Getting With Online Courses

1
Getting With Online Courses
In-Line
PASCD 2002Hershey, PA
Jane Glass Alexandra Short Manheim Township
School District, Lancaster, PA
jane_glass_at_mtwp.k12.pa.ushttp//www.mtwp.k12.pa
.us/jane_glass/ alexandra_short_at_mtwp.k12.pa.us
2
Agenda

• Existing Program Overview
• An Inside Look
• Transitions to Online (variations)
• Getting Started (a PA. example)
• Options Opportunities (input?)

3
1. Existing Program Overview

• The Early Versions Common Perceptions
• DE/ IS/ CC

• The Frontrunners, circa mid-1990s
• FLVS (Florida Virtual School)
• Began in 1997 with 1.3 M state funding now at
  6.2 M
• 6900 currently enrolled

4
1. Existing Program Overview

• The Early Versions Common Perceptions
• .
• The Frontrunners, circa mid-1990s
• FLVS
• .
• .
• VHS (The Virtual High School, Concord (MA)
  Consortium)
• 7 yrs. old began with 7.5 M grant
• 2500 currently enrolled

5
1. Existing Program Overview

• The Early Versions Common Perceptions
• .
• The Frontrunners, circa mid-1990s
• FLVS
• .
• .
• VHS
• .

• The Virtual Programs List
• http//www.dlrn.org/virtual.html
• The Categories
• Private /For-Profit Companies (APEX)
  Private K-12 (Keystone)
• State education-operated (FLVS) State
  Chartered (EINSTEIN)
• Regional Agencies / Consortia (VHS, IU13)
  Public School In-House

6
2. An Inside Look - A

• Talking With Veterans
• Bulletin Board Discussion from A Tour of Duty -
  
• The Vietnam War Its Societal Implications

Sarge Lintecum 3 tours of duty (1966,67,68)
Sergeant - U.S. Army. Lives in Tempe, AZ.
Don Lunday 2 tours of duty (1966-67 1972-73).
Major - Special Forces. Lives in Carlisle, PA.
7
2. An Inside Look - B

• Talking With Veterans
• Bulletin Board Discussion from A Tour of Duty -
  
• The Vietnam War Its Societal Implications

8
2. An Inside Look - C
Talking With Veterans
9
(No Transcript)
10
3. Transitions to Online (variations)

• Kathleen Vail, American School Board Journal,
  Sept. 02
• http//www.asbj.com/2002/09/0902inprint.html
• From the article, A New Kind of School
• Getting involved with on-line learning
• doesnt mean you must develop a
• full-blown online school, of course.
• Online learning and virtual schools
• come in various packages.

• Dr. Thomas Oblender, Asst. Superintendent,
  Manheim Township SD
• initiated MTs Virtual High School program in
  1999
• recently implemented a 3 yr.plan to have all
  teachers
• in grades 6-12 integrate online components in
  classes
• A continuum of options
• Traditional - Integrate Technology - T
  - Virditional - Virtual

11
3. Transitions to Online (variations)
A continuum of options Traditional
Delivery - Integrate Technology -
T (Integrate Online Course Tools) -
Virditional - Virtual
12
3. Transitions to Online (variations)
A continuum of options Traditional
Delivery - Integrate Technology -
T (Integrate Online Course Tools) -
Virditional - Virtual
13
3. Transitions to Online (variations)
A continuum of options Traditional
Delivery - Integrate Technology -
T (Integrate Online Course Tools) -
Virditional - Virtual

• Integrating Online Course Tools Practical Uses
  -

14
3. Transitions to Online (Practical Uses)

• Even without creating / using online courses,
• there are many practical uses of online
  tools
• for traditional classrooms / teachers

E-mail Discussion Boards Electronic HW
Dropbox Quizzes Guest Speakers Enrichment
Options Inquiry Projects/Webquests Multimedia
Projects Archive of Presentations Resource
Center / Vault
15
3. Transitions to Online (variations)
Teacher Tools Sites

• Blackboard http//www.blackboard.com
• Copernicus Education Gateway http//www.schoolno
  tes.com/
• Filamentality http//www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/
  fil/
• Hyperstudio http//www.hyperstudio.com/
• My Project Pages http//www.myprojectpages.com
• Nice Net http//www.nicenet.org
• Quia http//www.quia.com/
• Quiz Center http//www.school.discovery.com/qui
  zcenter/quizcenter.html
• Quiz Lab http//www.funbrain.com/quiz/index.ht
  ml
• WebQuest Templates
• http//edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/matrix.html
  http//www.macomb.k12.mi.us/wq/wqdmain.htm
  http//school.discovery.com/schrockguide/webque
  st/webquest.html

16
3. Transitions to Online (variations)
A continuum of options Traditional
Delivery - Integrate Technology -
T (Integrate Online Course Tools) -
Virditional - Virtual
VIR-tual tra-DITIONAL Virditional
I took a virtual class last year, but I like
this years virditional format much better.
Having a time to work on the course each day
helps keep me focused, yet I can still work at
my own pace.
17
3. Transitions to Online (variations)
A continuum of options Traditional
Delivery - Integrate Technology -
T (Integrate Online Course Tools) -
Virditional - Virtual
Lisa I was intrigued by the idea of being
able to work at my own pace. Sometimes the pace
in the classroom is too fast or too slow for me,
depending upon the subject matter.
Jordan I really needed additional help with
my writing skills, but I couldnt fit traditional
Compositioninto my already busy schedule.
Online Comp. was the perfect solution.
18
3. Transitions to Online (variations)

• Virtual

• Purchase Slots - Students or schools may purchase
  slots in courses that have been
  developed by other schools, groups or
  private companies.
• students have instructors from outside own
  district
• Purchase/Lease Courses - Schools can purchase or
  lease courses that have already
  been developed by other schools, groups
  or private companies.
• own teachers may be trained to manage/facilitate
• Create - District uses its own staff members to
  develop/ design courses for
  its own students.

You dont have to re-invent the wheel
Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco
19
3. Transitions to Online (variations)

• Purchase/Lease from states, regions or consortia
  

• Florida Virtual School
• http//www.flvs.net/
• Lancaster-Lebanon IU13
• Partners to Access Virtual Education
• www.iu13.org
• Virtual High School, Concord Consortium
• http//www.govhs.org/website.nsf

20
3. Transitions to Online (variations)

• Purchase/Lease from private, for profit
  companies

• Apex Learning, Inc.
• www.apexlearning.com
• Class.com
• www.class.com
• eEducation / JonesKnowledge.com
• http//www.jonesknowledge.com/
• Lotus /Learning Space
• http//www.lotus.com/

21
(No Transcript)
22
4. Getting Started

• Allan Jordan, Web Academy Principal in N.C.
• http//www.asbj.com/current/Sept02ASBJS1.pdf
• Districts need a vision of what they want online
  learning to beplanning is keyallow timeYou
  need to begin with time lines, but you need
  flexibility and patience.

• William Thomas, Southern Regional Education
  Board
• http//www.sreb.org/programs/EdTech/pubs/PDF/Stat
  eVirtualSchool.asp
• 6 Steps to consider
• 1. Establish a vision / a plan / identify goals
• 2. Identify courses needed
• 3. Secure organize staff personnel
• 4. Locate sources of funding
• 5. Establish standards for program quality
• 6. Evaluate program regularly

23
4. Getting Started (a local example)

• Manheim Township Virtual High School
• (1999)
• Research / School Board Administrative support
• Visit to Florida Virtual School (98-99 school
  year)
• School District funding for 3 long-term
  substitutes
• Consortium Agreement
• Collaboration with I.U.13
• 2 staff members released part-time
• Staffing / Released schedule (99-00)
• 3 teachers full year (1 semester to develop, 1
  semester to pilot)
• 1/2 tech support person
• Mission / Planning stage (Aug./Sept. 1999)
• MTSD Mission
• MTVHS Mission

Dr. Sharron Nelson, MTSD Superintendent
Mr. David J. Hanna, MTHS Head Principal
24
4. Getting Started (a local example)

• Manheim Township Virtual High School
• (1999 - current)
• Staff Training
• Internet research
• Webpage design
• Claris Homepage
• Macromedias Dreamweaver (switched in August
  2001)
• Software / Platform selection
• WebCT (Fall, 1999)
• Blackboard (switched in August 2001)

25
4. Getting Started (a local example)

• Manheim Township Virtual High School
• (1999 - current)
• Course Development (Timeline)
• Virtual Pilot / Revisions (1st yr., Spring, 2000)
• Volunteer students 12-20 per course Lottery
  system
• Began with an Online Orientation Module
• Student surveys
• Who, why, how?
• Course catalog status
• DEMOS !
• PAVE account http//iu13.blackboard.com

26
IU13 PAVEPartners to Access Virtual Education

• Family and Consumer Management
• Global Perspectives
• Health
• History and Technology (X)
• Landmark Cases of the Supreme Court
• Math-Internetics
• Societal Implications of
• the Vietnam War

• African American History
• Algebra I
• Art of Composition
• Astronomy
• Civics and Economics (X)
• College Algebra
• English 12 British Literature
• Enriched Algebra II (X)
• Exploring and Discovering
• the Wonders of the Internet (X)
• (X) no sample lesson available

27
4. Getting Started Timeline of Courses

• 1999-2000 began with 3 teachers
• Family Consumer Management,
• Health
• History of Vietnam War
• 2000-2001 added 3 teachers
• African - American History,
• Astronomy,
• Composition
• 2001-2002 added 2 teachers
• Civics / Economics,
• English 12,
• Global Perspectives
• 2002-2003 no new teachers added
• English 11 American Literature
• European Studies
• 3 YR PLAN All teachers in grades 6-12 will
  receive Blackboard training
• and incorporate its components into classroom
  management/instruction.

required course
28
4. Getting Started Demographics Growth
1999-2000 38 pilot students enrolled 38
completed passed courses
2000-2001 162 students enrolled 137
completed passed courses
2001-2002 Fall 194 students (virtual
virditional) 183 completed passed
courses Spring 249 students (virt.
vird.)
2002-2003 750 enrollments (virtual
virditional)
29
4. Getting Started (a local example)

• Manheim Township Virtual High School
• (Fall 2001 - current)
• Virditional delivery added
• 2 Virditional Labs (w/computers)

30
5. Options Opportunities (input)

• After listening, observing and reflecting,
• what might YOU list as some of the benefits
• of online learning?

31
5. Options Opportunities
Some advantages of an Online Course
Out-of-school access - anytime,
anywhere Participation is open to EVERY student,
not just the 1st hand up Technology competency
skills improve Innovative delivery and current
resources Opens traditional schedule for extra
class (es) No face-to-face peer pressure, anxiety
or intimidation Schedule / pace is flexible and
individualized
32
5. Options Opportunities
Online courses can provide

• curricula that may be unavailable in own district

• alternative educational options for homebound,
• medically restricted, and those with
  school-phobia

• test-taking when prepared to do the best work

• early graduation options

33
To preview Lancaster-Lebanon I.U. 13 courses
Access http//iu13.blackboard.com Username
paveguest Password pave Click on IU
Course Demos/ Course Documents
For more information, visit Manheim Townships
Virditional.net site at http//www.virdition
al.net Click on Virditional/Contact Us
OR http//www.mtwp.k12.pa.us/schools/newhs/academi
c/virtual.html Manheim Townships Virtual High
School site
For copies of todays handout and related
articles (scroll down to PASCD) http//www.mtwp.k
12.pa.us/jane_glass/