Interesting story from Lancaster Online here. Three districts in Lancaster County are joining forces to offer online instruction to students.
Victor Perez, 11, of Hanover concentrates during cyber school classes in this photo from 2008.
The story says it’s believed to be the first collaborative effort of its kind in the state. The idea is to save money and slow the number of students heading to cyber charters, the story says.
It reminded me of the story I wrote earlier this month about the Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12, which is starting a cyber school for students in York County districts.
It’s interesting to see districts trying new things to both save money and provide what students want. After all, if students wants an online experience and they can’t get it in their home districts, they now have other options (arguments about whether those options are effective aside).
I also wonder about how prominent online schooling will become in the future. From time to time, I hear about students bouncing in and out of cyber schools or returning to traditional schools after trying it. But certainly there are students who stay, too.
Anyone have an experience to share? What’s the key to being successful in a cyber school environment?
Online/virtual education, in order to be successful, takes responsibility and dedication unlike that required by traditional/brick-and-mortar education. Virtual learned have deadlines, homework, etc. but there isn’t always a teacher there to keep them on task or provide assistance on the spot. Having taken college classes through Penn State’s World Campus, I’m excited to see high schools offering different ways to learn but I’m also interested to see if students can find any consistency at that age and maturity level – as has been mentioned, many of these students end up hopping back and forth between virtual and brick-and-mortar environments.
Thanks, Doug! At least one superintendent has suggested to me that she thinks a hybrid model – some online, some brick and mortar – will be big in the future. I wonder if there will be some courses that work better online than others.
I’ve always thought online college courses are a great opportunity for folks who need to fit things in around work schedules and other obligations.