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The Edutopia Poll
by Sara Bernard
Online courses are on the upswing in public schools across the country as more and more students, teachers, and educational leaders tout their benefits. Supporters say online courses make learning flexible, utilize essential technological tools, and allow schools and school districts to offer a variety of courses they would not otherwise have the resources to offer. In Michigan, completing at least one online course is now a high school graduation requirement. Can online learning be as effective as classroom learning? Tell us what you think.
On-line learning
Submitted by Christine Colella (not verified) on March 3, 2008 - 18:25.
Good for Michigan for requiring an on-line course as a graduation requirement! I am presently taking a course to become an on-line teacher.
As I mentioned in our discussion group on-line, schools need to step up to the virtual world of adolescence. In order to keep our students learning and stimulated, we should be teaching them in the format that they communicate. We should, however, raise the bar and require them to spell and write correctly.
Bravo Edutopia for polling this question!
Online learning
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on February 27, 2008 - 17:13.
I am a cardiac sonogrpaher who is in OIT bachelor degree for echocardiology.I love the distance learning format.I have learned a great deal and am excited about the technolgy.
Online Learning as Part of Daily Traditional Classroom
Submitted by Daryl (not verified) on January 11, 2008 - 07:56.
Online courses should no longer remain separate and apart from the activities of traditional classrooms. The advantages of online curricula should be a welcomed addition to traditional teachers repetoire of activities and curriculum content that enable educators to address individual learning styles and individual capabilities.
When traditional teachers are exposed to quality online curriculum content and utilize such content in the delivery of their coursework, they automatically become the facilitator in the education process while assisting students to become independent learners taking charge of their own education.
I'm gonna be the guy
Submitted by David Phillips (not verified) on November 30, 2007 - 13:50.
Recently one our teachers was complaining in the work room that the trend toward online courses would result in one teacher presenting to multiple classes in several schools. He believed it was a ploy to get rid of teachers. He contended that, if the online class trend continued, the one person teaching would put others out of a job.
While I don't believe his assessment was accurate, I did have a reply for him--"I'm gonna be the guy teaching the online course!"
A fresh approach to teaching gives professionals choices
Submitted by Kevin Handy (not verified) on May 10, 2008 - 21:10.
The concept that online learning will mean the end of teaching is both true and false. The fact is that online learning will always require an approach that is different. Online learning requires at least four actors: instructional designers to create good quality learning that adheres to standards of all kinds, developers with specialty skills in technology and good quality multimedia skills and training. You could combine two roles but not more. Then you absolutely need people who are subject matter experts - people who know the subject inside and out at the level appropriate for the learning. And last but not least you absolutely need facilitators. Teachers in the classroom today will be able to choose from many options. Teaching in 2008 will absolutely change before 2015. And thank goodness. Because teaching needs a fresh approach that gives professionals choices.
Online Learning
Submitted by Cynthia B. (not verified) on November 28, 2007 - 11:49.
Computer and internet technology is here to stay. I see this phenomenon as only growing in leaps and bounds, considering that the young students today have been immersed in technology all of their lives. Technology is a valuable tool in all areas of our lives. This does not mean that face-to-face teaching should be thrown out as no longer a viable tool for learning. I feel online and face-to-face should be used together; based on the dynamics of the material being taught.
Online Education is Here to Stay
Submitted by Carolyn Decker (not verified) on January 24, 2008 - 07:00.
Most definitely online education as well as blended or hybrid learning is really taking education further today to new heights. There is not way an individual classroom teacher is able to teach children and adults of any age from morning through early afternoon if they didn't have the advances of technology to break up the brains need to pay attention and absorb information which makes learning more interesting with the various mediums available today. Everyone learns when learning is made interesting and fun if possible.
Also the flexibility of using online mediums make it easy to meet various schedules of all ages. Also having the access available to the vary remote and disabled individuals who want to learn but can't due to distance from a physical classroom.
Online education is the future and it is here to stay!
The best of both worlds
Submitted by Aya Taliba Ayodike (not verified) on November 6, 2007 - 14:51.
Children of the twenty-first century technological world will chafe if the pace of the audio-centered traditional classroom is slow or the task unimaginative. Heck, we all will. Essentially, effective learning requires both engagement and excitement on the part of the learner. This can occur equally in the classroom and in online learning, it depends on the skill of the teacher or the demands of the programme. Still, online learning can never replace the benefits of the live and direct interaction of two human beings. So the conclusion then is that we can combine and adapt both. Infuse technology as well as excitement into the traditional classroom, and use online learning to speed up and support face to face interaction. There you get the best of both worlds.
online not best for people-centered work
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on October 29, 2007 - 21:35.
When the content of a course is critical, perhaps online courses work best. However, when learning people skills is critical, (as in teaching, leadership, etc.), being face to face (or at least visible to one another) is more important. I think the lines between online, distance, and traditional will continue to blur -- but I hope that we don't lose f2f completely.
The industrial model of
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on October 29, 2007 - 16:12.
The industrial model of education is on it's way out. It never did server learners need but was designed more for the convenience of the providers at the time. Now we can do better with technology and support true learning.
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