At today's Academic Affairs meeting- where the Division Heads and the Department Chairs gather every six weeks or so- the topic of online learning was raised. This quickly became a vibrant and passionate discussion between and among us. Many initial thoughts and opinions were expressed about the pros and cons of "online learning."
As I came to pack up to leave for today I realized that in our conversation we were not all working from the same definition of the phrase 'online learning.' There were at least two variations:
Online Learning- all learning is done online and the brick/mortar school & classroom are no more.
This was the image that came to mind for some. The idea that students would be sitting affixed to their computers in social and intellectual isolation from one another behind a row of screens. In my opinion I don't think that is what was the intention of the topic nor would this be an idea I support.
Human beings are inherently social animals. Although there are great discussion online about online learning and there are many opportunities for studetns of all ages to learn at their own pace, at a time that is comfotable to them by taking courses online I don't think at this point in time anyone is advocating a move away from "school" being both a place and a process. School as a a communty center (center for community) and gathering place still has great use in the structure of our soceity. School as a physcial location and gathering place serves an essential function in the development of human beings- socialization and the building of community (or network). Manners, values, civility and citizenship are human social skills and these, I think, could not be taught online. We need to sing, paint, dance, eat, discuss, laugh, talk and play together as human beings face to face.
Online learning- an augmentation to the classroom.
This is the place where I think BFS could benefit- learning online as an augmentation to the classroom.
There were some good points brought up at the meeting about the positive contributions that can happen if we as a school approach online learning this way.
-As a small school our students could have the option to take classes online that we cannot offer here due to a scheduling or staffing constraints
-Adding an online component to an already existing class could encourage students to have deeper engagement with the material being studied in that learning online requires engagement as opposed to passivity
-Adding an online component to an already existing class would allow the faculty member to truly practice differentiated instruction- presenting the class material in various ways that would speak to multiple learning styles
-Adding an online component to an already existing class would allow for greater 1:1 attention in that a faculty member can focus and address the needs of each student without the constraints of having to do in a given class period and for the student they could get the attention they need academically without having to 'compete' for the teacher's attention during class time
There are many pros and cons to online learning. I encourage you to gather as much information you can for yourselves as you enter this conversation.
The conversation is already happening in many places. Visit the Independent School Educators (ISED) website to join the community and a conversation about the value of online education.
The conversation about learning online, also called distance learning, is happening here among our students as well. For example-
A few weeks ago a few 11th grade students at BFS came to my office to chat- these are regular visitor. As one he entered he said he had a very serious question to ask me, something he said he'd been discussing at home with his parents. I pushed back from my desk to give him my full attention.
He dropped his bag on the floor haphazardly, planted his feet firmly and used his Public Speaking voice in my very small office-
"WHY do I HAVE to come to school EVERY day at 8:00 in the morning-" he said, with an emphasis on the earliness of the hour, "-when I can learn anything I want anytime I want with this!" he finished holding his well-used, slightly beat-up laptop out in front of him in a huff.
I smiled broadly, offered him a donut and a seat. Our conversation lasted almost 90 minutes as he explained his latest scientific exploration- string theory. We munched and shared resources on sting theory on the internet. Before he left we shared our favorite new applications for the iPhone/iTouch, too.
I did not think he was planning to drop out of school, our conversation included a good deal of things he enjoyed about coming to 375 Pearl Street/55 Willoughby and interacting with the people in the community. I completely understood his delimna...school as process and school as place.
There has been a great discussion about online learning happening on the Independent School Cooperative (iScoop) website that was started by Fred Bartels, Director of Technology at Rye Country Day School. The introduction to the website reads as follows:
If you interested in furthering your readings about online learning and participating in a discussion between and among Independent School educators who are committed to exploring the possibilities of online learning then I encourage you to sign up for the website and join the conversation.
This afternoon it was very hard for me to sit through this conversation without bubbling forth the well-spring of information that I have been wading in for the past few years in various communities about the transformations in education and learning that are taking place in our society now. I just get so excited by the possibilities! I believe that education is the most powerful change agent in society.
These conversations I'm particiapting in have grown quite organically but most trace their seed back to the advent of laptop programs and the idea of anywhere anytime learning.
Now there are new buzzwords like "21st Century skills" and there are positive and negative implications in the new buzz but the underlying concepts are the same. These conversations are influenced by the rapid growth of a media infused society, expanded research into brain development and the realization that our interaction with information spurned now by technology has a direct impact on brain development, voracious developments in technology which have led to an increased production of and access to a variety of information and the relationship between societal innovation and the nature of our school systems which are often still following the model of education developed when we were an agrarian society.
The conversation was *very* exciting.
I've been waiting for this conversation to come to Brooklyn Friends, I just did not want to be the one to introduce it.
So, to add to the conversation (um, online...) and get you started, wading in slowly, here are a few resources:
International Association for K-12 Online Learning
Here is their mission statement from their website- "iNACOL strives to ensure all students have access to a world-class
education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them
for a lifetime of success." I highly reccomend you visit this site for further information.
SLOAN-C A Consortium of Institutions and Organizations Committed to Quality Online Education
On the website is a PDF of a nationwide survey from 2005-2006 reporting on the frequency of online or blended courses in school districts across the nation.
K-12 Online Conference Website
A resource that discusses blended courses using Web2.0 materials and classes taught fully online.
K-12.com
Here are some resources and white papers on online learning in a K-12 enviroment. I reccomend "Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills."
November Learning
Alan Novemeber's website. Mostly a consulting company there are also links to some useful resources and further reading.
Florida Virtual High School
I mentioned this school during the meeting
Virtual High School Global Consortium
Accrediated by Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools, 2008 Distance Learning Award Winner
NAIS Article from the Winter 2009 Issue "Teaching in a 2.0 World"
I highly reccomend if you are interested in this topic that you take a look at the entire Winter 2009 issue.
Do you have other resources to add to the conversation?
How can DIMS help?
As I came to pack up to leave for today I realized that in our conversation we were not all working from the same definition of the phrase 'online learning.' There were at least two variations:
Online Learning- all learning is done online and the brick/mortar school & classroom are no more.
This was the image that came to mind for some. The idea that students would be sitting affixed to their computers in social and intellectual isolation from one another behind a row of screens. In my opinion I don't think that is what was the intention of the topic nor would this be an idea I support.Human beings are inherently social animals. Although there are great discussion online about online learning and there are many opportunities for studetns of all ages to learn at their own pace, at a time that is comfotable to them by taking courses online I don't think at this point in time anyone is advocating a move away from "school" being both a place and a process. School as a a communty center (center for community) and gathering place still has great use in the structure of our soceity. School as a physcial location and gathering place serves an essential function in the development of human beings- socialization and the building of community (or network). Manners, values, civility and citizenship are human social skills and these, I think, could not be taught online. We need to sing, paint, dance, eat, discuss, laugh, talk and play together as human beings face to face.
Online learning- an augmentation to the classroom.
This is the place where I think BFS could benefit- learning online as an augmentation to the classroom. There were some good points brought up at the meeting about the positive contributions that can happen if we as a school approach online learning this way.
-As a small school our students could have the option to take classes online that we cannot offer here due to a scheduling or staffing constraints
-Adding an online component to an already existing class could encourage students to have deeper engagement with the material being studied in that learning online requires engagement as opposed to passivity
-Adding an online component to an already existing class would allow the faculty member to truly practice differentiated instruction- presenting the class material in various ways that would speak to multiple learning styles
-Adding an online component to an already existing class would allow for greater 1:1 attention in that a faculty member can focus and address the needs of each student without the constraints of having to do in a given class period and for the student they could get the attention they need academically without having to 'compete' for the teacher's attention during class time
There are many pros and cons to online learning. I encourage you to gather as much information you can for yourselves as you enter this conversation.
The conversation is already happening in many places. Visit the Independent School Educators (ISED) website to join the community and a conversation about the value of online education.
The conversation about learning online, also called distance learning, is happening here among our students as well. For example-
A few weeks ago a few 11th grade students at BFS came to my office to chat- these are regular visitor. As one he entered he said he had a very serious question to ask me, something he said he'd been discussing at home with his parents. I pushed back from my desk to give him my full attention.
He dropped his bag on the floor haphazardly, planted his feet firmly and used his Public Speaking voice in my very small office-
"WHY do I HAVE to come to school EVERY day at 8:00 in the morning-" he said, with an emphasis on the earliness of the hour, "-when I can learn anything I want anytime I want with this!" he finished holding his well-used, slightly beat-up laptop out in front of him in a huff.I smiled broadly, offered him a donut and a seat. Our conversation lasted almost 90 minutes as he explained his latest scientific exploration- string theory. We munched and shared resources on sting theory on the internet. Before he left we shared our favorite new applications for the iPhone/iTouch, too.
I did not think he was planning to drop out of school, our conversation included a good deal of things he enjoyed about coming to 375 Pearl Street/55 Willoughby and interacting with the people in the community. I completely understood his delimna...school as process and school as place.
There has been a great discussion about online learning happening on the Independent School Cooperative (iScoop) website that was started by Fred Bartels, Director of Technology at Rye Country Day School. The introduction to the website reads as follows:
"Our goal is to build a supportive and challenging online learning
community comprised of independent school educators committed to
collaboratively exploring the design and construction of excellent
online learning communities for independent school students."
community comprised of independent school educators committed to
collaboratively exploring the design and construction of excellent
online learning communities for independent school students."
If you interested in furthering your readings about online learning and participating in a discussion between and among Independent School educators who are committed to exploring the possibilities of online learning then I encourage you to sign up for the website and join the conversation.
This afternoon it was very hard for me to sit through this conversation without bubbling forth the well-spring of information that I have been wading in for the past few years in various communities about the transformations in education and learning that are taking place in our society now. I just get so excited by the possibilities! I believe that education is the most powerful change agent in society.
These conversations I'm particiapting in have grown quite organically but most trace their seed back to the advent of laptop programs and the idea of anywhere anytime learning.
Now there are new buzzwords like "21st Century skills" and there are positive and negative implications in the new buzz but the underlying concepts are the same. These conversations are influenced by the rapid growth of a media infused society, expanded research into brain development and the realization that our interaction with information spurned now by technology has a direct impact on brain development, voracious developments in technology which have led to an increased production of and access to a variety of information and the relationship between societal innovation and the nature of our school systems which are often still following the model of education developed when we were an agrarian society.
The conversation was *very* exciting.
I've been waiting for this conversation to come to Brooklyn Friends, I just did not want to be the one to introduce it.
So, to add to the conversation (um, online...) and get you started, wading in slowly, here are a few resources:
International Association for K-12 Online Learning
Here is their mission statement from their website- "iNACOL strives to ensure all students have access to a world-class
education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them
for a lifetime of success." I highly reccomend you visit this site for further information.
SLOAN-C A Consortium of Institutions and Organizations Committed to Quality Online Education
On the website is a PDF of a nationwide survey from 2005-2006 reporting on the frequency of online or blended courses in school districts across the nation.
K-12 Online Conference Website
A resource that discusses blended courses using Web2.0 materials and classes taught fully online.
K-12.com
Here are some resources and white papers on online learning in a K-12 enviroment. I reccomend "Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills."
November Learning
Alan Novemeber's website. Mostly a consulting company there are also links to some useful resources and further reading.
Florida Virtual High School
I mentioned this school during the meeting
Virtual High School Global Consortium
Accrediated by Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools, 2008 Distance Learning Award Winner
NAIS Article from the Winter 2009 Issue "Teaching in a 2.0 World"
I highly reccomend if you are interested in this topic that you take a look at the entire Winter 2009 issue.
Do you have other resources to add to the conversation?
How can DIMS help?
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