We are more than a decade into the 21st century, and much has been written and discussed about 21st century teaching and learning and the integration of technology and instruction.

This year, through funding from a U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity grant, Hale Kula Elementary School had an opportunity to pilot a Blended Learning program for fourth- and fifth-graders, where students spend half of the week in face-to-face learning and the other half accessing their curriculum and assignments online, at home.  

This program is successfully demonstrating the power of engaging students in their own learning through 21st century teaching and learning strategies.

Rather than purchasing an online program where students complete a series of lessons, we opted to have a teacher-created, project-based curriculum with rigorous expectations.

Our teachers spent many long hours with the course designer to ensure that the lessons, assignments and instructions were understandable and challenging to students.

The result is a curriculum that engages students and addresses the “3 Rs” — rigor, relevance and relationships — as well as the “4 Cs” of 21st-century learning: collaborating, communicating, critical thinking and creating.

Most classrooms are teacher-driven. Students are expected to follow the procedures established by the teacher as a means of managing the classroom. Classes are taught in blocks of time, lessons are based on a common set of standards, students are given their assignments, and grades are distributed based on rubrics and quality of work.

Some of us thrived in this system, but the traditional teacher-driven curriculum does not work for many of today’s students.  

Our successful Blended Learning students are self-directed. When given the opportunity to decide how to prioritize and complete their assignments for the day, students learn organizational and time-management skills. When students can choose their own topic as part of their interdisciplinary unit study, they are motivated to research to answer their own questions. When students have a choice in how to share their learning with others, their creativity and pride shines through their Web 2.0 projects.

We have observed our Blended Learning students grow in confidence and creativity, and become much more self-directed and responsible for their learning.

Changing instruction to reflect 21st century teaching and learning requires commitment to provide professional development and mentoring for our staff. Uploading a curriculum onto a device does not guarantee student engagement, and an online worksheet is still a worksheet.

Building collaboration time into the school day is essential; teachers need to participate in collegial discussions and planning in order to integrate 21st century teaching and learning strategies in their instruction.

Finally, we need to prepare our students from the time they enter kindergarten. Technology is an integral part of our lives and waiting until we are “ready” will not help students be college- and career-ready.

Technology is constantly changing and improving, and we need to teach our students to be confident and collaborative problem-solvers. Students need to know that a device is not just for playing games; it is also a tool for opening up a whole new world of learning. We need to ensure that all students have opportunities to use technology to enrich their learning.

 This has been a successful first year for our Blend-ed Learning program. Student and parent surveys

indicate great satisfaction, and classroom assessment data shows consistent growth and high performance.

We will be exploring ways to expand this program to impact more students including those in the traditional classroom. There is no limit to successful teaching and learning when we are provided with an environment that values independence, interdependence and individuality.