“Blended learning is the combination of active, engaged learning online combined with active, engaged learning offline to provide students with more control over the time, place, pace, and path of their learning.” - Horn & Staker, revised by Tucker 

At YES Prep we utilize the following 4 Blended Learning Models*:  

1. Whole Group: The entire class rotates through a series of online and offline activities together. 

2. Stations: Students rotate to different learning stations, one or more of which are dedicated to online learning.  

3. Flipped Classroom: Information is moved online for asynchronous, self-paced learning with no teacher support; teacher facilitates supports and practice with the material when students are synchronous.  

4. Personalized Pathways: Students move through individual pathways or playlists customized based on data. 

*In 21-22, most courses will use the Whole Group Rotation most frequently.    

Adapted from Blended Learning in Action by Tucker, Wycoff, Green 

Blended Learning will support us in meeting our mission of empowering all Houston students to succeed in college and to pursue lives of opportunity.

Our Guiding Principles are: 

1. Technology alone will not increase student achievement, but when we leverage it correctly, technology is a critical piece of our comprehensive approach to teaching and learning.  Technology is a critical component of our classroom blueprint & a vital tool for our unified intervention strategy. 

2. The power of technology to be a tool to personalize learning and actively engage students is an important lever to increase equity.  

3. YES Prep has the responsibility to prepare our students for post-secondary success. Being post-secondary ready must include having the skills to succeed in a blended learning environment.    These skills include, but are not limited to, the ability to navigate tools and an LMS, conduct research, organize and share content and ideas, engage online responsibly as digital citizens, and communicate online. 

4. We ALL have the responsibility to learn how to use blended learning in the classroom and to implement it effectively. We are all in.   

5. Technology is incorporated into the curriculum where it will enhance student learning and where it will teach the necessary technical skills to prepare students for post-secondary success. Not every lesson requires technology, but every course will have technology use throughout its curriculum. 

Between May 2020-June 2021, YES Prep used Microsoft Teams. Beginning August 2021, YES Prep will launch Schoology as our Learning Management System and it will replace Teams. Students will not use Teams unless they need to connect to a virtual meeting.

Schoology can help us execute our four blended learning models by serving as a place to house activities, resources, and playlists that can be shared with all students or specific students. 

We will be launching Schoology as our Learning Management System (LMS). Schoology will serve as a digital companion to the in-person teaching and learning environment. Leveraging technology in combination with the aligned, active, and rigorous learning that is part of our YES Prep program, will help to ensure that your student(s) graduate college-ready.  

Learn more about Schoology in the video below: 

With parental access to Schoology, you can sign up for weekly reports as well as impersonate your child/children to view their classes, current and upcoming assignments, grades, etc. See more about these and other exciting features in the video below: 

For a more detailed breakdown of the differences between Student and Parent accounts, please watch the following video:

Logging into Guardian Accounts: 

1. Click on the following hyperlink to access the Schoology Family site: app.schoology.com
2. Log in utilizing the credentials you received from the district. 
   • Parents will receive an e-mail on August 13, 2021 with their log in information.
   • For Spring Branch Partnership Schools (Northbrook MS & Northbrook HS, please reach out to your front office your your unique access code after the school year begins.)
3. Remember, you can switch between Parent and Student view. 

Let's learn how to log into your YES Prep Parent Schoology account by watching the following video:.