In urban Chicago, there is a new experiment in hybrid learning afoot. It's called VOISE Academy and it's drawing a lot of attention in educational circles since its opening in 2008. VOISE, which stands for Virtual Opportunities Inside a School Environment, pairs a stand-alone online curriculum with subject-matter certified teachers in standard classrooms. This model of blended learning enables the school to capitalize on the online curriculum's ability to differentiate learning, meanwhile providing student support far beyond a normal distance-education class. In this school where some students may be several years behind in academic achievement, teachers are able to reach the students at their current status and help them build the skills needed in order to advance. According to their website, teachers here play a multi-faceted role and "teach, coach, monitor, and motivate, and provide content intervention." Teachers are able to provide individualized attention thereby developing rapport. In addition to in-class interaction, teachers are also visible online through emails, discussions forums, and assignment feedback. Teachers here are expected to be keenly familiar with each student's progress and adapt the curriculum accordingly. In hybrid learning, the teacher becomes less of the "sage on a stage" and more of a facilitator. To find out more about what teachers can do to support students in a traditional hybrid learning environment, view the e-book below.
To open the guide, click on the upper of lower right corner of the e-book. You can flip pages of the book by clicking on a corner and dragging or using the left and right arrow keys.
To open the guide, click on the upper of lower right corner of the e-book. You can flip pages of the book by clicking on a corner and dragging or using the left and right arrow keys.