Letting Go

We often say that if something isn't working, we should stop doing it. This is easier said than done in education. The ways we learned and the ways we learned to teach are deeply embedded in who we are as educators. Despite belief systems that have grown and changed, we often revert back to our comfort zone in our classrooms - and particularly if we are under stress - it can be difficult to implement lasting change.

Enter blended learning. As individuals, we have embraced technology for the multiple ways that it can help make our lives faster and more efficient. We text instead of calling. We post on social media to stay connected with family and friends. We use computers where we used to hand write. We have smart phones, smart TVs, smart watches, and even smart homes. But our classrooms still look like traditional, dare I say "old school," classrooms. We have smart boards that have replaced black boards, but we are using them in much the same way we used black boards (or white boards depending on your age and teaching experience). We make just as many worksheets (if not more) as teachers cranked out of mimeograph machines when I was in school (truth be told, in my first teaching job there was a mimeograph machine in the teacher's room!).

Going blended is a little scary. It's kind of like jumping in to an abyss and you are not sure where you will end up. We don't know how the use of digital content will improve state assessment scores or if it will help us get off the dreaded "list" of failing schools. But, we do know this: the world has changed. We must change our classrooms in order to provide relevance to student learning.

CLICK HERE for some great resources to support your journey into blended learning.

CLICK HERE to learn more about blended learning.

For even more information and support, visit:
www.highlanderinstitute.org
www.edelements.com
www.christenseninstitute.org