Virtual School By: Niki Davis and Dale S. Niederhauser

This article talked about how virtual schooling (VS) in the US is changing the K-12 curriculum. Middle and high schoolers all over the country are participating in Web-based online courses. The 2002-2003 school year approximately 300,000 students participated in VS. By 2006 it was estimated that one million middle and high school students would be participating in the program. The major advantages for virtual schooling stated by The National Educational Technology Plan was to have individually personalized schooling and help schools respond to the No Child Left Behind legislation. Also, that every student had access to e-learning opportunities, and every teacher also had access to e-learning training. Also, students enroll in this program because they gain access to advance placement options, flexible time and place benefits that help students complete coursework and graduate high school. This online learning was also served to students who were place bound or displaced. In Florida free course enrollment was given to students who were affected by Hurricane Katrina, which also included students from Louisiana. The benefits of this program for the lifelong learning are huge to students continuing their learning. April 2006, Michigan became the first state to require an online learning experience for high school graduates. This is a great way to get pre-college bound college students familiar with online courses and experience with the computer and the programs that come with them. Virtual schooling requires a major transformation for teachers and shifts the roles and necessitates of the teacher. The virtual school works like this: the teacher and students do not met in a traditional classroom, instead they communicate and share resources using digital technologies (e.g. e-mail, videoconferencing, and a learning management system such as Blackboard). Students as well as teachers receive support throughout this experience. Local school districts and administrators help both students and teachers with the design of the course. Administrators also play an important role in supporting the VS efforts. They are responsible for recruitment and quality of the courses. The VS site facilitators have the most important role out of all three of VS roles. Their role might be a teacher, administrator, guidance counselor, or aide hired specifically for the purpose. The VS site facilitator communicates with not only students but with teachers and administrators giving them support and advice in what needs to be in the virtual schools. The major challenge for virtual schools in how to prepare teachers for VS. Typically teachers would go out and do field work at schools. Field experience in the VS system is often obscured due to the nature of the program. The VS programs are becoming rapidly popular in today's education system, and everyone needs to be prepared in accepting this new program.


This is an excellent idea for transforming the school and education system. The resources that teachers could use would be limitless in the classroom. I plan on using technology devices in my future classroom. Web cams are relatively inexpensive now a days and every student could afford to invest in one. Enhancing my future students knowledge about technology is a priority that I am making for my classroom. This is an excellent way to expose students to what the technology world can bring into their lives. Of course this would have to be approved my the school and district, but this is a great opportunity for the students.