Blended Learning: Basics & Models

• An excellent, in-depth article, What is Blended Learning, from Western Governor's University that outlines a concise description of blended learning: the pros and cons and strategies for teachers and students.
• The overview of blended learning from the non-profit think tank, the Clayton Christensen Institute also shares extensive research and resources.
• An excellent resource from University of Central Florida is the Blended Learning Toolkit website. It provides strategies and tools for developing, implementing and evaluating blended courses. Applicable to higher education and K-12.  
• Good video on YouTube, Blended Learning and Technology Integration, that provides a comprehensive and visual overview in just seven minutes.
• This article from Stanford University, What is Blended Teaching? describes the differences between blended learning and teaching. The article also provides a perspective on blended learning in higher education.

One of the 7 models of blended learning described in-depth at blendeduniverse.org/models

​Knowledge Building

• A free learning unit, Introduction to Blended Learning offered by Khan Academy in conjunction with the Clayton Christensen Institute. It includes videos and practice elements.
• The site, Blended Universe, provides in-depth knowledge, skill building and visual strategies for blended learning via articles, videos and more. It covers the seven models of blended learning brilliantly. The site goes beyond the "technology", and addresses the pedagogy of blended instruction. 

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Platforms and Apps

• At TEDEd, educators can create customized lessons with YouTube using a bank of resources that include animations, videos, and more.
• ShowMe is an iPad app for teachers and students, that allows users to create and share tutorials and lessons.
• The platform Fan School, allows students to create and publish their portfolios and projects online to showcase and share their work and learning. Fan School is a closed environment, designed for student privacy and protection. 
• Storybird is a language arts platform where students can create stories and comic strips. It is designed to encourage creative writing, reading, and sharing.
• Google Earth for educators has unlimited potential for language arts and social studies projects and research.

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StoryBird gets accolades from organizations far and wide.

For High Schoolers

• Good article with ideas for encouraging writing skills in high schoolers, 70+ Places to Publish Teens Writing and Art, by The New York Times.​
• High School of the Future, an article by EducationNext showcases the model of blended learning at a high school in Utah.