Seymour:is the Director of Mission and Identity and part of the Theology faculty at Scranton Preparatory School in Pennsylvania. He is beginning not only his fourteenth year of teaching at Scranton Prep but also his fourteenth year as a
Jesuit educator. Jeff and his wife met in Central America while they were both there as Jesuit Volunteers for two
years.
For Jeff, “Collaboration means working together, doing better together than we can on our own. True, it sometimes takes a bit more time and effort to get going and get in the groove together, but the end result is always
much better. Each of the five Theology teachers has used bits and pieces of technology and approaches we’ve beenable to pull together for the LFI project, but it’s only in working together that we are able to pull them all together
to make a much better project, a much richer learning process for all of our students.
As the Director of Mission and Identity, I’m talking to students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and coaches
who all have different ideas and reasons for being part of our school. It’s my job to help them all get on the same
page. To help them see how their personal reason fits into a bigger, common goal and mission: to form a learning
community committed to competence, conscience, and compassion. It takes all these people and approaches toform this community: academics and athletics; computers and community service, and so much more goes into
forming this distinguished learning community. Without collaboration, without working to be better together, wehave no community at all.”Page 6

Volume 13, Issue 1

Lisa Thurston:is a Social Studies teacher as well as Chair of the Social Studies Department and also moderator for the Prep
Political Union at Scranton Preparatory School. She has worked at Scranton Prep for 10 years, the sameamount of time she has worked in Jesuit education. Lisa and her two daughters enjoy riding and showing theirhorses in their spare time. Her wonderful husband assists as groom and go-to-guy. She and her family live ona lake with their three Golden Retrievers, where they are able to enjoy kayaking, sailing, and swimming.
For Lisa, “Working on the LFI has allowed her to grow as an educator. My hope is that this collaborative effort will expose our students to many more resources, human and technological, than I could give them as anindividual classroom teacher. My hope is that we allow students to see that technology and traditional teaching methods both have value in our education system and that we can hold true to Ignatian educational philosophy as we incorporate innovative teaching methods into our curriculum.”Fred Wise:is part of the Theology department at Loyola Blakefield in Towson, MD where he has been teaching Scriptureand World Religions for twelve years. Before coming to Loyola Blakefield, he did his theology studies inRome and was a Franciscan friar for eleven years.
For Fred, “collaboration means interdependence, which is the most mature form of mission there is. It isrooted in a humble awareness that whatever one person may be able to accomplish alone is exponentially
increased and enriched by the giftedness of others. As one mentor put it, ‘none of us has it all together, but
together, we have it all.’
As a member of a very diverse Theology Department (some might say a ‘motley crew’!), collaboration is botha joy and a challenge as we put our own interests aside for the good of our mission with the students. Some
specific ways in which collaboration takes place is in the form of constructing common assessments, sharing
creative projects, and everyday support of one another’s ministry.”

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Page 7JVLA Staff
LFI - Instructor of Instructors
The future of learning is here. And I, for one, have chosen to dive right in. In January of this year I came on board as
the JVLA Learning Strategies and Design Specialist. All I knew about this position was that it involved technology,
teachers, online courses and something called “blended learning.” What I have learned in the process, and the community I have been a part of over the last eight months has significantly impacted and changed my understanding of
education in the 21st century. Education today is not what it once was, and yet it is. The basic principles of reaching
and teaching every student still apply. The desire and need to change lives still exists. The hope that we can empower
students to better their lives still wakes us up in the morning. But the tools that we are using to accomplish thesegoals are revolutionary, and that reality can be frightening for some. For me, this revolution and the blended learning
initiative experience has been a welcome change and an inspiring adventure.
As a participant in the Learning Future’s Initiative project, being lead by the JSEA and the JVLA, I have had the opportunity to facilitate and manage discussions and learning experiences between very talented and dedicated History and
Theology Jesuit educators. My role in this process has been to guide them to a place of discovery and understandingof what blended learning is and how it will work for them in their individual classrooms. This has been no easy task,
but the rewards have been tremendous. From late night meetings after a long school day to gatherings in Omaha and
St. Louis we have collaborated, cared and even cried with and for one another. We have learned about, used and given up on new and emerging technologies but always kept our hearts set on our end goals.
I began the process, not really knowing what to expect or where this might lead, but now, at the start of the 20132014 school year, I am excited about what the teachers have created and where their classrooms are headed. Fromproject based learning experiences and collaborative presentations to differentiated flipped lessons and assessments,
both the teachers and students involved in this project have a lot to look forward to. I am excited about being able toguide the teachers on this journey to help increase student achievement and I only hope that I have been able to provide them with
Submitted by Jasminne Mendez, JVLAPage 8Volume 13, Issue 1

The Spirit of Exploration“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started andknow the place for the first time.” T.S. Elliott
I have heard and read this quote from T.S. Elliott’s poem “Quartet #4: Little Gidding” numerous times. I appreciated its insight, but never truly owned its meaning. That is until I was provided the opportunity of working with acollective group of passionate Jesuit educators on the JSEA Learning Futures Initiative project. The LFI project has
been my very first real exposure to Jesuit education and Ignatian pedagogy. I have learned about I.P.P, Cura Personalis, the Spiritual Exercises, discernment, Magis, and so many other things that I have already lost track of manyof them. Each new Jesuit and Ignatian concept I have experienced has inherent value for educators and learners
alike at all levels. However, it is the spirit of Jesuit education and Ignatian pedagogy that has brought me back to
my “known place for the first time.”
JSEA and JVLA are partnering in the LFI project to discover the true educational benefits of blended learning andto explore this new virtual frontier. The current descriptive definition of blended learning is “any time a student
learns at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home and at least in part throughonline delivery with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace.” (Horn and Staker,2011) This definition and the practice it represents is in its infancy. The research on blended learning is nearlynonexistent and the published literature on the topic is as indecisive as a hyperactive adolescent trying to decide
what to wear on a first date. It is the type of area that most seasoned professional educators avoid like theplague. That is not the case for the ten talented and open minded educators that volunteered to participate in the
LFI project.
The LFI project has endured tense discussions, some unpleasant insights, and a few shared failures. Each of theparticipants have stretched themselves beyond their own zones of proximal comfort to find better, deeper, longer-lasting ways of transforming passive students into active learners. This process has forced members of the collective to reflect on what they thought were “best practices” to realize that at times frenetic motion was confusedwith true learning activity. The LFI collective has ventured out into the virtual frontier in a manner that exemplifies the core spirit of the Jesuit ethos and Ignatian devotion. The LFI project has not discovered “the answer” inits exploration of blended learning. In fact, it has discovered many more questions than it has answered. However, in all of this exploring and discovering, I professionally found myself realizing again that there isno greater variable that impacts the trajectory of a student’s learning life like the educator. As we waded throughthe array of new technology and methodology it was clearer than ever that it is more the educator than anythingelse that makes the real difference. From this understanding I have arrived where I started and know this placecalled learning for the first time again.
Submitted by Michael Hardt, JVLA

Harnessing Our Collaborative Capacity
The Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy was established six years ago to explore ways of using technology toharness the collaborative capacity of the network of Jesuit secondary schools. Since that time, the JVLA
has been engaged in a number of innovative initiatives for students and teachers. None hold as muchpromise as the Learning Futures Initiative - a collaborative blended learning program spearheaded by theJesuit Secondary Education Association and the JVLA.
Innosight defines blended learning as “a formal education program in which a student learns at least inpart through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time,
place, path, and/or pace, and at least part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home.”
Though blended learning is still very much in its infancy, many teachers are experimenting with blended
approaches as a means to improve student engagement, differentiate learning, and rearrange
learning tasks to maximize a teacher’s impact on students.

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Our Jesuit network is in a unique position. Using collaborative technologies in a blended format, we cancreate for students rich learning occasions that reinforce our shared mission, vision, and values.
For the past nine months, ten teachers from seven Jesuit schools have been working on the frontiers of
blended learning to craft a series of shared experiences for their students to be introduced during thisacademic year. Witnessing the dedication of these exceptional individuals has been a privilege, as thework has certainly not been easy, nor the pathway clear.
We look forward to sharing our progress.
Submitted by Jeff Hausman, JVLALFI Reflection
Almost five hundred years ago St. Francis Xavier, SJ found himself on an island in the Indian Ocean. In his pocket
he carried the names of his friends. He had cut those small strips of paper from handwritten letters of encouragement, letters he had received over the course of his journey toward China. He carried those names because theybrought him consolation. St. Francis knew that maintaining his community was vital, especially when you were
halfway around the world.
Thanks to the JSEA I have a similar set of names in my pocket these days. Michael Danielson, Fred Wise, Jeff Seymour, and John Fahy. In their respective institutions each of these educators is plying the craft at a high level. At
Seattle Prep, Loyola Blakefield, Scranton Prep, and Strake Jesuit students are exploring important questions andbreaking ground for spiritual growth thanks to their good work. But what if you could bring each of these educators to one classroom? What if their students could discuss, dialogue, demonstrate, and debate in a group over
two hundred strong? What if four times a year we went national?
Through the JSEA’s Learning Futures Initiative (LFI) we have that opportunity, and with the help of the Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy (JVLA) our progress has been swift. So successful have the early stages been that each day ofthe school year I remember these four in prayer, and I smile when I think about the wisdom and good humor theybring to their students. Brought together as a team in the LFI’s mission to build a national classroom we havebenefited from each other’s talents and compensated for one another’s weaknesses. In the process, a threethousand mile long learning junction has been constructed. While this is great stuff I have to be honest, no offense
to my crew, we probably won’t be remembered in the same breath as the first Companions of the Company. But
those are my names. I carry them around in my pocket.
The LFI is about a number of things. Not the least among them is building a community of educators beyond thecommon scope. Good teachers will open the doors of their department and teach with each other. Great teachers will open the doors of other departments and bridge the disciplines. We have an opportunity through the LFI
to do something along those lines. Thanks to the JSEA and the JVLA we have a shot at teaching across the country. Sometimes I think about it as a radical experiment in “geo-educational expansion.”
Off the coast of Malaysia, St. Francis was bound by his age. Traveling by boat the names in his pocket were relegated to memory. Today it’s different. Fuze, Moodle, VoiceThread, and GoogleDrive bring the names in mypocket to life on a weekly basis. I hear from John about pedagogy, I can ask Fred about student response, I canbuild on Jeff’s good ideas, and I can bring Michael’s best practices into my classroom. These fellow teachers havebecome part of my community, companions on my journey.
So what is my hope for this year? My hope is that our students, all two hundred of them, might also follow Xavier’s lead. My hope is that by the end of the year, thanks to the LFI and their work together, they will be carrying a
few new names around in their pockets. Names from schools across the country, names that challenged theirintellect, names that fostered their growth, and names that helped them experience their faith in a newway.
Submitted by Harry Rissetto, Gonzaga College High School

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Volume 13, Issue 1

The Learning Futures Initiative, Cristo Rey, and the Pursuit of Magis
When I was exposed to the idea of “blended learning” for the first time, I was not quite sure what it
would look like or what it could mean for my students. I was trained in more traditional “chalk and talk” typesof instruction, but my first semester teaching at Cristo Rey had taught me that such instruction was not best
serving the needs of my students and was not adequately addressing the unique circumstances of Cristo Rey. I
knew that I would have to change, and luckily I was given an opportunity to work with the LFI team to design
a new “blended course” for Cristo Rey.
First, it should be noted that any successes of this model will be due to the incredible support network both at Cristo Rey and the JSEA. The tireless work of the staff at Cristo Rey to provide both technology and support for using it in the classroom has made this project possible at our school. As the most juniormember of the LFI project, I have also found the benefits of embarking on this educational experiment withother Jesuit educators. Throughout this process I have been able to draw on the expertise of four other U.S.
History instructors and reap the benefits of their many years of experience. I have had the privilege of working with those at the JSEA and JVLA who made this project possible. The level of patient support and collaboration from my colleagues at Cristo Rey and around the country has put this project in the best position to
succeed.
So why does the blended model make sense at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School? It is my belief that thismodel can provide solutions to some of the challenges Cristo Rey students face.
Cristo Rey has a unique set of circumstances in terms of course design. Our students go to work atleast once a week in the Corporate Work Study Program, which puts a limit on the amount of classroom
hours that are available to our faculty. Though the students learn and grow through the work experience, thechallenge for our faculty is to make sure that they are not missing out on the content and skills that are taught
in the classroom. Additionally, our students bring a wide spectrum of academic abilities and skills to theirtasks, so there must be a greater focus on trying to best serve each individual student within the larger class.
It was with these circumstances in mind that I approached the LFI project.
The most obvious challenge is the classroom days that the students spend in the Corporate Work
Study Program, the online learning portion of the blended model can allow for the instructor to treat thatwork day as an independent study day. The blended model also allows for an instructor to better deal with awide spectrum of abilities because as students are working independently on assignments, the teacher cancheck in and give more individualized instruction to those students who require more attention while giving
extra work to those students who need to be challenged further. The blended model also encourages thestudents to take ownership of their own education. This model is centered on the idea of active discovery
learning over passive teacher-centric learning and fosters the skills of task management. My hope is that thiscourse model will continue to improve and evolve to provide solutions to these challenges.
By the time you are reading this article, teachers and students at Cristo Rey and around the country
will be on their way into this new frontier of learning, united in their pursuit of “magis,” always asking whatmore can be done for the students we serve.
Submitted by Dennis Moller, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, - Chicago IL

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Where do we go from here…
JSEA and JVLA have collaborated to design a yearlong Blended Learning 2.0 program. The goal of this program is to provide instruction regarding technology tools and innovative practices that result in a change in
how Jesuit educators teach in their traditional brick and mortar classrooms. Blended Learning 2.0 will embody the blended/online learning approach tested by the LFI participants. Specifically, we will educate with
JSEA teachers on the potential benefits of online teaching and learning while preserving outcomes that we
consider integral to our mission.
This yearlong program will consist of two main parts: building knowledge and applying knowledge and isopen to all network teachers and leaders. The building knowledge component is designed to provide participants with the necessary information (e.g., webinars, coursework) to better understand the advantages of
online teaching and learning. The building knowledge component will include seven courses (i.e., learning modules) and will cost $70.00 per participant. The second component, applying knowledge, will be a two-day
hands-on workshop called Sprint designed to provide participants with the structured support and space toapply the knowledge acquired through the seven learning modules to real-life content and curriculum. The
cost for the two-day workshop is approximately $425.00.
The program will commence in October 2013 with our series of webinars and courses offered through the
JVLA. The program will conclude in September 2014 with our two-day hands-on workshop or JSEA-JVLA
Sprint. Please take a look at the following two pages for a more detailed description of our
2013-2014 Blended Learning 2.0 program. If you are interested in finding out more about
the program, please email thomasm@jsea.org or jhausman@jvla.org.

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Volume 13, Issue 1

Learning Futures Initiative 2.0
Atlantic Coast, South Central, North Central, and Western
Program Goal:

To provide instruction regarding technology tools and innovative practices that result in a change in how Jesuit educators teach in their traditional brick and mortar classroom.

Participants:
 Jesuit Educators
 School teams encouraged
 Must acquire and/or demonstrate a certain level of proficiency online skills (badges) prior to Sprint
Cost per participant: $70.00 for seven JVLA PD sessions; approximately $425.00 for two-day Sprint
Badges:What is a badge? JSEA and JVLA are in partnership with Regis University to provide teachers with an electronic badge, or online credential, upon demonstrated mastery of a technology skill. Educators can accumulatebadges over time and can eventually accumulate all of the necessary badges to earn a comprehensive online/blended
educator certificate. The online educator certificate can be added to a teaching/administrator license and can belinked to a variety of social media profiles. The badges have been designed using the iNACOL standards and theProfile of the Ignatian Educator.

LFI 2.0

LFI 2.0 Participants will need to earn the following Knowledge Badges in order to qualify for the Sprint:
Online Instructional Approaches (Webinar, Learning Modules &/OR Pass Evaluation)
Tech Tools (Learning Modules &/OR Pass Evaluation)
Internal Communication (Learning Modules &/OR Evaluation)
Digital Citizenship (Webinar, Learning Modules &/OR Pass Evaluation)
Learning Strategies (Webinar, Learning Modules &/OR Pass Evaluation)
Creating Assessments (Webinar, Learning Modules &/OR Pass Evaluation)
External Communication (Learning Modules &/OR Pass Evaluation)

A "knowledge level badge" will provide teachers with the context and understanding of the concepts to be prepared for the sprint. Their content knowledge, along with their experiences during the sprint and post-sprint implementation, teachers will be positioned to earn “experience level” badges.
LFI 2.0 Participants will have the option of earning these badges through a set, flat rate pathway (included in Sprintfee) OR can also sign up for JVLA Courses a la carte if they want to gain more knowledge and skills, NOT a flat
rate but at a discounted rate.
A la carte courses would provide participants with the opportunity to earn Knowledge AND Experience levelbadges in a variety of areas.
Learning Modules for Knowledge level badges are self-paced, tutorials, charged at a minimum flat rate regardless ofwhether they pass evaluation at the beginning or have to go through each learning module.

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JSEA/JVLA Sprint (four locations with synchronous and asynchronous programming)
September 19-20, 2014

Thursday, September 19, 2014
1:00-1:30 PM

Prayer…what is your hope for this time together…preleccion…
asking for grace before the working time together

2:00 PM
2:30-5:00PM
6:00PM

Synchronous Welcome: Purpose and Agenda
Work groups – identification of collaborative task (essential outcome/skills)
DinnerFriday, September 20, 2014
7:30-8:30 AM
8:30 AM

Continental breakfast – Complimentary at hotel
PrayerOverview of the Day

9:00–10:30 AM
10:30-10:45 AM
10:45-12:00 noon

Work groups – task #2 (assessment)
BreakWork groups – task #3 (activity design)

12:00 noon

Lunch

1:00-2:30 PM
2:30-2:45 PM

Work groups – task #4 (collaboration named)Break

2:45-5:00 PM

Wrap-up and sharing our work
(include Synchronous piece)
Closing Celebration(Mass, Social, and Dinner)

5:00 PMPage 14

Volume 13, Issue 1

JSEA–JVLA Collaboration: A year in Review

Since October 2012, the JSEA and JVLA have engaged in a variety of collaborative programs. The four primary areas of our 2012-2013 collaborative work were:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Collaborative Communities
Mission Formation Programs
Online Training Programs
Online Professional Development Opportunities

Here is a summary of what transpired in each of the four areas:
Collaborative Communities
 JSEA collaborative communities for all same-role conferences Additional groups established (e.g., Learning Support Services, Technology in Education, Women in Leadership, PASE) Colloquium 2013
Mission Formation
 Six modules for Board Formation
 Commence update of JSEA-PASE Task force work on Faculty and Staff Ignatian Formation
Programs
Online Training Programs

Online/Blended Learning Certificate Program

Online Professional Development Programs
WebinarsState of Technology in Jesuit SchoolsOne-to-One Technology
Flipped ClassroomPower of Formative Assessment
Gamification
As you can see, we have engaged in a lot of collaborative work and there is much to celebrate! Our work is
not over, many more webinars, professional development courses, and collaborative programs are on thehorizon for the 2013-2014 school year. Our first webinar, Blended Learning, was held Thursday, September
26, 2013. Click here to access the recorded webinar. The next JSEA-JVLA webinar is about Ethics of Online
Instruction and will take place on October 16, 2013 at 3:00ET.

MAGISine

The JSEA would once again like to thank all of ourmembers who contributed to the MAGISine. If you would like to share a blended
learning experience with the JSEA network, send your story to thomasm@jsea.org.

Page 15JSEA
1016 16th Street NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC
20036(202) 667-3888
thomasm@jsea.org

Graduates of the Seminars in Ignatian Leadership?
Ignatian Leadership Academy
The 3rd JSEA Ignatian Leadership Academy will be held June 24-27, 2014 at the Magnolia
Hotel in downtown Denver, CO.
The Academy (ILA) was inaugurated in 2008 to provide an ongoing opportunity for leadership networking among Jesuit schools. The ILA is geared towards all graduates of the
JSEA Seminars in Ignatian Leadership presently employed in Jesuit schools as well as to any
member of a Jesuit high school’s administrative team. The ILA national meetings provide
opportunities for participants to revisit leadership topics, skills, and practices covered in
JSEA Seminars, to address current leadership challenges, to further develop their sense of
Ignatian spirituality, and to renew friendships and networking opportunities.
The Steering Committee – Seamus Walsh (Brophy), Anthony Trudel (University of Detroit), Andy Hendricks (Seattle) Christopher Parks (McQuaid) and Bernie Bouillette(JSEA) – has planned the agenda which will include a videotaped question and answer exchange with Janet Hagberg, author of Real Power.
The Theme for this ILA is: Living the 4th Year – Soul Leadership in Action. This
theme points to the ongoing challenge of becoming soul-ful Ignatian leaders called totransform the world through the apostolate of Jesuit education. The workshops and Leadership Fairs will explore lessons learned from our experiences as soul leaders in directing
our future responses to change dynamics in examining experience, reflection and action(myth, belief and norm).
During the ILA meeting, participants will have the opportunity to visit Arrupe Jesuit HighSchool in Denver which will host an evening with tours of the school and dinner.
Registration will take place in the winter.