by Bruce Friend
One of the hot books in education circles this year is Disrupting Class, by Clayton Christensen.
He contends that introducing technology in various industries often has a disruptive—yet ultimately positive—impact for consumers. Toyota and Honda “disrupted” the way traditional U.S. car builders did business. Napster and iTunes forever changed the music industry. Yet despite the examples of how technology can enhance our lives, the education industry has been slow to embrace it as a way to transform how we run our schools and deliver instruction. As teachers, we often teach “how we were taught” and how we were professionally trained in university programs.
As I read Christensen’s book, I thought of the many ways that online learning is “disrupting” our traditional educational process. When effectively delivered and utilized, online learning is reshaping the definition of what it means to “go to school”. Online learning engage students, promote critical thinking, and inspire curiosity in a way that is often lacking in our traditional schools.
Here are just few ways of how online learning can benefit students:
Expanding Course Access
Online learning opens doors for students, enabling them to take courses they may not be able to obtain through their home school program or at a local school.
• Parents have often told me that online courses enabled their children to take courses that the parent did not feel qualified to teach. More than one parent has commented that having access to higher-level courses, especially in math and science, provided their child with access to rigorous content that simply would not have been available otherwise.
• Advanced Placement courses are another important online offering. Completion of these courses, along with a qualifying score on the national AP® exams, allows students to earn college credit while in high school.
• Online learning also expands the range electives. Children interested in marine biology, for example, need no longer be penalized for living in an area that fails to provide courses in this subject. Through online learning, your student can access courses on subjects of interest regardless of where you or the teacher reside.
Developing Job-readiness Skills
Online courses can teach skills that extend beyond mere content knowledge. These skills go by different labels: job readiness, “soft” skills, and 21st-century skills. Labels aside, today’s job market demands technological knowledge and skills. Students must be able to solve problems, think critically, manage time, motivate themselves, work independently, interact with peers in distant locations, and communicate clearly.
The online learning environment is an ideal laboratory for cultivating all of these skills.
Transferring Credit
Choosing an accredited online program helps ensure that other institutions will accept the credits your students earn. Taking courses through an accredited online organization can also help home school families acquire additional courses and satisfy other academic growth measures that a state or district may impose as part of its home education accountability measures.
Bruce Friend is a pioneer in K12 online learning. As a founding member, teacher, and chief administrator of two state-wide virtual school programs, Bruce has considerable experience in providing online learning opportunities to home school students. In 2003, Bruce was honored with the Most Outstanding Achievement by an Individual Award by the U.S. Distance Learning Association. In recent years he has consulted with online program developers and families throughout the United States. He is currently the Director of SAS® Curriculum Pathways® (www.sascurriculumpathways.com).
bruce.friend@sas.com
One of the hot books in education circles this year is Disrupting Class, by Clayton Christensen.
He contends that introducing technology in various industries often has a disruptive—yet ultimately positive—impact for consumers. Toyota and Honda “disrupted” the way traditional U.S. car builders did business. Napster and iTunes forever changed the music industry. Yet despite the examples of how technology can enhance our lives, the education industry has been slow to embrace it as a way to transform how we run our schools and deliver instruction. As teachers, we often teach “how we were taught” and how we were professionally trained in university programs.
As I read Christensen’s book, I thought of the many ways that online learning is “disrupting” our traditional educational process. When effectively delivered and utilized, online learning is reshaping the definition of what it means to “go to school”. Online learning engage students, promote critical thinking, and inspire curiosity in a way that is often lacking in our traditional schools.
Here are just few ways of how online learning can benefit students:
Expanding Course Access
Online learning opens doors for students, enabling them to take courses they may not be able to obtain through their home school program or at a local school.
• Parents have often told me that online courses enabled their children to take courses that the parent did not feel qualified to teach. More than one parent has commented that having access to higher-level courses, especially in math and science, provided their child with access to rigorous content that simply would not have been available otherwise.
• Advanced Placement courses are another important online offering. Completion of these courses, along with a qualifying score on the national AP® exams, allows students to earn college credit while in high school.
• Online learning also expands the range electives. Children interested in marine biology, for example, need no longer be penalized for living in an area that fails to provide courses in this subject. Through online learning, your student can access courses on subjects of interest regardless of where you or the teacher reside.
Developing Job-readiness Skills
Online courses can teach skills that extend beyond mere content knowledge. These skills go by different labels: job readiness, “soft” skills, and 21st-century skills. Labels aside, today’s job market demands technological knowledge and skills. Students must be able to solve problems, think critically, manage time, motivate themselves, work independently, interact with peers in distant locations, and communicate clearly.
The online learning environment is an ideal laboratory for cultivating all of these skills.
Transferring Credit
Choosing an accredited online program helps ensure that other institutions will accept the credits your students earn. Taking courses through an accredited online organization can also help home school families acquire additional courses and satisfy other academic growth measures that a state or district may impose as part of its home education accountability measures.
Bruce Friend is a pioneer in K12 online learning. As a founding member, teacher, and chief administrator of two state-wide virtual school programs, Bruce has considerable experience in providing online learning opportunities to home school students. In 2003, Bruce was honored with the Most Outstanding Achievement by an Individual Award by the U.S. Distance Learning Association. In recent years he has consulted with online program developers and families throughout the United States. He is currently the Director of SAS® Curriculum Pathways® (www.sascurriculumpathways.com).
bruce.friend@sas.com
