Opening Abstract from the Article: "As a seventh-grader, Kelsey-Anne Hizer was getting mostly D's and F's and felt the teachers at her Ocala middle school were not giving her the help she needed. But after switching to a virtual school for eighth grade, Kelsey-Anne is receiving more individual attention and making A's and B's. She's also enthusiastic about learning, even though she has never been in the same room as her teachers."
As the popularity of virtual, or online, college education increases, some believe an online K-12 education is feasible as well. Online schools boast an increase in educational opportunities and an enhanced learning experience for K-12 grades, emphasizing collegial expertise. Obviously, we can spend quite a bit of time discussing the pros and cons of such educational experiences, but I am choosing to question a few of the pros and cons regarding one aspect in particular as it pertains to a class discussion regarding segregated schools. With the prevalence of violence in public schools, the increasing lack of proper resources and accommodations, and the overall sense of dismay about public education (to name a few of the current issues), will a virtual school provide opportunity for a more truly "integrated" classroom experience that will better prepare students to contribute to the society in which they live?On one hand, we can argue that online schools may be a better way to integrate students because a greater sense on anonymity exists online than in the classroom which may provide some students with more confidence to take part in online class discussions. Even in our class, some students said they favored the use of blogs because it provided such an opportunity. Some programs are designed with a "work at your own pace" type of curriculum, allowing students with disabilities or learning difficulties to take more time to work on and understand the subject matter with increased "personal" attention while also allowing others to complete the material at a faster speed, avoiding the boredom that occurs in a traditional classroom. Additionally, supporters of online education state that curriculum for those in schools with limited resources is increased because students now have access to virtual classrooms of many subjects not available at their schools. The online courses also serve the technological interests of the current society, and will, therefore, give students a better understanding of computers than may have been gained otherwise. Some may also go so far as to say that socio-political or socio-economical traits such as class, race, religion, and such do not exist online.
On the other hand, however, we must look at whether the implementation of these ideals are successful in eliminating some of these issues. The article and some of the supporting information does not address how underserved populations get access to these schools -- and even the computers and online access which are no doubt a necessity for the school work. Some virtual schools, like the Florida Virtual School listed in the article, do provide "grants for online learning opportunities, with an emphasis on underserved populations," but the challenge regarding available resources is still unanswered until more information is provided about the amount and length of the grants. How are other resources such as text books provided? Are they available online free of charge? Can they be mailed to the students for use during the class and then later returned? Again, in terms of computers and online access, yes, some have access to these through public libraries and such, but then what about the related transportation issues this causes? Also, albeit a lot of social communications are taking place online, students can still greatly benefit from in-person social functions. How else are they going to learn how to interact and network with others in a more formal setting. Virtual schools, then, may become a dependent source of communications, in turn isolating some from society instead of teaching them to be an integral part of it. Yes, as stated above, some students may be more likely to interact with others online, but we do have a responsibility to help them interact with others in an offline world as well. Resource allocation in every regard still continues to pose a challenge to education -- even in the online realm.
Perhaps instead of looking at virtual school as an either/or situation, we can find a way to better incorporate distance and virtual learning opportunities into our communities. Maybe the courses can be taught and completed online (maybe via computer centers at schools and libraries), but schools can still exist to provide the social responsibility to our students in terms of arts, music, sports, and other extra-curricular activities. Also, perhaps this could be a way to offset certain budget limitations which might allow for greater access to vocational programs and other programs to enhance "life skills" such as finance/budgeting, home economics, and such. Obviously more research is needed to find a way to better incorporate this idea of a combination approach because I have only begun thinking about some of the different possibilities and obstacles and politics involved and know there are several more issues which need to be addressed in areas such as staffing, curriculum development, and funding.
I am curious about what others think about this topic -- especially when considering your own personal experiences. Do you think online courses could be a better way to integrate children in their schools and societies? What experiences have you had in this area -- were they only while in college or did some of your high schools provide experiences for additional communications in the form of online blogs, etc.? Finally, do you think that race, class, and other similar issues would be as big of a problem in virtual settings as they are in public schools?
