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Saturday, September 24, 2005

Virtual School Students

First of all, I apologise for not posting that much lately. I will advise up front that this is going to be a busy semester for me and all of my blogging will probably suffer because of that. I will try and use the spare blogging moments that I have to compose multiple entries for timed release as not to have too many holes (like this last ten day one).

Over the past few weeks, I have been seeing more and more blog entries that are discussing the types of students that virtual schools are suited for. For example:

Thanks to Darren at Teaching and Developing Online for the majority of those entries.

Now, the last time that I talked about this kind of topic was back in July, when I discussed Generation M? (although you will find additional posts on the topic, such as Do today's students think differently?, Will the virtual classroom redefine what it means to be a student?, and Students with neomillennial learning styles).

All of these items are trying to address the same fundamental question... What type of student is suited for learning ina virtual school environment? In the past, research has told us that independent, self-motivated students were the ones that would do well. But this doesn't seem to be as much the case anymore, particularly as students are growing up with technology all around them and the medium is no longer a major factor in message that these students receive.

This leads to a bigger, and in my opinion more important question, how do we design virtual school opportunities so that all students are able to take advantage of them?

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Wednesday, September 14, 2005

New Website/Group to Watch

Just wanted to point out a new website/group that was brought to my attention by one of my readers:

NCSW: National Charter School Watch List (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NCSW/)

According to their website, "this list is created to be a means of informing, documenting and evaluating available information concerning the impact of virtual/charter schools on the homeschooling community."

Should be interested to see what is posted here, as I've mentioned in the past that the role of homeschooling in virtual schooling is one that still preplexes me (see Growing Number of Homeschoolers in Virtual Schools).

In any regard, you'll see the site belonging to this homeschooling mom added to my list of links at the bottom right.

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Thursday, September 08, 2005

Five Virtual School Blogs for BlogDay

Sorry I have been out of contact for a while, but I'm teaching two classes this semester, co-teaching two, taking one and I defend my comprehensive exams tomorrow... So, I've had a busy few weeks.

Anyway, it took me a while to find this, but Nate Lowell included me a week or more ago in his 5 for BlogDay. The basic idea is that if you have been named in someone's blog, that you reference it and provide five blogs of your own. Thanks Nate...

For my 5 blogs that I want to highlight, I'll include the following:
  • Teaching and Developing Online - Darren Cannell's blog which focuses on the teaching of High School online
  • Derek's Blog - a friend of mine in New Zealand, Derek Wenmoth of CORE Education Ltd, who discusses the impact of technology in education, particularly in changing the nature of the contemporary classroom
  • Deciding About School's Online - a group from Ohio that is looking at online learning through the lens of charter schooling (I disagree with a lot of what they say, but it is provocative all the same)
  • Virtual School - a blog that I'm hoping that the guy will pick up again, as he had some interesting ideas starting off
  • AECT's Division of Distance Learning - the blog of the particular division I belong to of the professional association for IT people

Hope these guys pick up on this and pass their own 5 blogs on.

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