Blended Learning: Personalizing Education for Students

Plenty of buzz exists about blended learning and its transformational potential. But what does blended learning really mean? In this course we will explore the different models of blended learning and dive into key issues that impact students, teachers, and schools. Specifically, we will look at these issues through the lens of three high-performing schools that each use a different type of blended learning. A few of the key topics will include: - The role of the student and how to support students in the transition from traditional to blended learning - Implications for teachers in their day-to-day work and overall role - Impact on the way schools are designed including staffing models, use of time, hardware/software selection, and the use of data - Implementation challenges, potential solutions, and the remaining open questions We will live by the attributes of blended learning in this course, encouraging students to take quizzes at the beginning of the module to assess their understanding and skip material they already know. Overall, we will take a hand-on approach and the course will culminate in participants prototyping their own blended learning model. If you are interested in learning more about how to best leverage technology in education and rethink the way we run schools, join this MOOC and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Become a part of this growing movement and learn first-hand how blended learning can help provide students a more personalized learning experience.

• Introduction and Blended Learning Models
• An overview, definition, and introduction to several different models of blended learning.
• Creating the Ideal Student Experience
• Learn how educators are redesigning schools and the use of time and teachers to create their most ideal blended learning environment. Explore how to help students transition smoothly from traditional education to blended learning.
• Rethinking the Role of the Teacher
• Discover how the role of the teacher is changing in blended learning environments. What parts of the job stay the same and what is different? How does an organization support teachers in making the transition to blended learning?
• Redesigning a School
• How can we challenge our assumptions about the ways that schools have always been organized and run? How do leaders manage the change as their organizations transition from traditional models to blended learning?
• Making Hardware, Software, and Space Decisions
• Explore the choices you have to make around your software, hardware, and facilities, and how to make sure they support your educational model.
• Prototyping and the Innovation Process
• Learn the steps of the design process to begin development of your own blended learning implementation.