What Are we seeing with this trend?What we are seeing with the trend of virtual schooling is that many schools are implementing online learning into their curriculum, and there are also an increasing number of on-line only schools across the country. The internet is a vast source of knowledge, and through the implementation of virtual schools and online learning programs, students and teachers alike have access to more resources online than they would in an actual classroom. The goal for online learning is that students can receive a more personalized education that can be tailored to meet their individual needs, whether those needs be a more rigorous curriculum, flexibility for a busy schedule, or a feeling of safety that the student may not feel that he/she is getting from his/her traditional school. For some students, online schooling is a better option than traditional schooling, since they can learn at their own pace and have access to more opportunities for learning online. Another trend with online learning is that more and more traditional schools are implementing online learning opportunities in conjunction with traditional classroom instruction, so these schools are using virtual schooling more as an addendum to traditional learning. My Perspective on Virtual Schooling:I am skeptical of the virtual schooling trend especially because of the implications it has for teaching mathematics. Mathematics has a stigma of not being very collaborative. Many people see math as an independent activity, when in fact math can be very collaborative when it is taught effectively. In math, students learn more when they have the opportunity to share their problem-solving with their peers and have the opportunity to construct arguments to defend their ideas and critique the reasoning of others. Though it is possible to foster collaboration in an online classroom format, it is much more difficult to do so than to collaborate in an actual classroom. I fear that teaching mathematics in an online format can make learning math even more isolating that it is already viewed as being.
Though you may learn the same things content-wise in a virtual school and an actual school, the way you interact others is very different. I think that one downfall of virtual schooling is that you don’t get the opportunity for in-person social interaction that you get in an actual school. When you attend school online, there is an obstacle of both physical and literal distance between every other person in your class, since you don’t meet face-to-face with your class or your instructor. In the younger grades especially, human social interaction is so important in the development of social skills. Another drawback of virtual schooling is that low-income families might not always have the option to attend a virtual school, as they don’t have access to a computer or some other device with internet access at home. While I agree that there is so much information available online that you can learn using a virtual schooling format, there is also a lot that you can learn in an actual classroom setting. For this reason, I favor traditional school over a virtual school setting. I think that virtual school is the best option for students in certain situations, but it is not ideal for everyone. Since I am skeptical of virtual schooling, I am interested in learning more about the benefits of virtual schooling. I am especially interested in how a proponent of virtual schooling would defend the critique that virtual schooling can inhibit social interaction.
8 Comments
Sarah Westhoff
11/9/2016 12:54:55 pm
I personally can see both sides of the virtual schooling movement. As you made sure to mention, it does offer a lot of benefits to those who would not normally be as successful in a traditional classroom. For many students, it may offer a more personalized educational experience and may offer more flexibility for busy schedules and long commutes to school. However, as you also mentioned, virtual schooling may take away from some important elements of traditional school. You specifically mentioned math because you are concerned that students would not have the opportunity to work together collaboratively. I would argue that this issue could apply to any subject! In my opinion, online collaboration can only go so far. School not only teaches students academic subjects, but it also is tasked with teaching kids social skills. How would kids learn social skills from behind a computer? Also, how could they get the full experience of "special" subjects like art and physical education?
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Jason
11/10/2016 04:23:49 am
My last year of teaching I taught a blended biology course. It was an IB Biology class, so the students were high-achievers, but some still struggled with the format and the self-regulation required. I actually did some research using a survey that was able to predict their success. That is, they took the survey, and after the course, we looked at their survey score vs. their grade in the course, and the survey score was about 90% accurate in predicting whether they would pass/fail.
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Rebecca Wittebols
11/12/2016 08:55:18 am
I think that older students in high school would be most successful in an online format. I think too that you have to consider the students' level of motivation and commitment to being successful in an online course. I don't think that students who struggle with keeping up on the course-load of a traditional class would struggle more so in trying to keep up with the work in an online class.
Rebecca Wittebols
11/12/2016 08:49:07 am
Sarah, I don't know anyone who has had any experience with online schooling. I am interested too in hearing about virtual schooling through that perspective. I wonder if I can find an article online written from that perspective. I'll look online and share anything that I find with you.
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Rebecca Wittebols
11/12/2016 08:58:53 am
In response to your question about 'weeding-out' students from taking online classes, I think that an online format should be used for those students more as an addition to traditional classroom coursework. Those students who are struggling in a traditional classroom should receive instruction in-class so that they can get the feedback and extra help they need to succeed, but also have the opportunity to get extra support in an online classroom format when they need it.
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Sarah Westhoff
11/12/2016 03:21:14 pm
I agree! Our main goal as teachers is to help students succeed. I feel that a hybrid class could be more effective than an all-online class for students who are struggling.
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Dena Warren
11/13/2016 10:51:13 am
I personally have never been able to experience or even learn about virtual schooling or gain an understanding of the concept in and of itself. I can understand bits and pieces based on what I have heard and seen - but overall I'm not entirely sure how virtual schooling works. I do like the concept of having personalized schooling for students, that certainly allows for a different and more in depth understanding on the student's part. In catering to individual needs virtual school would be great, I know that in my placement there are a number of student who truly need intervention but do not receive it in part because of the lack of resources but also because overall their scores are low. They truly need individualized education but are not receiving it.
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Rebecca Wittebols
11/13/2016 05:32:45 pm
I think that the most difficult element in implementing a virtual plan would be student accountability. In a traditional classroom, students attend class regularly in person, and they have someone to remind them to do their work in class and turn in assignments. In an online classroom format, students must be independently accountable. I think that in an online format, it is much easier to forget to turn in assignments and there is also the factor of being distracted by other things and forgetting to meet online. Even with this class, I have to be very conscious about remembering to complete assignments, and I have to keep my schedule organized so that I don't forget to do my work online. As a college student, I have has a lot of practice staying organized, but as a young student planning and organization was something that I really struggled with.
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About This Blog:I am a student at Grand Valley studying Elementary Ed and Math. This blog is a collection of my reflections on topics in EDT 370. Archives
November 2016
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