Introduction
When I moved to New York City in 2010, I remained in my role as a school leader at Grandview Preparatory School in Boca Raton, Florida, spending one week of every month on site and the rest of the time in the cloud. As one of the earliest one-to-one laptop schools, Grandview had been practicing forms of blended learning since its opening in 1997. These included blended learning models discussed later in Part 3, such as Rotation and A La Carte, but there had never been a scenario where the teacher for a whole class within this brick-and-mortar school was teaching mainly online, nor had there been an administrator managing via connected technology. This was a new adventure for all stakeholders!
Even though I began with a solid foundation for blended practice, I learned many lessons along the way as I led and taught from my kitchen on Reade Street in New York. I quickly accumulated a variety of tools aimed at fostering collaboration, community, and creativity. And then, overloaded with a heavy toolbox, I learned an appreciation for a few core tools. I experienced the thrill of being tightly connected through anytime-anywhere learning, and the multifaceted ways I got to know my students via this connection. And then, exhausted by being “on” all the time, I learned to set healthy expectations and turn off my device sometimes. I learned that my students didn’t know quite as much about using technology as I thought they did. And then, I learned that they could be the best troubleshooters and hackers when we got stuck.
Of course, my students also learned a ton. They learned they didn’t know quite as much about using technology as they thought they did. Some of them learned they did not like online learning while others thrived in the new interactions. They developed important skills, such as how to organize their academic work, communicate and collaborate with people who were not in the same room, and set goals and pace themselves. They also learned that having a teacher who can run down and film Occupy Wall Street before government class is an excellent resource to employ!
As you embark on this blended learning journey, think strategically about the tools you and your students need, how to measure your progress, and how best to support your students in their new learning environments; it helps make the road ahead much smoother. In Part 2 of this book, we explore just this, focusing on which decisions are critical early on and which can be more iterative. We delve into Devices & Digital Tools, Digital Curriculum, Assessment Tools, and Student Onboarding & Support. Through this study, you become better prepared to avoid pitfalls. Nevertheless, it is an adventure in learning with its share of detours, so the key is to have a growth mindset and a great team.