Blending Learning

This week’s topic was blended learning. In the beginning, I was a bit confused by what exactly blended learning is, because it was made clear in Hawthorne’s topic video that it was not just online classes. After watching more of her video, the other videos we were given, and reading a few articles, I think I’ve got it. Blending learning is learning that is done in part in a brick and mortar building, and in part online. I believe this infographic we were provided has a very good summary of it. It also gives examples of each type of blending learning, which was a very easy way for me to understand what exactly they all were.

                I think blended learning is a wonderful concept that is becoming a reality in many schools. This semester has personally had more diversity with online resources than any of my classes before. This class, Ed Tech, for instance. We met face to face three times in the beginning of the semester, and the rest of it has been online, with the option of attending the labs every week if we choose to for additional help. I also have a completely online class this semester, Intro to Exceptionalities. The only times we have (optionally) met have been an intro session and some exam reviews. I also have two classes that are primarily face to face that we occasionally have online days in. This has made for a very different type of learning for me, though I am really enjoying it. Like one of the kids said in this video, I have always gotten bored in traditional face to face classes. I always remember a time in my 7^th grade pre-algebra class, where I was working ahead and got in trouble because I wasn’t sticking with the class. Had that been an independent partially online course, it would have been fine if I had been working by my own pace. In my Intro to Education class, we watched a film called Teach. Here is a preview for it. In that film, one of the teachers starts using Khan Academy in her math class, and it allowed students to work at their own pace. I think that’s the best way to teach –personalized to each student, at their own pace, to help them succeed. Blending learning makes that possible.

Once I become a teacher, I hope to be able to use some technology, though I think that having a blended classroom in my chosen group, early childhood education, would be somewhat hard to do. Without meeting with the children face to face every day for the entire school day, I couldn’t imagine being able to teach things like how to read and write or how to do math could be possible. I did google it, and found this webpage about how to integrate technology. It listed things such as using a computer to enhance teaching or give more practice with a concept, which is definitely in the realm of possibility and something I hope to do in every class I teach.