by Dr. Maria D. Avgerinou & Dr. Peggy Pelonis

i²Flex

K-12 Blended and Virtual Learning Through the i²Flex Classroom Model: A New Book by ACS Athens to be released in 2021

vitation to editors Avgerinou and Gialamas to produce the enhanced edition of their 2016 book Revolutionizing K-12 Blended Learning through the i²Flex Classroom Model. The mere fact that the publisher invited a second edition of an existing book, let alone doing so earlier than usual, was due to our publication’s success and the innovative content contained within, which today is more relevant than ever. Classified as core reference material with 18 out of its 25 chapters authored by ACS Athens educators and administrators, the 2016 book has been adopted by various teacher education schools and academic libraries in higher education institutions (Stanford University among others) while several of its chapters have been selected to feature in other publications focusing on online course management, gamification, mobile devices in education, and blended learning. to contain over 30 chapters by international authors, with over 20 of them representing the ACS Athens education trenches!

Its content will mainly focus on the themes and concepts that were presented in the previous publication yet updated and informed by contemporary trends, issues, and needs. Along those lines, the current editors have decided that though Blended Learning in the K12 will remain as the major focus, the theoretical framework, research, and applications will be extended to incorporate the Online/Virtual K12 perspective- a proactive and very timely decision that aligns completely with the online teaching implications of the COVID19 pandemic. With that in mind, chapter submissions currently under review have evolved around topics such as blended/i2Flex teaching and learning in the subject areas, pre-service teacher preparation, the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, etc. Reflection on teachers’ professional experience during last spring’s lockdown is also included where appropriate. Furthermore, a new section has been added, giving voice to all three schools’ innovative work that though it supports curriculum, does not fall under formal teaching. This work is informed by the ACS Athens’ revised vision, and also by extant research and current trends in education worldwide. Here the topics span from mindfulness and growth mindset applications to coding with music, the Youth-toYouth program, and the United Nations sustainable development goals. Finally, the education paradigm of the earlier edition has now been revamped to include President Pelonis’ leadership perspective on in-

by Dr. Maria D. Avgerinou and Dr. Peggy Pelonis

In September 2019, the IGI publisher extended an intentional excellence.