Virtual School Symposium - 2010
Have you heard about virtual schooling? I bet you have, but what probably comes to mind is college courses and University of Phoenix and online classes. Did you know that there are distance education schools for kindergarten through 12th grade? Yep, sure is, and it's been around for a while. It's been in Nevada for four years now.
The Virtual School Symposium is a conference that is directly tied to online education. But there's been a shift in the paradigm from "school at home" (which is, consequently, what we do in our house) to what's being called "blended learning". Which is a focus of adding technology and aspects of virtual learning to a traditional school. This was enlightening to me because I *know* there has to be progress and I'm not progressive enough to see whatever is coming next.
I had my eyes opened to something that in retrospect seems very obvious. Kids at home live in a technological/digital world. They have handheld games, TVs, movies, and computers surrounding them. If they are older, they will probably have cell phones and maybe even smart phones.
But when they go to school, their primary tools are paper and books. Which makes school seem outdated in their fast-paced world. Integrating technology to help facilitate learning in the classroom will better prepare kids for a reality that is saturated with it.
Now don't get me wrong, I *love* holding a book in my hands. I'm old school like that. I don't love the physicality of writing as much as I used to, but I do miss being able to recognize a person's handwriting. I love the expression of personality that you can convey just with your handwriting. Looking back at my own school work over the years amuses me as I watch the progression, and sometimes fads, of handwriting coursed through my life.
My kids, I don't think, will experience that. Already they are wanting to type out their final drafts of reports. I still make them write out the drafts because I think they are too young to be able to grasp the revision process if it's not tangible. I think there is a benefit from feeling pencil on paper. The beauty of being able to erase one word and exchange it for a more descriptive word. Using a pencil and eraser has a much more "real" feeling to it than hitting the delete button. Though I have to admit, when I'm trying to get my ideas on paper, it's now easier to sit down and type.
So if you happen to live in a more progressive state, you may be seeing some more diversity in your kids' classrooms. Don't fear it. Change and technology can be used for good and evil. Embrace it. Learn with your kids. Encourage the inclusion of it with the teachers in your life.
The Virtual School Symposium is a conference that is directly tied to online education. But there's been a shift in the paradigm from "school at home" (which is, consequently, what we do in our house) to what's being called "blended learning". Which is a focus of adding technology and aspects of virtual learning to a traditional school. This was enlightening to me because I *know* there has to be progress and I'm not progressive enough to see whatever is coming next.
I had my eyes opened to something that in retrospect seems very obvious. Kids at home live in a technological/digital world. They have handheld games, TVs, movies, and computers surrounding them. If they are older, they will probably have cell phones and maybe even smart phones.
But when they go to school, their primary tools are paper and books. Which makes school seem outdated in their fast-paced world. Integrating technology to help facilitate learning in the classroom will better prepare kids for a reality that is saturated with it.
Now don't get me wrong, I *love* holding a book in my hands. I'm old school like that. I don't love the physicality of writing as much as I used to, but I do miss being able to recognize a person's handwriting. I love the expression of personality that you can convey just with your handwriting. Looking back at my own school work over the years amuses me as I watch the progression, and sometimes fads, of handwriting coursed through my life.
My kids, I don't think, will experience that. Already they are wanting to type out their final drafts of reports. I still make them write out the drafts because I think they are too young to be able to grasp the revision process if it's not tangible. I think there is a benefit from feeling pencil on paper. The beauty of being able to erase one word and exchange it for a more descriptive word. Using a pencil and eraser has a much more "real" feeling to it than hitting the delete button. Though I have to admit, when I'm trying to get my ideas on paper, it's now easier to sit down and type.
So if you happen to live in a more progressive state, you may be seeing some more diversity in your kids' classrooms. Don't fear it. Change and technology can be used for good and evil. Embrace it. Learn with your kids. Encourage the inclusion of it with the teachers in your life.
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