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Welcome & Authors
Welcome ~ Please Participate
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Please note that the feedback-gathering phase has finished, so commenting is currently disabled on this site.
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The NAIS 21st Century Curriculum/Technology Task Force invites you to participate in the development of this new resource for independent schools: Online Learning – Critical Questions for School Leaders. The task force has created this draft version of this group-think/group-write document using CommentPress so independent school leaders can access and comment on the content. We welcome and would greatly appreciate your feedback on this draft version. Is there anything we’ve missed? Places where you see things differently? Other points to consider? To use this site, click through the seven sections of the document listed under the Table of Contents and leave some comments! You can comment on a page or on a specific question on that page. To comment, click a paragraph on the right, then click the “leave a comment” link. The active paragraph will be highlighted green. You can also reply to someone else’s comment. Are there additional critical questions you would include? Or are there some you would remove from our list? Please engage in this collaborative knowledge-building exercise! Please note our definition of online learning.
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NAIS 21st Century Curriculum/Technology Task Force
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Demetri Orlando, Battle Ground Academy, Chair
Albert Throckmorton, St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Past Chair
Chris Bigenho, Greenhill School
Caroline Blackwell, University School of Nashville
Susan Booth, NAIS
Jamie Britto, Collegiate School
Jill Brown, Albuquerque Academy
Karen Douse, Harpeth Hall School
Wendy Drexler, Shorecrest Preparatory School
Tim Fish, McDonogh School
Peter Hess, Brewster Academy
Howard Levin, The Urban School of San Francisco
Nishant Mehta, Alexandria Country Day School
Matt Montagne, Castilleja School
Eileen Powers, Campbell Hall School
Jason Ramsden, Ravenscroft School
Monique Rush, NAIS
Antonio Viva, Worcester Academy
Jennifer Swanson Voorhees, Sidwell Friends
Geoff Wagg, The Episcopal Academy
Overall comment: it is obvious that much thought and many reflective conversations went into this. Bravo to all of you for taking on this very topical and worthwhile endeavor. It’ll be very useful. Thanks!
Thanks for pulling this together. The timing is right for the discussion as we move forward toward a more dynamic way of delivering instruction.
I am somewhat bothered by current discussions to take our school’s courses online. Part of my concern is that some people see it as a money making opportunity. I’m not opposed to the idea but too often the opportunity to make (or save) money overshadows the pedagogical choices we make in how we design our schools.
I have a hard time getting my arms around the idea that our classes can somehow be taught better online then they are taught in the classroom. I have yet to see that be the case.
Mostly I don’t believe we should loose the direct contact our teachers have with our students.
All of us, especially young people, spend an increasing amount of time online:
“Average number of hours a U.S. child aged 8 to 18 spends using an electronic device or watching television each day: 7.6″ – Harpers Index, April 2010 (from Kaiser Family Foundation study 2009).
What we need in education is more time spent engaging with each other as humans and less time engaging with each other via electronic media.
Do I believe we should be using more interactive tools in education then we currently use? Yes, of course we do. This does not necessarily mean we ought to be teaching our courses entirely online. Are there opportunities to open a new world of learning through online courses? Yes, but this does not mean all or even most of our courses make sense being taught online.
Even though the tools of online learning have improved significantly over the past two decades they still remain simply that — tools. Tools for the educator to use (or not use) depending on the subject and content. We should use these tools wisely and make sure we stay in touch with our human side.