Blended learning (BL) classes at FHN provide students with opportunities to come to school late or leave school early without a hit to their attendance, provided they do the assigned work for that class period. Although many students and faculty members think BL classes are a good addition to the curriculum, others are worried that they do more harm than good. We believe that BL classes are a valuable edition to the curriculum, and with some changes should be kept long term.
Why We Should Keep Them
“Flex days” allow BL students to work outside of class. This can make school feel less repetitive and decrease stress for students as they do not have to worry about traffic while entering and leaving school.
One upside of BL classes is that they give students a glimpse of what college courses may look like. The structure of BL classes can help students learn time management skills in order to prepare them for freely-structured college classes.
BL classes can also aid students by teaching them to keep track of their own workload without relying on constant teacher supervision and daily in-class reminders. This can encourage independence as well as responsibility, qualities that can prepare students for not only college, but also for their future careers.
Another benefit of BL classes is that they accommodate all learning styles. Some students prefer to work at home, whereas others prefer to work face-to-face with teachers and be surrounded by their classmates. BL classes allow students to choose between environments depending on where they learn the most efficiently. Even on flex days, students can still come into class to do work or ask their teachers questions. And when students are required to come in, they can still choose to do assignments in other parts of the school as long as it’s an independent assignment and their teacher gives them permission.
Teachers benefit from blended learning, too. Many teachers instruct multiple classes with difficult coursework, such as AP or honors classes. BL classes can free up time in teachers’ schedules, allowing them to get ahead on lesson plans and grades. Furthermore, on flex days, the classroom is open for any students to come in and ask questions. This gives teachers the opportunity to help students who may need extra help with certain assignments as well as clear up any individual misunderstandings without wasting work time for students who already have a sufficient understanding of the material.
What Needs to be Changed
Despite the advantages of blended classes, some students and faculty members have noticed problems arising since their implementation. For instance, some students have been misusing the free time that BL classes offer. On flex days, students have the ability to easily ignore their classwork without having to worry about confrontation with their teacher. It can be difficult for teachers to ensure every student is doing what they need to learn the material without daily check-ins and consistent supervision.
Being a part of a BL course requires strong self-discipline. Students who struggle with procrastination could fall behind without in-person reminders and encouragement. Students may also struggle in knowing how much time they should spend on each assignment without proper guidance from a teacher. For this reason, there should be set guidelines on who can sign up for BL classes. Only students with a certain GPA should be able to enter into a BL class to ensure they can handle the independent workload.
Some people may consider BL classes unfair. Many students rely on the school bus or parent pickup or drop off. These students may feel isolated or embarrassed when having to sit alone in class while students who have cars can come and go as they please on flex days. Additionally, some students don’t have access to wifi at their homes. This forces certain people to come into school to do assignments even on days when classroom meetings aren’t required. In order to prevent this, BL classes should be mainly promoted to upperclassmen, and all students should be made aware of the full impact of having a class be blended.
There is also a possibility for increased issues with attendance in classes with the BL structure. On flex days, attendance is counted depending on whether or not students check in. Students who forget to check in before leaving or in the morning will have an irreversible absence in their transcript. To prevent this, teachers should be required to list out all of the blended days on a platform that is easily accessible to everyone, such as Canvas or Remind. Beyond avoiding conflict, this method will also remind students to complete their work.
Although BL classes offer many new and engaging opportunities for students, there are still clear issues with the structure of these courses. We believe that with administrative consideration of student feedback, these classes can continue to be a beneficial learning tool that help students build necessary life skills.
