We began our professional journey together as part of a school transformation team a little over a year ago. We are grateful to Redbird Advanced Learning for designing a professional development team representative of the different perspectives and voices in the field of blended learning. This opportunity brought the three of us together in a manner that enriched our understanding, and inspired us to share a multifaceted perspective of blended learning through the process of co-authoring this book.
We are grateful to our colleagues who helped us make the “In-Action” concept of this book a reality by sharing stories and insights from their own schools and classrooms. Rick Miller, Mike Ritzius, Kerry Gallagher, Brian Johnson, Jason Bretzmann, Kenny Bosch, Kimberly Weber, Starr Sackstein, Michael Saddler, Janet Keating, Jackie Westerfield, Dr. Polly Haldeman, and Samuel Berey lent perspectives to this work. We cannot thank you enough for the “In-Action” lenses you contributed and for the innovation you bring to your schools and the field.
We would like to also thank Kyrie Kennemore, Victoria Sandoval, Fiona Lui Martin, Conor Brown, Elaine Baez, Angel Cruz, Kristen St. Louis, Eva Oliveri, Anaya Akpalu, Paloma Velasquez, George Payne, Britney Hassett, Ian McGee, Gemma Figoni, Alyssa Girimonte, Ashley Culver, Laura Malfavon, and Dean Zweiman for providing the student perspective of learning throughout this work. Blended learning empowers students as drivers of their own learning, so we must seek to understand where they would go if only they had the keys.
To our past, present, and future students—those we will meet face-to-face in our classrooms and those we never will—we are indebted to you for the learning and inspiration you have provided and continue to provide for us throughout this shared journey.
To the children in our personal lives—Alina, Joseph, Journey, Skye, Cheyenne, and Maddox—thank you for making us always feel like students of life, ensuring we are forever learning alongside you, and thank you for your unique gifts and talents that remind us every day of the absolute necessity of more personalized learning in schools.
Corwin gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the following reviewers: