Week 15 - Supporting Virtual Schooling

The five TEGIVS scenarios were designed to introduce you to virtual schooling though which K-12 students learn via technology from a teacher who is at a distance. Because the teacher is only present virtually there is a need for local facilitation by the K-12 school. This rapidly increasing application of technology brings new challenges and opportunities to K-12 education. More specifically, the were three objectives:

1. To understand Virtual Schooling
2. To appreciate three main aspects of Virtual Schooling:
• technology,
• distant collaboration, and
• local facilitation
3. To start to become competent to facilitate and plan for Virtual Schooling

In this regard, based on the material in these scenarios, the content we have covered in class, and the course readings; how comfortable do you feel in being able to support a student or group of students at your school how might take an online course? What is the source of that confidence (or lack of confidence)?

In addition to your own response, please respond to at least TWO other students' blog posts.

Week 14 - Converging on Virtual Schools

After reading the assigned articles from the Converge (Summer Issue), post your initial reactions about the two topics listed below:

• Topic 1: Challenges in providing effective virtual schooling
• Topic 2: Efficacy and potential influence of a virtual environment on student learning

Throughout the remainder of the week, participate in the ongoing discussion by posting and reacting to your peers' comments. You must comment on at least THREE of your classmates. Your responses should be more than expressions of agreement or disagreement e.g. "I agree/disagree with what you said." You should explain your reaction and elaborate with supportive evidence.

Week 13 - You Must Learn Online

To become familiar with political aspects of Virtual Schooling, read the article entitled Mich. floats online learning requirement: State could be first to insist on virtual instruction as a condition for graduation, which appeared over three years ago in eSchool News, below.

Once you have completed this reading and using it in addition to what you have recently discovered about Virtual Schooling, imagine you are a Michigan secondary teacher and your legislator has contacted you for your thoughts on this legislation as he/she prepares for the debate. Your task is to write a 100-200 word response to your legislator expressing and most importantly, supporting, your view on this legislation.

In addition to your own response, please comment on the blog of one of your fellow students.

Mich. floats online learning requirement
State could be first to insist on virtual instruction as a condition for graduation

From eSchool News staff and wire service reports
February 10, 2006

A pioneering proposal now before the Michigan state legislature would make Michigan the first state in the country to require students to experience some sort of online instruction before they graduate from high school.

Advocates for virtual instruction say that if the plan is approved, Michigan likely will set a precedent for other states to follow as more schools begin to experiment with the benefits of online learning.

The online learning mandate is part of larger piece of legislation designed to ratchet up high school graduation requirements across the state. Until now, Michigan students have been required only to take a civics course to graduate. The new proposal would require math, science, and a foreign language in addition to some form of online instruction.

The idea for the virtual learning requirement reportedly came from a report produced by former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Watkins in September. Watkins, who published the report "Exploring E-Learning Reforms for Michigan: The New Education (R)evolution" while on sabbatical from Michigan's Wayne State University, recommended that every school in the state adopt some form of eLearning as a means of extending course options and providing new ways to engage struggling students. Susan Patrick, executive director of the North American Council for Online Learning and former head of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, called Michigan's proposal "a bold plan" to foster a culture of lifelong learning and more readily prepare students for the challenges of an increasingly global economy.

"Michigan [officials have] realized that they have an industrial economy--they spawned the auto industry--but they face many of the challenges that other states face in making the transition to a more knowledge-based economy," Patrick said She added, "I think the recommendation is terrific--and I think you are going to see more states following suit." There already is strong support for online instruction in Michigan. At the Michigan Virtual University, enrollment in its Michigan Virtual High School program has grown from 100 students in 1999, the program's first year, to 5,959 students during the 2004-05 school year, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The state's online learning proposal is "probably one of the most forward-thinking educational strategies I've seen in a long time," said Jamey Fitzpatrick, president of the nonprofit Michigan Virtual University. "It's very exciting to see our policy makers engaged in the debate."

Even if the measure doesn't pass, he said, the fact that lawmakers were at least willing to entertain the idea proves that virtual instruction is growing in importance. The new graduation requirements were ratified by the state board of education in December and now stand before the state legislature.

Although no deadline has been set for approval, the measure so far has met with little opposition and appears to be on a "fast track" through the legislature, Fitzpatrick said. One item of concern is whether Michigan's schools have the necessary infrastructure to support the online learning requirement.

In January, state House Republicans introduced a bill that would delay the start of the online mandate until the state board of education has determined that all high school students have equal access to computers and the internet, the Free Press reported.

But flexibility written into the plan's requirement could ease lawmakers' concerns. The measure says students can fulfill the mandate by having at least one "online learning experience." This could include enrolling in an online course through the Michigan Virtual High School program, or simply taking an online test-preparation course or using electronic career-development software.

Supporters of the plan say this flexibility is one of its strengths.

"The last thing anyone wants to see is a cookie-cutter approach to education," Fitzpatrick said.
Proponents are optimistic the bill will be approved by March so the new requirements can be in place for the graduating class of 2010, Fitzpatrick added.

Links:

Michigan Virtual University
http://www.mivu.org

North American Council for Online Learning
http://www.nacol.org
(note: now International Council for K-12 Online Learning - http://www.inacol.org)

Watkins' report
http://www.coe.wayne.edu/e-learningreport.pdf

Week 12 - The Mediating Teacher

The TEGIVS scenarios are designed to provide information and advice to school-based teachers on what K-12 virtual schooling looks like, some of the issues students face, how it is done, and how the mediating teachers can support it. Based on your use of the five scenarios, along with the readings to date, our blogging discussions, the information and discussion in class, and your own experiences with K-12 virtual school; what are some of the topics that you think could be added to the TEGIVS scenarios if more were developed in the future? Describe these ideas and what should be included.

As the prompt is a little late this week, you are only required to comment on one (1) other students' blog for this entry.

Week 9 - Virtual Schooling

Your discussion entry this week is a two part task. The first part MUST be done before you do the reading for this week.

For part one, I want you to write an entry that describes what you currently know about K-12 online learning, virtual schooling, or cyber schooling (all three are the same thing, it is just called different things). Here are some questions which can guide you (although note that you do not have to address each of these questions, they are just to get the juices flowing so to speak). What does it look like? How is it done? Where it is done? What kind of students take it? What kind of courses are offered?

For part two, you will post a second blog entry. After you have read the Clark (2000) report, visit and read the Top 10 Myths about Virtual Schools. Based upon the Clark and this online reading, what did you learn that surprised you? Where there things you posted in part one that were false (were any of them listed in the top 10 myths)? Where there things you posted in part one that were accurate?

In addition to the two entries that you post on your own blog this week, make sure that you comment on at least THREE other students' blogs. Note that you can comment on either the part one or part two entries of your colleagues.

In addition to your own response to this prompt, please reply to at least three other students.

Week 8 - Global Communities

After reading the Worley (n.d.), describe one example of a project you could do with your class in your class to create a global community for your students.

There is no requirement to respond to other students this week, but feel free to do so.

Week 7 - Coming Trends

After reading the summaries and overviews for each of the six trends outlined in the 2009 Horizon Report, which one do you think will have the biggest impact on teaching? Why?

Also, which one are you most excited about coming to fruition (i.e., actually happening)? Why?

In addition to the entry responding to this prompt on your own blog this week, please respond to at least two of your fellow students' blogs.

Week 3 - Today's Student

This week you've been introduced to some of the literature concerning today's students - who people think they are, what characteristics, they have, etc. Does any of what you read sound like your students?

For your blog entry this week, I'd like you to reflect on what these two authors have said. How have each of the author's described YOUR students? What have each of the authors said that doesn't describe your students at all? Are there any characteristics, traits or behaviors of your students that none of these authors have even mentioned? Basically, how do you students compare to what these authors have to say?

In addition to the entry responding to this prompt on your own blog this week, please make a comment on at least two of your fellow students' blogs.

Week 2 - Educational Blogs

Using a site like http://blogsearch.google.com/ or http://technorati.com/ search for blogs that might be of interest to you based upon your own teaching background (e.g., grade levels, students, geographic location, subject area, etc.).

Select three (3) of these blogs to add to your RSS reader (and feel free to select more than three if you find others that are of interest to you).

Write an entry to our blog by 5:30pm on Wednesday, 28 January 2009 that lists the three blogs you have selected, the address for each of these three blogs, and a sentence or two about why you selected to follow them. Please include more than something to the effect of, "It was a blog about using technology in elementary school." or "It was about teaching high school mathematics in an urban area." There are dozens, if not hundreds or thousands of blogs that meet those criteria. Why did you pick that specific one? What about it caught our attention and/or interest?

Introduce Yourself

To begin your first entry, provide us with a short description of where you teach, what classes you teach, what your students are like there, etc.. Remember that some of us, myself as probably the prime example, may not be familiar with all the different areas of Michigan so the more information you can tell us about your school and the students that you teach, the better our interactions will be as the course progresses. Also include some information about yourself, such as what program you are in, what degree you are pursuing.

Note that this is the entry that you began and/or completed in class on Wednesday, 21 January 2009 - in case you haven't already completed it.