Journal #4

Virtual Schools as Hotbeds of Reform
By Anita McAnear
L & L with Technology
October/November

According to this article, online learning is becoming a model for school reform. It highlights the positive aspects of having online courses be incorporated into the high school level. Those benefits are: highly interactive courses, more self-paced, individulized learning, flexible, student centered, and additional support. The article does not point out the possible downsides of online learning or virtual schools. It does say that regular attended classes could be supplemented with online tutorials and availability of class texts and syllubus. If nothing else, this provides students with an opportunity to utilize technology with their learning.

1.) What are some of the downsides of online courses?
Answer: I think that the lack of personalization can cause some learners to get lost and lack the passion for the material. It may be hard to hear back from a teacher when needed in time and this could cause some students to get lost in the material. I know if I were taking classes online in high school instead of in person, I may not have had the motivation to work hard for that good grade.

2.) The article said that 75% of the teachers who taught online courses said that they changed the way they taught. In what ways specifically?
Answer: Well, it doesn't say but I assume that since they aren't using their voices and talking face-to-face, they have to have really good internet ettiquette. They need to figure out how to communicate effectively through a keyboard and email. The article didn't say whether the changes they mad were good or bad, I guess we have to draw our own conclusions!