Technology has become a mainstay in most of our society today, but it remains conspicuously absent in many primary and secondary classrooms across the country. To reach our tech-savvy students most effectively, we need to switch from our traditional methods of teaching and embrace technology, integrating it into our classroom and beyond. Some innovative educators are working to achieve this end by introducing technology tools that enhance their teaching and student learning. By combining personal classroom teaching with online instruction, teachers are using innovative methods to reach students who crave technology in learning. Through the innovative instruction of blended learning, some schools are working to expand course selection for students while cutting costs. We will explore the new and growing field of blended learning to ascertain how it works and discover the far-reaching benefits this classroom style might offer for students.
What is Blended Learning?
According to the Detroit Free Press, blended, hybrid, or flipped learning combines classroom interaction between teacher and students with online content and delivery systems for a robust and diverse teaching curriculum. Students conduct some of their class time with an instructor, while the rest is performed on a laptop from home. This mix of classroom and Internet instruction varies from program to program, but both elements must exist for it to be considered a true “blended learning” environment. While blended learning on the surface may look like a less personalized approach to the learning process, this system actually allows teachers
