Welcome

2009 Virtual School Symposium

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

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iNACOL Resources◊ iNACOL Professional Development:

◊ Virtual School Symposium – 1,500+ attendees◊ VSS Overlay: wiki, presentations, podcasting, blogs, live

◊ #VSS2009◊ Monthly Webinars: Leadership and Teacher Talk

◊ K-12 Online Learning Reports◊ Promising Practices for K-12 Online Learning

◊ Funding and Policy Frameworks◊ Management and Operations of Online Programs

◊ National Standards for Quality Online Programs (2009)◊ Partner with Project Tomorrow “Speak Up Day” for students &

teachers – State, district, school online programs can get data◊ iNACOL Continuity of Learning website: www.inacol.org/col

◊ iNACOL - C.A.V.E. Island on Second Life◊ Community of Academic Virtual Educators (C.A.V.E. Island)

iNACOL Batcave & Manor in Second Life

iNACOL Manor Main Lobby

C.A.V.E. island has a system of caves created by its partners that will entice

any virtual world explorer. Participating in embedded virtual world-games and

scavenger hunts, participants can explore secret and beautiful

subterranean caverns, tunnels, and rooms.

Batcave for Session Presentations

http://slurl.com/secondlife/CAVE/239/194/55

Amphitheater for Session Presentations

http://slurl.com/secondlife/CAVE/207/125/24

Look how far we have come.

Imagine how far we can go.

Global & National Perspective

“World Tour”

◊ British Columbia, Canada ◊ IB Diploma Programme Online◊ Turkey◊ Middle East ◊ India◊ Australia 1:1◊ China◊ Singapore 100%

World Future Society

Top 10 breakthroughs transforming life over the next 20-30 yearsBest forecast data ever assembled

1. Alternative energy

2. Desalination of water

3. Precision farming

4. Biometrics

5. Quantum computers

6. Entertainment on demand

7. Global access

8. Virtual education or distance learning

9. Nanotechnology

10. Smart Robots

Creating New Solutions: Online Learning

Virtual Schools & K-12 Online Learning◊ Meet the needs for diverse groups of students (urban,

suburban, rural):◊ Expand access to rigorous, engaging courses ◊ Highly qualified teachers◊ Develop 21st century skills◊ Gifted students◊ Students with physical disabilities or prolonged absences

from school because of illness◊ Help at-risk students who need to retake courses, credit

recovery to meet academic requirements◊ Teachers

◊ Providing new professional opportunities to teach online and blended instruction

Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning (2009)

K-12 Online Learning is Growing

◊ K-12 Online Learning enrollments growing 30% annually nationwide

◊ 2000: 50,000 enrollments in K-12 online courses◊ 2003: 328,000 enrollments in K-12 online courses◊ 2005: 500,000 enrollments in K-12 online courses◊ 2008: 1,030,000 enrollments in K-12 online courses◊ 2009: est. 2,000,000+ in online and blended courses

◊ Higher education online enrollments: 4 million◊ 1 in 5 college students take an online course

Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: State Virtual Schools Size and Growth 08-09

State Online Learning Trends & State Online Learning Trends & ExamplesExamples◊ Idaho: endorsement for online teaching at the SEA

◊ Boise State University Ed Tech – online teaching◊ Michigan: online learning HS graduation requirement◊ Montana: new state virtual school

◊ managed by the University of Montana’s College of Education

◊ Texas: TX Virtual School Network, clearinghouse for districts to review and offer online courses and provides funding for each course enrollment in addition to the student FTE at the district◊ Using SREB and iNACOL National Standards to

evaluate online course quality

National Standards for Quality Online Programs (2009),

Online Teaching (2008) & Online Courses (2007)

Online Learning ResearchOnline Learning Research◊ #1 Online Learning Expands Options

◊ “The first impetus to the growth of K-12 distance education was an interest in expanding educational options and providing equal opportunities for all learners.” (NCREL 2005)

◊ #2 Online Learning Is Rapidly Growing◊ “Recent Surveys show that K-12 online learning is a

rapidly growing phenomenon.” ◊ Growing 30% annually

◊ #3 Is Effective: “Better”◊ U.S. Department of Education Report of Online Learning

Better than Face-to-Face (USED 2009)◊ U.S. DoE “ESETP”: Studies in West Virginia Spanish online,

Louisiana Algebra online

◊ “One conclusion seems clear: on average, students seem to perform equally well or better academically in online learning.” (NCREL 2005)

Students: Born in 19911. The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables.

2. They have never used a card catalog to find a book.

3. The European Union has always existed.

4. Text has always been hyper.

5. There has always been a computer in the Oval Office.

6. Cable television systems have always offered telephone service and vice versa.

7. There have always been flat screen televisions.

8. They have always been able to read books on an electronic screen.

9. Everyone has always known what the evening news was before the Evening News came on.

10. Migration of once independent media like radio, TV, videos and compact discs to the computer has never amazed them.

-From the Beloit College “Mindset List 2013”

Today’s Students

◊ Born into age of the Internet◊ Information has been universally available and free to

them◊ Community is a digital place of common interest, not just

a shared physical space.◊ Define characteristics by online actions rather than birth

dates or traditional demographic data

Millennial Mindspace: Iconoculture’s Nancy Robinson

• Global outlook at a younger age• Mobile multi-media, more interactive and community-

building, socially networked environments to live, play and learn

• TiVo: time-shifting, on-demand, customization• “TV is boring, you can’t customize it.”• Demand an unprecedented amount of control of media

and they “are not going to give it up”• “It’s not about being anaesthetized, it is about being

engaged.” • Internet as a creator of community

Millennial Values: Implications for Education

• Today’s students value:• Freedom and choice• Customization and personalization• Ability to scrutinize and provide feedback for

improvement• Integrity and openness• Want collaboration and “serious play” in their

education (project-based, real-life experiences in learning)

• Ability to move fast, at their own pacing• Constant innovation

Expectations of Education

• Millennials want:• Clear guidelines, rules and goals• Responsiveness and fast feedback• Customization and interactivity when learning in a

community where open, inclusive and diverse thinking is encouraged

• Project-based, team-oriented learning• Involvement in community and volunteer

opportunities• “Stand up talking is deadly for this group”

Recommendations from Generational Learning Styles

1. Develop online learning communities, online discussion boards, social networking for discussion and analysis.

2. Develop opportunities for experiential learning, field experiences, simulations and case method approaches.

3. Provide lots of structure.4. Provide lots of feedback.5. Use technology, blended classes and online learning.6. Allow for creativity.7. Recognize the need for social interaction and ultra-communication.8. Allow focus time, reflection time and discussion time; Give these

multi-taskers structure through course design.

- Julia Coates

National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE 2008)

• Online learners reported deeper approaches to learning than classroom-based learners.

• “Those who teach classes online may be making special efforts to engage their students.” - Alexander McCormick, NSSE Director

• “People who teach online classes don’t take engagement for granted.”

• Higher order thinking skills, integrative thinking, reflective learning

New Solutions through Online Learning

◊ Nearly 70% of schools and districts are looking to online learning to offer Advanced Placement or college-level courses.

◊ 40% of public school districts in America today say they need online learning resources because certified teachers are not available for traditional face-to-face instruction.

◊ 60% of schools and districts say they need online learning for credit recovery.

◊ More than 50% need online learning to reduce student scheduling conflicts to graduate on time.

How to leverage federal stimulus funding

◊ One time funding 2009-2010 for education: $100B◊ USED has released proposed grant frameworks

for key ARRA programs that directly address or create strategic opportunities for online learning

• $3.5B for School Improvement Grants• $4.35B for Race to the Top• $650M for Investing in Innovation

USED's ESEA reauthorization platform is beginning to take shape now (Title I, Title IIA, Title IID, Innovation)

Race to the Top – Priorities & Requirements

The proposed $4.35 B Race to the Top framework includes absolute, competitive, and invitational priorities

Absolute Priority

• States must take a comprehensive approach to the RTTT's four reform areas.

Competitive Priority

• States will receive credit for emphasizing STEM (including partnerships to prepare and assist teachers in integrating STEM content).

Invitational Priorities

• States are invited to: (1) address P-16 coordination; (2) extend statewide longitudinal data systems; and (3) ensure that participating LEAs provide schools with appropriate flexibility conducive to reform and innovation.

Funded States Must

• Make freely available unless otherwise protected by copyright all outputs (materials, tools, process, systems) related to program by posting the output on any website identified by USED.

Benefits of Online Learning: 4 Reform Areas

Helps meet 4 core reform areas:◊ implementing rigorous standards and assessments◊ improving collection and use of data◊ improving teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in teacher

distribution◊ supporting struggling schools and turning around lowest

performing schools

Online Learning and Virtual Schools:◊ Increase standards and access to RIGOROUS core courses,

advanced courses, STEM and college-prep◊ New model of accountability using real-time DATA◊ Allows new distribution of HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS◊ Provides competency-based instruction and NEW SCHOOL

MODELS for turning around low-performing schools.

In tough economic times, K-12 online learning is a smart investment -- now more than

ever.

“The age of true personalization is now upon us.”

VSS Roundtable Discussions

◊ The U.S. Department of Education is developing a new National Educational Technology Plan to provide a vision for how information and communication technologies can help transform American education.

◊ The plan will provide a set of concrete goals that can inform state and local educational technology plans as well as inspire research, development, and innovation.

◊ A draft plan is expected in early 2010. ◊ The plan development team is looking for insights from the field to

help understand how to improve education through the innovative use of technology.

◊ VSS Sessions: ◊ Monday afternoon Breakout Session for Discussion and Input:

National Educational Technology Plan with Marianne Bakia

National Educational Technology Plan

◊ Federal funding and policy support for online learning to allow anytime, anyplace, interactive learning

◊ Blended and online learning◊ Student-centered models based on competency◊ Online course clearinghouse: K-20

◊ Policy and Funding◊ Remove policy barriers such as seat-time requirements for funding◊ Support funding for online learning programs

◊ Teaching◊ Support teacher professional development for online teaching◊ Allow reciprocity for licensed teachers to teach across state lines

◊ Research◊ Create a center for research of K-12 online learning◊ Collect data on enrollments, student demographics, courses and adoption of K-12 online

learning◊ Leadership◊ Incentivize the adoption, distribution and sharing of high-quality online courses and digital

curriculum

What are your recommendations?

◊ Technology = extension of ourselves◊ How new media fosters, amplifies or accelerates

degree of participation

McLuhan: “the medium is the message”

Passive Engagement Increase Participation

Book Discussion World Wide Web

Lecture Student-Centered Learning

LMS/Platform/Social Networking

Text Involvement Streaming Video/YouTube