Comments by Commenter
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admin
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Good point. I have moved this section to the front of the document. Thanks.
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How do you even know if your students are taking an online course somewhere?
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right- how does being employed by a third party affect that teacher’s relationship with the school? Does it take time away from his/her “day job”? Does it provide growth for that teacher that then improves his/her teaching?
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Thanks Joe, I added a note to that effect on the Welcome page.
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I can imagine parents taking an active role in facilitating their child’s online learning courses in some scenarios. Perhaps we need a question that relates to providing some aspect of PD support for parents.
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Bernadette
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This is a challenging question, even outside the world of online teaching. With the variety of available information to students, there has been an increase in unethical academic behavior. As in the brick and mortar classroom, it is the teacher’s role to educate students on this matter. We must continue to model and teach ethical online activity and follow through on our school’s academic honor code.
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It seems the document begins the discussion from the standpoint that independent schools are reacting to online teaching rather than embracing a new mode of education. Therefore, I would present the document from the position that NAIS encourages independent schools to pursue online education as a means to enrich student learning.
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As we begin the process of developing and implementing online courses, we are electing to grant credit only to courses we provide. While students may continue to take courses, on-site, at area colleges (with whom we have a relationship or through fully accredited summer programs), we are making the choice that online courses for credit will be administered by our school.
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I agree with the previous comment – financial sustainability and academic planning are two entirely separate discussions. If the goal of online courses is to reach out to the outside community, a different model needs to be developed – one where fees are charged for courses. However, if the educational institution’s goal is to enhance current academic program through use of online courses, as part of the tuition costs then the financial model for this commitment must be based on existing internal expenditure lines.
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I agree with David. Online teaching requires professional development of faculty if it is to be done effectively. Communication between teacher and students is constant, marking and responding to student work is intensive, and ensuring mastery and application of content requires various assessment modes.
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One of the tremendous benefits of an independent education is the knowledge that faculty bring to the table. As such, we are able to provide students with opportunity for in-depth study of subject areas. Whereas many of the online providers present the equivalent of survey or intro courses to subjects, independent schools can develop and implement courses that delve into topics in a deeper and more critical manner. For example, in place of Intro to Government, we can provide an in-depth analysis of US-China Foreign Policy.
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Certainly, if online courses are offered in addition to standard curriculum requirements students will be able to engage deeply with subject matter of interest.
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Without a doubt. We have only to look at traditional consortium established by colleges around the nation. One way in which independent schools can enhance their marketability, reduce implementation and staffing costs, and increase variety of courses is through consortia.
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If courses are offered only to school’s student body, then there will be an increase in financial expenditures – assuming no fees will be levied for online courses. However, if schools reach out to such groups as home-schoolers, rural schools, etc. then one should anticipate an initial increase in expenditures to be followed by an increase in revenue.
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Bernadette Roche
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Thanks for setting this up!
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Perhaps this is addressed in future sections, but online learning may be helpful to smaller schools trying to fill gaps. For example, offering high school coursework, but not having the funds or space for additional staff and classrooms. Partnering with an established online learning distributor to offer these courses fill the gap.
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Currently, filling a gap is the main reason for investigating online learning. Rather than creating our own, we are investigating established and accredited online learning programs to collaborate with in implementing our program.
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The online learning hybrid we’re investigating allows us to provide the academic instruction but also expand on our service learning and global collaboration aspects of our mission. Additionally, partnerships with local businesses allows for internships for our students. Local colleges help expand our possibilities for our model.
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At this point, our online learning program must fund itself. The hope is that it will be a source of revenue rather than cost.
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I agree with Dolly. There are a lot of things to comment on here. You would be better off to split it up more to get a better feel for the variety of models and methods.
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Beth Marchant
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I agree – no filter. We need to teach students to use the web responsibly.
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Brad Lakritz
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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.
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Brad Rathgeber
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One overarching question that seems to be missing is:
- What control relating to evaluation and standards will a school have to give up in order to successfully engage with online learning partners?
Most online course providers are so large at this point, that many of the questions asked on this page are going to be difficult to get answers to, and without answers could convince some schools to give up on online learning.
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I would flip-flop the opening two paragraphs, and encourage you to start with the positives of online learning, before getting bogged down by the difficulties. You want to reach people with the possibilities before talking about the impediments.
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At some point in here , you may want to address blended learning in these questions… and perhaps in the opening paragraphs. As blended learning is often the gateway to online learning, it could help to cut down on the sense of being overwhelmed by the field that you mention in the first paragraph.
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It seems to me that these are really two separate questions: strategic visioning for the school and sustainable financial modelling for online learning.
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I would rephrase, as not all consortium providers charge extra tuition or salaries, and not all schools will be working with a consortium online school… there are many different models that one could engage with.
Moreover, I would argue that this really is part of question 5 above– “sustainable financial model.” We may not want to consider these “extra” salaries or tuitions, but instead roll them into new models.
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It is not clear to me what this question is getting after?
Is it: “How does school leadership need to adapt when introducing and creating online material?” Or ”Does a school need a Director for Online Learning?” Or something else?
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I would add a couple of other questions/topic areas that you all may want to include:
- Can we partner with other independent schools, colleges or universities, for-profit or non-profit vendors, or consortium to offer online learning opportunities for our students and faculty?
- Can we decrease classroom and curricular delivery costs by engaging in online learning?
- What does the flexibility of online learning mean for our student schedules and school calendar?
- Something about blended or hybrid learning… -
Was this question supposed to be in this section? It does not seem to fit, as it relates to student access not professional development.
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I would encourage you to expand on this question. Right now, it is so broad that it could be overwhelming to schools. Break it down into parts?
- What steps do teacher need to take to prepare to teach online?
- Do they need additional course work in online learning?
- What professional development opportunities are available for our faculty from colleges and universities, online learning consortia, online learning organizations (iNacol, Sloan C, etc), etc.?
- Do we have appropriate staff in the school to aid in this instruction?
- How can blended learning fit into teacher preparation for online learning?
- How can social media (ISE-Ning, Twitter, Facebook, etc) play a part in online learning professional development? -
I agree with Bryan… it seems to suggest that online teaching is not up-to-snuff with face-to-face instruction.
Also, given some experience in this… quite frankly anyone with a background in teaching can teach online. It is more what makes a good online teacher, not who can do it. We have had an experience here with a teacher who barely touched a computer in thirty years of teaching in a face-to-face classroom, and yet in one summer got her to become a great online teacher.
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You may want to have a question about professional development in here.
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Brandi Mason
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How often are curricular standards evaluated and/ or amended? How often is curriculum modified in accordance with the changes made?
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Bruce Stewart
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Evaluation and assessment is a critical question and must be thoughtfully pursued. Our need for new pedagogical knowledge and understanding should not be stopped, however, by our need to better understand how to most effectively assess what the new frontier presents! Live and learn as we always have!!
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We must hold the same high ethical standards that we do now! Live and learn. Try, assess, change and repeat – until we get it right.
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As a major asset, noting that 1 in 5 college level students are now taking at least one online course. Need the prep for apt college study and for being prepared for one’s further education and employment. Make your school a leader!
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Without question! Should require at least some online experience for all students!!
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Absolutely! Look at what the State of Florida is doing with its schools! See book by Paul Peterson at Harvard, In Saving Schools, 2010, Harvard Press. See work of Julie Young, Florida Virtual Schools.
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Without question! Look at the new efforts of Middlebury College!
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Definitely would add strength to global commitment. Must, however, be well supervised and coordinated!
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We clearly intend to use various online methods of teaching and communication in the event of emergency closure. Could be essential to the school’s fiscal viability in the even of extended shut down.
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Key question and needs sophisticated research, and quickly!
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Online learning means any time, place, path, and pace. A way to learn differently, an add to and not necessarily a take away. One more very rich option! (Per Paul Peterson and Julie Young.)
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Bryan Garman
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First off, great document, great mechanism for feedback. You’ve done a really fine job of synthesizing the various concerns that schools might have. It is interesting that “teach” is placed in quotations here. Is there an implication? It struck me as being very intentional. To me, it suggested that online teaching may not be the “real deal.” Is that the intention?
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Might online learning incorporate parent involvement in the teaching process? How might that change (improve or detract from) the learning and teaching process?
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Cathy Cavanaugh
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Teaching is considered facilitating student learning and feedback, separate from designing the course. You may want a question about designing and adapting online and blended courses in addition. Also, this question asks who *can* teach rather than who *should* teach online and I’m uncertain of the intent of the question.
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This is a very general question that I expect refers to technology tools for online and blended education.
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I hope this question is intended to get responses about how Web 2.0 tools improve teaching and learning through opening new and better approaches.
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I would like to see responses to this question related to many forms of collaboration including student-student, student-expert/other, and teacher-teacher.
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These are very broad questions, which is an effective way to get thinking and discussion going. I’d be interested in knowing more about respondents’ conception of an effective online/blended course: is it individualized, group-based, teacher-led, competency-based, holistic in its aims…? This question is important because of the national tension between richly teacher-facilitated courses and automated online tutorial-style “courses”.
I’d also be interested in learning about levels of blending that respondents envision and their implications for school policy, teacher development, scheduling, etc. These are roughly assignment/activity level, course level, student level, program level and school level.
Another topic of national concern is the use of open education resources, identifying them, evaluating, them using them, and creating them, and the impacts on costs, efficiency in course development, and quality of instruction.
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Chris Bigenho
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test comment
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David Chojnacki, NAIS board member
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We’ve usually had a “scope and sequence” of content and skills that form the basis for progress along a more or less sequential line. But online learning will tap more into an associative way of thinking and less into a linear—and more ‘assessable’–form of assessing student progress.
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I appreciate the stress on seeing any online initiatives in the light of the school’s mission. Too many schools are just chasing their technology tails. We also need to ask if the technology actually changes teaching and learning or simply insures the same kind of model in a “slicker” way.
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From the NESA Virtual Project experience, we learned that a lot of p.d. might be required to bring teachers up to speed re: online teaching. It is a definitely a horse of a different color … if done correctly. Teaching online can be very time consuming!
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Are the school leaders who are making decisions in this area personally familiar with online learning? Are they sincerely convinced that online options will transform teaching and learning?
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So: what ARE these much talked about 21st century learning skills? Or are we talking about using technology to do what we’ve always done?
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Good question! Attention must be paid to the nature of being connected, via technology, to kids in other parts of the world. Will it be just a glitzier form of having pen pals?
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This is a huge part of the challenge presented by moving into more online teaching and learning, particularly for those teachers who have been/felt very successful teaching w/o online learning tools. Expectations must be deliberately and thoughtfully managed!
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Very good set of questions. They’ll get people thinking about how technology might improve or, better yet, transform teaching and learning. I like the question on the implied change in the role of the teacher.
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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!
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demetri
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how do independent schools add our unique value to the online experience? how does this manifest?
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Dolly Ryan, Director of Technology
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What about the promotion of meaningful relationships among students and between students, teachers and parents?
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I feel like this section needs to be extended a bit more in terms of what the expectations are for parents and adult online learners. If online classes are to be extended to provide new opportunities for collaboration I think that needs to be spelled out a little more. Question 3 comes close but you could read “all levels” as being grade specific.
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I agree with Brad about flipping the paragraphs. I feel it sets a more positive tone on the discussion, as I think about faculty and other key members.
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At what age do we start to teach and incorporate them in order to prepare younger students (elementary/middle school) for online learning?
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General comment: In response to the threat of H1N1 closings and as a precaution, we created a mini version of an online learning environment through the use of email and conferencing for grades 5-8, which our MS teachers ended up running with as a full-time tool in the delivery of instruction. So, the answer for us would be yes. It has both stabilized and enhanced the learning environment at the elementary level. In addition, it provided us with an opportunity to prepare and educate parents in a non-essential way. In addition I also saw it as a positive marketing tool to perspective parents who would view it as forward thinking.
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I see many audiences trying to answer this one question (Admins, Tech Directors, Business Managers, Alumni and Development personnel). I would make the suggestion to keep the first and third question grouped together, and then make the second question stand on it’s own since school models vary so much.
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Great question!
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Oops! Prospective parents-:)
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How do we design and support online learning that serves a broad range of learning styles and needs?
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Thanks for pulling this together. The timing is right for the discussion as we move forward toward a more dynamic way of delivering instruction.
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Don Caskey
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I wonder if the question’s last word might need to be “control” rather than “purview”, since purview implies competence, scope, comprehension or experience, which we do have — as well as power or control, which is often limited with online courses. Often we are not in control of the objectives, content, delivery, or assessment of other institutions’ online offerings. So we exercise our control through selection — i.e., in the courses we will accept (e.g., from known institutions, from schools accredited by reputable organizations, etc.) and the mix of online and in-house course we allow. In our case, because we want to retain control over the meaning and value of a diploma from our school, we limit the number (i.e., balance) of courses that we will accept for credit (1 per semester in our case).
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Jim Elder
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Do schools need to evaluate privacy issues surrounding student evaluations when working with online learning partners? How are grades and evaluations communicated and stored? Do the privacy policies of the partner match up with the privacy policies of the school as well as complying with laws or regulations?
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Do schools need to evaluate privacy issues when hosting coursework on outside resources? Are student identities and work visible to the outside world? Does the service provider store student work on an ongoing basis? Who controls access? Will comments made during a heated high school online discussion be visible years later when the student is an adult seeking a job or running for public office?
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Joan Walsh
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Once again, Demetri is ahead of the curve and setting up a great experience. Thank you!
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Joe Peacock
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Is it clear to everyone what an “online learning initiative” is? It is not to me. To refer to an “initiative,” especially with the first sentence “When considering” such an initiative, sounds to me like starting a major project, something that requires careful planning and perhaps even some fund raising. That does not seem to fit with the online learning that many schools are involved with, which has evolved organically without much, if any, planning (and one might argue that the rapid change Web technology has made planning impossible). So, if that is not what is meant here, does it mean schools that are considering conducting courses online? Does it mean schools that are adding portals that allow students and parents to access homework and grade information online? Or does it just refer to any school use of Internet resources, including email? I would suggest starting with a definition.
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Aha. I see you are way ahead of me, with the definition of online learning very clearly laid out in the last section. It might still be helpful to add a note or otherwise make some mention right at the start of the fact that “online learning” is defined at the end, just to avoid confusion.
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Karen Littlefield
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For the purpose of reading, evaluating this document, I wish I had read this page first.
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Agree with Dolly and would add the relationship with teachers as well.
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Regardless of whether it is an online course or the use of other WEB 2.0 tools, as a college-preparatory school it is our responsibility to prepare our students to use the technology wisely, safely and with awareness of reliability.
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Connections to college and university staff and or courses allow for our students to complete the high school experience and begin the process of higher education. That connection is often the very reason some students choose our school.
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there seems to be lots of repetitive questioning here. Perhaps that is for a reason.
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Parents and teachers both need ongoing training to keep the awareness and probability of success for online learning at its highest level.
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Given the fact that the course objectives are well understood by the instructor and student, online learning places more responsibility on the student for success. For some students it will be wonderful. For others it will remove that face-to-face contact with an instructor. We still have to realize learners come in all shapes, and abilities.
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Communication, access to resources, quick return on questions, and tools of this student’s era are only a beginning. The key is to use those tools to enhance, enrich, and support the learning styles and curriculum for the students.
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kathleen Johnson
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mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}Scott McLeod offered a unique slant on the three main purposes of school in his TEDx Talk ASB:
· produce students with effective social skills
· produce students with effective economic skills
· produce students who can function effectively in the dominant information landscape of their era.
I think we need to work on explicating how 21stC skills contribute to these three goals. Examples from industry and business abound. -
SORRY guess we can’t cut and paste.
Scott McLeod offered a unique slant on the three main purposes of school in his TEDx Talk ASB:
· produce students with effective social skills
· produce students with effective economic skills
· produce students who can function effectively in the dominant information landscape of their era.
I think we need to work on explicating how 21stC skills contribute to these three goals. Examples from industry and business abound. -
Elluminate! for synchronous online learning and for recordings of synchronous online classroom work. Includes digital tools to accomplish almost any activity that can be done in a face-to-face classroom.
All course management systems such as Moodle, Blackboard etc.(including all of their associated features) for asynchonous tasks and communications.
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I can envision enormous health benefits for some (maybe most?) students who could gain some flexibility in the morning hours by taking 1 or 2 online courses. The research is pretty clear how sleep deprivation affects learning and brain and especially for teens. However as institutions it has been a challenge to address this issue from a scheduling point of view. Online courses provide flexibility.
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Matt Montagne
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This looks really, really good. The format really inspires focused commenting, yet maintains document originality/integrity.
Thanks, Demetri, for setting this up.
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Page Lennig
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This is a great document. I think school leaders need to really understand how to promote online learning as an important part of the school without undermining the “bricks & mortar” part/mission of their school. The whole question of if we offer online courses then why would anyone want to pay to come to our school?
Thanks again for setting this document up!
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Regina Brown
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How does marketing (possibly to a target population) impact the distribution of students either left at public brick-and-mortars or enrolled in online schools?
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It seems to me that we have not done a very good job in traditional public schools of addressing the needs of students of color and poor students. In what ways is online learning addressing those needs differently?
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I am interested in ways that new technology could transform learning from a passive to a creative process. In other words, do these tools permit construction as well as absorption of knowledge and if so, how are we making that happen?
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Sara Carter
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Here Here! I second…Thanks Demetri.
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Scott Merrick
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ISTE NETS for Administrators and for Teachers are good starting points:
Teachers:
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htmAdministrators
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForAdministrators/2009Standards/NETS_for_Administrators_2009.htm
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Steve Taffee
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Teachers should not make use any connections to students via social networks that are not extended to an entire class. The should set clear boundaries as to when they can be contacted (office hours), and limit such contact to online, and not give students their home or mobile phone numbers. (not all students can afford toll charges).
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Within the continetnal U.S., I am not a fan of 24×7 support. There should be times when students are ASLEEP, and I would not to be part of a system that suggested that it’s okay for a student to be doing homework at 3AM.
That said, my hope is that courses would be international in scope and this means 24×7 support.
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Not only bandwidth, but redundant connections to the internet with automatic failover.
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No filter. Period.
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The document starts with online learning being cast as a defensive, reactionary move to protect market share. I would lead instead with all of the wonderful learning that comes from it, and probably not even mention the other except in the concept of keeping pace with modern learning practice and theory.
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The “easy” solution would be to treat them as equivalent teaching loads. One online course = one traditional course. But this would be a mistake, especially at the beginning. There are far too many unknowns to know the correct formula at this time. I know that there needs to be something for schools to use, so I would err on the side of giving teachers MORE released time for planning, teaching, assessment. And online courses will vary so much by model – strictly online, hybrid, team teaching, assignments, time zones, enrollment. Don’t undersource until we know more!
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There will be a ton of schools offering predictable online course titles such as APs and remedial work.
The opportunity for independent schools, I think, may actually lie in creating courses that no-one else is doing, such as e-journalism, entrepreneurial workshops, interdisciplinary workshops, connectivity with our international cohort schools, artists-in-residence, and so on.
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Among the best ways to prepare educators to teach online learning is for them to be experienced students of online learning in a variety of settings.
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These teachers should be expected to have rich professional learning networks of their own, both as contributors and recipients of information.
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Standards should be a combination of emerging standards for online courses that are coming from states and consortiums as well as more traditional standards of measuring academic rigor from various learned societies and accreditation bodies.
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Susan Harris
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Yes, the stance should be proactive, not reactive.
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They are the enduring, evaluative skills that are taught and practiced in 21st century school libraries. Students are being educated for jobs we can’t yet envision, so we need to prepare them to be flexible, creative thinkers who are able to locate, evaluate, synthesize, and manipulate information to solve problems. The skills are very different because of the world wide, instantaneous access to information and the ability to share product in real time. Therefore we, as educators, need to be guides and coaches who introduce the students to ideas and critical thinking.
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See iNACOL’s promising practices and standards documents: http://www.inacol.org/research/nationalstandards/index.php