As a seventh-grader, Kelsey-Anne Hizer was getting mostly D’s and F’s and felt the teachers at her Ocala middle school were not giving her the help she needed. But after switching to a virtual school for eighth grade, Kelsey-Anne is receiving more individual attention and making A’s and B’s. She’s also enthusiastic about learning, even though she has never been in the same room as her teachers.
Kelsey-Anne became part of a growing national trend when she transferred to Orlando-based Florida Virtual School. Students get their lessons online and communicate with their teachers and each other through chat rooms, e-mail, telephone and instant messaging.
“It’s more one-on-one than regular school,” Kelsey-Anne said. “It’s more they’re there; they’re listening.”
Meanwhile, just down the street at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jan Miernowski, Professor of Italian and French won a national award for his online learning course.
Be careful about what you are saying…
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/tnl/mvc/
over 500 online courses are going to be allowed for Madison high students this year alone through the Madison Virtual Campus…doesn’t sound to me like they are doing nothing. Madison also has 2 alternative online schools, the Transition Learning Center (TLC) and Credit Recover and Increasing Skills (CRIS) (in addition to many of the other alternative programs using online coursework).
Thanks for posting, FarWestSideParent.
Your link appears promising, though the last I’d heard of this matter was Susan Troller’s February, 2007 article:
‘Virtual’ courses rile teachers union
http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2007/02/virtual_courses.php
“The prospect of a virtual school program in Madison is causing a confrontation in the real world between the Madison school district and John Matthews, executive director of Madison Teachers Inc., the teachers’ union.
At issue is whether the Madison district will be violating its collective bargaining contract with local teachers if it develops a virtual school learning program that includes courses taught online by instructors who are not members of MTI.
A virtual learning proposal, under development by the district for over a year, will be presented to the school board for consideration within the next month or so.
“Our position is that only MTI teachers can instruct kids,” Matthews said in an interview. “If someone providing the online instruction is not a licensed teacher in our district, I can’t tell you what the quality of the education will be.”
Matthews wrote a letter this week chastising Board President Johnny Winston Jr. for his advocacy of the online school proposal.”
and Jason Shephard’s words on Virtual Classes in November, 2006:
http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=4767
“One of the better-kept secrets in Madison is that the school district currently offers more than 100 online courses for city high school students. The program is called the Madison Virtual Campus.
“It turns out Madison is a leader in this technology,” says Johnny Winston Jr., the school board president. “My first question was, ‘Why don’t people know about this?'” He thinks virtual schools could help keep students who might leave for other options.
“As the second-largest school district in the state, we should be leading the way,” Winston says. “And to find out that yeah, we’re already doing this but nobody knows about it, I’m like, c’mon, let’s make this happen.”
Madison is one of many districts in Wisconsin that are turning to the Internet to expand options for students. Some districts are tiptoeing toward this new technology, offering a few online courses. Others are creating entire schools in cyberspace, torpedoing the idea of an education that consists of 45-minute classes held within four walls.”
Somewhat related: Andy Hall’s recent article on Madison’s unique position on open enrollment:
http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2007/09/wisconsin_open.php
“The number of such rejections has nearly tripled since the 2004-05 school year, largely because of a rise in the number of requests to transfer to a virtual school in another district such as Appleton, Northern Ozaukee or Waukesha. (The Madison district offers more than 100 online courses for middle and high school students but hasn’t determined whether to offer a full online school curriculum.)
For example, in the past four years, Madison officials have cited racial imbalance in rejecting more than half of the 59 requests to transfer to the Appleton School District, data show. Appleton operates a virtual school known as Wisconsin Connections Academy.
“Personally, to not allow students who are home schooled and who probably are going to be home schooled for the better part of their educational careers, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me,” said Mark Huenink, assistant superintendent of the Appleton School District, who said it’s likely that a change in the law will be considered by legislators as enrollment in virtual schools continues to climb.”
Are these courses widely available to Madison students now?
Jim, I don’t know if they are available now, but I am concerned that classes for students are anywhere from $0 to over $405 per semester(ie AP Biology which is a 2 semester course).
After looking at the site a bit, I have a feeling that it isn’t really up and running, but listing what courses are available through many different on line organizations. (ie APEX). When I searched courses provided by Madison Virtual Campus, zero come up, yet when one brings up all providers, they all say they are provided by Madison Virtual Campus. I have a feeling that this is still in design stage.