Blended learning

Transforming education

 EMC brings along blended learning in floral education

We are each different, unique, grown in an organic way and this concept stands as a foundation on how the European Master Certification has built a learning process that, ultimately, empowers designers to find their own signature style. 

"Life is a constant process of instant creative decisions, and your decisions make up you who you are.  We are all born with an immense package of talents but it’s up to us to discover them and let them flourish. It helps to find people who are an accelerator in this process as mentors or teachers.  It’s up to the teacher to help to develop them for the student but for the common good as well.  We have to cultivate the capacities of creativity in our education.  Creativity all starts by creating our own life with our beliefs, ambitions, values, goals."

^{Tomas de Bruyne, CEO of European Master Certification}

European Master Certification, as an educational program for floral designers, constantly strives to offer students the best possible learning experience. Blended learning is a concept that has been on the mind of educational experts lately all over the world. By now, it's obvious that technology is already influencing education in the present and blended learning is quickly becoming the education of the future. It is an approach that combines online educational materials and opportunities for online interaction, without undermining the importance of the teacher. In blended learning, technology does not replace the teacher, it merely offers the tools to enhance the teaching methods, to be able to connect to each student in a much more personalized way.

Learning shouldn’t be a monologue from the mentor to disciple or the teacher to student. It should be a conversation to understand the student and let the student get the why and how of what you teach. Learning progresses by dialogue, conversation and action.  

Over a decade ago, the National Education Association in the United States stated  that there are four C's that define the essential 21st century skills students should gain from an educational process:

• Collaboration
• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Creativity

Authentic learning will happen when students are allowed to engage in the 4 C's. Education, in general is going through a stage of change, from a teacher-centered classroom, to a student-centered classroom. EMC's vision on floral design education from the very beginning was centered on the student's experience, on the process of learning, rather than just limiting the course to offering a lot of information. 

Taking the center spot off the teacher is a shift in the educational process that allows for opportunities to appear. The process is no longer focused only on teaching, but it opens the door to coaching, mentoring, nurturing and inspiring. The future on-line Coaching Program of EMC is all about that: offering florists and designers who take the course the power to take a journey into the infinite depth of their creative self. 

^{photos by Alex Mateiu, production crew Armand Productions}

EMC strongly believes in blended learning and  is preparing to raise the bar in floral design education by implementing this amazing method in the soon to come on-line course.

"I believe in the service education method. This is a term is popping up in combo with blended learning. A new vision brings us to a new period, strongly accelerated by Covid19. As an educational platform we work with people providing the right guidance, teaching, sharing experience and mentoring the process of learning for the students. These professionals, all EMC designers, have the skills and competencies required for providing the best service."

^{Tomas de Bruyne, CEO of European Master Certification}

In blended learning, the product of learning, the curriculum, has to be good. But besides the content, the technology used in the delivery of it, the digital support, the online services have to be at their best in order for the students to achieve the best learning process and grow as designers. Today's technological developments and the on-line apps and tools EMC has chosen for the blended learning experience of our students partners that can offer that support. 

Education is not about making contact with your students but connecting with them in order to discover their uniqueness and nurture their development by unlocking their infinite creative potential!

^{article edited by Diana Toma, EMC}