Virtual Classrooms-Tomorrow's Education Today

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Virtual Classrooms-Tomorrow's Education Today

• A low-risk, high gain approach to teaching in the
  21st century

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What is a Virtual Classroom?

• A virtual classroom is a web-based learning
  environment that promotes self-structured
  education. Learners are able to take a course
  that may otherwise not be offered at their
  convenience. Virtual classrooms tend to offer
  more freedom to learners and teachers alike.
  With certain exceptions, there are no time
  restrictions when participating in a virtual
  classroom setting.

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Benefits for Students

• Students will have a chance to take classes that
  otherwise would not have been offered due to
  budget cuts and time constraints.
• These classes will be geared toward college
  preparation allowing the student to practice for
  college courses.
• Students who may be short credits for graduation
  may be able to make them up online regardless of
  class schedule.

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Students cont

• Students will gain a better knowledge of
  technology and its various uses to better prepare
  them for life in the business world.
• Those students who do not feel challenged by
  currently offered courses can elect to take more
  difficult classes that may not have been offered
  due to poor enrollment.

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Benefits for Teachers

• Teachers can have the option to offer different
  classes they feel students could benefit from but
  were not an option due to time constraints.
• Teachers may suggest online courses for students
  who disrupt normal classes because they are not
  challenged and finish their work early.

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Teachers cont

• Program has the potential to create online
  classes that may better serve non-traditional
  learners and help teachers connect better.
• Teachers could have a better creative outlet
  through the internet courses than through
  traditional textbooks alone.

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Benefits for the Community

• Slight tax relief over time because the schools
  may alleviate some of their budget shortfalls by
  offering extra classes online.
• Program has the potential to expand over time to
  offer classes beyond the student body to the
  community itself.

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Community cont

• Parents worried about their childs transition to
  college can have a tool to better prepare their
  child.
• Parents and community members can observe a
  childs class without becoming intrusive on a
  traditional classroom setting.

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Benefits for the School District

• School districts can overcome budget shortfalls
  and time cuts by offering classes online.
• School districts can better meet the needs of a
  wider range of students through internet learning.

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School District cont

• School districts can meet state standards through
  creative online learning easily.
• School districts can stretch teaching staff
  further by offering courses online. A teacher
  does not actually have to be in a specific
  classroom during the online courses.

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COSTS
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Hardware

• Basic hardware should be available in the school
  system and an internet connection is mandatory
• Lab computers are available if the student does
  not have a home computer.
• We will provide web cams and microphones. Web
  cams are 50, and microphones will be purchased
  for 19.99
• External 80 GB hard drives for the teachers
  computer will be purchased from a local computer
  retail store for 270

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Software

• Dreamweaver MX 2004
• Educational version runs about 399 for one
  license
• Can be shared through a school network on
  numerous computers
• Teacher will create their own gradebook with
  Microsoft Excel, which is already provided on
  school computers

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Computer Facilities

• Learners will be able to access the virtual
  classroom anywhere they have access to the
  internet.
• Basic computer labs will be available and provide
  what is needed to view teachers web pages, audio
  video components, and links.

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Storage

• Storage is already provided by the school itself,
  in the form of a computer lab or just simply the
  teachers desk

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Maintenance

• Information will be backed-up on an external hard
  drive.
• Every school involved will have an AV/Tech
  consultant available throughout the school day to
  help with troubleshooting, answer questions, or
  solve problems that may arise.
• All hardware should have current warranties
  through the manufacturers in case hardware is
  damaged.
• Software providers have support staff who can
  help answer questions via email or over the
  phone.

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Admin/Coordination

• The online classes will be coordinated by the 3
  original teachers who were trained in virtual
  classroom production.

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Training for faculty

• A 3 day, 4 hour training class will be held for
  the teachers with instruction by a certified
  technology advisor at a cost of 200 per day.

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Curriculum

• Teachers manuals will be provided for each
  online class as they would be for a traditional
  classroom for a small fee of 60.

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Insurance

• Back up hard drive
• Warranties
• Theft

Insurance premiums are based on the number of
computers a school has, the number of students
taking the class, and based on how well things go
in the first year, there is a cut in interest
rates.
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IMPLEMENTATION AND TIMETABLE
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Purchase/Distribution Procedures
Teachers will receive the software immediately by
downloading the software from an email we will
send out to their computers at the school. All
hardware and software will be delivered by Fed Ex
within a week of purchase. All software and
hardware should be fully operational no less than
a week before the training sessions.
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Parent/Student agreement forms

• Students will be given a consent form that must
  be signed by their parent or guardian before they
  can participate in the online class. The students
  must also sign a form recognizing that they
  understand the rules of an online class

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Issues (repairs, breakage, loss)

• Repairs, breakage or loss of hardware is covered
  by our insurance policy

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Timetable on span of use

• First Year-Three teachers will be trained and
  provide three different subject areas online.
• Second Year-Five more teachers will be added and
  available classes will be expanded from original
  three to total eight different classes.
• Third Year-Open training to all interested
  teachers to provide many different classes
  online.
• Fourth Year-Possible expansion to community
  courses and summer classes.

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Summer Use

• The virtual classroom will not have a summer
  program in its initial stages, but will plan on
  expanding to a summer program after determining
  the programs success. Teachers may use this
  period to build their websites, become more
  familiar with the equipment, and raise awareness
  about the program.

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School Mission

• Our schools mission is to prepare tomorrow's
  future, today by providing our students with the
  most advanced education available. Our school is
  also committed to preparing our students for
  higher education by presenting more challenging
  material.

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World Studies Online Classroom

• Click here to view mock online classroom.

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Link to egradebook

• www.d.umn.edu/egradebook

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QUESTIONS

• Open question forum

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Resources

• www.bestbuy.com
• www.edtechleaders.org
• www.dreamweaver.com