Building Learning Power: making the blended learning programmes work

What does it take?

Developing pupils as better learners is a serious, long term, innovative undertaking. It requires far more than a training day and reading the odd book. Building Learning Power has implications not just for student learning, but for staff learning too. Teachers’ habits as learners becomes a crucial part of the picture; how they go about changing is as relevant as what changes they want to bring about.

The blended learning programmes are a careful blend of:

1. Online learning sessions … that faithfully disseminate the researched content;
2. Professional Learning Team sessions … actioned by the school to provide sustained, meaningful support for teachers;
3. Trying things out in the classroom … because ‘learning by doing’ is integral to the development of expertise which can only be developed if teachers have ample opportunity for practice, reflection, and adjustment.

This trio of learning opportunities work together to help teachers replace long-standing habituated practices with more effective ones.

This unit explores the why, how and what of the online and team aspects of the programme and how to ensure the programme works effectively for the school.