Any crystal ball can foresee online courses being among every student's options, in every teacher's tool kit. But when that will happen and how it will work are still just murky swirls in the glass.
Earlier this month, educators packed a Stanislaus County Office of Education symposium on online learning to see what's available, and how it might work for them.
"Online learning is still in its infancy. … It's the Wild West right now. Everybody's trying to figure it out," said panelist Brian Bridges. Bridges is director of the California Learning Resource Network, a state-funded education project based in Modesto.
Organizer Marianne Pack said the event drew 30 educators last year. This year there were 70. She estimated about half the districts in Stanislaus County offer online courses in some way. Also moving online are office tasks such as report writing — for students and school office staff, Pack said.
Pack is director of the California Technology Assistance Project, Region 6, an information source for schools as they consider the leap into cyberspace.
Speaker Rob Darrow, former principal of Clovis Online School, said the day is coming when all districts will have online schools, but state funding has to catch up — "virtual" attendance is not enough.
"It takes a while to build. … It's not a new cash cow," Darrow said, adding, "Innovations cost money. They just do."
Modesto City Schools jumped into online learning last fall, projecting it would draw hundreds of independent study and home-schooled students. Modesto Virtual Academy attendance peaked at 135 students and finished the year with only 48, said Principal Eric Andersen. The experience cost the district $325,000.
Building on the go
Andersen told the group creating a virtual school, even through an online company, is harder than it sounds, likening the experience to "building a plane while in flight." Some students did very well with online learning, he said — others, not so well.
"You still have students who misbehave, don't attend, don't turn in homework," he said.
The academy was created as the district's first charter school, in hopes it could enroll students from surrounding counties, Andersen said. That didn't happen, he added.
He told educators thinking of starting virtual schools to "be reading for anything and be ready to adapt." Get parents on board, he said, making sure students have someone at their shoulder at home.
The charter is being dissolved, and the virtual school will become part of Modesto High, with work done at home and at teacher-led sections, said Thor Harrison, Modesto director of educational services.
Reaching students
Online courses are a new arena for administrators, but also a challenge for teachers, said panelist Michael Saunders, who teaches at Patterson Joint Unified's Open Valley Virtual Academy.
"From the teacher's point of view, prepping before your course, being ready for day one — that's huge," Saunders said. He advised connecting with other online teachers for practical tips and inspiration.
Open Valley Principal Tonya Bibbins said building relationships — even online — is still the key to keeping students engaged.
"These students are not going to a brick-and-mortar school. They're sitting in the living room, by the TV, by the refrigerator, in their pajamas all day every day," Bibbins said. "You have to get parents as partners."
She said her school this year supplemented online math courses with in-person math tutoring. "The future is out there, and the future is changing," she said.
Bibbin's students span the gamut from advanced students seeking a challenge to struggling students trying to catch up.
Bridges said small schools and home-schoolers are the bulk of the online audience right now, but he expects that to change as the programs get better.
"Ideally a course would start out by finding out, 'What is the best way you learn?' " and then tailoring a host of video and interactive programs to the student's learning style, Bridges said.
They aren't there yet, Bridges noted, after having spent the last year studying online courses. His network is now putting online its evaluation criteria.
The top criteria districts use now is price, Bridges said. "It doesn't make sense to decide something that important just on cost," he said.
On the Net:
California Learning Resource Network online course criteria, http://clrn.org/search/courseCriteria.cfm
California Technology Assistance Project teaching resources, www.myctap.org/index.php/teaching-and-learning
Modesto Virtual Academy: www.kaplanvirtualed.com/modestovirtualacademy
Bee education reporter Nan Austin can be reached at naustin@modbee.com or (209) 578-2339.
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