teachers | blended learning | professional development
education week
by robin flanigan
officials in the 24,100- student academy school district 20 school system in colorado springs, colo., came to this conclusion in the spring of 2011: if blended learning is one of the biggest trends in education, it should offer a way for teachers to practice the approach themselves.
using federal title ii, part a funds, the district offered a professional-development course that combined four online modules, including moodle, which took teachers through a series of online tutorials and face-to-face activities over six months in 2011-12. it then expanded the blended learning model to many of its 2012 summer institute courses for teachers, and has begun offering a round of professional development to another batch of teachers—31, roughly the size of the waiting list—in 2012-13.
"the training put us in touch with what our students go through," said wanda lepillez, a 4th grade teacher at the 568-student academy international elementary school, who took part in the inaugural training. "it has changed my teaching forever."
the more she learned, added ms. lepillez, "the more i began to see the possibilities."
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