Before commenting on our topic for these two weeks, I wanted to make 
sure I understood the term "blended instruction." I found that it may 
mean something a little different than what I had thought. Following 
are just three of the definitions among others:
1."Blended learning follows a framework that orchestrates movement 
from one learning experience to the next, so that each step builds on 
the previous one. Blended learning models enable organizations to 
move up the educational and collaborative scalestarting with a 
low-level information exchange and extending to mastery. The power of 
blended learning models comes into play when you think of combining 
the tiers in a single learning solution."
"Blended learning models may consist of learning from information, 
interaction, collaboration and classroom experiences. The first three 
tiers can take advantage of e-learning technology, allowing a company 
to minimize costs associated with travel, private instructors and 
time away from the office. " (Learning Strategies: Blended 
Instruction, June 2005 - Hemant Minocha) 
http://www.clomedia.com/content/templates/clo_article.asp?articleid=982&zoneid=62

2."One of the most distinguishable characteristics of blending 
learning is its ability to combine two different forms/setting of 
learning and instruction. (Singh, 2001) In blended learning, 
instruction takes place in an offline and online setting. In the 
offline setting, the instruction takes place in a traditional, 
face-to-face classroom. The online setting usually takes place using 
the Internet. Although there are distance courses solely designed to 
have all of its instruction take place online through the use of the 
Web, blended learning utilizes the atmosphere of both offline and 
online settings." ( Blended Learning in K-12/General Comparisons in 
Blended Learning, From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection)
3. Other institutions and authors refer to blended instruction as 
that offered through "online/on campus or online/televised delivery. 
Some consider blended instruction as that which simply uses more than 
one instructional medium, perhaps along with onsite contact.
I must admit that my perception has matched the third, or last, 
interpretation, which also matches the definition for hybrid 
learning. In that sense, I've been offering blended instruction for a 
long time through interactive video, TV, online, onsite, 
teleconferencing and Web conferencing. There are several advantages 
to this blended or hybrid format, among them, the ability to engage 
several "intelligences" (Gardner) and to meet the technology capacity 
of different populations. With blended instruction, we also can make 
up for technology glitches that occur in one format or another.

The challenges I've encountered are fewer in terms of the media used, 
and more in terms of the overall issue of getting teachers to sign on 
even for the best designed training and opportunities. I have found 
that shorter is better, with lots of choices in schedules for 
participation. It also takes experience, in my view, to be able to 
effectively juggle different technologies and environments 
effectively. Some trainers are better at using just one vehicle; 
others are able to juggle more. Thus, team training may be one 
approach to quality blended instruction, as I've defined it.

Finally (whew), teachers still resist the idea that communities can 
be as effectively formed or more effectively formed through blended 
formats. I still hear, "Oh, but you can never replace the person." 
That's when I simply smile and walk away. If you look closely, you'll 
see the hair standing on the back of my neck! (We don't replace the 
person; we offer students the person in many more ways than 
previously possible. You have more, not less, contact with people!) 
And there you have my prejudices revealed.

Leecy


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