As an educator in my mid 40's, the blended learning model is both exciting and a little intimidating. One thing that I hate most about a class is students who come to table completely disengaged and hating every minute of being in a class. Times have changed. It's a new world; our classrooms have to reflect this seismic shift.
The importance of this shift cannot be minimized as it's my belief that without the shift, many students will be left behind and opportunities will be lost. Teachers must realize and accept that they themselves are not the gatekeeper and holder of the knowledge; they are now facilitators and models.
Recognizing the shift and the need for it is the easy part I think. The HOW is the difficult part of this realization. Some of the questions and uneasiness that have in the shift is trying to figure out how I customize lessons for my kids in my English class. I'm thinking that when students are writing, it might be more difficult to give that automatic feedback I've heard about in Module 1.
When I think about what I've done so far in terms of student engagement and blended learning, I'm definitely on the right path. One thing I'd like to do soon is incorporate a lesson using social media. Why? My audience loves social media; they're using it all the time every day. As a teacher, I need to harness this powerful tool and use it to teach and engage my students.
I'm excited for my students and for myself as I take more steps into blended learning leaving the boring and passive teaching styles of the past behind. At the same time, I'm uneasy wondering how I can possible meet each of my students' needs on a daily basis in an individual manner. I'm hoping that through this course, I'll gain the knowledge needed to put me at ease and set me on the right path.
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