Comments on: School's about Being Social

By: Blogging About K-12 Online Learning « Virtual High School Meanderings

Blogging About K-12 Online Learning « Virtual High School Meanderings — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:55:58 +0000

[...] School’s about Being Social from The Thinking Stick [...]

By: Matt Allen

Matt Allen — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:46:17 +0000

One thing about online classes for teens and under is that parents would need to be more involved in their child’s learning. Without going to a physical location most of my students would never get any “physical” help. The majority of my parents are absent from their child’s lives and the only positive adult interaction they get is when they come to school. An online school can never replace that interaction that so many of today’s kids need.

Is anyone talking about how this will effect the student’s emotional lives? Keeping them trapped in an environment that only school can get them out of?

By: allicat4u2

allicat4u2 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:07:52 +0000

Hey Jeff…this sure would be an answer to the kids who get suspended for violence/fire setting issues in my school …keep them home, give them a virtual classroom…works for me!

Was hoping to know about the grade…allimasse@hotmail.com …tried to find out if you needed anything else…lots on the plate…(As do you!), so when you get time…I had contacted Kim…but she was super busy as well. Thanks, -alli

By: David Hamilton

David Hamilton — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:04:28 +0000

Compared with a past in which home schooling was only as good and varied as those who inhabited the home, elearning is obviously a huge step forward. On the other hand, with the present emphasis upon differentiated instruction, teaching the “whole child” and developing open-mindedness in our youth, I can’t imagine that elearning will (or should)ever replace the traditional school for the vast majority of students.
Differentiated instruction will necessarily be more differentiated in real time. Two of the key elements in a differentiated approach is meeting diverse learning needs and being responsive to the student. A student who learns best with oral explanation is not going to have his or her needs met online. A student who needs to manipulate figures and physically interact in space is not going to learn very well online. Similarly, only in a real time situation are you likely to be able to respond immediately to a teaching moment, shifting a lesson to capture the enthusiasm of a student, or taking account of where the student is at, right here, right now. There are limits to the communication that can go on through an online environment. Taking account of emotions and everything else that makes up the “whole child” will always be more possible in real time, in a real community.
Not being a fan of home schooling, I could never endorse elearning as a “whole” education. High school students need to be exposed to a diverse community in which they can try out their personalities, meet people who are different than themselves, and do so in an environment that is directed toward some greater purpose. Sure, online students may hit the gym or play hockey on a community team, but I would be afraid that the very people who are attracted to online education would be those who are most likely not to want to venture out the door.
Elearning has much to offer those whose educational opportunities are much less than optimal, but I don’t think it will ever meet the needs of the whole child.

By: Fryed

Fryed — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:57:07 +0000

I’m delighted with the discussion that is going on in here. It has been very interesting to read about peoples’ visions for online learning and their concepts of what virtual schools are like.

It’s interesting that the two subject examples you used to keep in schools (science and phys ed) are two of the first we started to teach online, and one that you chose to be online (art) is one we have not done yet!

Science is challenging but with live classes and video instruction, I think we do it quite well. Our Physical Education focuses on maintaining good health, setting goals and personal fitness, and we teach only one course in this subject area.

We haven’t tried art but media studies is hugely popular.

Online high school is an excellent solution in Ontario where there is a very large rural population and where early 1 hour bus rides are the norm for many students. Even if we could cut buses just a couple of days each week, we would save so much in greenhouse gas emissions and transportation costs.

By: Jeff Utecht

Jeff Utecht — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:59:04 +0000

Thanks for your thoughts John.

I agree schools have a place in our communities….but what is that place? I have theories on what I think the future holds..where educations are basically all consultants that rent rooms within school building. Something like rate my teacher is actually used in a positive way and kids choose their teachers, online or in person, to learn from. That’s a far out there theory, but schools will still be around…I’m just not sure in what form.

By: Jeff Utecht

Jeff Utecht — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:56:41 +0000

“The availability of online courses is beneficial for those who can’t or don’t want to handle traditional schooling.”

Can’t handle traditional school or were never made to fit the system? Schools are great for one type of learner…but do not really meet the needs of ALL learners. Either you learn to “Play School” or you don’t.

If a 15 year old could connect with their friends when they wanted and go to school when they wanted why would they opt to physically go to school?

I’d be interested to hear their answer to this. We…adults….keep saying we don’t want them to loose face to face time, that we want them to learn to interact with real people. What are their thoughts? Do they feel like they get this enough outside of school that they wouldn’t have to go to a physical school to get those social interactions? Do after school supports and friendship circles outside of school make up for the face to face time that we…adults…say they are missing? I don’t know…I just haven’t heard a kid say that they feel it’s a negative thing.

By: Jeff Utecht

Jeff Utecht — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:51:32 +0000

Thank you for sharing your experience!

By: Jeff Utecht

Jeff Utecht — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:49:58 +0000

I think this is a good thing to remember..that this does not have to be an all or nothing. That there can be a balance between online courses and traditional courses. Science for example I think lends itself nicely to traditional settings. Hands on experiments are something I want student to do….and virtual running in PE is just not there yet.

But other things such as history, digital art, etc could be courses that could be moved online.

I still think that schools should be looking at a blended concept. What if you didn’t have to meet all the time. What if you met with a purpose….for a reason and then the rest of the time interacted online. That I think is the most powerful model….in my head anyway.

By: Fryed

Fryed — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:19:28 +0000

I have really enjoyed the comments on this blog posting so far.

One comment that I feel I have to make is the use of the term “online school”. That can be so many different things!

Where I teach, we have live synchronous classes, and I have a “live” online office where I can talk to my students. S

Sometimes parents and other educators picture online school to be “correspondence” which it does not have to be.

I call parents when work is not submitted. I work one-on-one in real time with students who have difficulties. We use VoiceThread extensively to have conversations about content.

We have progressed a long, long way from the old correspondence, text-based style of instructions.