Topic 1

Activity #1

http://laurelsprings9.reachlocal.net/?utm_source=ReachLocal&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=NAT

Laurel Springs in an online private school, where all instruction comes from online learning. In addition, this school has online clubs and activities. This is a private virtual school. This school is also partly College and university-based. The University of California has approved some of the courses for credit.  

http://www.k12.com/ha/home

Hoosier academies actually has three different schools. Two of these schools are blended learning and one of them is online school.  This is a state based school. You do not have to pay tuition to attend this school, it is a public school.  They have two campuses where students can have blended learning if they wish to still have some of the brick and mortar classes. They also do offer a fully online option.

http://www.gavirtualschool.org/

The Georgia Virtual School is a state-sanctioned school as well as being a statewide supplemental program. Students can enroll in this school to supplement their normal brick and mortar setting.

http://www.cobbk12.org/cobbvirtualacademy/

This is a district-level supplemental program. Students must attend a brick and mortar school in the Cobb County District to attend this school. In addition, this is just to supplement what they are learning in the brick and mortar setting.

http://www.foresttrailacademy.com/

This school appears to an online school, where all the information in shared online (there are no face to face meetings). It states that all you need is a computer and internet access in order to attend this school. It appears that students can work at their own pace and not ever have to be in a brick and mortar building. This is a private online school. Students from all over the country and world can attend this school.

Summary

I learned that there are many, many different types on online schools. I had no idea there were so many classifications. I just thought online learning was online learning. However, there is so much more to that. You can have blended learning- which is where the class takes place both online and  in a face to face setting. Then there are fully online courses. Within each of these two groups there are many other factors that determine just what kind of blended or online learning is taking place. 

I think it is important to the know the different types of online learning because different people have different needs. When I was getting my masters most of my classes were blended learning classes where I had to go to campus 3 times a semester. This worked for me then because I did not have a family. Also, it was a nice transition from undergrad (where all my classes were face to face) to an online learning class. Now that I am getting my specialists there is no way I would be able to take a blended learning class. I have a 4 month old now and this does not allow me to drive to campus even if it is only three times. Some students would do better with a fully online class, while others, can still benefit from seeing their teacher a few times. I think it is important to offer both types of classes to all students.