What's Your Why?

I have been teaching for ten years now. As a freshman teacher, I could not help wondering why some things are done a certain way. Concrete reasoning of the state norms and regulations quickly subdued this phase. By my junior years as a teacher, I stopped questioning many things, assuming that someone more competent and qualified than me had already thought about it and given me the right path.  As I have been a teacher for over 10 years, I started returning to my very original thoughts. “Is this the best approach to teaching these children with specific accommodations? Is a 40-hour school week a good fit for children? Is our curriculum fit to meet the current challenges of modernization and globalization?” This is why I wanted to seek a higher level of education, to not only be able to answer some of these questions but to provide a better path forward for our youth.  According to Sinek, the clarity of "why" enhances the significance of "what" we do. The why appeals to emotions and motivates individuals toward a common purpose (Sinek, 2009).  Likewise, I feel the same about the blended learning model.  It comes with flaws due to being a pioneer in the educational system; however, I see it as superior to all the other options I have experienced.

 

Blended learning models have become increasingly popular in recent years.  Families are choosing a form of blended learning to meet their students' diverse learning needs instead of conforming to the standardized school schedule.  The audience for my innovation project is the Mansfield Independent School Board.  Our focus is the enriched virtual model, students attend regular classes but learn most of the content outside the classroom. As stated in What is Blended Learning from Augusta University (2024), it is common for students only to need to show up to class a few times per week.   Lathan (2022) went on to describe the model as by far one of the most touted benefits of blended learning is the ability for personalization. Students can learn at their own pace and advance as fast as they want, not having to be held back by others in the classroom that may be at a different level. Blended learning offers many advantages for students, such as enhanced accessibility, personalized learning, improved collaboration, self-motivated learners, and budget-friendliness.  The enriched blended model will offer various positive benefits, from deeper knowledge retention to increased engagement.  The flexibility provided to the students will allow more time for other activities in their family units and improve student motivation, performance, and participation.   Coble (2016) further pointed out that instead of re-organizing their lives around traditional education, online education allows students to fit education into their lives.  Personalized learning will fill the educational gaps that traditional classrooms can’t close.  Students will have meaningful ownership of their education while simultaneously creating independence.  The enriched virtual model is the future of our educational system and our district will be leaders pioneering the way for our youth!

 

References

Augusta University. (2024).  Proponents of using digital technology in

schools believe it is the future of Education. What Is Blended Learning? (2024, January 5). https://www.augusta.edu/online/blog/what-is-blended-learning 

Coble, R. (2016). Learning and course management systems

(LMS/CMS). Vanderbilt University. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/learning-and-course-management-systems/. 

Lathan, J. (2022, July 25). Is blended learning the next big thing in K-12

education?. University of San Diego Online Degrees. https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/is-blended-learning-the-next-big-thing-in-education/ 

Sinek, S. (2009, September). How great leaders inspire action. Simon

Sinek: How great leaders inspire action | TED Talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?subtitle=en