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.