Distance Education: Middle & High School Sara Carchidi & Glenn Wishner

Middle School: General Information There are 3 main types of on-line classes available to students: 1. Virtual charter schools 2. State sponsored schools 3. Independently run school district schools Four main items to consider on student performance in an on-line class. 1. design of the program 2. demands of the content 3. abilities of students 4. quality of teachers. The research available shows these are the areas that impact student achievement the most.

Middle School: General Information On-line classes is a rapidly growing trend for students. 1,030,000 k-12 students nation-wide took on-line classes in the school year. By /3 of public school districts offer or have students enrolled in on-line classes. 68% - High school 2% - Middle school 1% - Elementary school 37 states now offer on-line classes Although many students are choosing to take on-line classes, there has been very little research done on this topic and how it affects student learning and achievement.

Middle School: Pros As for adult learners, DE classes offers a great deal of flexibility for students to manage their time and learning. There is a lot of potential for teachers to share materials and ideas in a cost effective manner. High quality teachers – many virtual schools require 3 years of teaching experience, state certification and highly qualified teachers. Most teachers come from traditional classes. On-line classes offers students the capabilities to make good use of ICT (information and communication technologies) skills which can be put into practice in real world situations.

Middle School: Pros Highly motivating. Expands access to education for students. Helps to improve student outcomes and skills (especially in technologies). High quality learning opportunities Teachers report they are able to help students individually and differentiate learning.

Middle School: Cons Difficulty in obtaining approval or accreditation for schools. Many students may not have the retention or readiness (traits often shown by adult learners) to keep up with on-line classes. Teachers who may adopt on-line classes may not adopt the new pedagogy that goes along with it. No curriculum standards for the technology applied in on-line classes.

Middle School: Cons It is difficult to control cheating because there are many resources at a students’ disposal within an environment that teachers cannot control. There is a lack of social skills that can be acquired in an on-line environment. There is, traditionally, little training for high quality teachers and use of technologies and pedagogy. On-line degrees may not have as much credibility when applying to colleges moving into the work force.

High School: General Information Online high schools are online programs that students enroll in to complete their high school diploma. There are several types of online high schools: Public, Private, Charter, University-affiliated, Accredited, and Non- accredited Only public schools need to follow state mandated curriculum 100 %Online public high school and online charter schools are free of charge. Universities accept students who have completed online high school as long as the program is accredited.

High Schools: General Information Continued Many online high schools are required to have gym requirements. Students may work at their won pace, but still have deadlines. It is only a myth that online students have less work then traditional students. Students may still participate in extra-curricular activities with traditional students in some areas.

High School: Pros Flexibility Less distractions May receive diploma at an accelerated rate Can do your work at your own pace The time that would be spent at school can be spent working or pursuing something else desirable.

High School Cons Students do not have the opportunity develop social skills as they would in the traditional school setting. Students that need the hands-on help will not be able to have that teacher-student interaction. Only accredited online schools are accepted by colleges & universities. Students will not be able to be successful if they are not self motivating

Publications & Recent News 1. This article about the start of distance education around the world. The article focuses on The United States on page This article talks about 32 different trends that have an impact on distance education Current study on distance education in the high school setting This is an article that discusses how online education has changed education and the classroom.

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