023: Blended Learning and Playful Protocols with Ben Cogswell

Blended Learning and Playful Protocols with Ben CogswellGuest: Ben CogswellIn this episode, Meghan and Candace are joined by Ben Cogswell, an award-winning educator and co-author of The Primary Edition of The Eduprotocols Playbook. Ben shares his passion for blended learning, the importance of student discourse, and practical strategies for integrating technology thoughtfully into the primary classroom.Experience: Ben is in his nineteenth year of education. He has taught a wide range of elementary grades, from kindergarten to sixth grade. His career includes six years in kindergarten, seven years as a sixth-grade teacher, and four years as a technology coach. He is currently a fourth-grade teacher at Creekside Elementary in Salinas, California, where he has been teaching since 2007.Accomplishments: He is the co-author of the primary edition of Eduprotocols. Ben has received several awards, including Teacher of the Year for 2020, the CUE Blended and Online Educator of the Year, the CUE Gold Disc Award, and the KSBW Crystal Apple Award.Connect with Ben: You can find resources on the Primary Eduprotocols website or connect with him on social media, where his handle is often @Cogswell_Ben.The Power of Blended LearningBen discusses why providing students with both digital and physical tools is crucial for learning. He emphasizes that blending technology (like computer microphones and cameras) with hands-on tools (like whiteboards and manipulatives) reinforces concepts, builds repetition, and prepares students for the future. He believes we need to nurture both soft and hard skills, and blended learning helps achieve that.Using Seesaw to Empower Young LearnersA key tech tool for Ben is Seesaw, which allows students to draw, move items, and record their thinking simultaneously. He shares a strategy for teaching counting where students:Watch the teacher model a lesson on video.Practice the skill on a physical whiteboard.Record themselves completing the task on the computer.Use physical manipulatives (like Unifix cubes or Legos), take a picture, and then label and record their explanation in Seesaw.Building Classroom CommunityBen focuses on building a "professional relationship" with his students by fostering a strong and interactive classroom community. His strategies include:"Get to Know Me" Quizzes: Instead of a standard presentation, Ben creates a quiz about himself (e.g., favorite color, dog's name) and later creates quizzes about the students' favorite things to help them learn about each other.Student Interviews: Using a Frayer model adaptation, students interview every classmate to learn about them.AI in the Elementary ClassroomBen views AI as a tool that can be used in powerful ways, particularly for writing and image generation. He shared an activity where students:Ben fields rapid-fire classroom scenarios with his go-to strategies.