Week+4

Discussion:
 * In 2007, the Sloan Consortium issued a report on the extent and nature of online learning in K-12 schools. The overall number of K-12 students engaged in online courses in 2007-2008 was estimated at 1,030,000. Sloan-C also reported that more than 4.6 million students were taking at least one online college course during the fall 2008 term, a 17 percent increase over the number reported the previous year. **

· **How do you see online education being used in your classroom, campus and district? ** · **What type of staff development do you think K-12 teachers need in order to begin to develop and implement online learning? ** · **What impact will this type of teaching and learning have on the business world? **  I see online education being used all the time in our district. I have used YouTube videos on the properties of exponents and to access a video from Sports Science on how Drew Brees throws a football with pinpoint accuracy. Students love to watch videos and it is so accessible to just jump on the internet and Google or search in YouTube for a particular topic. If someone asks a question that the teacher doesn’t know the answer to, the student or the teacher can just jump on the internet to get an instant answer.
 * Post to the discussion board using the following questions as a guide to respond to the Sloan-C reports. **

Online learning provides a way for students to get ahead, catch-up, or just stay on track. According the survey results, “Respondents report that online learning is meeting the specific needs of a range of students, from those who need extra help and credit recovery to those who want to take Advanced Placement and college-level courses.” The traditional high school classroom is evolving as our technological capabilities continue to increase. Opportunities for education are increasing exponentially and we can truly make sure “no child gets left behind.”

Online learning is more engaging and multisensory as well and provides teachers with an almost limitless amount of information. Teachers just need to be able to harness the amazing wealth of data they have at their fingertips. Teachers need to be trained on how best to use their resources and make students “seek out the information” instead of just giving it to them. I also think teachers need to be trained on how to properly cite sources and internet ethics so that they can make sure their students are held to the same standards.

Online learning is the wave of the future for both learning and the business world. We all know that our world has been evolving into a “global society” for some time now. Taking online courses teaches so much more than the content itself. The main skills I have learned from taking online courses are good time management, organization, and self-discipline. The student must be aware of deadlines and not only plan his week to get it all done, but he must also be able to estimate and determine how long it will take to do each task. For example, if you are a slow reader and know that you have 80 pages to read for the week, you need to have some sort of estimate on how long it will take you to do the readings. Also, look ahead at the assignment and what it entails. How much time should you spend on each task? I can proudly say that my time management skills are excellent due to taking online courses. When people are accustomed to self-managing, self-motivating, and meeting deadlines, then the business world will run more efficiently. There is no---can I turn it in late or get those surgical supplies to you later? When people are expected to meet deadlines, then everyone involved will know what to expect and when to expect it.

Sloan Consortium (n.d.). Retrieved August 6, 2009, from __ [] __

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Schoology Site []

Assignment