Blended Learning in Action supports teachers, teacher leaders, and schools as they shift to a blended learning model. Blended learning has several advantages over traditional instruction if technology is used to effectively engage students in active learning both inside the classroom and online. Blended learning allows for more communication and collaboration both synchronously and asynchronously, creates more opportunities for students to drive their own learning, provides teachers with more time to work one-on-one or in small groups to differentiate and personalize learning while providing more timely feedback. This transition to blended learning requires a fundamentally new approach to learning as well as a new skillset for both teachers and school leaders. The shift from traditional instruction to a blended model is a delicate process with many moving parts, which requires all stakeholders in a school community work together.
This book demystifies blended learning for teachers and schools looking for alternatives to a traditional approach to teaching. The educational landscape is changing, but teachers and schools need practical resources to help them navigate these changes so that they are exciting, not scary. This book includes research, examples, anecdotes, and resources gathered from the authors' work as well as interviews with teachers and school leaders using different blended models.
About the Authors
Catlin Tucker is an accomplished Google Certified Teacher, international trainer, education consultant, speaker, and author. She currently teaches in Sonoma County where she was named Teacher of the Year in 2010. She has also taught online college-level writing courses, which led to her interest in blended learning and technology integration. Catlin’s first book Blended Learning in Grades 4-12 is a bestseller. In 2015, Corwin published her second book Creatively Teach the Common Core Literacy Standards with Technology. She authored a blended learning course for ASCD and writes a monthly column titled “Techy Teacher” for Educational Leadership. Catlin earned her BA in English from UCLA and her English credential and Masters in Education from UCSB. She writes an internationally ranked education technology blog at CatlinTucker.com and is active on Twitter @Catlin_Tucker.
Tiffany Wycoff is an innovative school leader with a specialization in blended learning and school technology integration. She was an early adopter of blended learning at the K-12 level, teaching and leading in both online and face-to-face setting. Tiffany has served as a school leader at Grandview Preparatory School in Florida and The Mandell School in New York, helping both schools establish technology rich learning environments and to incorporate blended learning models into the academic program. She has presented on blended learning and the use of social media in education at conferences and universities, and has helped other schools transform their programs through blended learning implementation. Tiffany collaborated on the design and development of the Redbird Professional Learning Platform which provides online professional development to teachers and leaders. She holds a BA in Elementary Education and a MA in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University, and an Executive MS in Technology Management from Columbia University. Tiffany writes an educational leadership blog at www.TeachOntheEdge.com and is active on Twitter @TeachOnTheEdge.
Inspired by his youth development and nonprofit work as a student at Morehouse College, Jason Green has dedicated his career to creating positive change in education. As a member of the leadership team with Redbird Advanced Learning, Jason partnered with Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education to re-envision professional learning. He led the design of the Redbird Professional Learning Platform which now helps prepare thousands of teachers globally for 21st century learning. Jason has traveled nationally and internationally to help schools and districts build cultures of innovation and adapt to education’s changing landscape. Jason has spoken at leading universities and conferences including Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, NCSM and iNACOL and has been featured in the Miami Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer, and NBC. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, Jason is driven by the belief that all children have a right to a high-quality education. Jason holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and an M.S. Ed from University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Jason has served as an adjunct professor and a board member for various nonprofits. Connect with Jason on Twitter @jasontoddgreen.
