How to close the achievement gap between English language learners (ELL) or English as a second language (ESL) learners and native English speakers has been the subject of a growing national debate. And with these students now making up one of the fastest growing student populations, finding the right solution has become more crucial than ever.
While it’s important to have the support of parents and teachers in transitioning to a blended learning model, the most vital participants are the students themselves. After all, schools are there for the sole purpose of serving students’ interests, and even though they may not realize it yet, students are the ones with the most at stake.
Unless you’re a lexicographer, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of National Dictionary Day, but it’s celebrated by word nerds every year on October 16, the birthday of Noah Webster. Webster’s name has become synonymous with the word “dictionary” because he actually wrote the first American dictionary, an arduous task that took him more than twenty years to complete.
When parents find out that their child’s school is implementing a blended learning program, it can leave them feeling like their world is being turned upside down—especially when one of the most common models for blended learning is literally called the “flipped classroom.” But it is possible to transition to a blended learning model without turning a community of parents into an angry, pitchfork-wielding mob, and it all starts with how your school or district presents their case for switching to blended learning.
Implementing a blended learning model in the classroom is a big transition for most schools, so it’s understandable for teachers to have some apprehensions about moving away from the traditional model. However, most educators will agree that incorporating online learning into the classroom has become a necessity.
The internet has infiltrated nearly every aspect of our daily lives, dramatically changing how we consume information, buy products, communicate, travel, live, and work. In fact, the number of households that have internet access has risen from just 18 percent in 1997 to more than 74 percent in 2012 according to data from the US Census Bureau.
Discussion boards are common tools used to facilitate course-related conversation in classes that have an online component. However, the lack of face-to-face interaction can make it difficult to maintain a respectful learning environment and foster a sense of community among students.
For many schools and districts, the most difficult part of adopting a blended learning solution is not simply finding the right program, but figuring out how to fund it. Funding for education is always a juggling act, as schools and districts work to provide both personnel and instructional resources to support their learning environments.
