This week I learned that it is difficult to compare online schools. It is even more complicated to compare state-run schools and charter or for-profit schools. In all cases, the websites lack complete information. The information that is available is related to how they are marketing the school. It seems like the online curriculum and related tools should be a major factor in selecting a school. Yet, in many cases, there was not even a single lesson to demo. The charter and for-profit schools seem to be a little more responsive to potential students. Virtual Virginia (VV) has little information other than a course directory and some faculty information. Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School (PVCS) discussed their instructional strategy that includes the parents and socializing with other online students. The only area where I felt VV had an advantage over PVCS was in the online curriculum. PVCS uses courses from K12 Inc, which I felt were very lightweight. VV designs their own and uses some third-party providers (although I was not able to review them).
What did you learn this week that struck you as particularly important or interesting? I was disappointed at the general level of online course sophistication. The vast majority of online courses were no more than online versions of traditional textbooks. I would have expected more progressive pedagogy given the innovation occurring in the area of Web2.0 tools.
Has your thinking changed as a result of what you learned this week? I believe that online classes hold great promise for individualization, investigation-based learning, and access to higher quality teachers. In addition to teachers, students can also gain access to experts. For example, it might be impractical for a school to have a doctor on staff, but an online doctor could be available for a few hours a week. The doctor could make teaching his full-time job and make enough money by working with several schools. As I mentioned above, the current generation of online schools are teaching 19th (or 18th) century skills instead of innovating to deliver 21st century skills.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I enjoy your usual thoughtful and thorough reflections.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder about what should be taught. If we are teaching the "old" skills in a "new" era I am wondering if this is a problem - and perhaps it is. I also wonder if teaching the "old" or "traditional" curriculum via technology can be done without not introducing 21st century skills.
I had a great discussion about this post at work today discussing the jump society is making into the new cybernetic revolution. We could not agree on "the way".
Great to read your thoughts