Summer Series: Why Blended is the Way To Go

     The flip is dead. It's not the answer, but some of it's principals are good. The answer is really blended learning. The whole principal of a flipped classroom is to move it to student-centered learning environment. That's the principal that every teacher should keep. Where the flipped classroom needs a change, is the fact we have to rely on students to complete work at home. We are at a place in education where we have to work around homework. We can't let students fall behind because they don't have the resources at home or because they won't do work at home.

      That's why blended learning is the answer. I have tried both, and you can't completly cut the cord from the teacher centered classroom. Students need some of that direction. They also have to have time in class to get the base content because some don't have the resources and some won't do work at home no matter what you do. Blended is the middle between old and new, and it's the answer.

     Student's need to continue to have some type of in class notes/lecture, but they also need the student centered approach. So basically, you put the lecture videos online, but you also have an in-class option for them. As I started the flipped approach, I realized that some students missed the in-class lecture. By time they get to high school, they are so trained in the teacher-centered approach that it is a hard adjustment. I also came to the conclusion that you need some in class lecture in order to prepare students for college. You have to ease students in slowly. So you start with the teacher student lectures, and you ease them in to having the flipped approach as an option while continuing to have the inclass option.

     Where the flipped is good is the fact that it really relies on a student centered approach. While you still have to have the inclass lecture option, you can still turn your classroom in to a project based differentiated classroom. The biggest way to do that is give students options, and by offering both the in-class 

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