tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post1174746339606686916..comments2023-09-01T12:42:38.329-07:00Comments on Teaching Without Walls: Life Beyond the Lecture: Online Learning: K12 and Higher Ed CollaborationsMichelle Pacansky-Brockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01373124619557441649noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-4582451076858335542013-04-14T12:23:05.538-07:002013-04-14T12:23:05.538-07:00I agree with you on many levels. One of the other...I agree with you on many levels. One of the other barriers to full adoption at the post-secondary level is resistance/distrust by faculty and students. Students in higher education are paying tuition (or taking on loans) for their education and have expectations for that experience. Many times they, and the faculty, tend to associate this experience with on-campus, face-to-face interactions but good teaching is good teaching, in whatever format it is provided. Focusing on the learners, something higher ed has not always been good at, can help ease this needed transition.Jim Mellohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09471036410246287729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-61041900446716797212013-04-14T12:22:04.335-07:002013-04-14T12:22:04.335-07:00I agree with you on many levels. One of the other...I agree with you on many levels. One of the other barriers to full adoption at the post-secondary level is resistance/distrust by faculty and students. Students in higher education are paying tuition (or taking on loans) for their education and have expectations for that experience. Many times they, and the faculty, tend to associate this experience with on-campus, face-to-face interactions but good teaching is good teaching, in whatever format it is provided. Focusing on the learners, something higher ed has not always been good at, can help ease this needed transition.Jim Mellohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09471036410246287729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-54506826870753289112012-04-14T19:49:09.378-07:002012-04-14T19:49:09.378-07:00I am a 7th grade math teacher in a brick and mort...I am a 7th grade math teacher in a brick and mortar school currently enrolled in an online Master's program. Although I am still trying to become comfortable with online learning for myself, I am enthusiastic about potential online instructional uses for my students such as getting help with homework problems and keeping up with missed classroom instructional time. I truly enjoy going to school each day and interacting with my students. However, I realize that there may come a day when it may be necessary for me to teach in a "virtual classroom", so I need to be prepared. Until that day arrives, I will strive to combine classroom instruction with some kind of online connection to my math class.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978273296105110541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-80350459406662829812012-04-13T14:38:05.313-07:002012-04-13T14:38:05.313-07:00It’s wonderful that the conference acknowledged th...It’s wonderful that the conference acknowledged the students point of you. I am an educator at an online school. Often our in-service days are spent discussing what we can do to be the best online school and how we can continue progress so that we never become obsolete. Often I wonder, why not just ask the students and families what they want? I love that you recognized this as important also.<br />“For the first time, I had the pleasure of listening to students from K-12 and higher education reflect on their experiences as online students. Wow. Why is it that hearing a student request more student interaction and instructor feedback in their online learning experiences resonates on such a more profound level than reading it in a journal?”<br />It seems so obvious, that we, the educators, are meeting in conferences, scratching our heads, trying to figure out what our students want, when they could easily tell us. I’m glad that you were able to hear the student feedback.<br />Kim Refoscokrefoscohttp://krefosco.edublogs.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-45299838789360797932012-04-13T13:36:47.217-07:002012-04-13T13:36:47.217-07:00I am an online graduate student and I work in a pu...I am an online graduate student and I work in a public online charter shcool. Because I am funtioning in both roles within the cyber world, your post really resonated with me. <br /><br />Giving a voice to online learner in the keynote would be powerful and I agree, refreshing at a confernence. I was easily able to relate our cyber students to those at the conference whom you described as driven to drive their own learning. I have many students who ask me if they are permitted to move forward in the curriculum at a faster pace or if they can combine asynchronous learning with synchonous learning in their online educations. Nothing pleases me more that to be able to answer them in the affirmative to both questions. <br /><br />A statistic that shocked me from your post was that 75% of districts use online learning for AP classes. I wouldn' t have expected the statistic to be that high. I was pleasantly surprised.<br /><br />It was also news to me that reportedly the US is behind in educating educators in online instruction as compared to other countries. Going global and iterfacing with 21century technology, demands that we give our teachers the proper tools to educate online learners as well as themselves. Education is constantly evolving and we as a country need to be able to keep up with the demands of not just improving education but improving how we educate online in the 21st century.<br />Carie Boohercarie booherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02226636515528938227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-16346468390040962022012-04-12T16:35:42.559-07:002012-04-12T16:35:42.559-07:00Michelle,
I work at a cyber charter school as many...Michelle,<br />I work at a cyber charter school as many who have commented before do. Collaboration is so important between online teachers and traditional brick and mortar teachers. I hear so many negative comments from people who are unfamiliar with online learning. <br />Several of my students had teachers who told them they would never graduate high school or never get into college if they came to an online school. This is horrible to hear since most of my seniors are going to college next year.<br />All teachers need to come together and realize that the important thing is to educate our children no matter how they are taught or what school they go to. Luckily, in Pennsylvania, where I live and teach, students have the choice to come to our school instead of the brick and mortar public school where they live. I hope that as time goes on, people, and especially teachers can understand each other and decide to be concerned with our students' education above all else.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Jessicajesslynn1228https://www.blogger.com/profile/09900207272369962314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-74582425325231827132012-04-12T11:41:27.415-07:002012-04-12T11:41:27.415-07:00What I find surprising about online learning is th...What I find surprising about online learning is the public school's resistance. (Ignore it, perhaps it will go away). It is long past time to service all students in accordance to their individual needs. Some school districts have finally gotten in step with the present, but as they catch up, technology mives forward. Thus, the resisters can not support public learning as it should be supported with online learning. Good thing too, or we may all be out of jobs.<br /><br />Jill Morrison, PACyberJillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05811230595311662813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-53692780266893744342012-04-11T17:48:01.253-07:002012-04-11T17:48:01.253-07:00Everyone has to agree that there is an urgent need...Everyone has to agree that there is an urgent need to provide teachers with deliberate and meaningful technology training focused on the 21st century skills and current uses of technology.<br />I have to say I was disappointed to learn that the U.S. lags behind in implementing/integrating technology in our schools.<br />I was a traditional classroom teacher for many years before getting hired at Pa Cyber in February of 2011. In the short time that I have been working here, I have seen firsthand the benefits of teaching online. I am amazed by the wealth of online materials that teachers have access to and the audio/visual software that can be used to make learning fun. <br />Online learning brings choice and challenge. It is innovating and exciting in its approach to education. I am what they call an ETF (Elementary Teacher Facilitator). My job is to check and grade Calvert based tests that students upload to me via Edmastery. If a child is struggling with a particular concept, it is my responsibility to explain why they missed it, refer them to pages in the text book that may require reteaching, and to attach web sites that they can go to for further practice and reinforcement. We also conduct Ramp sessions with our students that give them the opportunity to interact with us personally. Technology training enabled me to change careers and stay in the education field.<br /><br />Technology training for teachers is costly and time consuming but the future of our children is depending on it.Darlene Radanovichnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-70408107951287274862012-04-11T14:28:38.346-07:002012-04-11T14:28:38.346-07:00Michelle,
I have really enjoyed reading your post...Michelle,<br /><br />I have really enjoyed reading your post and other comments about Online Learning. I, like others who have commented, work at a Cyber Charter School. I graduated college in December 2010 and was lucky enough, six months later, to get a job with a cyber school. Before then, I had no idea cyber schools existed. Throughout my four years of college, I never once learned how to teach online nor that it was even a job option. Although your blog was posted almost two years ago, colleges still today are not offering online education classes. This is the time where these classes need to be offered, or better yet, mandatory. If we need to "keep up with the times," then learning about online education should begin as early as possible. <br /><br />I am now lucky enough to have the opportunity to teach at a cyber school. I work with the onsite K4 and K5 program (aka preschool and kindergarten) so I do not have the privilege of teaching online, but I am exposed to coworkers who do. I would love to eventually be able to have an online classroom. I recently began a master’s program online and am learning so many new things that I would love to use in an online classroom one day.<br /><br />Aside from teaching the onsite K4 and K5 kids, I also monitor progress of some of those kids online. They still participate in the program, but they are taught at home instead of coming onsite. They are instructed to complete lessons and worksheets and submit those worksheets online. I, in turn, assess them and give them feedback on their work. Although we cannot hear each other and I am not teaching them, I am constantly building relationships with both the parents and the students. I can leave comments on their work, and they can leave comments back. The parents are very much involved in their teaching and the kids have very nice things to say about their assignments. The feedback I receive from them is just as useful as the feedback I give to them. Although different from online teaching, I am still exposed to an online environment that is different from brick and mortar.<br /><br />I agree with what you and others have said about online teaching in that we have to continue learning about the integration of technology and online education. Technology is constantly changing and trainings for teachers must continue so that us teachers can effectively teach our future.Megan Conneennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-61860686112410333152012-04-11T13:25:14.128-07:002012-04-11T13:25:14.128-07:00I have been an educator since the late 80s and hav...I have been an educator since the late 80s and have I ever seen changes in the use of computers and technology as a whole since I taught my first class! I too am enrolled in the online Master’s class, though I have never taught online. I have taken classes online to first reinstate my professional license after being out of the classroom setting for 10years and now to try to learn what technology I might be able to bring in to enhance my teaching of transitional math at the local community college. With that understanding, I have some comments on your original article and subsequent blogs. You had mentioned that you hope this article will be outdated 2 to 3 years from now. I am not so sure. Most families in my county are struggling to pay bills and put food on the table. The dream that students will one day have iPads sounds great but unless the economy makes a startling recovery, I fear that day will be a long time coming at least where I live. Out of the 10 Advanced Placement classes my two children had at their high school, only one of those AP classes used technology beyond the Web 1.0 level. The AP Physics teacher incorporated the use of a blog that was monitored by her student aid, a former student in that class who was taking independent study Physics C. When this area was hit by two large snow storms two weeks apart, this AP teacher used her blog to stay in touch with the students in her class, produced videos on the lesson that would have been given during those days, and helped them teach the material to themselves so they would not lose those two weeks of study. The AP test does not get pushed back a week just because the school year does. How does a community college or school district foster this type of teaching when it is the exception and not the norm?<br />As far as training teachers to use technology, a two hour presentation on online tools the week before a semester begins does not help those of us teaching incorporate new technologies into our lessons. The training needs to be implemented in such a way that teachers will have time to research how and when to use digital media. I know most of the terminology associated with technological advances, but lack the understanding of how to use them in a math classroom. I agree with Mrs. Nyeholt that there is not enough technology education in the teacher education programs offered in our area. The only way to promote change in teaching is to teach the change.Mary M Virostekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04947496104732842868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-37368812963326008392012-04-11T11:59:41.741-07:002012-04-11T11:59:41.741-07:00Michelle,
I also am currently working at a Cyber ...Michelle, <br />I also am currently working at a Cyber Charter School, and have been intrigued by what you and the other commentators have said here. <br />I was happy to be privy to your added comments this past week, thinking about how what you said two years ago is already passé. Though much of your information was important to the cause for technology and innovation in education in 2010, you are absolutely correct when you say that you hope it will not be relevant in the near future. I think that is a key problem in most of our educational practices as teachers and administrators. We are consistently behind the times-always trying to catch up. Being preemptive and understanding of these changes is the first step towards progress. Solely working in a digital school is not enough. Though we may be ahead of the game in some senses, there must be a constant effort for innovation. It is imperative to not only the understanding of how we should use these programs, but of how we relate to students.<br /><br />In another response to your post, the idea that we should begin to understand this as teachers on the college level is, even, in a way dated. Most of the students who are entering college have spent their adolescence in the midst of this technological generation. Many have commented on the ability or inability of institutions to provide a decent virtual or technology education to the teacher education programs we currently have in place. As stated, it is important for institutions of higher learning to not just catch up, but to purport what is already happening in the lives and minds of our students. <br /><br />AmyMrs. Nyeholthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15241505383358200363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-13478425732219686052012-04-11T10:12:43.378-07:002012-04-11T10:12:43.378-07:00Michelle,
I enjoyed your post about online learni...Michelle,<br /><br />I enjoyed your post about online learning. I was completely blown away on the stats about how far behind the US was compared to other countries. Until now that never crossed my mind. I think it is great that you have all these conferences to go that allow you explore the new technology first hand. With online schools growing, it is important to educate teachers on the new technology. Some teachers are afraid to integrate new technology into their classroom and most of the time it is because they have not tried it. <br /><br />With the trend of online learning continually growing, it will be important to educate teachers. I feel that education should start in college. I attended a college that was in transition to becoming a Mac campus and they got iPads and Mac computers for new students and staff. Some of my classes used them but only to have us look up something every once in a while. I felt that the technology was great, but they were not using it to its full advantage. I feel that part of the curriculum should be teaching future educators how to use the technology and specifically how to use it in their field of study. Not only will it benefit them, but it will benefit their students once they get out in the work force. <br /><br />SamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-78335437950468905902012-04-11T05:35:45.505-07:002012-04-11T05:35:45.505-07:00Michelle,
I am a Special Education teacher for an ...Michelle,<br />I am a Special Education teacher for an online school. This is my first year here. However, before this I was a learning support/inclusion teacher in an "offline" brick and mortar school. Both experiences have been eye-opening in that more and more schools are moving toward the virtual and online world. I agree that schools everywhere need to begin to move in this direction because our educational world is moving more and more towards technology each and every day. We need to not only go with the flow of online education, but we need to be innovative and think about the future and what we can do to provide the best education and experience for our students.A Peduzzinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-73988938867336010542012-04-10T20:37:21.960-07:002012-04-10T20:37:21.960-07:00Here is my link to the claim about our physiology ...Here is my link to the claim about our physiology being connected to the physical presence of others.<br /><br />http://physrev.physiology.org/content/89/2/453.fullpmackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05605046944163992760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-57662922255816249822012-04-10T20:13:22.901-07:002012-04-10T20:13:22.901-07:00Michelle,
Your original post and the subsequent co...Michelle,<br />Your original post and the subsequent comments were somewhat overwhelming for an “offline” teacher. While I, and as you can see several others, am currently enrolled in an online master’s program I’m not sold that online learning is the panacea for education. Though I understand your point that online learning is much more engaging and meaningful than its counter term “face to face” gives it, it is commonly understood that our evolutionary physiology is completely connected with the physical presence of others. Perhaps the terms should be physical and digital learning, or physical and virtual learning?<br /><br />Barring my initial reaction, I agreed with you. You last comment “updated” after two years really hit home. My school district has several laptop carts that nobody wants to use (hardware/network is too slow) and every classroom has a promethean board that is really too limiting to truly engage beyond the individual using it at the time. <br /><br />Our instructor gave us two other blogs to preview and one had a great post that is relevant to your comment. It came from techlearning.com, http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2012/0410_curriculum_chingos_whitehurst.aspx<br />Brookings has made the argument that most schools are blindly adopting instructional materials without evaluating their effectiveness based on data. Our promethean boards are a great example of it. Beyond the math department, I doubt that more than 10% of our H.S. uses them. <br /><br />Thanks for your enthusiasm! I hope to bring about what your original post intended, a classroom with materials and opportunities for students rooted in the time they live in.pmackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05605046944163992760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-65532503794774872522012-04-10T19:33:12.098-07:002012-04-10T19:33:12.098-07:00I currently work for a Cyber School, but I never l...I currently work for a Cyber School, but I never learned anything about cyber schools or online teaching in college. In college I did not have any classes that taught me how to teach online or even introduce me to teaching online. I was familiar with schools and educational programs online, but I only started to learn how to teach online once I started working at a Cyber School. With the way the internet and technology have emerged I think it is vitally important that we integrate teaching online into the curriculum. <br />I believe that online teaching will motivate student learning and provide an up-to-date learning environment for students, which creates a fun learning experience. It amazes me how the U.S is behind other countries in online teaching, I think it’s key that educators receive online teaching trainings to provide current teaching styles. Now, I am back in school for my Master’s, I am furthering my education through an online program and can see the benefits of online learning through a students eyes. Although, we are not face-to-face I still feel the same connections with my teachers, the feedback through audio emails is a great example of another way to use technology. It sets a whole different tone, rather than when they just type out and send an email. I also teach a virtual class and am able to build the same rapport, if not better, with students as I could when I worked in the brick in mortar school. I feel as though through online teaching you try to learn more about your students because you are not face-to-face with them each day, therefore your connection becomes even better. I think online learning is developing and is up and coming, we as educators need to start preparing by demanding more practice and trainings.Kristina Williamsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-82517242428130552852012-04-10T15:52:16.363-07:002012-04-10T15:52:16.363-07:00Working in a virtual setting for the past 5 years ...Working in a virtual setting for the past 5 years has given me the opportunity to explore the long list of opportunities available to students online. Similar to what Mr. Carter said previously in the comments, I was not exposed to much online “training” in college either. I took the mandatory Computers in Education Course, but not many of my courses expanded outside the realm of a face-to-face classroom with 4 walls. I graduated in 2005, and though there was online education available, it wasn’t explored in teaching courses. I knew it was important, and we should encourage our students to learn via technology, but I lacked the understanding of how available and imperative it is to students. Using technology, in any fashion, enhances learning. Making learning meaningful is most important for students, and technology helps me do just that! I teach Language Arts to sixth grade students, and I can examine a folk tale with them and then take them on a web tour of folk literature by traveling through various websites and videos. I can ask students to create video and slideshow presentations of the history of a folk tale through programs like Windows Movie Maker and PhotoPeach. Online learning is permanent. It’s not going away; but rather, drawing a much bigger crowd. We must continue to enhance and adapt our teaching methods to show students this world! Michelle, when you say,” Effective online learning is anchored in student-centered learning with instructor-guided interaction between peers,” you are taking words from my mouth! I couldn’t agree more. We have to show our students these tools so they can explore on their own and enhance their learning process!Brandy Napolinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-23780572909797400872012-04-10T09:26:58.189-07:002012-04-10T09:26:58.189-07:00Thanks for all these fabulous comments. It's a...Thanks for all these fabulous comments. It's always great to see activity on a post that was written awhile back -- but, wow, I do hope it isn't quite as relevant in another 2-3 years (sigh). <br /><br />Also, I hope we are all thinking about technology in mobile terms today and as a method of empowering students to *create content* rather than enabling instructors to merely *present information* in digital form. The past two years have dramatically reshaped the way our young people are learning and we need to be thinking about that as we plan for integrating technology into the classroom. <br /><br />No more laptop carts and smartboards. Let's aim for one-to-one iPad programs with ubiquitous internet access that provides students with continuous access to video-based instructional content *outside of class* and dynamic, content generating apps that students can use in class to create, share, discuss, and collaborate with their peers and the rest of the world. <br /><br />Looking forward to more of your great comments. And please thank your fabulous instructor for including my post in his/her curriculum. Grin. <br /><br />MichelleAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00741293307003893760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-31577464167902102382012-04-10T09:20:28.321-07:002012-04-10T09:20:28.321-07:00The more I read about online education, the more I...The more I read about online education, the more I want to make sure it is incorporated into every classroom--cyber and live. It is wonderful to hear about @One and the conference you attended in San Diego. I am very pleased that educators have the opportunity to learn about digital teaching tools without having to go back to school. That being said, I agree with Powell about the absolute necessity for current secondary school curriculums to transform for the digital age. <br /><br />I am currently a student in an online master's program. The program is designed for educators to learn how to use the many tools for online instruction in the K-12 classroom. As each lesson is completed, my confidence in online education is increased. This is because Internet curriculums have tools that reach students of many different learning styles and interests. I have had many friends struggle with traditional education only to be left behind because they could not follow an in-class lecture. I often wonder where they would be if they were given the opportunity to view their lessons in an interactive digital format. The potential for these classes is unimaginable, thus the statistics you shared, "27% of states currently have state "virtual schools" and this number reflects a 30% growth each year since 2000. And 75% of K12 districts use online learning for AP classes," are not surprising one bit. They are not surprising because online instruction is working! I suspect that this number will only continue to increase for quite some time. <br /><br />I also agree with your statement about the format being student-centered and instructor-guided. With social networking and online collaboration being so popular today, the need for teachers to utilize it as a teaching tool is great. It is too often that students are more familiar with online networking than their teachers. While this knowledge gives the students power in their classroom and allows them the confidence to succeed, it can also create a challenge for teachers whose students are immersed in a world they do not understand. In order for teachers to effectively communicate with their students they must have some understanding of the current digital age. The shift to online is truly inevitable.<br /><br />Your closing statement is the key to the success of this shift towards online education. The key is consistency across all levels of education. Collaboration between teachers and students of all levels is essential. It is very encouraging to hear that this has already happened. My only hope is that it will continue.<br /><br />Thank you for the great post!Nicole Yvonnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02600456186067331724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-37335056380238501732012-04-10T06:55:44.146-07:002012-04-10T06:55:44.146-07:00After reading all of the comments I find myself ag...After reading all of the comments I find myself agreeing with all of them regardless of when they were written. Like Julianne Helfrich said, even though this blog was started two years ago this idea of technology in the classroom has expanded beyond the initial beliefs. Education is always in the news. Statistics ranking the United States Education System compared to other countries are also considered; however, all of the reforms are looking at blaming rather than fixing. Technology is always expanding and growing, however, there is less money within the budgets to accommodate the new technologies. Yes all teachers need instruction on how to make the most of the technologies out there but in many bricks and mortar schools there are computer carts, or whiteboards in a few classes. <br />Working for a cyber school for two years, I have felt complacent in the technology I am familiar with. After starting my masters and taking the Computers in Education course I have come to realize there are many technologies out there that I have not been utilizing. Digital stories, podcasts, and blogs are all things that we have and or will be talking about that I can easily apply to my virtual classes. These are just scratching the surface in an 8 week course; however my education on technologies still needs to continue. <br />Many commenters’s suggested teachers having technology courses as a requirement for the continued learning and I have to agree. Even in a bricks and mortar classroom students need to be able to use the new technologies for when they go out into the work force. As teachers we need to be up to date on as many technologies and utilize these on a daily basis both in the virtual classroom and the bricks and mortar schools; this will begin to close the gap on the United States Education System being left in the dust.whitneyconjeskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10857145670512661634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-81752663378004139642012-04-09T14:13:09.273-07:002012-04-09T14:13:09.273-07:00Michelle,
While this blog entry was written almost...Michelle,<br />While this blog entry was written almost two years ago, it's amazing to see how the content is even more relevant now. I graduated from college 2 years ago, was an Americorps teacher last year in a brick and mortar school, and I've been an English teacher for the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School since this past fall. As Powell said, and as many people agreed in their posts, it would be extremely beneficial for pre-service teachers to be prepared in their undergraduate years for a career in online education. In a way, I feel that I've learned more in the last eight months than I did in all four years of college. There was absolutely no instruction on how to teach in a virtual environment. I didn't know what to expect when I started at PACyber. I was skeptical at first, wondering how I could possibly interact with my students and build the kind of rapport with them that I could when working with children face to face. I was SO wrong. There is no less interaction in this environment; it's simply a different kind of interaction. Teaching in a virtual classroom has allowed me to take advantage of so many teachable moments. I started working toward my Master's degree just two weeks ago, and I've already learned about some new Web 2.0 tools that I would love to integrate in my classroom. Especially with it being toward the end of the school year, I know my students well and I know how excited they are for some of these great ideas! With the continued increase in online education, we will be ready!Julianne Helfrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07977445472015257645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-51488593387264792322012-04-09T08:54:00.672-07:002012-04-09T08:54:00.672-07:00Michelle,
This blog post was so enlightening to r...Michelle,<br /><br />This blog post was so enlightening to read. I am a new follower and can't wait to read on what more you have to say. <br /><br />I am relatively new to online teaching and have only recently gone back to school for a graduate program that is completely online.<br /><br />I have previously taught at a brick-and-mortar public school for the past five years, and then received a job with the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School. Not until I started my career with PACyber did I truly understand how online learning worked and its benefits to students and families. <br /><br />I loved how you commented on the opportunity you had to hear students speak about their expereinces with online learning and the positives and negatives they feel. What a great approach to bring to that conference! Usually educators only have the chance to hear other educators speak, so to hear that, had to have been pretty neat.<br /><br />Another point you mentioned about the U.S. being so behind other countries when it comes to online learning is so pertinent today. Even with my career at PACyber, we have so many school districts aiming at us, stating false claims, and trying to ruin our name as a school. With constant retaliation like this, it's really not hard to believe why our country is so far behind. We live in a nation where people are close-minded as to what education should be and how it should be done that it may take us much longer to be able to face the inevitability of the future of education and online learning.<br /><br />Lastly, I completely agree with Powell when he stated that online learning training should be integrated into pre-service teacher curriculum. Only graduating from college six years ago, I had not one class about teaching online. Not until I came to PACyber did I understand that this type of learning is the wave of the future, whether people want to accept it or not.<br /><br />Thank you Michelle for this experience. It was so fun to read all of the posts from other individuals as well. What a great chatter that has been going on between educators on this site! Keep up the great work!Julie Prefferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14628239442526004746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-31960031670538144922012-04-09T08:28:43.034-07:002012-04-09T08:28:43.034-07:00I found myself nodding in agreement throughout thi...I found myself nodding in agreement throughout this whole post, Michelle! I currently teach at a cyber school, but I believe that all prospective teachers should learn about online education, whether they plan to teach in a traditional setting or not. Not only will it make prospective teachers more marketable in areas where teaching jobs are hard to attain, but NOT having a background in online education does a disservice to students, in my opinion. In this era, most students will take at least one online course before they graduate from high school or college. I believe that, as teachers, we have the responsibility to introduce these students to online learning at an early age so that they are better prepared for their future endeavors.<br /><br />In addition, I think that online learning appeals to most students' interests, making it easy for us to keep them actively engaged in the material, which is always a prominent goal of mine. Throughout my years of teaching, including substitute teaching at many traditional schools, I have not met many children who do not enjoy computers, websites, etc. They are usually thrilled to do anything involving computers, and I think educators should use that to their advantage. <br /><br />Lastly, I want to say that I hope the general public gains more knowledge on online education in the future. I encounter far too many people who do not understand online education. At best, they are confused; at worst, they are scornful of online education. I hope that with blogs like this getting the word out there, people's knowledge will continue to grow and they will begin to see the great benefits of online learning!Kara Bestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-5472281742870489092012-04-07T18:49:36.579-07:002012-04-07T18:49:36.579-07:00I agree with your statements about including onlin...I agree with your statements about including online learning in teacher education programs. With teaching headed into the online environment more than ever, new teachers need to be exposed to this type of learning early to remain competitive. I cannot recall one single class session where online learning was covered during my undergrad program, and that was only five years ago. If I had been exposed to online learning early on in college, I wouldn’t have had such an aversion to it prior to starting my career in a cyber school. It wasn’t until I applied, and then was hired, that I learned about the process and how successful students were. I feel that the public in general also needs to be informed about the benefits of online learning. I know some people view the “traditional” way of learning and teaching as the only “good” way to educate. I think that if those who oppose online learning could see the progress and success that students make in these programs, they would embrace this mode of learning instead of trying to fight it. <br /><br />In addition to teaching new teachers about online learning, I am an advocate of introducing online learning to students at a young age. I currently teach in a pre-kindergarten hybrid learning environment at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School. The program that I work in, which is called Building Blocks, combines online curriculum with the ability to experience a classroom setting with a flexible schedule. Our students are able to come to our learning center where we present the curriculum, and the students enjoy social interaction and arts programs, or they are able to complete the curriculum at home with their guide. I feel that these students will benefit from being in this program because as they grow they will be a part of more online learning opportunities and will have already been exposed to this kind of learning.Eva Vaccaronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070053904538802680.post-19422145593399115422011-04-25T17:06:55.769-07:002011-04-25T17:06:55.769-07:00I am an employee at a cyber school where I work wi...I am an employee at a cyber school where I work with in the gifted and talented education (GATE) program. In my experience, the cyber school environment has empowered gifted students by removing the barriers they experience in a face-to-face, or as you call it, offline learning environment. A gifted learner typically needs a learning environment above his or her age level, which provides the student with the appropriate level of challenge to keep him or her engaged. Cyber students are enabled to take advanced classes with significantly older peers through a virtual classroom where they do not have to feel vulnerable due to their age differences. In this way, they are also given a great opportunity to interact with students they can relate to, share ideas with, and collaborate with on a higher academic level. They also are given opportunities to work through their schoolwork at an accelerated pace, completing more than the average credit load per year. In your article about digital learners, you pointed out that students taking online classes K-12 will need online classes in college. The opportunities I have described that have empowered gifted learners are opportunities that may disappear in an on-site, offline college experience. They would be thrown into situations where they may be the youngest student on campus and feel socially awkward, but they could interact with students via online classes that would share their passion for the subjects they are learning. Also a disadvantage of the offline learning may be slowing these students down by having them fit their work into timeframe of the school, whereas their online learning was free from these time barriers. Students who are receiving a gifted education online could benefit greatly from an online college option with the same opportunities for them to take advanced coursework and work at an accelerated pace like the opportunities they received from a K-12 online school. Online learning opportunities are expanding at the college and K-12 level, and as they do so, teachers, parents, and students need to recognize the opportunities that are emerging for the gifted population. Online learning offers a level of customization for the gifted learner that cannot be attained in an offline learning environment.jcillihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13335857384837067882noreply@blogger.com