Blending Learning: The Evolution of Online and Face-to-Face Education from 20082015

In 2008, iNACOL produced a series of papers documenting promising practices identified throughout the field of K–12 online learning. Since then, we have witnessed a tremendous acceleration of transformative policy and practice driving personalized learning in the K–12 education space. State, district, school, and classroom leaders recognize that the ultimate potential for blended and online learning lies in the opportunity to transform the education system and enable higher levels of learning through competency-based approaches.iNACOL's core work adds significant value to the field by providing a powerful practitioner voice in policy advocacy, communications, and in the creation of resources and best practices to enable transformational change in K–12 education.We worked with leaders throughout the field to update these resources for a new generation of pioneers working towards the creation of student-centered learning environments.This refreshed series, Promising Practices in Blended and Online Learning, explores some of the approaches developed by practitioners and policymakers in response to key issues in K–12 education, including:Blended Learning: The Evolution of Online and Face-to-Face Education from 2008-2015;Using Blended and Online Learning for Credit Recovery and At-Risk Students;Oversight and Management of Blended and Online Programs: Ensuring Quality and Accountability; andFunding and Legislation for Blended and Online Education.Personalized learning environments provide the very best educational opportunities and personalized pathways for all students, with highly qualified teachers delivering world-class instruction using innovative digital resources and content. Through this series of white papers, we are pleased to share the promising practices in K–12 blended, online, and competency education transforming teaching and learning today

PKCγ is required for ethanol-induced increases in GABAA receptor α4 subunit expression in cultured cerebral cortical neurons

Ethanol exposure produces alterations in GABAA receptor function and expression associated with CNS hyperexcitability, but the mechanisms of these effects are unknown. Ethanol is known to increase both GABAA receptor α4 subunits and protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes in vivo and in vitro. Here, we investigated ethanol regulation of GABAA receptor α4 subunit expression in cultured cortical neurons to delineate the role of protein kinase C. Cultured neurons were prepared from rat pups on post-natal day 0-1 and tested after 18 days. GABAA receptor α4 subunit surface expression was assessed using P2 fractionation and surface biotinylation following ethanol exposure for 4 hrs. Miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) were measured using whole cell patch clamp recordings. Ethanol increased GABAA receptor α4 subunit expression in both the P2 and biotinylated fractions, while reducing the decay time constant in mIPSCs, with no effect on γ2 or δ subunits. PKC activation mimicked ethanol effects, while the PKC inhibitor calphostin C prevented ethanol-induced increases in GABAA receptor α4 subunit expression. PKCγ siRNA knockdown prevented ethanol-induced increases in GABAA receptor α4 subunit expression, but inhibition of the PKCβ isoform with PKCβ pseudosubstrate had no effect. We conclude that PKCγ regulates ethanol-induced alterations in α4-containing GABAA receptors