Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/55384
THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE? Calvo and other virtual teachers are chang- ing how we define teaching and learning, not only in universities, but throughout K-12 schools. Nationwide, more than 250,000 students are enrolled in full-time virtual schools in 30 states, according to the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Cyber schools are the fastest-growing alternative to traditional public schools. "Keeping Pace With K-12 Online Learning (2011)," an annual report by the Evergreen Education Group, says that California's full- time online school enrollment in 2009-10 was about 15,000, an increase of 43 percent from the previous year. At some colleges, students in teacher preparation programs practice classroom management skills with "virtual student avatars" displaying bad behavior in a program called TeachMe. Online schools are popular because they are less expensive to operate than "brick and mortar" schools. They receive the same per- pupil funding even though they may have a higher student-teacher ratio, fewer printed materials, no transportation costs, and little or no building upkeep. Proponents say they prevent students from dropping out if they have trouble functioning in a traditional school setting, are medically fragile, or have other challenges. Students can also take courses that may be unavailable at their local high schools, such as Arabic or German. A few states, including Tennessee, Idaho, Florida and Michigan, require that high school students take online courses to graduate. In Idaho, teachers have pro- tested that money is being diverted from teacher salaries to pay for online courses and laptops for students, and are angry about the lack of teacher input in the process. They have expressed fears that the online courses make the teacher less a lecturer and more a "guide" helping students navigate online courses. California was ranked last among the states in "openness" to online learning by Digital Learning Now, a project of the Foun- dation for Excellence in Education, headed by Jeb Bush. However, petitions are circulat- ing for a November ballot initiative known as the California Student Bill of Rights, which might change that. If it's voted in, stu- dents whose high schools don't offer courses needed to qualify for admission to the Uni- versity of California and California State University systems would have a "right" to It's good because you can go at your own pace. You can go slower or go faster if you want to. And your friends aren't with you, so you can't talk. It's simple, straight to the point and non-complicated. Lily Varela, sophomore hoover high school, fresno TEACHERS HAVE PROTESTED THAT MONEY IS BEING DIVERTED FROM TEACHER SALARIES TO PAY FOR ONLINE COURSES. TYPES OF VIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES Asynchronous e-learning, facilitated by e-mail and discussion boards, supports communication between learners and teachers, even when participants cannot be online at the same time. It is flexible and allows people to log on to an e-learning environment at any time and download documents or send messages to teachers or peers. Synchronous e-learning, commonly supported by media such as videoconferencing and chat, has the potential to support e-learners in the development of learning communities. It is more social and allows students to communicate in real time. Some believe that this kind of learning helps e-learners feel less isolated from classmates and their teacher. Blended e-learning, also known as "hybrid" online learning, blends online curriculum with face-to-face instruction in person. Students may meet with a teacher individually or together for a group lesson. Instruction can be individualized as needed to make sure the student under- stands the online materials. 12 California Educator / February 2012 STUDENT'S VOICE