Virtual Schooling

Journal # 8
Virtual Schooling
By: Niki Davis and Dale S. Niederhauser

Virtual schooling is where classes in K-12 are offered mostly through digital communication and is being used throughout the United States. It is becoming highly popular at the high school level.

Why do students choose virtual schooling?
Some students choose it because they have the freedom to individually personalize their schooling. Others because they can have access to advance placement options and a flexible time schedule. Virtual schooling requires substantial shifts in teachers’ roles and necessitates distributing responsibilities for providing an educational experience among host school participants and VS providers.

How is virtual schooling used in schools?

The virtual classroom includes a teacher and groups of students who are distributed among two or more distant schools. Rather than meeting in classroom students communicate using the Internet and video conferencing. I have participated in a few online courses and sites like Webct or Blackboard we used as a meeting place where all of our course information was located. WebCT learning management software provided access to a comprehensive set of curriculum materials, including professionally produced content, student-produced resources such as individual Web pages, a course calendar, and a syllabus. Communication tools included asynchronous discussion boards, e-mail, and a drop box for completed assignments.