September 2003
September 29, 2003
What do they think?
The Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School does surveys of their students in the chapel. Here are the results of the latest one.
Same Sex Marriage Survey
Question: 1
Have you heard about the change in definition of marriage in Canada?
| Yes | No | Doesn't Matter |
| 59 | 9 | 1 |
| 85.5% | 13.0% | 1.4% |
Question: 2
Do you agree with the courts decision which recognized same-sex unions as marriage?
| Yes | No | Doesn't Matter |
| 37 | 22 | 10 |
| 53.6% | 31.9% | 14.5% |
Question: 3
According to you, can marriage as a social institution between a man and a woman be changed to include same sex unions?
| Yes | No | Doesn't Matter |
| 34 | 25 | 10 |
| 49.3% | 36.2% | 14.5% |
Question: 4
Does Catholic Church support the same sex marriages as the court decided?
| Yes | No | Doesn't Matter |
| 7 | 58 | 4 |
| 8.7% | 84.1% | 5.8% |
Question: 5
Have you ever talked about this issue with your friends, family members and teachers?
| Yes | No | Doesn't Matter |
| 50 | 17 | 2 |
| 72.5% | 24.6% | 2.9% |
September 25, 2003
Hit by a virus.
A cyber school being hit by a virus, is like a physical school catching on fire. For two days we have been fighting the battle and I think we have won.
A few thoughts come to mind:
At the SCCS we picked our developers based on their teaching ability not on their computer skills. This might be the stem of the problem.
Everyone at the pod needs to read their emails about making sure they have installed Norton Antivirus.
Setting your machines to do windows updates and all other possible updates should be done.
Hiring a techie is not something that should be down the list of priorities.
Holy Crow, students get upset when they cannot access their courses.
Holy Crow. teachers and developers get upset when they cannot access their courses.
Holy Crow, those people in charge of the infected server sure were upset.
Holy Crow, I've got a lot of emails to read.
Holy Crow, I don't get paid enough for this job.
September 23, 2003
Notification testing
This is just a notification to see if this systems works. If you get this notification feel free to pass it on to any of your peers who might benefit from becoming part of our community.
Our blog address is:
http://careo.elearning.ubc.ca/weblogs/vschools/
September 19, 2003
Creativity in on-line class
I've been wondering ... (a dangerous activity). How do we create opportunities for students to exercise their creativity in our WebCT classes?
I thought that I was doing so by developing several open-ended tasks that required students to explore the Internet for information and to try using new technologies to create collages, movies, and other visuals. I thought that this would lead to incredible and creative submissions from students and that they would feel empowered and self-reliant.
While some students have reacted to the assignments in the ways I expected, they are very much in the minority. For a majority of students (at the grades 11 and 12 levels) the result of these assignments has just caused frustration and confusion. Many of them have not appreciated the amount of creativity and freedom afforded them by these assignment and wish simply to be told what to do and how to do it.
Perhaps we must challenge ourselves as educators to re-evaluate our assumptions about students' motivations and interests. Maybe we have to reframe our tasks to provide a progression of increasingly creative opportunities to ease the students' fears about having so much freedom.
Frankly, I haven't made up my mind about this issue but, I continue to struggle with it and thought some of you may also be thinking along these lines.
Online Counsellor High School Style
Although the world of Counselling is not new to me, doing it over the internet certainly is. Here are some of my first impressions:
It's the same.
It's way different.
The broader your base of counselling knowledge, the better.
There are tremendous opportunities for adult learners wishing to finish their high school diplomas.
The processes for student tracking, registration etc. are time consuming but effective.
The community bond is much stronger than I anticipated it would be.
The debates are wide ranging, intense and frequent.
Students "imprint" with their teachers.
Some teachers log more hours than they do in an in-person class.
Some teachers log fewer hours.
I need to rethink my view of time boundaries as it relates to my work.
It isn't a learning curve, it is a learning cliff.
There is potential to easily connect high school e students with post secondary e courses.
A large number of academically talented students are attracted to e learning .
A large number of students who have have disconnected from academic life attempt to re-enter through e learning.
Everyone thinks you know how to fix their computer!
Dave Knowles
Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School
September 17, 2003
Cyber Chaplain
Since January 2003, I have been doing chaplaincy online with SCCS. Amazing concept for creating a new way to evangelize. When I was asked by the Bishop to look into that project, I thought, finally all these years of trying to do some web design and exploring the use of Internet for my work as a priest comes to materialization.
I didn't hesitate to respond yes, and jump right into this project. The chapel is made of various links to websites with Christian-catholic content. We have our discussion board where students and teachers can discuss religious topics. Lately I have posted a message about same sex marriages issue, which is being discussed in Canada at the present moment, and I have received 19 replies and it was posted last night. They of course vary, but what's most important, I can easily learn where the students are at with that certain topic.
There are endless possibilities to share the video and audio contents, in the subdirectory of the chapel which I called 'chapel plasma'. I do interviews with priests, asking about their work and ministry. One coming up will be with a Christian rock singer and writer.
I write and report on papal visits, and summarize some documents which are coming up. There is also a prayer intention area where students can drop off prayer requests so others can pray for them. I find that especially important.
If you have any questions about the chapel write me!
Andrew Wychucki [Rev. Fr.]
Wychuckia@scs.sk.ca
Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Kindersley
P.O. Box 40
Kindersley, SK S0L 1S0
tel: +306-463-2306; fax: +
Physics 30 Letter
Here's a letter which our Physics teacher at Sasktoon Catholic Cyber School recently send to his Physics 30 students.
Hello Everyone!
An important question was brought to my attention. One of the students in the class was wondering how it would be possible to obtain equipment to do the labs described in this course. Of course the answer is that it would be very difficult.
First of all certain schools may not have the necessary equipment and secondly there is always the concern about lab safety if there is no teacher supervision when you are doing an experiment. Therefore for the reasons stated, you are not actually required to perform a particular experiment. For every lab, you will be provided with a set of experimental data along with instructions to complete the analysis, conclusion and sources of error.
Unfortunately in a class of this nature you miss out on the hands on experience.
However it is important to know that the real thinking in science occurs with the analysis of the data and in arriving at conclusions based on the relationships that are found from the graphs.
Please note that for the first lab I have supplied you with experimental data, which you can use to plot the distance versus time graphs for both uniform and non-uniform motion. Once you have plotted these graphs, follow the instructions outlined in the analysis to obtain the data necessary to plot the velocity versus time and acceleration versus time graphs. Once all six graphs are plotted then use the instructions provided in the conclusion area to write an actual conclusion.
With regards to the actual lab write-up make sure that you follow the format as outlined in the "Introduction/Overview" area when you open up the page titled "Lab Write-up Outline."
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
Have a good day!
Tihs is knid of Inetrsteinig
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
September 12, 2003
The start of another year.
Someone sent this to me via email...I chuckled.
AH yes the start of another school year,
How it brings joy to so many eyes, mostly to those parents who now realize that teachers are doing an incredible amount of work for the next ten months when they struggled to maintain their own sanity through 2.
On the other hand, some teachers have just begun to relax and started to feel enough confidence to start interacting with adults again as their self esteem, which had been cruelly destroyed from the vigourous school year before, is finally returning to normal levels. So reluctantly, the golf clubs are put away, the booze stockpiled to handle another year and you have to find something new to wear for that first day.
But, you remember that little @#$%^& from last year has moved away (prison probably), and that brings a real smile to your face. Posters line the hallways and classrooms with messages of a postive nature and just once, just once you like to see a poster with a real message. "Enjoy this while it lasts", or "Life is a popularity contest".
The new teachers come in with ideals that you know will get them killed in the first two weeks and hopefully, they can survive. Interns come in scared to even say anything, until the first teacher party, when they will act like it is still university.
The principal will come in with words of encouragement, much like a general talking to his troops, knowing full well that some will not come back alive. But it is the nobility of what you do that will live in the hearts of many for years to come and blah blah blah...blah blah blah...
The super will strut in and shake hands with everyone like some politician, saying you are our most prized possesion. But you fell for "that old line" last year, and laugh out loud when he gives his speech. After all, your prized possesion has been forced to pick up Algebra, Chemistry and Life Transitions in addition to your 40 classes this year. Or even better, a four /five split class. You laugh at the way he talks to the new teachers because he is just eyeing up more cutbacks and wants to put a face to those who will be the victims in June.
And that leaves you, the teacher. Ah yes, and if your math ability is correct, it is only 126 days left till Christmas holidays.
Have a good year everyone and talk to you soon!!!!
September 10, 2003
Online learning: Value for all?
This is an interesting paper that was presented at the AERA annual meeting in 2002. Its stated focus is to investigate the authenticity of the Learning Anywhere Anytime for Anyone philosophy that is so prevalent in current online learning programs. While its focus is on higher education, I think it has some applicability in the K-12 environment. The authors' ambition to develop a systematic procedure to identify the characteristics of a successful online learner has some interesting implications for us as we seek to counsel students about their opportunities to learn.
September 7, 2003
Article on why students are going online in US
Friday's edition of the The Distance Educator Daily News provided a link to an article on why high school students are turning to online...
I was struck by how similar the reasons cited for going online were to those Darren posted earlier... with flexibility being a key motivator. Many of the examples are derived from the Illinois Virtual High School: (http://www.ivhs.org ).
The article also provided an estimate of 40,000 to 50,000 K-12 students in the US. I'm curious if anyone knows those numbers for Canada, or any other countries?
Staff Bios
How do you introduce yourself to your students? We have been using this method but are open to new ideas.
If you have a better method let us know.
What is distance education?
Pure Distance Education can easily be defined by looking at the target. In other words, who are you teaching, who are the students? If the person is never sitting in front of you (the instructor) in the same room, this is distance education.
The problem is the number of variations that this type of education can take. Internet, paper based, video-conferencing, telecasting comes to mind right away.
The definition gets even harder to define when we are talking degrees of distance education. If a student is in front of you (the instructor) for four hours and then one hour on the Internet. When is it distance education, when is it not?
A question comes to mind, when a student in high school goes home (distance) to do homework, he is learning (education) would this be considered distance education? If it is then distance education is not really a new concept.
September 6, 2003
Moral Sense Test
This is a very interesting webpage. Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School has a chapel and I think this might be used by the Chaplin within the student discussion area.
Moral Sense Test (MST): Test Your Moral Intuitions
The Moral Sense Test is a Web-based study into the nature of moral intuitions. How do humans, throughout the world, decide what is right and wrong? To answer this question, we have designed a series of moral dilemmas designed to probe the psychological mechanisms underlying our ethical judgments. By putting these questions on the Web, we hope to gain insight into the similarities and differences between the moral intuitions of people of different ages, from different cultures, with different educational backgrounds and religious beliefs, involved in different occupations and exposed to very different circumstances. Participation in the study is easy, quick and completely confidential. Click above to learn more about our research, and to take the test.
Why did you decide to do online education?
The following answers to the above question were taken from the start up survey at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School. We get asked the following questions often:
What type of students take Cyber School?
What is their reason for taking Cyber School?
Answers can be found in these student responses.
Last year, my grade eight year, i had been asked with some other students, to take Math90 using cyberschool. I did, but was dissapointed that i could not take math10 this year because it doesn't fit into my schedule. So, i had a spare and decided to get a grade 10 credit
This works with my schedule and I enjoy working at my own pace.
I need a credit, and I figured that I would take it on a computer, because that way i can gain the credit, and also gain experience about computers at the same time.
The regular courses take to long for my liking.
Because my school doesnt offer this class
I need this couse to remain in the college of Kniesiology at the U of S. A regular high school class would not fit into my schedule.
Because I figured it would be a good way to catch up so that I can get my life organized.
I believe that I by being able to work at my own pace, I can learn concepts quicker reather that having to wait for other classmates.
Because I am going to be away for a long time, with dance. I still wanted to get Physics 30 into my schedule. This way I will have a lot of options in the future, and will never have to go back and up grade.
Because I wanted to take Learning Assistance in the second semester while keeping my current course load and not defferring Math90
I wasn't happy with the marks I recieved from taking this course through school so I am using cyber school to get the grades I would like to have. I also work a full time job so going back to school to do my up gradeing was not an option for me.
I decided to do online education so I could obtain the final high school class I need without interfering with my university class schedule.
The class that i needed to graduate at school was full
I choose to do Christian Ethics online because this class is not offerd in my school, i wanted to learn more about my religion and faith.
I needed some more clases before I can go to university, but i need to take these classes in a way that it allows me to work at home at my own pace.
I didn't want to go back to high school and I needed this course to get into U of S.
I chose to take this course to help me get extra credits and hopefulle be able to graduate in the year that i am supposed to.
I work full time and have a husband and 2 kids. I would like to have Physics to be able to bid on an up-coming job of which Physics is required.
I find that it is easier for me to learn through my own reading and work rather than class discussion.
to help me gain better organization and time mangaement skills.
I wanted to do a course online because I dont like waiting for other people to finish and I am mostly always ahead.
All through my life, I have been wanting to pursue more, and keep working as hard as I can. Cyber School allows me to work at my own pace. Because I have been taking numerous classes online in my grade 7-10 years, I will be able to free up some of my grade 11 and 12 classes sooner. Most importantly, I like the freedom I have with a cyber class... but at the same time, help is always around the corner.
because i wanted to be able to do my work independantly. I dont like sitting in a class room waiting for the teacher to explain everything and then give out the assignment when there are 5 minutes left of class when i already know how to do it and he/she wont give the assignment to anyone till he/she's done explaining the assignment
I decided to do an online education because I am working towards completing a Grade X Piano exam in January. In order to optimize my time, I thought that taking an online class would be beneficial for me.
I decided to do online education because I want to make the most of my high school career, and taking cyber school along with a full course load will enable me to do that.
My family is moving to Mongolia so I plan to take most classes online.
1) Work on own 2) Work at own pace 3) New way to learn 4) Extra credits and be done Grade 12 faster
I want to keep my options open when I go to University. So I am taking as many classes as possible in school and taking the ones that don't fit into my schedule cyber school.
Easier to concentrate without all the noise of a classroom, and I can be more focused on my work.
I decided to take these online courses because I learn better at my own pace and there was some difficulty with teachers at my school. I also enjoy Cyber School and think it's a great thing to have.
The course that I wanted to take, Christian Ethics 30, was not offered in my school. The only way that I would be able to take the class was by taking it online.
I have been doing SCCS for for 2 years, and it really helps with my schedule at school, and when im away from school, for competition.
I am an independant learner, and I've heard of people who have had great results with cyber school.
To finish my grade 12 and have the freedom I required in doing so since I have 2 children to look after.
i wanna finish this at my own pace, in my comfy room. and my teacher cramps my style hardcore.
And my favourite...
because one day i walked into a wall and when i looked up i saw the cyber school thing and i took it as a sign..
September 4, 2003
School Starts
This going to be a rant, setting up a registration web page...if you have one share it. Ours is working fine at the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School but it was developed from scratch by a great developer. (Thanks Stephanie Baribeau) However, it did take us three years of trying different things to make it work. High School students cannot use webct self registration, because there are seven hundred steps between them wanting a course and actually being in one. Between the wanting and doing there needs to be some screening and checking to make sure they know what they are getting themselves into and are prepared. Anyone out there that has developed a system for getting from the wanting to the doing and the screening that works, please share. Add a comment to this posting and let us know where we can see this system. Our registration pages and process can be seen on the Saskatoon Catholic Cyber School website
So, did this sound like I have had no sleep in four days and tried to register over four hundred students and responded to 700 emails asking...
I am running a pentium 75 with 3.1 windows can I take a course?
NO, try boating since you own such a nice boat anchor, take that pentium 75 tie it to a string use it as an anchour and go catch a trout. Gee, it is great to be a computer snob...lol
or
I forgot my username and passwork what should I do?
Be calm Darren! Be Calm!
You are a Catholic Administrator
Don't say what you are thinking.
Just answer the question!
And so my days have gone, registrations will all be done soon and we will find our sanity somewhere and find the excitement of being an online educator.
My Rant has ended, I feel better...The start of a school year brings out the best in me.
September 2, 2003
Parental Role
Ever wonder what you should say in a parent's letter. Here is what we tell them. Anyone who has a version they would like to share...add it to the comment area. Feel free to use what you see. Remember we use WebCT to teach our courses.
Dear Cyber School Parents.
We would like to congratulate you on allowing your child the opportunity to be part of the cyber school alternative. The Internet enables education to occur in places where it normally does not. It extends resources where there are few, expands the learning day, and opens the learning place. We experienced how the Internet connects people, communities, and resources to support learning. We witnessed how the Internet adds graphics, sound, video, and interaction to give teachers and students multiple paths for understanding. The cyber school developed by the Saskatoon Catholic School System has met with rave reviews. However, one of the reoccurring questions we get asked is:
"What is the role of the parent of a cyber school student?"
Some helpful suggestions are for parents to:
be directly involved in the daily supervision of their student's time on task.
assist their child with time management.
establish an appropriate computer workstation that is semi-private.
maintain communication with your child's teacher/teachers when resolving problems.
Discussion Board Titles
For years now the titles in the WebCT Discussion Board have bothered me because I could not change the name of the Note and Main Discussion Forum. I wanted to change the name to something that I thought would be more friendly. So, I was at the Canadian WebCT conference and asked the question,
How do I change those names?
Here was the answer. Make the note and main discussion forums private. Students then have no access and then you can add new forums and name them anything you want. Now that only took me three years to find a work around.
September 1, 2003
Notepad Log.
The entry before this was my views on Viewlets. View this viewlet. ( it doesn't work) It will explain how to make a Text log. Once you have viewed it, comment on how you might use this tool. We found it works for logging phone calls the teachers make to students. The Notepad Log is saved on the Intranet and then we have the ability to search this log for a specific student. This stops different teachers from calling the home of the same students with the same issue. Viewing this viewlet will give you a view of how to log your activities or whatever.
I used the root word view ten times, not that I was counting.
Michelle dropped me a note that this viewlet did not display. It is gone from the site I found it on. So I will explain it in text...hope it doesn't confuse.
Ok, here goes...
Open notepad,
type in .LOG then save it.
Open it again and see what happens...pretty cool.
Save and open it again.
That is a Nopepad Log.
Now, what would you use that for? Throw some ideas into the comments.
The Neatest Flash File
This is by far one of the coolest uses of flash that I have ever seen. I am not sure what you should use this file for but it is neat. The first time I saw it, I am sure I wasted five minutes playing with it...ok ten minutes...alright maybe a little longer. I do not know where it came from, if anyone knows I would like to give credit.
ActDen Site
I found this site while surfing around and thought to myself...ya know this is a pretty neat site. I like the flash and the interaction. Some of the activities on the site might be useful to enhance and support course material at the grade 8-10 level.
actDEN (Digital Education Network): Software Tutorials and Online Courses
actden (Digital Education Network) has been your resource for online learning since 1995.
