#20 The Future is Hybrid with Mary Schlegelmilch

Show Notes

In this episode, we delve into the world of live virtual learning with our special guest, Mary Schlegelmilch, an expert in distance learning (DL) and  former classroom teacher who now works on a broader scale in the field. Mary shares her journey from being deeply involved in the classroom to addressing the challenges of DL at a systemic level. She discusses the evolution of her role, as her focus shifted from hands-on classroom teaching to strategic planning for the widespread adoption of DL technologies. Mary, now responsible for preparing all K-12 schools in the nation to use Cisco as a solution for DL, sheds light on the hurdles schools face in adopting DL, and how the pandemic has reshaped the landscape of distance education. Her insights are not only profound, but also showcase the transformative power of DL in education today.

The episode is not just an interview but a treasure trove of information and inspiration for educators and content providers engaged in live virtual learning. Mary's story is a testament to the potential of DL in addressing current educational challenges, such as the teacher shortage, through innovative solutions like the hybrid logistics project. This project exemplifies a new, hybrid model of education where active learning and great teaching converge. Moreover, Mary's emphasis on teaching students how to find and discern information, rather than just imparting knowledge, highlights a significant shift in educational paradigms. 

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Guest Bio:
Mary Schlegelmilch joined Cisco’s Education team in 2011.  With her extensive knowledge in distance, blended and online learning, Mary is dedicated to education and implementing technology in today’s education environments.  Hybrid teaching and learning and enabling the student experience is a main focus as we re-imagine education campuses and learning models.

She has worked in both rural and urban schools, as an early childhood educator, an elementary teacher and a middle school science teacher. She has been an elementary school principal, district administrator, and a post-secondary instructor. She has served as president of the Nebraska Distance and Digital Learning Association and other board positions for the past 17 years.  Mary’s recent publications include Digital Media in Teaching and its Added Value and The Digital Revolution in Higher Education: How the Internet of Everything is Changing Everything.  Mary continues to publish blogs (https://blogs.cisco.com/author/maryschlegelmilch) pertaining to technology and education. Mary was awarded the Hurley Private Sector Champion Award by CoSN, for her work in fostering conversations and workshops with district leadership about solutions that enable Secure Hybrid Learning Environments for school districts.  Most recently she is the 2023 EDTECH LEADERSHIP AWARD winner.  

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Check out the Hybrid Logistics Project: https://thelearningcounsel.com/pages/hybrid-logistics-project/

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Host links:
Browse amazing virtual learning opportunities at CILC.org

Seth's  Banyan Global Learning prepares students for real life with live virtual learning experiences in Character Education: banyangloballearning.com

Creators and Guests

Host

Allyson Mitchell

SF

Host

Seth Fleischauer

TM

Host

Tami Moehring

What is Why Distance Learning??

Why Distance Learning? is a podcast about the decisions, design choices, and assumptions that determine whether live virtual learning becomes shallow and transactional—or meaningful, relational, and effective at scale.

The show is designed for education leaders, instructional designers, and system-level practitioners responsible for adopting, scaling, and sustaining virtual, hybrid, and online learning models. Each episode examines the structural conditions under which distance learning actually works—and the predictable reasons it fails when it doesn’t.

Through conversations with researchers, experienced practitioners, and field-shaping leaders, Why Distance Learning? translates research, field evidence, and lived experience into decision-relevant insight. Episodes surface real tradeoffs, near-failures, and hard-won lessons, equipping listeners with clear framing and language they can use to explain, defend, or redesign distance learning models in real organizational contexts.

Hosted by Seth Fleischauer of Banyan Global Learning, and Allyson Mitchell and Tami Moehring of the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration, the podcast challenges outdated narratives about distance learning and explores what becomes possible when live virtual education is designed intentionally, human-centered, and grounded in evidence.