New Visual: Steps to Create A Blended Learning Classroom

November 10, 2014
In the midst of the rapidly changing educational paradigms, teachers are continuously required to actualize their teaching pedagogy in such a way that it melts in with ethos of the new era. Teaching in the 21st century has its own idiosyncrasies that are, to a far extent, different from the ones that shaped instruction in the previous centuries.We are now living in a conceptual age that demands a host of new and complex thinking and cognitive skills and as such teaching priorities have to adjust to accommodate and foster these new demands.

Our students are no longer passive containers waiting for  their teachers to fill them in with teachable content.They have become active agents who can seek and access information and knowledge through different venues.They are equipped with the power of networks and can in a matter of few clicks crowdsource a topic and come up with all kinds of ideas.

Of course, the requirements for teaching in a conceptual age way transcend traditional ways of instruction. According to ISTE visual below, these requirements perfectly fit in within a blended learning space that makes use of both face to face and online teaching. There are different models of blended learning and here are some of them taken from ISTE visual:

Online
Instruction occurs via an online platform, with periodic face-to-face meetings.
Face to Face
Teacher offers primarily face-to face instruction, supplemented with technology in the classroom or computer lab.
Rotation
Students rotate between self-paced online learning and face-to-face instruction. Schedules are fixed  but flexible.
Flex
Most instruction is delivered online, with teachers providing as-needed support in small group settings.
Online Lab
Instruction takes place in a brick and mortar lab, delivered by an online teacher and supervised onsite by paraprofessionals.
Self-blend
Students take online courses to supplement their traditional school's face-to-face course catalog.

Check out ISTE infographic to learn more about how to design a blended learning environment.

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