Blended Learning

Intro to Blended Learning

Dates TBD

Introduction to Blended Learning is designed for the teacher who has limited experience engaging students online but is interested in learning more about the concept, pedagogy, and good practice of successful blended courses. As participants engage in several online activities, they will spend time exploring current research and theories to answer the questions: What is blended learning and why is it so powerful with this generation of learners? What are design considerations for constructing a blended course? How does a blended learning approach change what my class does and looks like when face-to-face? What are the principles of effective blended learning? What are the tools needed for facilitating effective blended learning?

Participants will connect and collaborate with each other through a variety of online activities for four weeks, averaging four hours a week online. All online course work is asynchronous, allowing participants to schedule their own involvement in the course over a given week. By the end of this four-week experience, participants will understand the implications of blended learning on their own classroom and the pedagogical considerations for applying the blended learning model to their own courses.

What participants had to say

“You probably already know that blended learning is engaging and powerful. This course will help you decide how it will best fit in your existing teaching as well as introduce you to the theories of blended learning. Highly recommended.” – Teacher from Perth, Australia

“Blended learning creates opportunities for teachers to maximize their instruction, students to deepen their thinking, and communities of collaboration to be built. This class challenged me to rethink my current practices with the goal of student-centered learning.” – Teacher from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Course Facilitator: Brad Rathgeber

Brad Rathgeber is the Executive Director of One Schoolhouse. Brad has been a leader in online and blended learning for independent schools for the last six years, having been a founder of the first online independent school in 2009. He is a frequent presenter at regional, national and international conferences, and has been quoted on the topic in the Washington Post,Wall Street Journal, and on PBS. Brad holds an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, where he was a Morehead Scholar, and a graduate degree from Dartmouth College. Prior to his work in online and blended learning, Brad was an administrator at Holton-Arms School.

Unit Plan

• Unit 1: What is "Blended Learning" and Why Does it Hold Promise for Today's Learners?
• Unit 2: Designing a Blended Class
• Unit 3: Design Elements of a Blended Class
• Unit 4: Creating Content for Blended Classes