Wow. SO much reading and so much information. Let me begin with my previous blog. There was nothing in my blog that was false or proven wrong by the readings due to the fact that I wrote from my own experience. I have been fortunate enough to have been thrown into the wave that is "online learning" so I have a lot of first-hand knowledge regarding this issue as it effects my school. I did find the readings very interesting. Allow me to go thru those readings:
As far as the "Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning" reports, I found the first few years of the report to be redundant. The reports from 2004 to 2005 were mirror images of each other. It wasn't until 2006 that new information was delivered, namely the legislation that required an "online learning experience for each student in order to graduate". I had no idea that the requirement had been around that long. I guess I was surprised because I haven't heard or read about it. After 2006 the report for 2007 was some what redundant. In 2008 the "seat time waiver" notion was implemented. It basically gave guidelines on how to count a student who wasn't expected to be in school all of the time. We use this a lot at my school. In 2009 the formation of full-time online schools was allowed to begin in the fall of 2010.
What I liked about the reports was the evolution of the whole thing. I had no idea of the history of the law or the progression it took to become what my school uses frequently today.
Now on the the myths. I have, in fact, come across a number of parents and other educators who harbor these myths close to their hearts. I have spoken to many people regarding this online learning idea and many push back with things such as Myth 3, Myth 5 and Myth 7.
Myth 3 talks about the lack of interaction online students must face. Not true in our program partly because it is a Blended program. Our students come into school several times a week. In my readings I have seen this idea addressed and full time online students do meet and collaborate, sometimes more frequently than their "traditional" counterparts.
Myth 5 talks about online teachers having an easy job. Totally not true! I know when I was doing it last year I had more work to do than any other teacher in the building (I was also teaching several ELA classes in the morning to "traditional students"). When you have students online learning there are many other things you have to contend with such as schedules, keeping track of students log ins and frequency, passwords being forgotten, hardware being stolen or broken, students not emailing their content-level teachers, content-level teachers not responding to their charges, the list goes on and on.
Myth 7 claims that online courses are easier for students. Also not true. Online courses, as we have all experienced in this course, generally have more work and assignments than other more typical classes. The same goes for 6-12th grade students. More Independence is required but also tested more frequently in an online course.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Virtual Schooling discussion Blog post #1
What do I currently know about K-12 online learning? Fun question! I know several things about this topic due to the involvement I have had at my current school with alternative ways in which to deliver information to students. Allow me to start from the beginning:
I work in an area of Detroit that most people don't know a lot about other than a few of the restaurants, southwest Detroit. I started as a kindergarten teacher last year and after a few months I was sent to the middle school to teach ELA. Our population is very, volatile, to say the least. We have active gangs across the street and in the neighborhood. We have drugs (selling and using) as well as other nefarious activities. My students are products of a failed educational system with failed leadership and false pedagogy. My students do not want to be here and will verbally and physically let you know that.
Last year my Principal came to me and asked me to start an online learning course for some of our students. I had been heavily involved with technology at my old school so I guess I was a natural choice. I started what we now call the Blended Lab. The program started last year around November and at its most populated held 20 middle school students. These were mostly students who could not or would not perform in a general classroom due to behavior. When they were down with me they were spot on each day. They said the reason they did so well with me was because they didn't have to worry about 30 other kids in the rooms drawing them off task. We had much success last year. Success was measured by the standardized test my district uses. Many of our Blended Lab students did end up gaining 1 1/2 years of academic growth (and some of these kids had been trying to fight their teachers and throwing desks out the window before they came to the Blended Lab).
As far as what I know, I know that students need to sign a "seat-time waiver" form in order to not be counted as truant by the State. I know one of the requirements of said form is two-way communication. In other words, what we tell the students is that they need to email each of their content area teachers (because they remain the teacher of record) each day they are not scheduled to be at the physical building. In that email the students need to ask a question related to that teachers subject area. The teacher has to respond and then archive those discussion as proof.
As far as how it is done, we have an abridged schedule for our Blended Lab (hence why it is called "Blended"). Our middle school students come into the physical school Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the second part of the day. They are housed in a room out of the way of other students. They are not allowed to fraternize with other students unless they get permission. They are given school laptops as well as access to our online learning portal that holds the same curriculum every other student gets at our school. They are also given a hot-spot if need be. They are conferenced with a lot and parents are contact often to keep them in the loop.
As far as what kind of students take it, we have had students who have a difficult time making good decisions in class to students whose parent is very ill and cannot bring them to school to students who have severe illnesses themselves that makes climbing stairs all day virtually impossible. We also have over-age students as well as pregnant or new moms. We also have students who have to work to support their families involved in the program.
The online learning or Blended Lab as we call it here has been invaluable to some of our students. Some of the students who are involved in this program are getting to feel what it is to be successful for the first time in their lives! It can be a beautiful thing to be a part of.
I work in an area of Detroit that most people don't know a lot about other than a few of the restaurants, southwest Detroit. I started as a kindergarten teacher last year and after a few months I was sent to the middle school to teach ELA. Our population is very, volatile, to say the least. We have active gangs across the street and in the neighborhood. We have drugs (selling and using) as well as other nefarious activities. My students are products of a failed educational system with failed leadership and false pedagogy. My students do not want to be here and will verbally and physically let you know that.
Last year my Principal came to me and asked me to start an online learning course for some of our students. I had been heavily involved with technology at my old school so I guess I was a natural choice. I started what we now call the Blended Lab. The program started last year around November and at its most populated held 20 middle school students. These were mostly students who could not or would not perform in a general classroom due to behavior. When they were down with me they were spot on each day. They said the reason they did so well with me was because they didn't have to worry about 30 other kids in the rooms drawing them off task. We had much success last year. Success was measured by the standardized test my district uses. Many of our Blended Lab students did end up gaining 1 1/2 years of academic growth (and some of these kids had been trying to fight their teachers and throwing desks out the window before they came to the Blended Lab).
As far as what I know, I know that students need to sign a "seat-time waiver" form in order to not be counted as truant by the State. I know one of the requirements of said form is two-way communication. In other words, what we tell the students is that they need to email each of their content area teachers (because they remain the teacher of record) each day they are not scheduled to be at the physical building. In that email the students need to ask a question related to that teachers subject area. The teacher has to respond and then archive those discussion as proof.
As far as how it is done, we have an abridged schedule for our Blended Lab (hence why it is called "Blended"). Our middle school students come into the physical school Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the second part of the day. They are housed in a room out of the way of other students. They are not allowed to fraternize with other students unless they get permission. They are given school laptops as well as access to our online learning portal that holds the same curriculum every other student gets at our school. They are also given a hot-spot if need be. They are conferenced with a lot and parents are contact often to keep them in the loop.
As far as what kind of students take it, we have had students who have a difficult time making good decisions in class to students whose parent is very ill and cannot bring them to school to students who have severe illnesses themselves that makes climbing stairs all day virtually impossible. We also have over-age students as well as pregnant or new moms. We also have students who have to work to support their families involved in the program.
The online learning or Blended Lab as we call it here has been invaluable to some of our students. Some of the students who are involved in this program are getting to feel what it is to be successful for the first time in their lives! It can be a beautiful thing to be a part of.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)