Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools

Blended is the practical field guide for implementing blended learning techniques in K-12 classrooms. A follow-up to the bestseller Disrupting Class by Clayton M. Christensen, Michael Horn, and Curtis Johnson, this hands-on guide expands upon the blended learning ideas presented in that book to provide practical implementation guidance for educators seeking to incorporate online learning with traditional classroom time. Readers will find a step-by-step framework upon which to build a more student-centered system, along with essential advice that provides the expertise necessary to build the next generation of K-12 learning environments. Leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders will gain valuable insight into the process of using online learning to the greatest benefit of students, while avoiding missteps and potential pitfalls.

If online learning has not already rocked your local school, it will soon. Blended learning is one of the hottest trends in education right now, and educators are clamoring for "how-to" guidance. Blended answers the call by providing detailed information about the strategy, design, and implementation of a successful blended learning program.

• Discover a useful framework for implementing blended learning
• Unlock the benefits and mitigate the risks of online learning
• Find answers to the most commonly asked questions surrounding blended learning
• Create a more student-centered system that functions as a positive force across grade levels

Educators who loved the ideas presented in Disrupting Class now have a field guide to making it work in a real-world school, with expert advice for making the transition smoother for students, parents, and teachers alike. For educational leaders seeking more student-centered schools, Blended provides the definitive roadmap.

MICHAEL B. HORN is co-founder and executive director of Education at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation and co-author of Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns (McGraw-Hill, 2008) with Clayton Christensen and Curtis Johnson. His insights have been highlighted in his recurring column for Forbes as well as The Washington Post, The Economist, Huffington Post, and Education Week.

HEATHER STAKER is senior research fellow in Education at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. One of the world’s foremost experts on K–12 blended learning, she has appeared on radio, television, and in legislative hearings across the country as a spokesperson for harnessing innovation to improve schools.