What is blended learning?
Blended learning is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with traditional place-based classroom methods. It requires the physical presence of both teacher and student, with some elements of student control over time, place, path, or place.https://www.learnupon.com/blog/what-is-blended-learning/
Blended learning in my ecosystem
I have adopted blended learning in my teaching. I use to prepare lesson for both my online students and the student I will have in class. I used Blackboard collaborate and turn on the camera and mic for my online students while lecturing in class with face to face students. In order to promote blended learning in my classroom I gave my students topic to research as a homework and then we would have online session discussing their findings.
Pros Of Using Blended Learning in my classroom
1. Individualized Support For Students.
strongest side of blended learning is an opportunity to give personalized instruction to every student, which caters their needs.
2. Students Have Access To Helpful Online Materials Anywhere And At Any Time.
Students in my course had access to all the notes and course material using their smart devices.
3. Learners Can Benefit From All The Comforts Of Digital Materials.
Students had access to library tools and additional resources for assessments
4. Blended Learning Provides More Interactive Educational Experience.
Students were able to communicate with me using video conferencing tools.
5. Parents Have Access To what Their Children Are Doing.
This provides better support, communication, and control over the process. Some parents would listen to my lecturing.
My role as teacher changing regarding design for learning and blended learning.
Previously I would have students in the classroom and teach them face to face and now my has role has changed to facilitator. With the pandemic we were forced to adapt to the new normal. I had to train lecturers to use technological tools in the classroom and how to teach online. Even those lecturers that were afraid of using ICT tools in the classroom were taken on board and they knew that they had to adapt as soon as possible. Lectures were able to have blended learning where by they can use Blackboard Collab to lecturer and or have face to face with few students.