Chantel Cunningham

RDG 5410

Virtual Schools vs. Traditional Schools

WHY CHOOSE VIRTUAL SCHOOLS?

Virtual Schools are able to use online learning to increase options for a wide range of students (Brown, page 18)

Virtual schools are becoming the alternative to a traditional public school, where teachers and students meet face-to-face

According to the U.S. Department of Education, students in virtual schools performed better than students who went to a tradition school (Brown, pg. 3)

VIRTUAL SCHOOL INFORMATION

Alternative for students with varying issues Students at risk of dropping out Special needs Pregnant Gifted Rural area located students Home schooled students Credit Recovery

Virtual schools can be operated by public schools, charter schools and private schools

ADVANTAGES OF VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

Flexibility No peer pressure Personalized instruction Complete work at the students pace Convenience- don’t need to leave the house Teaches self discipline Virtual schools can receive federal funds

through programs for low income families Funded through tax payers

SIX ELEMENTS OF VIRTUAL SCHOOLS(BROWN, PAGE 12-15)

1) School Type- the category the virtual school falls in, whether it is a charter, private, magnet, or public schools

2) Operational Control- how the virtual school is organized according to personnel

3) Geographic Reach- where the students are coming from

4) Location- where students will complete their work

5) Comprehensiveness- overall structure of the program

6) Delivery- instructional method for students and teachers

EXPANDING VIRTUAL SCHOOLS There are more virtual schools available as

time goes on: 86 schools in 13 states (in 2004-2005) 173 schools in 18 states (in 2006-2007)

Currently about 1 million students are interacting with online learning (Lips, pg. 1)

Florida has mandated that every public school district has a K-12 virtual school available for students

Florida is the #1 state in the U.S. for online education Florida Virtual School- largest virtual school in U.S. 50,000 students currently take classes

VIRTUAL SCHOOLS OFFERED IN THE U.S.

ONLINE SCHOOLING GROWS, SETTING OFF A DEBATE- N.Y. TIMES

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

Easy access to complete work Able to access work in most locations Some virtual schools offer college credit courses Make up previously failed classes

PARENT PERSPECTIVE Tailored to the needs of their child Many parents who home school their children are

turning to virtual schools Do not have to worry about transportation to and

from school Can complete classes in a quicker manner

DISADVANTAGES OF VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

Question concerning the rigor of curriculum Questions regarding quality No face to face interaction with teachers and

students No socialization skills Little research on the effectiveness of virtual

schools Increase in plagiarism Isolation- independently completing work Students who attend have to take federal

tests

DISADVANTAGES OF VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

Virtual schools are a cheap alternative Not as much money is needed to run these

schools compared to traditional schools Do not need transportation Do not need multiple buildings

No classrooms needed

Many virtual schools receive around the same amount of money per student from the government as a traditional school would (Layton)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION WHEN CHOOSING A VIRTUAL SCHOOL AS AN OPTION

Authenticity- Identification needs to be verified correctly so the school can tell if the student or someone else is taking the classes and completing the work honestly (Layton)

Accredited School- Make sure the school is accredited (Layton)

Audits- Should be conducted to determine finances (Layton)

VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY OR DISRUPTIVE?

Disruptive technology instead of useful Disrupting Class- book Clayton Christensen- author, who has written

about disruptive technology Virtual schools are targeted at older students These older students don’t fit the “mold” of

traditional school

BIBLIOGRAPHYBrown, R. A. (2009). The purpose and potential of virtual high schools: A national study of virtual high schools and their head administrators. University of Minnesota). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304953240?accountid=27927

Dagher, V. (2008, Nov 05). Virtual school chalks up gains. Wall Street Journal, pp. n/a-B.8. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/399051247?accountid=27927

Dillon, Sam.(2008). Online Schooling Grows, Setting Off a Debate. New York Times.

Gabriel, Trip. (2011, Apr 5). More Pupils are Learning Online, Fueling Debate on Quality. The New York Times.

Layton, Lyndsey. (2011, Oct 24). Study Raises Questions about Virtual Schools. The Washington Post.

Lips, Dan. (2010, Jan 12). How Online Learning is Revolutionizing K-12 Education and Benefiting Students. Backgrounder- Published by the Heritage Foundation.

Mellon, E. (2009, Aug 19). NEW WAY TO LEARN: Bell rings for virtual schools. McClatchy - Tribune Business News, pp. n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/457685092?accountid=27927

Simonson, Michael (2010). Opinion: Virtual Schools are a Critical Piece of Education’s Future. eSchoolNews.