Finding free tools to implement district-wide blending learning can be challenging, and communicating the expectations of learning goals to those involved with implementation can be just as difficult.  

According to a recent EdSurge article, conferences nation-wide are showing that more and more administrators aren’t happy with how they initially communicated their blending learning goals for their districts. The article features Learning Accelerator’s “Communications Planning for Blending Learning: Step-By-Step Guide” to help leaders plan a district-wide communications strategy for effectively outlining blending learning goals.  

Highlighted in the piece was a recent comment made by Summit Public Schools CEO Diane Tavenner, in which she noted that Summit should double, or event triple its effort in expressing goals to parents, and communicating with the larger community on learning objectives as a whole. 

Without a foundation of communications experience, and the reach to get messages out to stakeholders, many districts are left doing too little too late and working with staff that aren’t trained in effective communications. Over the ten steps, however, users can use the communications advice and tools featured in Learning Accelerator’s “Communications Planning for Blending Learning: Step-By-Step Guide” to help effectively express all of the goals of their blending learning strategies in a larger, more focused way. 

The steps include many considerations for administrator planning, as well as some resources to help districts get started. 

Step one, “Communication vs. Engagement,” encourages district leaders to begin as the base level of creating a dialogue on blending learning with stakeholders, such as educators within the district, as well as parent leaders. 

“Ask questions about what your teachers’ concerns are about blended learning. Listen to your staff’s suggestions around implementation. Discuss with your community the skills and aptitudes they think necessary for your students. Check in frequently about how things are going and if adjustments need to be made (they will!). Make your blended learning implementation a shared journey of discovery by focusing on engagement,” the guide reads. 

Step seven, “Storytelling,” encourages district leaders to utilize multimedia and plot to deliver key messages in a more memorable and reactionary way. Others, like steps nine and ten, ask leaders to survey the landscape for issues and to keep healthy success metrics respectively. 

To explore all of the steps, visit here. To see EdSurge’s summary of the steps, visit here. 

Article by Jason Papallo, Education World Social Media Editor
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