A synopsis of “Blended Learning in K-12”

By: Nicole Shalit

Blended Learning in K-12 is a great book for any education class. It takes a walk through each grade school grade.

Chapter one is an introduction. It goes over two important questions, what is blended learning?, and why is blended learning important?

Chapter two deals with the evolution of blended learning. There are two parts to this chapter, the first being invest in the future. In this section you will learn about blended learning and how it plays a part in the future. In the next section, life experiences, you will discover different scenarios in which you would find blended learning.

In chapter three you will learn the types of blended learning. This chapter presents explanations of the various types of tools available to create a blended learning environment in the classroom. The following categories will be used to organize major types:

The use of Multimedia and Virtual Internet Resources in the classroom. Examples include the use of videos, virtual field trips, and interactive websites.

The use of Classroom Websites in the classroom. Included is a growing list of examples of useful blended learning websites.

The use of Course Management Systems. Examples include the use of Moodle, WebCT and Blackboard.

The use of Synchronous and Asynchronous Discussions in the classroom. Examples of resources available include Yahoo Groups, TappedIn, Blogs, and Elluminate.

Chapter four teaches us the characteristics of blended learning. There are three major sections to this chapter, they are: general comparisons in blended learning, pedagogical models- blending constructiveness, behaviorism, and congnitivism, and synchronous and asynchronous methods.

In chapter five, we learn about blended learning by design. After reading this chapter, you will have knowledge of designing a lesson, guiding principles, and success tips.

Chapter six goes into detail about the application of blended learning. This chapter is broken down by grades, in order to help you plan and apply this style of learning into your classes based on the age and grade of you class. There are four sections, grades K-2, grades 3-6, grades 7-8, and finally grades 9-12.

The final chapter, chapter seven, is a list of references that are cited using APA format.

If you are interested in blended learning, this is an excellent book to get.