As teachers and schools look for the best way to reach all students, blended learning (in addition to distance learning and hybrid learning) has become an increasingly popular framework for improving instruction both in and beyond the classroom. According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, blended learning combines technology and traditional face-to-face instruction to allow for personalized learning. Learning A-Z products enhance this framework with a focus on teacher-led instruction, independent practice, comprehensive assessments, and data-generated reports to determine progress and next steps for instruction.
Teachers Make the Difference
As subject matter experts, teachers instill a love of learning in their students and are trusted guides in introducing and exploring new content. Because high performing teachers are the single best predictor of student success, it is integral that they have the right tools to respond to the needs of all students.
Within a blended learning framework, teachers can create more effective lessons with accurate, up-to-date data about student activity and performance. Technology does not replace the teacher, but empowers the teacher to efficiently expand learning opportunities for students and to personalize instruction for a spectrum of learning levels.
Practice for Proficiency
Blended learning emphasizes the value of independent student practice. Technology allows students to learn at their own pace and practice skills outside the classroom on a home computer, laptop, or mobile device. Learning A-Z products enable student practice through digital formats as well as in printed format with the delivery of printable PDF files to a teacher. The flexible delivery models made possible with online learning ensure that students get the daily practice necessary to master content and skills.
Opportunities for independent practice help students gain a sense of ownership and responsibility over their learning. Within a blended learning model, technology reinforces teacher-led instruction and keeps students engaged wherever they are and at whatever pace they choose.
Assessments Keep Students on the Right Path
In blended learning, teachers, students, and technology work together to encourage curiosity and ensure student achievement. The adaptive capabilities and responsiveness of technology are crucial to student achievement. For example, when students complete an online comprehension quiz, they only proceed to the next level or unit when they pass the assessment.
With a variety of assessment formats—from quizzes and retelling rubrics, to benchmark passages and benchmark books—you can decide which is best for the particular skill you’ve introduced. Your assessments can include observing student reading behavior in a one-on-one session, or scoring student retellings using an online rubric.
Data Drives Instruction
Every student learns at a different pace, and sometimes it’s difficult to visualize exactly how each student is progressing within the larger context of a classroom. Digital reports are integral to a blended learning approach because they enable you to respond in a timely way to student progress, which increases the effectiveness of the learning cycle.
Online assessment tools allow for viewing real-time student activity and individual student progress, and produce data-generated reports that help you monitor whole class progress to inform instruction. Access to both individual and whole class reports empowers you to personalize lessons for every student.
A Framework, Not a Prescription
Just as there is no one-size fits all solution for guaranteeing student achievement, there is no set process for blended learning. Learning A-Z’s blended learning platform delivers books and other learning resources in multiple formats—printed, projectable, or digitally on all devices—designed to strengthen the connection between what is being taught and what students practice.
