Virtual Schooling, It's not for everyone...

Topic One: Challenges

Indeed! Although I briefly touched on the notion of the stigma sometimes attached to virtual schooling in last week's blog, I believe the article from Convergencemag.com really has a bead on this emerging field of education. This weeks reading presented by author Susan Patrick, highlighted many of the challenges that are associated with this fast-growing segment in K-12 education. I will attempt to focus on just two:

Challenge One: One Student, One Computer, One highly qualified and highly motivated teacher?

As is the case for many types of instructional technology before virtual schooling came along, many educators have been too quick to judgement on the this latest trend in educating the nations' students. Fear and loathing on this front is hidden under the guise that online education is inferior to bricks and mortar public schooling. On this issue, Patrick really hones in on the source of this fear by stating, "Online learning is not a technology issue. It is a curriculum and instruction issue." (p. 38). So, overcoming this challenge for some is just part of the culture of the teaching professions general attitude towards change associated with new technology. I believe that from what we've previewed on virtual learning in this class so far, teachers are going to be needed more than ever. While technology is the tool, the instructor must provide the mentorship, knowledge imparting skills, leadership, and guidance in the virtual school environment.

Challenge Two: Cash is King--follow the "Green" brick road.

The article cites some level of complaining from those in the virtual schooling business, that they are held to a higher standard than most traditional schools. I believe this is a good thing. It will allow districts to align their curriculum, bring in highly qualified and technologically savvy instructors, to form a more solid standards-based curriculum that in the end will help students succeed. The article suggests that funding for virtual schooling is one of the major obstacles to its growth and is a primary source of conflict among it's detractors. For me, I believe that it is the obstacle. The tax-based funding pie is only so big, and can barely fund the old model. This problem is well articulated by the author who cites former Iowa State Senator Richard Varn on the current state of affairs for funding issues in virtual education. Both the author and Senator Varn suggest that such conflict over financing of virtual schooling could be best handled by cost capturing. That is, there are many opportunities to redirect state budgets to allow for virtual education. Chiefly among them are, state-to-state and district-to-district credit acceptance of online learning, and dual enrollment or articulation agreements among highschool and post-secondary institutions. Perhaps the Minnesota State solution is best, the dollars follow the student model is argumentitively the most student-centered and cost effective, even if it means more virtual schooling.

Topic Two: Efficacy and Pedagogy-A case for the Virtual Environment

Detroit has a large variety of alternative schools, but they seem doomed to fail from a curriculum and instruction planning perspective due in part to their similar approach to pedagogy from the very institutions these At-Risk student came from. That is, in theory let's say we take 100-200 students who for a variety of reasons (social, economic, etc.) have not succeeded in the traditional high school. Now we concentrate them in an environment where they are now faced with a "last chance" mentality, with the same curriculum and instructional methods, or even "dumbed down" material, and we expect them to succeed? This is where I believe we fail these students.

Brick and mortar type schooling may not be the answer for this group. Perhaps it is time to give this special population a chance at online learning instead of "Last Chance" learning. A place where many of the instructors are not highly qualified, or even certified! Why not instead, allow them the latest technology, a more interactive curriculum, and more importantly, the necessary job-related higher order thinking skills that virtual schooling has to offer.

Brad.