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Virtual High School. VHS History. Founded in 1996 Concord Consortium & Hudson Public Schools, Hudson, Massachusetts $7.4M funding 1996-2001: US Dept of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Purpose Develop Internet-based online courses for high school students - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Virtual High School
VHS History
Founded in 1996 Concord Consortium & Hudson Public Schools,
Hudson, Massachusetts $7.4M funding 1996-2001: US Dept of
Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant
Purpose– Develop Internet-based online courses for high school
students– Research and evaluation by SRI (Stanford Research
International) Accredited by the Middle States Commission on
Secondary Schools (MSCSS)
VHS Mission and Beliefs
Any school’s instructional process can include a high quality collaborative learning environment
Education should not be limited by barriers of time, place, or lack of qualified faculty
Online learning should augment (not replace) traditional teaching
A collaborative network provides an abundant and generous community to share resources
Benefits to Students
Extensive selection of courses
– AP– Honors– G&T– Middle School
Classes of 25 student-participants from:
– 717 schools– 33 states– 43 countries– 459 Teachers– >13,000 students
21st Century Skills Learning with Technology
20 Advanced Placement Courses
• European History •French Language• Government and Politics• Music Theory• Physics B• Physics C• Psychology• Spanish Language/ Spanish V• Statistics• US History• World History
• Art History• Biology• Calculus AB• Calculus BC• Computer Science A• Economics: Micro & Macro• English Language and Composition• English Literature and Composition• Environmental Science
VHS is qualified through AP Course Audit to label their courses “AP”
38 Honors Courses
101 Ways to Write a Short Story Advanced Topics in Chemistry Algebra 2 Anatomy and Physiology Animal Behavior and Zoology Art History Arts and Ideas Astronomy Basics Bioethics Symposium Computational Science and Engineering
Using Java Criminology Cultural Identity through Literature Eastern and Western Thought Environmental Chemistry Folklore and Literature of Myth, Magic and
Ritual Genes and Diseases History of Photography Introduction to:
– Calculus AB
– Chemistry– Computer Science– Economics– English Literature– Environmental Science– Government– Physics B– Psychology– Statistics– U.S. History
Modern Middle East Oceanography Philosophy Preveterinary Medicine Psychology of Crime Shakespeare in Films Spanish Culture The Glory of Ancient Rome The Golden Age of Classical Greece Twentieth Century Women Authors
Select Standard Courses
Academic Writing Advanced Web Design Algebra 1 American Foreign Policy American Popular Music Animation and Effects Bad Boys in Literature Basic Mandarin Biotechnology Blogs, Wikis and Web Tools Business and Personal Law Career Awareness Caribbean Art History Contemporary Irish Literature DNA Technology Entrepreneurship Epidemics Forensic Science German Language and Culture Heroes History and American Pop Music
Investing in the Stock Market Journalism in the Digital Age Kindergarten Apprentice Teacher Latin 1 and 2 Literacy Skills for the 21st Century Maritime History Math You Can Use in College Meteorology Music Composition Mythology Nuclear Physics Peacemaking Personal Finance Perspectives in Health Poetry Writing Portuguese 1 Screenwriting Fundamentals Sports and American Society The Human Body The Holocaust World Religions
Affordable sharing of professional resources– Average years teaching: 16– 85% hold Master’s Degree
Quality Benchmarks (QBI history – 12 years)
National and global community Expands scope and depth of
teacher instructional skills– Teachers: 10-Week Netcourse
Instructional Methodologies– Extensive delivery tools
Chickering and Ehrman Seven Best Practicesfor Technology-Based Education*
• Emphasizes time on task
•High Expectations
•Rich, Rapid Feedback
•Active Learning
•Interaction with Faculty
•Interaction with Peers
•Respect for diversity of learning styles and worldviews
*postsecondary
Benefits to Schools
Why VHS?
Access to hundreds of courses to fill resource gap
Flexibility for scheduling – Computer Lab– Library
Cost effectiveness (non-profit consortium) VHS leadership in high school distance
learning
Roles & Responsibilities
• Recruitment• Registration• Technical Support• Represents the Instructor “on the ground” • Communication with parents, VHS, instructor•Monitor and report progress
• Instruction (Requires 10-week NIM course)• Communication• Regular Assessment• Course Design• New Course Development
To Ensure:• Quality of Courses• Quality of Professional Development• Quality of Services & Program
Course Delivery
Asynchronous Mode
Desire2Learn platform
Classes follow a semester (15-wk) schedule– Most courses
semester length– AP, language, and
some core courses are full-year
Assignments due at specified intervals
Students complete work, including discussions, anytime during the week
21st Century Learning
Digital-Age Literacy Includes: Basic Language Scientific Economic Technological Visual Information Multicultural Global Awareness
www.ncrel.org/engauge/skills/skills.htm
21st Century Partnership
– Skills for life and work in the 21st Century– Founded by industry leaders, including Apple, Cisco, Dell, and
Microsoft in partnership with NEA– Students not prepared for demands of 21st century– In addition to curriculum’s rigorous content, it must have real
world relevance– Employability and enterprise skills
Why VHS
VHS sets the standard for excellence in online education
United States Distance Learning Association Awards:– Best Practices in Distance
Learning– Best Practices in Online
Technology and K-12 Education
– Online Programming Excellence – Gold Recipient
Additional VHS Awards
2001 Stockholm Challenge Award for Global Excellence in Information Technology
American School Board Journal’s Magna 2000 Award for exemplary use of technology in Education
Model for National Education Association online learning standards
Student Success Factors
2008 University of Tennessee Study
VHS teachers surveyed to determine factors for course success
– Major factors: Time management Organization skills Frequent participation Learning style
– Reading (visual)
– Listening (auditory)
– Seeing (visual)
– Speaking (auditory)
– Doing (tactile/kinesthetic)
– Minor factors: Technology skills Record of academic success
Active Learning
Student Survey Findings…
Students developed independent learning skills (43 percent).
– [I valued] the independence we are given to complete our assignments on time without a teacher physically reminding us every day. The flexible schedule is also awesome as a senior to help prepare us for college.
Students appreciated the quality, content, and structure of their courses (34 percent).
– VHS courses let me learn, the way I want and need to, and not just memorize data for standardized tests.
Students valued the opportunity to interact with new people (17 percent).
– You get to meet many different people from all different backgrounds which provides a very interesting learning atmosphere.
…Continued
Students liked the expanded access to courses (14 percent).
– The online courses that are available were not part of my in-school curriculum so I decide[d] to expand my learning and prepare for college.
Students felt they had quality instructors (8 percent).
– My instructor gave us problems that are related to real things in life and other problems that made us think.
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