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September 2, 2010

Blocking the Future

Some educators see these types of events as principled stands against the shortcomings and hassles of digital technologies. Others see them as rejections of the dehumanization of the education process by soulless machines. Perhaps we ought to view them instead as examples of school organizations that are desperately and inappropriately blocking the future.

AASA :: Blocking the Future

Welcome to the iPod & iPad User Group Wiki

We welcome you to our wiki and blog for supporting iPod & iPad devices in education. Although our focus is K-12, many of the techniques should work for you at any level and with any number of devices. On the wiki side of this site are the deployment and management articles, and on the blog side, you will find the classroom activities (written primarily by teachers) where iPods are supporting achievement improvement for our students. We are posting as many help and how-to articles here as we can and as quickly as we can so you can continue to be successful using iPod devices in your classroom. Please let us know if there are more or different things that you would like to have included here.

Welcome to the iPod & iPad User Group Wiki

K-12 Online Learning Benefits

I have post some survey results on this topic, the survey is just closed and this is the summary of the results.

Comments

• I like online learning really for all the reasons listed above. What I love the most is being able to work in my room, alone, and when/how I want.
• Cyber School has both pros and cons about it. The only thing that I think is difficult in cyber school is the fact that you have to tell yourself to get to work. No one is there to tell you.
• It would be sweet if they did something for grads, but hey, most are graduating from a different school anyhow.
• I think it is best suited for the older grades i do not think it is good for kids who are in kindergarten because they would not know how to read and so in school classes would be better for them in that case. But if the student were in an older grade and they seemed to be more advance maybe they could take cyber school and get ahead on a class and challenge themselves so that they are not bored in their class and sit there and become a problem for the teacher.
• 104 answer above
• You can choose different courses that aren't at your school.
• I like being able to access the course at any time because if I end up with a spare at school, I can go into the course and get some work done. If I sleep the whole day away, I can access the course at night and work on it. :)
• The ability to progress at any pace is extremely good for learning as some people need to do things faster or slower than it is taught in school.
• Nothing!
• i like this course also because you can go at your own pace
• I hate online learning, especially hybrid. The only good thing about it is being able to do everything at home and work ahead.
• It can also be bad for that exact reason as some lazy people will not progress at all.
• Online learning is not for everyone
• Individualized instruction, learning catered to student's learning style, being able to access learning at any time, having a flexible schedule, and being away from distractions are all benefits to online learning.
• Its nice to be able to do this whenever you want and get ahead if thats what you want to do, sometimes its not good when you leave it to the end, because some students do that, it should be prevented in some way, trying to make kids want to finish their work.
• I enjoy cyber school. This is my fourth cyber class.
• It would be great if we could have more lessons suited to everyone's needs. I have one teacher who reads everything and it is very difficult for me to learn because I am not an auditory learner, she doesnt try any new teachings strategies and it is very difficult.
• I think that all students should be exposed to online learning so that they can broaden how they learn.
• I enjoy this cyber school because I have a teacher who knows what he is talking about and will help me, as well as being able to work at my own pace.
• Cyber school is the best school I've been to, Its very flexibly.
• I really like cyber school because i can work at my own pace and it is accessible anytime i want. i really like working ahead and getting stuff done and not wasting time. here you just read your notes that are given and then your assignment. Also if you need help it always there not like in regular school you can only ask in classes and your on your own. i have never had a problem with online courses here and ive taken 2 so far and im sure i will be taking more.
• I'm not doing cyber-math next year, thank you very much >:(
• I like being able to work at my own pace, but there are deadlines, which helps to stop laziness. I think the second greatest benefit to online learning is being able to access your courses at any time, because you can work whenever you are in the mood for working, be it at school, or in the middle of the night when you can't sleep.
• If you need a little more time for one course you can have it, and if you are able to go faster you can do that too.
• I think that online learning helps you to learn to work independent. It is also great because you can access the program whenever you neeed too.
• This is my first cyber school class and I have enjoyed it.
• Being able to learn at one's own pacing helps out a lot with stress from face-to-face school.
• Online learning is good for working on school if you are otherwise unable to gain access to such courses.
• Wherever, whenever the students wants to work on the course, it is accessible to them!
• Also ... it is neat to be able to do homework anytime you want so if you are away you can still access your work and assignments.
• I think online learning can be a great experience for everyone to use and they can be instructed by highly educated teachers and can access learning at anytime, where a computer is available. It also helps kids develop individual learning skills. The only problem is when the computers have problems, then you cannot continue on what you were doing and answers can be lost. Also i think younger kids would need help to figure out how to use the computer.
• Some people have problems trying to get all there work done so they might need more time then some other people. So they won't be able to follow the teachers pace.
• I think that being able to progress at any pace as a student is very important because a student will never feel like he/she is not falling behind, or is not "getting it" fast enough.
• its ok
• It would help if you could have live interactions, as it is some times hard to figure questions out or modify them to what your teacher wants.
• I think this is a good way to get a course done on your own time, or during school. It would be better if you had more time to do things, like the course time was longer because some people that just started the course later, do not have as much time as you normally would if you started the course later, because you'd have to take it after summer. Also it would be alot better if you could do this during the summer, that would help so much for the people who want to do courses during the summer, and such. I would do summer online courses if that was the case.
• this course was great I have told so many people about it
• I enjoy math 9
• It's great
• One thing i like about the online course is that I can access my class at anytime. If i get busy with other school work I do not have to try to cram it all in. With this setup I can do my school work then can catch up with my online course after.
• I think that it applies to all the answer above and that it can be difficult at sometimes but i say that i have learned much more online without distractions and have much better grades than when i was at a school
• The nice thing about having an online course is that I'm able to look at the info whenever I want. It's not like at school when you sometimes can't take a textbook home, or something else that needs to stay in the classroom.
• Being able to get through a course as slow or fast as I want to makes online classes very appealing to me.
• I believe a child can develop learning skills a lot more efficently if he/she can work at their own pace to help them get a good hold on the subject.
• Question One: Its a couple of things, one it offers some courses that have been removed from schools due to lack of students. ect. While the others are that you can take another course during or after school, time..pace, and the teachers of course. Question Two: Im glad cyber school is around!!
• Doing online class allows you to work at your own pace and do your work whenever you want. All the points listed above are all great points and a reason cyber school is a good place for learning.
• I enjoy being able to take classes around my busy schedule.
• I feel like in school there is a lot of time where topics that aren't related to the subject come up and it seems like a waste of time in school a lot of the time. I also like that having the ability to learn online I can learn whenever I feel I want to. I also love that with labtops if it's nice out I can take my learning outside. :)
• Though doing biology 30 online is a bit difficult for me i would prefer doing some of my other classes online.
• This is the best benefit because a student who takes Cyber School can easily work ahead and log on and learn any time, and place.
• It teaches you how to pace yourself and to be focused on getting work done, but at the same time is flexible with busy scheduals.
• It's difficult to keep up with all the work while taking six classes in one semester, so it would be beneficial if we cold move at our own pace and not have to stress over deadlines!
• FLEXIBILITY!!!!!
• I think all the choices in question 1 are benefits of the program. They all work with me , because thats how I learn the best. Although some of my friends arent like this. Personally, I enjoy cyber.
• This is my first time with online classes, and so far I am enjoying being able to work at my own pace.
• I think that it is very important to go at the pace and style of learning that the student is going at. Other wise you wont learn anything.
• Well there are more then one benefit concerning the distance learning system, Like being able to work on your school work at all time and having the chance to have lots of good teachers to help you.
• 164 i like the idea of K-12 learning
• 165 Since you can only choose one answer above I also think that Individualized instruction was great. I feel like I've taught myself so much. And also, being able to access learning at any time was a huge benefit.
• 166 I believe that the greatest benefit to k-12 online learning is that there is far less distractions than in the public schools. Public schools have become a big popularity/social contest.
• I find that an online cource is great for Ability to learn on your own time, access teachers to help you out when ya need help, love having an individual teacher. Thanks for the opportunity.
• you can open it whatever you want. Excellent learning skills because it provides more grapics pictures.
• I like being able to work when i want to and i like working at my own pace.
• All of above mentioned.
• I really enjoyed taking this class because it showed and taught me many new techniques I can use on a computer. Thank you for everything!
• I am not impressed with the Calculus 30 class I am currently taking as there is a serious lack of information given in the course content. In order for me to do well, I must spend many hours looking for information that may or may not help me on the quizzes and assignments. It is very dissappointing.
• because i can fit it in to my schedule
• I like how I can work at my own pace. It takes longer for me to learn the material on cyber school but i understand it better, when i figure it out, then if i was in a classroom.
• I believe cyber school should have less bugs and technical problems
• I loved doing this, it was easy for me to work at my own pace and whenever I wanted.
• In addition to being able to work at my own pace, online classes are great because I can get into my class anytime I want.
• Having a course that is available all the time is such a bonus
• I like that if I don't feel like doing it one day I don't have to. Then the next day I can do a few days worth of lessons. It also helps students to be more independent with their study habits.
• I love that I can do this at my own pace but at the same time I'm a single mother and time is limited for me so the 150 day limit to my course can be a problem at times. It's also really good because I have to work full time to be able to support my kid so I can't be in a class room either it all kind of works out together just need more time perhaps.
• Being able to work ahead of schedule or perhaps behind, is a valuable asset for any student.
• So that you can do what ever you want.
• i like to be able to work at my own pace.
• I believe that as a student it is extrememly beneficial to work at your own pace. Especially for those who are heavily involved in extra cirricular activities. This way they can do school around their busy schedules.
• Actually both the learning being catered to a student's learning style and working at one's one pace are great benefits to k-12 online learning. This system has made it possible for me to succeed where I otherwise struggled because learning was geared for the norm, which did not include me. This program allowed me to learn at my own pace and let me have way less stress and allowed me to find my own way.
• I believe that all of these are very beneficial to online learning. It gives the student opportunities to NOT feel stressed about deadlines, other students, distractions, and be able to do things at their own pace which I have found is the KEY to success in my learning career.
• It's very useful, and I like it.
• I think that providing online classes with a flexible enrollment date and completion date is good for the adult students who are working, have household responsibilities, children, etc..... being a full time student at night on top of a full time job is demanding but having a flexible schedule makes it easier to adjust to.
• I also think that it's good because you can work from home and do it whatever time you want to with having a good teacher always there still to ask questions to.
• I think that online learning is better, because you can learn at your own pace and that you get more individual help to
• Right know i'm enjoying the course because you can do it anytime and at your pace and it is better than a face to face class
• You can do it all on computer. You have to get a certain mark on a quiz before you can continue. Therefore you have to know it before you can go on. All classes should be like that.
• I think it is good to have online learning to make learning accessible to everyone
• I believe that all of the above apply to me.
• This is good for a student because each student's learning styles are different. The potential of online learning is enormous. For those readers that are more Auditory, one could attach auditory links to each lesson. If an individual was more a visual learner, he/she could watch examples through video feeds. If one is a kinesthetic learner he/she could learn through reading the page, step-by-step examples, or assignments. For the earlier years especially, being able to progress at ones owns pace is essential. It's better to take the time, learn and understand something, then to rush through it to meet a certain deadline and not understand. Another up about online learning. Students won't need to be held back a grade unless they failed all their classes in that grade. If it was just one class they failed, That student could take it again next year with the rest of the material in his/her grade.
• Sometimes I would like question answered more quickly.
• i like this, when you work hard, and actually try, you can do a lot better then in class.
• I think it's also very beneficial to students that need a more flexible schedule. Also, students that learn better from reading will also benefit higher with online learning.
• very suitable to different student's skills and work ability.
• I don't have any additional comments.
• This online course has enabled me to have room for classes that I want to take rather than have to take. It gives me a chance to work at my own pace, yet have a teacher there when I have questions.
• Although the main part of the course is the content, if it were not for the teacher interaction it would not have been the same experience.
• i find the online courses make it a lot easier to work at your own pace, especially if you have a busy schedule. i do find it difficult do work with the tricker classes, because you don't always have instant access with the teachers, to help you understand the more complex ideas.
• Being able to go at my own pace knocks off alot of stress
• I like cyber school because you get to work at your own pace. the thing i dont like is that you dont have a teacher telling you how to do it and that it involves lots of reading.
• to me i am some what a stuggler i hate to sit in a class room all day with a subject and an assigment that i could have finished before the teacher even explained it some times i like to be on the go and other times i like to slow it down this is why cybering is the best answer for me it lets me work at the pace i need although some times it would be nice to have a real teacher to talk to about math but as for the other subjects i take its a good program and it lets me free up my calander and get on with other important aspects of life
• I like working at my own pace, and being able to do the work when i feel like it. It's easy because you dont have to go on at certain times and its available any time during the day.
• For some others, they need to learn certain subjects in a slower pace but i would like to leave a comment in regards to elementary cyber school. I think younger children should stick with learning from a teacher, a person to person. I think Cyber should be for higher grades, mostly.
• Its good to learn time management.
• I think the best benefit of online learning is the ability to do work at you own pace. For me I can read through a lot more a lot faster than listening to a teacher talk. Also if there is something that I need to reread I can, and I can still ask a teacher if I need clarification.
• That at a pace of your own you can feel more comfortalble and not have to rush
• I like cyber school
• I think it is very beneficial to be able to work at the pace that I am able to work at.
• Its great to be able to work at your own pace and to learn the info on your own.
• it is easy to do it at home, and you have your own schedule
• Allows for flexibility for Honours and French students within high schools. Most of these students have very little choice in their electives because there are only a single class of them, and have even less choices as they reach their senior year. Having the ability to take some of their courses online allows them to take electives they actually want to take, not simply the only electives that fit into their schedule.
• great time
• I enjoy the cyber school so far but some of the quiz questions are not very clear and the chapters sometimes dont have quite enough information.
• I love being online, because I sometimes get panic attacks in a school setting, and this way I can deal with them in private and still learn everything I need to. I also love being able to go as fast as I want. I finished one of my courses in two weeks because I did a week's worth of work every day. It was awesome.
• You can learn about the computer and how to better use some of the programs to your advantage.
• I think cyber school is good, the only down side is that it'seasy to get behind because you dont have teachers telling you to get to work
• nothing
• I think once in highschool students should begin looking into what they want to be in the future and take classes that would help them succeed in that area.
• I think that you should always have a great teacher
• Good for erratic work schedule.
• It is great to be part of this fantastic format that allows students with limited time to fully take abvantage of their time
• i do wish the website was arainged diferently.
• Cyber School seems to just click to me because people can work at their course whenever they feel up to it. If I understand something, but the rest of the class doesn't, I don't have to sit there for an hour until everyone else understands it - I can just do my assignment and move on.

August 31, 2010

Forgot about other media.

I was discussing our up and coming around the world tour and my mother who is a very wise women asked if I had contacted our local newspaper about our tour. A question which made me think, I tend to forget about any media which is does not use the internet. Maybe the local tv or newspaper might be interested, they have shows and articles dedicated to travel or would they?

The response from the educational community has been overwhelming with 10 schools following his journal and more each day.

Daxtin's Tour Round the World Journal

Maybe we should go mainstream, get sponsors, make a tv show, evaluate hotels, food, clothes, bathrooms...

Anyways starting to get excited...we are 20 days away from departure.

'Race to the Top's' 10 false assumptions

"Race to the Top? National standards for math, science, and other school subjects? The high-powered push to put them in place makes it clear that the politicians, business leaders, and wealthy philanthropists who've run America's education show for the last two decades are as clueless about educating as they've always been.

If they weren't, they'd know that adopting national standards will be counterproductive, and that the "Race to the Top" will fail for the same reason "No Child Left Behind" failed--because it's based on false assumptions.

The Answer Sheet - Educator: 'Race to the Top's' 10 false assumptions

August 30, 2010

The Future is Now...Educational Adventures in Cyberspace

Before I could answer the question of what is the future of education, I needed to dig deeper and ask myself more fundamental questions: What is the purpose of education and what is our job as teachers?. My inspiration came in the form of a pint sized hiring committee of one who asks "Do you think you are preparing me for the world I live in? Do you think I'm going to be ready? Because THAT'S your job!"

The Future is Now...Educational Adventures in Cyberspace