When you hear the words BLENDED LEARNING, what first comes to mind? Hopefully it's a mixture of students working through tasks either at their own pace or with the teacher, while utilizing technology and the concepts of: choice, ownership, voice, and authenticity.
Opportunities abound when it comes to the future (and present) of education and learning for students in a school setting! I have created my own plan for stirring the pot of education.
When first introducing my Innovation Plan to educators and fellow coworkers, this video is a good place to start since it acts as an overview of understanding these new concepts:
Blended Learning: From an Educator Perspective
Then, of course I welcome inquiry by asking if anyone has questions about Blended Learning so far!
Students have to be on board with these ideas as well, so here is an additional student-centered video which encapsulates how their learning will be structured through the implementation process:
Blended Learning: From a Student Perspective
Next is the introduction of my actual Innovation Plan which explains the basic concepts of how technology and mindset can assist with overall student learning. The official title of the plan is...
"Blended Learning: Digital Differentiation and Growth for All Learners."
There are so many facets to the implementation of a successful, disruptive innovation plan; therefore, it is critical to understand each piece of the puzzle properly before rushing into action or making big decisions. Below, each section is broken down into smaller explanations along with a link to the official plan documentation. Please enjoy a self-exploration surrounding each of these ideas.
a) Innovation Proposal
Before diving into the science, research, and extended explanations surrounding each part of the Innovation Plan, first it's best to explain WHY these ideas could prove to be successful within a school and begin providing evidence.
This is a drafted version of an innovation proposal letter for the year-level team leader at my workplace, who is my direct supervisor. This letter draft contains comment feedback from my professor and really helped me understand how to properly format when researching and utilizing APA formatting.
This letter could easily be modified to fit any teacher, school, or workplace who may want to convince their supervisor that innovation can create change and growth. So the letter is practical in a broad sense, yet remains sturdy enough to piquet someone's interest and get the ball rolling toward improvements being made within that organization.
b) Implementation Outline
Version one is a draft outline of the Innovation Plan proposal which includes direct feedback, comments, and "feedforward" received from peers within my graduate course.
Version two is a final edited version of the implementation outline. This document shares specifics surrounding ways in which disruptive systems can create positive change, especially within educational settings. It also lists each implementation idea and categorizes them into manageable tasks.
This final outline explains a breakdown of dates and pacing.
c) Literature Review
A large part of understanding how innovation can influence a workplace comes from preliminary research. After reading case studies and breaking-down charts and per-reviewed reports, it is possible to have a better understanding of HOW each section of the Implementation Plan can affect an educational learning environment. This proves how each part of the plan is integral and important to the plan's success as a whole.
The finalized, extensive literature review I created allowed me to break-down each learning component and truly explain how each part of the innovation proposal is essential. It utilized facts, statistics, data, and peer-reviewed articles to support my claims and strengthen the ideas within my innovation plan.
After a quick introduction, the literature review dives into the ideas of an authentic classroom environment and having a growth mindset. The second section describes 21st-century teaching strategies and describes the benefits of personalized learning. At the end, it then discusses blended learning technology in a variety of learning spaces. The report finalizes with a lengthy list of reliable references.
To Infinity, and Beyond
It's important to mention that this Innovation Plan is just a small glimpse into the possibilities of creating long-lasting, stimulating change! Best practice teaching styles are continuously growing, changing, and strengthening each year, heightening the importance of seeking constant and professional lifelong-learning. It's up to you and me to make real change! Let's do this TOGETHER!
Your Next Steps!
So now that you have access to this information, what can YOU do next?
Step One - Ask yourself, can "blended learning" benefit my students at my school?
Step Two - Learn more. Starting with the "additional resources" list at the bottom of this page, begin asking yourself more questions and learning about additional benefits of a blended learning style classroom environment.
Step Three - Make and draft a plan. Figure out how you can make steps toward action and change within your own teaching style and methods. Then, try them out from the familiarity of YOUR classroom. Feel free to ask your supervisor for help and support along the way.
Step Four - Go further! If you and your students have been enjoying benefits from and reaping the rewards of a blended classroom, then see what you can do for your coworkers! For example you could teach a professional development session, host a meeting to introduce what you've learned, or create a webinar surrounding your classroom data. This will convince others to join your cause!
Still Curious? Here are Additional Resources
Included below are a variety of supplementary reading and resource materials in which anyone can learn more about the ease of applying these innovative blended learning practices.
Videos:
- Edutopia.com created a series of short videos explaining the foundation of "blended learning" and it's benefits
- This powerful two-minute video explains the basics of blended learning to inspire educators
Websites:
- BlendedLearning.org has a whole resource page dedicated to defining the basic types of blended learning
- ImagineLearning.com explained five benefits of utilizing blended learning in the classroom
- This website explains the types of blended learning that can be utilized within a classroom
- Batavia Public School District in Illinois, USA created a quick two-page PDF of questions and answers surrounding the topic of blended learning
Pictures & Graphics:
- An educator's blog post published a great infographic showing how blended learning can look within a classroom setting
- An additional infographic from ELearningInfographics.com shows how blended learning is made for the future of education
Books & Professional Study:
- Caitlin R. Trucker has written several books about blended learning, but her most recent was published recently in 2020 titled Balanced with Blended Learning.
- Michael Horn & Heather Staker have written multiple books as a team about blended learning understanding and application. A good place to start would be with their book titled Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools and then for implementation and further ideas it would be great to read The Blended Workbook: Learning to Design the Schools of our Future.
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