At the center of Blended Learning (BL) is the student. But teachers are the force that keeps them there.

PHOTO CREDIT: EDSURGE.COM

If this is the first blog post you read in this series, I’d like reiterate what is Blended Learning before you read any further. From Wikipedia:

“Blended learning is a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through delivery of content and instruction via digital and online media with some element of student control over time, place, path, or pace.”

Teachers As Warriors

PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.edweek.org

Teachers are warriors in their own right and they keep the battle going until victory is won. This would, of course in this analogy, make the classroom a battleground. And mind you, it is! And if teachers are warriors, they must be equipped with right arsenal and appropriate training to gain victory.

It is very important to equip teachers with the right tools and the appropriate knowledge on how to use these tools in the classroom. A school that cares for their students will make sure that the teachers know what they’re doing, provide the necessary knowledge to achieve their goals, and continually developing their talents and skills for the benefits of the students.

Issues on Professional Development

For schools who can afford providing teachers professional development opportunities on a yearly basis, success in implementation of BL is very eminent.

PHOTO CREDIT: http://evolllution.com

Some schools may have challenges and difficulties providing professional development for their teachers but this should not be a hindrance to achieving such a noble goal. There is always an in-house professional development opportunities for all utilizing in-house expertise.

When budget is low, in-house training is the way to go. It is cost-effective both for the school and the teachers involved. Teachers don’t have to spend their own personal money on travel and food and training fees. Likewise, the school doesn’t have to pay much for its resource persons since they are already employed by the school. An allowance or bonus may be given to the resource persons for their time and effort.

At any rate, in-house or otherwise may have the same results depending on how the training course is designed and how relevant the content of the course to the teacher’s field of studies.

Teachers’ Training Sessions 2013

During the teachers’ training, they take the role of being the students and unsurprisingly act like students. If doctors make the worst patients, teachers make the worst students! And that’s a fact. A fact that teachers realize as they are in that state: being the students.

But I can tell you, this bunch was a relief from a regular class of students.

AM Session

PM Session

In one of our summer programs on Teaching the Teachers, this scenario was very evident. But, of course, we knew this was a temporary condition but the truth remains: teachers are no different from the students, especially when being a student is concerned.

I had the opportunity of training our own teachers, together with a colleague, about integrating a few online apps and desktop apps into their classroom activity.