The Essential Blended Learning PD Planner
Where Classroom Practice Meets Distance Learning
Foreword by Michael Fullan
Corwin Teaching Essentials
Curriculum Development (K-12)
"One of the best new Professional Development books."
-BookAuthority
Drive student learning with the best of both worlds!
Transition back to school with a comprehensive PD plan that leverages the best of distance learning and classroom instruction. Distance learning, despite its myriad challenges, has spotlighted innovative instructional practices and created an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how the traditional classroom works.
In this timely, crucial book, Dr. Stepan Mekhitarian constructs a framework for a task force of teachers and leaders to establish an effective blended learning program that capitalizes on the capacity and skills teachers have built while teaching remotely. An innovative blended learning model effectively implemented across school systems will positively impact equity and access for all students. In addition to Blended Learning for Social Justice sections, readers will find
• Ideas for Professional Development sessions for sharing strategies and topics with teams
• Distance Learning vs. Blended Learning sections to help transition various strategies between environments
• Figures, templates, and tech tips to aid in implementation
Learn how to create a powerful learning experience for students that fosters collaboration, engagement, and rigorous learning experiences by combining instructional technology and the best of traditional classroom practice.
Supplements
Long before a pandemic indelibly changed the world of education, Dr. Mekhitarian revolutionized blended learning PD across the state. Now an entire nation of educators benefits from the roadmap laid out in this book that navigates the transition to in-person blended learning instruction. Both students and teachers will benefit from this robust plan that promotes thriving versus just surviving.
This work does not lament what is lost from our past, judge where we are right now, or warn of what is to come. Rather, Dr. Mekhitarian speaks to educators in all levels and puts action to practices necessary for high-quality blended learning with the goal of successful transition back into classrooms where lessons learned are not lost but leveraged to address issues of equity and access.
Dr. Mekhitarian is an educator with an uncompromising dedication to excellence. He has thought exhaustively through this transition we will all be making from Distance Learning to a “new normal” that heavily leverages technology.
Mekhitarian’s Essential Blended Learning PD Planner should be in the hands of every educator as we prepare to transition from a remote
learning program to the post COVID classroom. School teams will be able to map out their site based plans to integrate instructional technology
and blended learning strategies, while differentiated learning to ensure student success. This is the new must-read for every educator.
INSIGHTFUL! Stepan Mekhitarian provides a clear path to an attainable future of high-quality education for all students. Classroom teachers will
find insightful best practices, instructional leaders a nuanced approach to professional development, and academic institutions a must-read for teacher preparation courses. A perceptive, instructional guide for authentic student learning experiences.
Many educators transitioned from brick and mortar learning to distance learning overnight and are grappling with a future that looks very different from our past. Reading this book gave me confidence that our education systems and pedagogy in the near future will likely be more effective and equitable than anything we’ve strived for in the past.
This is a must-read for all educators facing a changing learning landscape. What jumps out at you is that Dr. Mekhitarian clearly knows what the
inside of a classroom (in-person and virtual) looks like and truly gets that we all need tools we can use right away to make a difference for students,
particularly those often left behind.
We have entered a new world where now, more than ever, we need guidance to navigate the digital space with innovative practices guided by sound theory. Dr. Mekhitarian provides us with support for continuing our work with confidence, regardless of what the future holds. This is an invaluable resource for teachers, school leaders, and professors of education—and the stakeholders they support.
This is an invaluable resource for educational leaders and professional developers who are engaged in implementing effective classroom instructional practices that combine traditional classroom strategies with instructional technology tools. The author, an expert on blended learning and instructional technology, provides a guide with templates for schools and districts. A must-have resource.
Mekhitarian’s book is a guide and a pathway for all educators who plan to truly integrate technology in their classrooms once students and teachers
get back in the building. The key now is to learn from the mistakes of 2020. This book has the lessons all educators need.
