It’s Official – 2010 is Online Education’s Break Out Year per Bill Gates

It’s Official – 2010 is Online Education’s Break Out Year per Bill Gates

If 2009 was the year of Community Colleges, the vast media coverage already surrounding Online Education should make 2010 its Break Out Year. For those looking for further support of this growing space, they only have to look as far as Bill Gate’s Annual Letter (his second since fully joining The Gates Foundation).

Click to read The Annual Letter, in its entirety, covers topics such as:

Innovation
Childhood Deaths
The Miracle of Vaccines
Malaria
Polio Eradication
HIV/AIDS
Helping Teachers Improve*
Online Learning** Page 12
Agriculture

Re: Online Learning, Mr. Gates starts by stating that even with the plethora of education technology (Ed Tech) currently in the market, it has not fundamentally changed education in any measurable or concrete way, i.e. in pedagogy, medium, delivery, etc. Furthermore, he sees the number of players increasing because the escalating costs of education will further force traditional learning mediums to take advantage of the economies of scale the internet offers. Successful options will probably be a combination/hybrid of face-to-face learning and online education.

Mr. Gates believes that the hangup that is preventing this sector from exploding and going viral is the lack of aggregated content – not just a list of videos, but those that contain interesting and engaging teachers and professors. For better or worse, the Internet Age will force educators to not only teach and inform, but entertain, as well. Unlike being in a classroom, where you are in a confined space, online students can tab over to another video, play with itunes, play with Facebook, or even worse, close the lesson altogether. You have to figure out a model that delivers the content, but also can maintain interest and attention when you’re competing with Facebook and “Pants on the ground.”

Mr. Gates believes that the industry is still too young for large companies to define themselves and make a presence, so the future right now will depend on a collaborative effort between a market made up of small companies and start-ups and non-profit organizations.

Make way for online learning

Make way for online learning – it’s not will it catch on? It’s how fast can we implement?

“There is no question that online learning is in our future,” Regan says. “It’s not a question of if, but of how and how much.”

According to the task force’s report, released in December, up to 25 percent of high school students’ learning could take place online in the “very near future.” Alabama and Michigan already require that high school students take and pass at least one online course to graduate.

“The digital generation of students in our schools demands that we learn how to use technology to engage them. These students are engaged every day in consuming — and creating — knowledge through digital learning. If we do not figure out how to use online learning within our school system, we will become obsolete.”

Some students enroll in online classes to supplement regular schoolwork, while others are forgoing brick-and-mortar schools entirely. They go online to make up credits, to explore specialized interests, in response to health concerns, access advanced offerings or simply because they prefer it.

Regan acknowledges that she did not appreciate how far behind Oregon is in meeting students’ needs through online learning prior to participating in the committee, which concluded its work in December.

But she says she quickly realized it is a teaching method that makes sense for many students, and now advocates a “hybrid model” in which most students attend traditional classrooms but also have opportunities to take classes online within their school day.

“The majority of students still benefit most by attending a physical school because of the social aspects of education and the unique qualities of the face-to-face instruction it provides,” Regan says. “But there are students for whom high-quality online classes can be more effective or a valuable addition to traditional learning.”

Learn more about the task force’s work in a report that Regan delivered to the Portland School Board this month. The task force also wrote a report and submitted recommendations and draft legislation to the Oregon Legislature intended to tighten or clarify policies surrounding online schools and coursework.

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What impact will online learning have on you as a teacher a year from now?

We want to know what you think?

What impact will online learning have on you as a teacher a year or five years or ten years from now?

How will you work?
Where will you work?
What will happen with the traditional schools?
Will the blended model work?
Will it be a home based business of teaching online?

Let me know your thoughts, as this is an important question and we’re trying to understand

Online learning is an educational option

Online learning is an educational option

Online learning is growing at an exponential rate in this country at both the K-12 and college levels, and this pace is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. An article published in the Arizona Republic this week indicated that “more than 26,000 Arizona students took K-12 online courses last year.”

Today’s student, both K-12 and adult, are often times looking for greater flexibility and choice as learners or in some cases may face geographic barriers to learning, which are fueling this dramatic change to the educational landscape.

Online education will continue to grow, and we must be prepared for this new learning component. I look forward to the opportunities students will have in by embracing technology. As time progresses online learning will not only impact our K-12 system, but also our entire communities and the world.

Virtual classes are equalizers

In a recent series of articles on Advanced Placement, The Dallas Morning News notes disparity in course availability among schools. There is an innovative approach that removes geographical barriers, ends inequity in educational opportunities and best yet — already exists in Texas — the Texas Virtual School Network.

Enacted in 2007 and expanded in 2009, the TxVSN allows students to access online courses beyond those offered by their schools. Whether in a small rural districts or inner city districts, students can access the same challenging, state-approved courses taught in our most resource-rich districts.

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Online schooling is the best way to educate your kids in an exciting way!

Our Virtual online school is an accredited online school that teaches academics entirely through online modules. Which are currently serving an education for children from grades 6-12. Our online virtual school has certified teachers that are available twenty four seven for your children’s every needs. Online schooling is the best way to educate your kids in an exciting way. Having a virtual online school inspires the younger generation to want to have an education. When your child is inspired to work hard and earn good grades this mean excellent outcomes.

Our Virtual online school is a new horizon for education. We are currently offering full curricular activities for students in grades 6-12. Your child will enjoy being able to go to school online from home. With online interactive learning your child will want to keep learning more, and more. Our Virtual online school can help improve your child’s academic scores. Children and teens can benefit from virtual online school. Going to a virtual school online is very affordable, and gets to be completed in your house with your children. Going to school online can be a wonderful privilege for your child or teen. We have core courses in mathematics, language arts, science, social studies, and your child’s chosen electives.

Getting an education online couldn’t be simpler. Each enrolled student will be assigned their teacher. There teacher will be able to explain with an online drawling board any questions the student might come across. You child or teen will get an awesome virtual learning experience with our virtual online school. Our Virtual online school is Accredited so do not worry. Your children will be learning in a safe environment each day at home using their Laptop computers (which are free with all new enrollments)! The curriculum is solid and challenging. All of the teachers are helpful and very understanding.

What are you waiting for? Request information today about our online virtual school and switch your kids to an online virtual school where they can excel.

How to Earn Your High School Diploma at Home

Teenagers who are, for some reason or other, unable or unwilling to leave their homes for education can opt to study at home – even to earn high school diploma at home. Various educational levels are also available to be had at long-distance, even college level courses.

Long-distance learning was first conducted through correspondence courses. Course materials such as books, worksheets, and examinations were all made available through courier or post. This method was a breakthrough in its time, allowing teacher and student to be farther apart, even located oceans and countries away, as long as the mail service reached both of their locations.

Correspondence courses allowed those people who used to be unable to receive education to gain new possibilities. These courses allowed for the dispersal of education to areas that either could not support full educational institutions of their own or are too far from the more heavily inhabited areas such as the cities.

With the onset of the internet and its accompanying technologies, long distance learning became even more popular. When materials used to be distributed only by mail or courier, now these materials could be distributed through the internet! And the rise of the technology level also allowed for newer forms of media to be used in instruction, such as digital images, videos and movies, animations, and programmed applications.

These courses can be certified, and could lead to the same qualifications as the more traditional courses in actual schools.

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Should You Let Your Child Attend Virtual High School?

Online schools which are designed to provide your child with a high school diploma are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, many traditional high schools are providing students with the option to completely most of their courses through online classes and still be able to walk in graduation with the rest of their class. If virtual high school sounds appealing to both you and your child, there are several things that you should be sure to ask yourself before allowing your child to earn a high school diploma through an online school.

Does My Child Want to Do This For the Right Reasons?

A lot of the time, children simply do not want to go to school. Whether it is because there is a bully there or if they feel as though they would rather sleep all day, school is not something that they look forward to. If you feel that your child does not seem to want to attend virtual high school for the right reasons, it is a good idea to reconsider. Of course, there are many instances in which it is acceptable for your child to want to attend school online. Some of the most common reasons that students attend online school include the need to balance work and school, special gifted programs that the local school does not offer, or students who come from families who are constantly moving around. Returning high school students, no matter what age, often choose online high school. No matter what the reason is, it is important to talk it out with your child beforehand.

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Start Your Own Virtual School for Grades 6-12

Start A Virtual School

Visit our Website for more Information

Have you been thinking of starting your own online virtual school? Are you a charter school or private school that wants to expand your current brick and mortar operations? Are you a homeschool association that wants to offer virtual learning to its members?

If so, this the best time to join our affiliate program and begin offering virtual courses for Grades 6-12 in your custom branded online Middle school and online High School.

Well, you can for only a fraction of the cost of what you probably think.

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4. You retain most of the funds collected.

Educational institutions (Public, Private, and Charter), individuals, or entrepreneurs can establish an online presence to extend the reach of their existing brick and mortar schools or homeschool organizations.

The Virtual Home school offers a proven learning management system (LMS) and curriculum development program that can save you many years of effort. We have used our LMS to educate over 6000 students in grades 6-12 over the past 6 years. It’s been proven; virtual learning works. We have over 150 full and half credit courses to choose from and are constantly developing new courses every quarter.

Start your own online virtual school today. We will work closely with you in every phase of program establishment and development to help you adapt our proven program to your desires, but the daily administration is yours. You can form your own board of directors, choose teachers and set tuition rates. If assistance is needed for school administration, that service is available also.
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Home Schooling Goes Mainstream

“I never really told anybody about my music at school, only my really close friends,” Cheyenne Kimball told People Magazine in 2006. “Then [school officials] actually aired the show around the whole entire school, and that caused a lot of problems. I was a straight-A student and all of a sudden I didn’t want to go to school anymore because of the things people were saying. That’s why I’m homeschooled now.” Cheyenne, winner of NBC’s America’s Most Talented Kid at age 12, recording artist, and star of her own MTV show, is just one of many high-profile Americans whose educational choice is home schooling. Movie stars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, married in 1997, home school their two children alongwith Will’s nephew. Why? “For flexibility,” Pinkett Smith told an Essence reporter, “so they can stay with us when we travel, and also because the school system in this country—public and private—is designed for the industrial age. We’re in a technological age. We don’t want our kids to memorize. We want them to learn.” While home schooling may have particular appeal to celebrities, over the last decade families of all kinds have embraced the practice for widely varying reasons: no longer is home schooling exclusive to Christian fundamentalism and the countercultural Left. Along with growing acceptance of home schooling nationally has come increasing diversification of who home schools and of what home schooling actually means.

By the 21st century, state laws were well established and uncontested, though nearly every year state legislators or judges, especially in the most permissive states, seek to increase regulations on home-schooling families in the name of accountability. Such initiatives nearly always fail due to the astonishing grass-roots organization and political mobilization of home schoolers. The most recent challenge to home schooling arose when a California court cited a 1929 state law that ostensibly requires home tutors to be state-certified. After several months of protests and concomitant uncertainty for the 160,000 home-schooled children in the state, the court reversed the ruling to permit home schooling as a “species of private school education” and came surprisingly close to finding in the federal Constitution a right to home school.

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