CHAPTER 1
THE BASICS OF BLENDED LEARNING
©️2022 by Solution Tree Press
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rowing up, my interactions with the world were radically different from how my two children expect to engage with the world. When I wanted to listen to music, I had a collection of FM radio stations, and the radio DJ chose the music. As a consumer of media, I had very little control. Sure, I could turn the dial, but my options were limited. Unless I wanted to actually own the albums, I had to listen to what was made available to me. My children possess the control I lacked. Instead of listening to the radio, they build customized playlists of music on Spotify (www.spotify.com). They are actively creating soundtracks for their lives. They have a collection of songs they listen to when studying and another playlist they listen to when working on their soccer skills in the backyard. They frequently put a track on repeat and play it until I want to lose my mind. They control the content. They personalize the experience. Given that this level of control over their experience is their norm beyond the classroom, it makes sense why so many students feel increasingly disillusioned with school (Lawson & Lawson, 2020). School may be the one place where they are without control. In many classrooms, the content is the same for everyone, so like it or not, they are all listening to the same metaphorical radio station. They receive information and instructions; they are told what to do and how to do it. This lack of agency over their environment and experience stands in stark contrast to the rest of their lives. If we, as teachers, want students to be engaged at school and interested in their classes, we need to prioritize student agency, personalize the experience, and shift control from teacher to learner. But how do we do that in a way that feels doable and sustainable? I believe blended learning provides a path to do just that.
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