How "Open" Should a High School Be?

We have all heard of online universities such as the University of Phoenix, but how would you feel about an online high school?  Utah, has an Open High School where the entire learning experience is facilitated online.  The way that this high school is structured and facilitated is phenomenal.  It allows students to have a flexible schedule, learn at their own pace, have one-on-one assistance, and live full lives.  Attending this high school provides a great opportunity to those students who are responsible, self-directed, and mature.  Students who have a hard time following directions and are not serious about their education would struggle.  This type of high school would appeal to the 21st century student because it incorporates the technology that these students use on a daily basis.  I find it extremely interesting how the teachers are able to revise the curriculum based on their students' performance.  The best thing about this school is that it is free!

Potential challenges I see with an online high school is that the students may not have the opportunity to develop or utilize their social skills since their interactions are completely electronic.  Additionally, these students may not have the opportunity to participate in sports or other extra curricular activities with their classmates.  High school is a very important time in a teenager's life and they should have the opportunity to interact with their classmates on a regular basis.

If I were in high school, I would enjoy some flexibility, however, I would not enjoy taking all my classes online.  I think a combination of the traditional high school and the open high school would be a great asset to high school students.  With a combination students will have the emotional interaction they need, and be able to use the technology they enjoy using in their lessons.

Video Conferencing in the Classroom

At times, children feel that going to school is a burden.  They are bored, uninterested, and tired of learning the same way every day.  So, what is the key to keeping your students engaged?  Teachers must learn how to appeal to all learnng styles in the classroom.  A great way to keep your students excited about learning is by incorporating video conferencing activities. 

Video conferencing takes education to a new level.  It allows students to interact with people all over the world.  They are able to expand their knowlege to new capacities; see and visit places they never dreamed they would see, and meet people they never thought they would meet.

Personally, I think students will enjoy the use of this technology in the classroom.  By incorporating this type of technology in the classroom students will learn better communication skills, gain a sense of confidence from their interactions with other students, and have the opportunitiy to learn from each others experiences.

What is Your Favorite Ed Tech Tool?

The use of technology has become an essential function in the classroom.  It is imperative for teachers to incorporate the use of technology in their classrooms to keep their students engaged and excited about learning.  In the article, "What is your Favorite Ed Tech Tool?" Paul Wurster polled members of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) to see what Ed Tech Tool they preferred to use in the classroom.

It was a bit surprising to see that the top preference was to use internet tools and resources such as e-mail, search engines, Creative Commons, wireless access, and video on demand.  These results were a bit contradictory to the article by Martha Irvine, "Email has become the new snail mail".  However, when it comes down to the classroom, teachers have to be flexible and use what their students best respond to.  Personally, I would prefer using the Interactive Whiteboards and Projectors because they can be used in a variety of ways.

I am interested in your views on this topic.  Check out the You-Tube video below on Interactive Whiteboards and please respond to the poll.

J. Lyons