ICT Assignment

Blended Learning

What is blended learning?

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How was your classroom activity? Boring? Monotonous? The teacher speaks all the time? Yes, those are traditional classroom. However, nowadays you can have a very interesting classroom through technology. You can have a more interactive and interesting class through blended learning classroom.

Blended means combine or mix many things into one thing. Blended learning means combining classroom and virtual instruction optimizes learning through online-computer technology. Teachers are equipped with significant resources to maximize planning and instructional time and differentiate instruction to accommodate varying proficiency levels. Students assume greater ownership and responsibility for their own language development and progress at the pace and level appropriate to their needs.

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The blended classroom is designed to meet the individual needs of student by allowing teachers to personalize instruction.  This strategy can be used for any subject and any grade level.  Blended learning combines face-to-face and online instruction. It allows students to work with teachers in school and have online resources at home. Therefore, the students can understand more the material at home. They do not depend on the teachers’ explanation because they can get the material from many sources from the internet.

Pros of blended learning:

·         Provides for individualized support for the students

·         students can access material at anytime, anywhere, to review the material

·         provides richer, more interactive learning experiences

·         provides more time for collaboration with the students and teachers

·         parents have access to what students are doing - better communication and support

·         more and more colleges and even workplaces are using this model.

Cons of blended learning:

·         Teachers will need time to create and/or select content.

·         Teachers will need training on using this method of instruction to make it effective

·         students will need to be shown how to access, use the technology and what is expected of them

·         Students need to be able to do work outside of school hours

Example lesson plans

The example of blended learning classroom is when teacher is using videos from YouTube, Discovery Education, Khan Academy as a replacement for lectures - students watch them at home and then discuss them in class. The teacher also answers questions in class and dives more deeply into the content.

4 Models of Blended Learning

1. Rotation model — a course or subject in which students rotate on a fixed schedule or at the teacher’s discretion between learning modalities, at least one of which is online learning. Other modalities might include activities such as small-group or full-class instruction, group projects, individual tutoring, and pencil-and-paper assignments.

a. Station Rotation  

b. Lab Rotation 

c. Flipped Classroom

2. Flex model — a course or subject in which online learning is the backbone of student learning, even if it directs students to offline activities at times. Students move on an individually customized, fluid schedule among learning modalities. The teacher of record is on-site, and students learn mostly on the brick-and-mortar campus, except for any homework assignments.

3. A La Carte model — a course that a student takes entirely online to accompany other experiences that the student is having at a brick-and-mortar school or learning center. The teacher of record for the A La Carte course is the online teacher. Students may take the A La Carte course either on the brick-and-mortar campus or off-site.

4. Enriched Virtual model — a course or subject in which students have required face-to-face learning sessions with their teacher of record and then are free to complete their remaining coursework remote from the face-to-face teacher. Online learning is the backbone of student learning when the students are located remotely.

In my opinion, Blended Learning is very interesting, because through blended learning we can have more sophisticated classes. Besides, through blended learning, we can have more sources for teaching and learning process. As a result, classes will be more interesting. students also will be excited to join classes,

Source:

1. https://www.middleburyinteractive.com/curriculum-courses/blended-learning
2. http://olecommunity.com/blended-learning-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-trending-in-k-12-education/
3. http://moodle.unitec.ac.nz/mod/page/view.php?id=214273
4. http://elearninginfographics.com/6-blended-learning-techniques-infographic/ 
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L75oPzauAlw
6. http://www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning-definitions-and-models/
7. http://kevincorbett.com/2013/07/4-blended-learning-models/