One of my big themes for 2011 has been on the growth of blended learning opportunities. “Blended learning” is a difficult term to define precisely. Several months ago I told you about the Innosight Institute’s report The rise of blended learning: Profiles of emerging models, which introduces readers to a wide array of innovative programs.
Parents, teachers and other concerned citizens out there who want to learn more about blended learning but may not have the time to invest in thumbing through a report now have a simpler way to see and think about the subject. A service provider by the name of Education Elements helps to show how the various combinations of online-assisted learning and traditional classroom instruction can better engage students and help teachers focus on the important things they do well.
Check out this 5-minute video Education Elements created: “Blended Learning Explained.” Now after watching that, you may or may not want to go back and read that thick Innosight Institute report to find out more, but at least you flipped on that internal light bulb first. You did get what blended learning is, right?
As more and more Colorado schools and districts look to implement blended learning, here’s hoping they can do it right. But at the same time, let’s remember that student-centered education will in some cases mean a student has the opportunity to customize their learning from more than one school or service providers.
And it’s time for our state’s funding and accountability policies to begin catching up to this 21st century reality. As more boundaries break down, hurrah for the growth of effective blended learning opportunities!