Is Blended Learning a 21st c. Silver Bullet or Snake Oil? (Spoilers: It’s Neither.)
Source: eJewish Philanthropy
The blended Jewish initiative we are launching in 2018 does not seek to do away with teachers. We provide an alternative to the inefficient factory model in which teachers have worked for centuries. In our blended Jewish model, student-teacher ratios are irrelevant as teachers and students can interact individually and more regularly, augmenting the essential face to face with Skype, text messaging and email. Technology can liberate learning from the tyranny of the bell or the schedule. Learning can happen anytime and anywhere.
However, in all the talk about blended learning and its impact on tuition and faculty, we cannot overlook the opportunities blended learning affords learners. The factory model of traditional education works well enough for just enough kids, but the number of students who bristle at the industrialized standards of schooling is broaching a critical mass. Our Blended Jewish appeals to the student who would like to accelerate their learning as well as the student who might need more time to better comprehend a concept. We appeal to the student who would like to have greater control over their time and their routine. We also appeal to the student who is an unconventional learner for whom the traditional classroom just doesn’t inspire.
Our Blended Jewish is neither silver bullet nor snake oil. It will not be for everyone. It will not suit traditional educators, pedagogies or learners. It might not even look or smell like “school.” However, it is a viable alternative – and as we look ahead to the challenges facing the Jewish people in the 21st century, keeping up with change is not good enough. We need to outpace it.
Read the entire post at eJewish Philanthropy.