Keep an eye on Fuse RI; it’s an initiative that has brought educators and administrators together through two-year fellowships to prepare them to spread blended-learning education across Rhode Island. The size of the state could make it the perfect research subject and incubator for such an effort. In fact, it has already produced a copy, SyraFuse, in Syracuse, N.Y.
The idea of Fuse RI is to train educators and administrators to train others. Participants in the fellowship assess their districts’ readiness, analyze data, and determine possible next steps. Then they help disseminate best blended-learning practices based on each district’s specific needs. Afterwards, they help local education agencies (LEAs) around the state embrace technology, personalization and blended learning.
Fuse RI was launched by the Highlander Institute, an education non-profit organization funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. TheHighlander framework, used by Fuse RI, seeks to guide and support early-adopter teachers and encourage them to frequently reflect, adjust and repeat to build internal capacity and buy-in.
