21st Century Blended Online

Cohort Leader:

Elizabeth Buffington
[email protected] 

Unique Focus

The 21st Century Blended Online cohort intentionally balances the benefits of synchronous (live) class sessions. It does this by nurturing dynamic online learning communities with the independence of more common asynchronous online learning. This past year has highlighted the challenges our secondary students face in online, hybrid, and blended classrooms; it has also offered us the unique opportunity to rethink how, where, and even when we might offer the most effective, engaging, and dynamic instructional opportunities for our students. While we will leverage technology to meet our own needs for flexible instruction in this credential program, you will also consider how you might transfer this new modality to your own classroom, to ensure success for all students in our increasingly digitized learning environments.

The majority of 21st Century Blended Online credential candidates complete their student teaching in the San Diego Unified and Grossmont High School Unified School Districts. Unlike the School of Teacher Education’s other cohorts, 21st Century Blended Online credential candidates typically do not switch schools, guide teachers, or even grades at the semester break. Instead, they work at the same school and with the same guide teacher & grade level for the entire school year. This allows our candidates to cultivate deep and meaningful relationships at their school sites and to hone their teaching skills more effectively. In addition, because our candidates work with the same guide teacher for the school year, they are frequently given the opportunity to be involved in the process of adjusting and designing instructional segments, projects, and curriculum. As a result, candidates will leverage educational technology in meaningful and positive ways.