Post Modern Pedagogy Meets Digital Content & Tools: Don't Leave Home Without It

10.28.10

Post Modern Pedagogy Meets

Digital Content and Tools:

Don’t Leave Home Without It

Too often, digital programs are chosen without a clear pedagogical perspective i.e.we make choices based on bells and whistles and not solid foundations in learning.From a curriculum creator's experience, learn valuable lessons that will assist youand your school in your quest to select quality programs that continue to deliverafter the bells and whistles have been silenced. Learn about sound pedagogicalbenchmarks that must be in every program offered to school children. Learn howteacher preparation and training are key elements in the delivery of digital content.See how a student's learning community can be enhanced by more authenticparticipation from parents and care-givers. Discover new methods for evaluatingstudents and learning about the revitalized 21st Century report card. See howtraditional lessons are delivered in a post modern framework and check out howwell students are doing using these tried and true methods in new packages.

How am I going to meet the needs of

individual students…special education,

credit recovery, AYP, budgets, parents…

Hardware and software sufficiently robust to manage the learning activities of tens of thousands of online learners

Digital content that engages the learner for every core subject on every day of the week for an entire school year

Thorough on-line and off-line curriculum, augmented with multi-media, flash and video/audio clips, Internet links and educational games

Training closely integrated with the instructional materials, whether for classroom or home

Initial or ongoing assessments for placement as well as mastery

Services to simplify planning and progress tracking

Presentation models to meet the needs of all student learning and assessment styles.

Hardware infused throughout the student body so that all students enrolled have access

Elements of Strong Digital Content

and Tools

FACT: Since students in online schools have more flexible schedules,

many find they actually have more time for social and community

activities than their peers in more traditional schooling environments. A

recent study shows that full-time online students are at least – if not

more – socialized than students in a traditional setting.

MYTH: Students who attend school

online lack socialization skills

Virtual and Physical Interactions

Social Networking Works!

Synchronous teaching activities are offered-in person and

virtual

Bulletin boards, discussion boards, blogs, competitions,

science fairs, online clubs (ex., Chess Clubs), etc.

Monthly Student/Family Outings and Activities

Social Networking is Valued

FACT: In a well developed online course the student should spend a

certain amount of time each day engaged in schoolwork. They should

be required to take standardized tests and receive grades.

A solid curriculum should be developed by experts and should meet

or exceed your certification, accreditation, and state’s standards, for a

VERY WELL EDUCATED STUDENT!

MYTH: Online schools do not meet the

curriculum requirements for public

schools

Online Curriculum Meets Challenges:

Meeting AYP and all other

Accountability Measures

FACT: In a well developed online course the student should spend no

more than 10-50% of the day online.

The remainder of the curriculum should rely on printed and/or hands-on

materials, including worksheets, textbooks, workbooks, microscopes

for lab work, etc.

MYTH: Students spend all day

staring at a computer.

.

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

K 3 6 9 12

Grade Level

OnlineInstruction

Learning

Coach

Role in

Process

Percentage of Instruction Online

FACT: An online education is rigorous, challenging and exciting.

Students in a sound online program spend between 5 and 7 hours

per day working on school.

A solid program provides significant teacher support, a

recommended schedule, required materials and lesson tools for

tracking progress.

MYTH: Attending school online is a

part-time endeavor

FACT: Teachers are in frequent contact with students. Teachers

provide instruction and guidance, answer questions and make

suggestions, check and grade work, and monitor attendance.

This is done remotely rather than in the classroom. Teachers also host

live “Class Connect” online sessions.

MYTH: Teaching cannot be accomplished

adequately in online schools

Guiding Principle #1

A solid curriculum uses “tried and true” educational

approaches for Instruction and assessed objectives based

on rich content and “big ideas.”

Course development is based on education research about how learning happens.

A vigilant commitment to effectiveness and a nimble responsiveness to change-a quality to seek.

Courses should be offered in all subjects:

Language Arts/ English

Math

Science

History

Art

Music

World Languages

Electives

Guiding Principle #2

A solid curriculum uses technology appropriately

for learning.

Guiding Principle #3

To ensure mastery, a sound curriculum includes sufficient

learning activities that require full-time student involvement.

Lesson

Title

Lesson

ResourcesSimple

Navigation

Instructional

Text

Rich

Graphics and

Interactives

Print One

Page or

Whole

Lesson

Guiding Principle #4

A solid online program includes highly qualified, certified

and widely experienced teachers who interact frequently

with students.

Turn teachers into subject-matter heroes by offering professional development and

training services that help teachers achieve the right knowledge, skills, and unshakable

confidence to teach effectively in a virtual environment.

Apply research in training and delivery, to find an instructional design process. Begin by

performing a needs assessments. Then design a training program using appropriate

content methods and media. Implement the training, either face-to-face, virtually, or

through blended methods, and evaluate the effectiveness of the training product.

Before doing this, though, invite teachers and administrators to attend an orientation that

covers the basics of working in a virtual school using the curriculum, technology, and

processes. Teach them to become familiar with the program and the curriculum; gain an

understanding of student profiles; learn about the Platform tools and Reports; and discuss

enrollment, logistics, and operations.

Teachers should be offered training workshops, web seminars, web-based training, and

quick reference tools to meet the needs of the school. These events will help keep staff

up-to-date with support system upgrades, and give teachers a better understanding of

content changes and process improvements.

It all depends on how thorough and complete the program is. If it

includes only online work, then what happens to the student who

learns via manipulatives?

Louisa Moats, a leading phonics expert proposes using ALL senses

to teach phonics. This same pedagogical approach should be used

and woven throughout the entire content offered.

How can one program meet the needs

of all children?

Longevity = Success

A solid online program can show increases in student

performance within one school year and continued

performance growth over time.

The longer students remain with the program, the better they should perform.

• The highest quality, most modern curriculum, built on

academically validated principles

• A curriculum that can prove its record of success with students

both quantitatively and qualitatively

• Teacher, Parent & Administrative Training and Support

• Student Recruitment and Enrollment Processing

• Orientation and Community Building Resources

• Administrative Services Including Report Assistance

• Diagnostic and Prescriptive Tools for Student Intervention

• Customer Care and Technical Support

• Test Prep Assistance

• School Counseling Resources (for older students)

What to Look for When Selecting an

Online Provider

• Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business Professor writes in

his book titled, “Disrupting Class” that, “Like all disruptions,

student-centric technology will make it affordable, convenient,

and simple for many more students to learn in ways that are

customized for them.” (p. 92)

• Based on trends Christensen points to research which points

out that, “In the subsequent six years, technology’s market

share will grow from 5 percent to 50 percent. It will become a

massive market. And based on further business forecasts, 80

percent of courses taken in 2024 will be online in a student-

centric way.”

Summary

Thank You!

K12.com/educators

partnerships@K12.com