What is Blended Learning?
Blended Learning is when a student learns “at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path, and pace at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home.” Blended Learning is a much more personalized form of education that allows students to work at their own pace and helps them to feel and be successful at school.
It is essential for students to develop skills in digital literacy, information literacy, cultural competency, cooperation, and independent life-long learning in order to successfully participate in today's global organizations and communities. The culture and processes in Blended Education is designed to foster individualized growth towards mastery of these skills. A successful blended learning program creates a classroom culture of accountability fueled by student-set goals and student-run accountability groups.
As the students prove their ability to self-direct and their ability to accept more responsibility, a longer stretch of time can be devoted to individualized, independent work across subject areas each day. During this time, students can choose to practice math skills, read a book, use an online grammar or spelling program, write in their journal, practice typing skills, or work in any other area for which they have an independent on-or off-line tool available.
A blended learning program that incorporates a variety of subjects can help students learn to prioritize their work appropriately, and learn that different activities can require different amounts of time and effort to achieve success.
Project-based Learning (FHA does)
With the increased efficiency that personalized learning achieves, there should be time in the school day to apply core learning to real-world problems. Hands-on projects are a motivating, inspiring way to do this. And whenever teamwork is involved, so are communicating, listening, persuading, and compromising.
Multi-age Classrooms (FHA does)
Peer accountability and peer mentoring are cornerstones of a multi-age classroom. Projects enhance and ignite this experience and students thrive working at their own pace. A child might be doing math that is more typical of students three years older than him, but reading books similar to students a year younger than him, and writing like a typical student his age. With a grade span of three to four years, he is not alone in any of his work and can find peers doing similar work. Additionally, being with many of the same peers and teachers for several years allows for a cohesive community to form where each student is known and celebrated as an individual.
Resources for Information on Digital and Blended Learning: