Blended Learning Benefits
- students will work outside of class at any hour
- everyone has a voice in the conversation - shy kids, ELL, exchange students, everyone
- textbooks are not required
- differentiation can be achieved with materials that the instructor finds based on the topic and student abilities and needs
- computer use is 1:1, so there is always a way to accomplish the learning
- absent students can participate in discussions even if they are not on campus
- papers don’t get lost when everything is online, both student and teacher; this is very helpful for the disorganized among us
- parents can access and become partners in their child’s learning
- teacher prep can be done without lugging around heavy textbooks
- teacher can access the course to monitor student work if off campus for meetings, trainings, sick days, etc
- communication between student and teacher is opened up
- feedback can be immediate
- not version or platform specific; cloud technology is accessible to everyone
- Anytime/Anywhere learning
- assignments are time stamped, so it’s easy to see when work is submitted (or late)
- this type of class is preparation for college courses using online formats
- accessible anytime on any device
- Providing links such as Common Core standards informs students about what the standards are in relationship to their work
- access can be limited, either by the lack of bandwidth, dial-up, system down at school
- teacher prep can be increased without a textbook as resources need to be found
- students are not trained in managing their time or working independently, and there can be a learning curve as they come to understand their responsibility in their education and learning
- the use of technology at school needs to be supported in a practical manner, not just philosophically
- connectivity issues, firewall problems, filters, etc can limit access on a daily basis
- there needs to be tech support on campus to address and fix problems ASAP
- not all administrators understand the goal of using technology
- 1:1 is the goal, but is not always achievable
- student devices may not be allowed on campus, which can limit access