Education continues to evolve as it aims to adapt to new technology and research supported teaching practices. The overall goal?  To reach every student. A common buzzword right now is Blended Learning. Let’s chat about the basics!

What is Blended Learning?

A blended learning classroom utilizes face-to-face and online instruction. Different from simply providing learners with online tools, blended learning allows for select instructional opportunities to be housed in a online format. Essentially, blended learning is any formal education program in which a student learns, at least in part, through online learning and includes some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace.  This may be as minute as a student’s ability to pause or rewind during a lesson. However, to utilize blended learning to its highest caliber, often online learning extends to other types of control. For example, students may be able to choose the time at which they do their online learning, or the path they want to take to learn specific concept.

In some cases, students even have the opportunity to choose the location at which they wish to learn – either in a classroom or at home on the living room couch.

Teachers seem to be provided with a new initiative every year, but many of these systems, while research supported, are not implemented in a way to help teachers make the new practice manageable. Click To Tweet

What is NOT Blended Learning?

Blended learning is often confused with virtual learning. However, these are two different educational approaches. While blended learning does have a technology component, experts identify the face-to-face component of the process extremely valuable and not an avenue educators should “cut out” of the learning process. Face-to-face meetings may include valuable collaboration sessions, assessment opportunities, or reflection. While this may look different then some classroom face-to-face meetings, the time allows the student to solidify their understanding and prove their knowledge to the leading educator.

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Could you use Blended Learning within The Grid Method?

YES! Just as the blended learning model is viewed as an instructional delivery system, The Grid Method framework acts as a system to make the process manageable, authentic, and scalable. Teachers seem to be provided with a new initiative every year, but many of these systems, while research supported, are not implemented in a way to help teachers make the new practice manageable. Therefore, if you are going to try a blended learning structure in your school building or district, ensure you are setting yourself up for success by implementing a system to make your life easier!

Up for the Challenge?

As the Blended Learning Universe stated, “By understanding blended learning as an instructional delivery model that gives students some element of control over their learning and by leveraging the opportunity of personalization that blended learning can provide at scale, educators can start to address challenges and opportunities in their schools that will enable them to move the practice of blended learning forward.”

Would you take on this innovative approach to reach more students?