Wouldn’t it be nice if every child had his or her own personal teacher? Blended Learning may have the answer, as it is where students learn from their computers for about 25% of the day. This is much different than just taking online courses, where some studies have shown that only 23% of students even pass online courses.
When students gave an after school lab session and worked with a teacher in online courses, the number of those who passed and got credit for graduation purposes went up to 43%. Then, the idea came along to give the students a full day with a teacher at summer school to help them with the online courses. At that point, 95% of the students were able to complete their course credit. What we learned is that face to face time with a teacher as well as computer learning is very important to blended learning.
Different Learning Settings for Students
Rotational Model: Some of the students work in a group with a teacher. You then work with each other, student to student, in a collaborative group effort. Lastly, you have some students working and learning with the computer, and the whole class rotates periodically.
Laboratory Model: This model describes when, at some point in the students’ school day, they go into a lab setting and start learning from computers, a more familiar model.
Open Classroom Model: a spin-off from the Laboratory model, the Open Classroom Model describes circumstances in which, for example, there is a class of perhaps 60 students with three teachers engaging and teaching students at the same time. The students get more time with the teacher and use the entire space as s flexible space designed to enhance student learning.
Flipped Classroom Model: This model has been getting more and more popular by the day. In this model, students are expected to come to class having already watched videos and done readings. The actual homework gets done in the classroom.
Alpha Model: Also known as the split model, it describes circumstances in which, at any given point, some students will be on the computer learning while others will be learning from the teacher.
No Wrong or Right Way to Real Learning and Growth
What is exciting and interesting about Blended Learning is that there is no wrong or right way to go about it. It is very new, so there is no such thing as a best practice. There are different schools accross the country approaching it in different ways using the model they feel best suits their students’ growth and potential.
Blended Learning is not just making kids use 21st-century technology. There is a big difference between using it and learning it. They are both important. Employers want new recruits with knowledge of computer software and how to use it. They prefer employees who are tech savvy, have knowledge of Excel, know how to code, and know how to utilize useful apps like Kami.
Blended Learning is fluid, user-friendly, and intuitive and allows teachers and students, employees and employers a chance to record their progress efficiently. It does all of these in real time. Blended Learning is more about using the computer as a learning tool, not just learning about computers.
One of the perks of Blended Learning is that a student can take a quiz on his reading level on a computer, and the software then assigns the kid a book on his reading level. The computer software then tracks the student’s progress, reading speed, reading level, and vocabulary usage. This not only allows the student to progress rapidly in a subject by incorporating a computer; it also allows the teacher to observe and help the student fine-tune his or her learning and really grasp current knowledge on a deeper level. Finally, Blended Learning also allows teachers to get to know their students better, and it allows more time for the teacher to cater to each student’s needs.
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