Appleton eSchool Overview
Appleton Area School District has provided their high
school students the opportunity to complete credits online rather than in the
classroom with Appleton
eSchool. This completely online school allows students to complete credits
for graduation whenever and wherever there is Internet access. The largest
positive to this online model is the students’ ability to meet their own
learning needs by setting the pace. Students, along with mentor and teacher
guidance, pick the beginning and dates as well as the pace of assignment
completion in between. Beginners are allowed to take one online credit at a
time. Successful online students may take a maximum of two credits
simultaneously.
eSchool Staff and Virtual Presence
The eSchool staff pertinent to a student is comprised
of a teacher for each class and a personal mentor. The online teachers are
district staff that teach the same or similar online course in a traditional
classroom setting. Students are told that staff is most easily contacted via
email and that all emails, phone calls, or request for live chat rooms by the
end of the school day or within 48 hours for more extensive contact requests.
Each online student is paired with a mentor. This is
an adult who has regular contact with the student and shares an enthusiasm for
online learning, regularly a parent. A mentor is responsible for checking in
with his/her student routinely, keeping them up-to-date on assignments and work
schedule. This adult is provided a login to help monitor student progress.
Teachers and mentors are in close contact.
Florida
Virtual School and eDynamic
Learning provide packaged course offerings nationally. Appleton eSchool
offers some electives via these initiatives.
It makes a lot of sense to have content certified
school district teachers also teach the online courses. Since the premise of the eSchool is to
have students complete the same high school courses at their own pace, this
staff overlap creates continuity, ensuring online and traditional students are
receiving equal education.
Mentors present a great way for home life to
integrate into school life. Online learning is new to many students. Having a
trusted adult nearby to either guide or learn along side is helpful for
students in every setting.
The two exterior programs, Florida Virtual School and
eDynamic Learning, expands students’ course options with minimal work from the
district. This is an excellent example of teachers stealing from teachers for
student success.
Curriculum and Course Offerings
A comprehensive list of course offerings allows
students to take just about any class Appleton high schools offer online.
The curriculum for these online courses is slightly
altered from the classroom setting. Students participate in discussion forums,
but their grade and attendance is based on completing at least one assignment
per week. Yet, teachers are given flexibility to use various assessment tools
that mimic classrooms: quizzes, readings, discussions, tests, etc. The same
final exam is given to online and classroom students, evening expectations for
everyone.
Considering the aim of the eSchool is to allow
students to finish high school at their own pace, it makes perfect sense that
the same courses needed for graduation be offered online.
Pace Charts, a calendar to help students keep up with
course work, is an excellent idea to strengthen class management. The mentor
has a heavy hand in this area. More to come on these later.
The school’s homepage displays the slogan, “Providing
21st Century Learning Since 2002.” 21st Century Skills,
according to the Buck Institute for Education,
are focused around collaboration, communication, and critical thinking (Chen,
2010, p. 76). The eSchool’s online format does incorporate technology into
communication; however, I do not see any notable improvement in collaboration
and critical thinking beyond what a traditional classroom environment would
provide. This is in large part due to the traditional style of assessment
utilized. The Policies
and Procedures document names some popular used assessments: brochures,
PowerPoint presentations, reports, oral quizzes, and worksheets to name a few
(Appleton Area School District, 2011, p. 12). These are all very traditional
assessments used in the common high school classroom. There does not appear to
be movement toward 21st century assessments that create authentic
experiences.
Student Activity Tracking and Learning
Management (Pace Charts)
Teachers and mentors are required to send monthly
progress reports to students. Teachers are also expected to grade assignments
within two school days of submission.
Along with the use of mentors and requirements for
prompt teacher responses, Pace Charts serve a major role for students to manage
their learning. A Pace Chart is a calendar that sequences course work into
manageable chunks. Students have a lot of say in how this schedule is put
together as well as the start and end dates. This is a spectacular way for
students to take ownership of their learning through time management. Further,
it incorporates differentiation, as students are able to work at their own
speed. It is encouraged to work ahead of pace whenever possible.
For students looking for a predetermined structure,
Virtual High School (VHS) is offered. This avenue provides the same course work
but with a fixed start and end date.
Website Navigation and Information
Access
I found the website to be very user-friendly,
particularly for someone perusing for basic information. I was able to find an FAQ that was helpful to
both casual visitors and potential users, going in depth into the workings of
the eSchool with well worded, short answers to helpful questions.
Putting myself in the shoes of a potential student or
parent, course offerings would be near the top of my list for need-to-knows.
This was not only touched on in the FAQ, but I quickly located the link on the
main page. A comprehensive list of the course offerings is accessed easily.
However, it seems some courses are clickable, leading to a course outline,
while others aren’t. This seemed peculiar.
Overall, the website’s interface is capped at
necessity. Everything a student, parent, or teacher may need is quickly found
without added bells and whistles or technical components the majority of users
wouldn’t need.
Conclusion
Appleton eSchool is a great opportunity for students
frustrated with the pace of course work in a brick and mortar setting. Yet, the
majority of what is offered does not extend learning beyond what could occur in
a classroom. It simply provides a differentiated pace for those who need to
speed up or slow down for success, expanding the “when” learning is happening.
Also, the online component opens up the “where.” While this may help students
succeed in the current academic high school model of course work, it does not
provide much more 21st century skills than a classroom can. The
online component can convert some of the students’ face-to-screen from
entertainment to academics, but I doubt any new technology skills, with the
exception of online professionalism, are built that social media couldn’t have
provided otherwise.
I
recommend this school to any family with a high school student frustrated by
the pace of the traditional classroom. I think any student needing things to
speed up or slow down can greatly benefit from Appleton eSchool. However, if a
family is looking for an academic setting that incorporates true 21st
Century Skill based learning, rather than the same curriculum and assessment
translated online, I suggest they look elsewhere.
References
Appleton Area School District (2011). Appleton
eschool policies and procedures. Retrieved from http://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/eschool/pdfs/1112_Policies_Procedures_eSchool_Dec.doc.pdf
Appleton Area School District (2012). Appleton
eschool. Retrieved from http://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/eschool/index.html
Buck
Institute for Technology (2012). Retrieved from http://www.bie.org
Chen, Milton (2010). Education
nation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
eDynamic Learning (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.edynamiclearning.com
Florida Virtual School (2012). Retrieved from http://www.flvs.net/Pages/default.aspx.
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