Dunn, Josh. Virtual Legality: Unions and Homeschoolers Attack Internet Education. Retrieved May 25, 2007 from LookSmart Website: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0MJG/is_4_6/ai_n16832465

Summary
This article discussed legal issues arising from 'virtual' public schools. Lawsuits have been brought in several cases, although the courts (at the time of this article) have upheld the rights of students to choose virtual schools. One issue is pupil reimbursement--some argue that virtual schools should not be reimbursed for students at the same rate as traditional schools because the students do not physically attend a school. The courts did not find merit in this argument. Another controversy involves who is doing the teaching--in virtual schools, students learn at home and are supervised by parents, who are not licensed teachers. Although the state of Wisconsin department of education sided with the unions on this issue (even though they were named as defendants), the courts again ruled for the rights of virtual schools.

Some of these issues go deeper than legalities--unions worry that because the student-teacher ratio is so much higher in virtual schools, jobs will be threatened if they grow in popularity. Some homeschool groups also oppose these virtual schools because they feel that their current set-up will also be threatened. However, there are other homeschool groups that support vitual schools as a way to allow their children access to a 'school,' but also maintain control over their children's education.

Although the current enrollment in these virtual school remains relatively small, it is definitely a trend to watch.

Response
I wasn't aware of some of the issues raised in this article--I never thought, for instance, about the possible impact of virtual schools on teacher employment because virtual schools need fewer instructors than traditional schools. I don't know where I stand on the issue as a whole. I can see (especially after our class discussions) the benefit of online schooling for certain students. However, I can also see the unions' concerns in these cases--that these options could start to take resources and staffing away from traditional schools. There has to be a way to fund both without either feeling like one is being funded at the expense of the other.

Perkins, Matthew and Plaffman, Jay. The Science Teacher (2006). 73(7). p 33-38. Retrieved from ProQuest Database May 24, 2007.

Summary
Although Course Management Systems are commonplace in higher education, more K-12 educators are also exploring how these systems can improve student learning and communication in traditional K-12 education as well. Some schools utilize simple tools like online gradebooks that can be accessed by students and parents, but others are taking advantage of open-source software such as Moodle to facilitate communicate and give greater access to coursework.
A site on Moodle can include both resources and activities. Resources include documents (such as assignments or PowerPoint presentations) uploaded to Moodle or instructor-created pages. Instructors can also add podcasts (such as news feeds like The New York Times). Activities on a Moodle site include assignment turn in, discussion forums, chat, quizzes, and a wiki. Moodle formats all pages to have a uniform look.
Utilizing a Moodle site in a traditional classroom can help students in several ways. Students who are absent now can have access to coursework and assignments at home. Parents can see lessons, assignments, and due dates, and instructors have the ability to update these items at any time. While some students may not have internet access at home, giving those who do have it the opportunity to access course materials there allows teachers more time to assist those without it in class.
For teachers, Moodle can serve as a way to access coursework and student from home as well as school. It can also serve as a planning record to remind instructors how they organized or paced a course in a previous year or semester. If teachers of the same course follow the same order of lessons, they can coordinate lesson planning and manage a Moodle site together, which cuts the workload for individual instructors.
Although sites like Moodle are more commonly used in higher or distance education, they may be a valuable resource in traditional K-12 education as well.

Response:
I found the ideas in this article interesting--and it made me think about looking into using a software system like this for my own class. I liked the ideas that the authors gave for how to use Moodle in a K-12 class because in the past, I've only thought of systems like this as a resource for higher or distance educators. One huge issue I see with high school students is the ability to manage make up work (or lack thereof!) and keep track of handouts, due dates, etc. Using a system like this would be a way to give them access to this information from home as well as giving them the opportunity to be able to turn in work electronically--which might help with another one of my chronic problems, missing assignments. This also helps make classes and expectations more transparent to parents and administrators. That might help parents feel like they can be more active participants in their kids' education because they are more in the know about what is going on in class.

Burgstahler, Sheryl. (2005). Steps Toward Making Distance Learning Accessible to Students and Instructors with Disabilities. Information Technologies and Disabilities Journal, 6 (1), Retrieved on May 7, 2007 from http://www.rit.edu/%7Eeasi/itd/itdv11n1/brgstler.htm.

Summary
This article discusses the process undergone at the University of Washington to "identify and implement systematic changes in policies and procedures to improve the accessibility of the UW Distance Learning courses." (para 1) While the goal of distance learning courses is to make learning more easily accessible, the use of technology actually ends up making it harder for students with disabilities (or disadvantages) to access the course. This is the problem that the UW hoped to alleviate.
The Distance Learning Accessibility Project decided that the only way to really improve accessibility would be through policy and procedure changes, rather than adjusting on a course by course basis. This would ensure that they were not just haphazardly modifying when it came up, but universally making online courses more accessible. They also found that this actually ends up being less work and expense than redesigning course by course or just dealing with it on a student to student basis.
The first step was to set a university policy about Web accessibility and to begin educating staff. The Distance Learning staff participated in training sessions, with follow-up trainings offered, and an "accessibleweb" discussion list was established for staff to discuss the topic and share ideas. Web page templates were also created that met accessibility standards, allowing designers to easily create an accessible web page for a course. New courses are all designed using universal design principles, and the Distance Learning staff is available to consult with other instructors. Periodic assessments by the DL staff test for accessibility.
Not only is class design changing, but how accessibility issues are addressed in technology class is changing as well. Now all introductory Web classes discuss these issues, and the final project for these classes must be created using accessible design.

Response
This was an interesting case study in making online learning accessible. I especially liked the mindset that they took--we have to change our policies and procedures or no big change will ever happen. Although that was probably uncomfortable and took some getting used to, I agree that it's probably the only way that a wide-scale change ever takes place. The best suggestion I saw in this article was the creation of accessible website templates, so that creating a site that all students can access becomes simple. This is great because I don't think that instructors don't want to help make their courses more accessible, I think they either don't know how or don't have the time. Having the templates would take care of both these issues.
This made me think about how we deal with "accessibility issues" in face-to-face classes...we tend to put out fires as we see them, so to speak, rather than thinking ahead of time about designing classes so that all of our students can get the most out of them. It's a good thing to keep in mind, distance learning or not.

Beldarrain, Yoany. (2006). Distance Education Trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2), p139-153. Retrieved from ProQuest Database on May 21, 2007.

Summary
In this article, the author discusses the reasons why student interaction and collaboration are so important and how to utilize new technologies to increase this aspect of distance education. He points out that many learning theories tout the virtues of interaction. Situated learning theory says that students need to be involved in solving problems in communities, and the goal of anchored instruction is to improve students' problem solving skills by having them role play or interact to come up with solutions. Engagement theory brings technology into the mix--it says that technology actually makes unique kinds of engagement and interaction possible for students. Last, social learning theory "interprets human behavior as the product of a person's interaction with the cognitive, behavioral, and environmental influences that surround him [or her]"(148).
The author offers up several new ways to foster collaboration in distance education. First are blogs. Blogs provide students with a 'real' audience and allow them to share their reflections with other students. Instructors can also use blogs to create class community by using them to post information or reflections of their own. Podcasting is another new technology that may foster interaction and community by allowing them a medium to share information with other students. If students create podcasts to share, they can collaborate on teams to create the podcast and also create community by sharing these feeds with other students. Podcasts also allow an instructor to "push" certain information to all students (by having them subscribe to those podcasts), thereby ensuring that the entire learning community is getting the same information. Wikis can also be used to create community by allowing students to actually collaborate to create content. Last, instructors can access open source software to use with students and further create a feeling of community. Three options are described: Imeem, a social networking software that allows students to blog, share files, and chat; InstaColl, an application that allows students to edit Microsoft Office documents and meet or chat live; and Writeboard, which lets students access shared files from the Internet and allows the instructor to see who has contributed what.
All of these new technologies focus on the needs of today's learners--the desire to be self directed yet part of a group and the need for quick feedback. They also shift the role of the instructor to more of a partner. Although barriers exist (cost, equal access to computers, lack of support), these tools need to be explored to further student collaboration online.

Response
I found this article poorly organized for one thing. It was hard to follow how the author wanted all of the information he gave to fit together. But I did get the basic idea: there are a lot of tools out there the help online learners feel more connected. We have looked at most of these tools (and used them) in class, or at least looked at something similar, and while I've always seen distance learning as a pretty isolating way to learn, I'm starting to feel differently. I didn't realize there were so many ways for students to still connect to each other and their instructor, and not just feel like they're 'floating' out there in cyberspace. However, when we've used the tools, it's been as a part of a face-to-face class, so I'm not sure how connected they would truly make me feel in a class that was solely done online.

Sener, John. (2006). Effectively Evaluating Online Learning Programs. eLearn Magazine. Retrieved May 15, 2007 from http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=tutorials&article=23-1.

Summary
This article describes some common misconceptions (or 'frames') that instructors or institutions often have when looking at course evaluation. These frames are important to examine because when they aren't, they prevent us from seeing the true potential of evaluation. The negative 'frames' described in the article were:

1. "Online Learning is a Different Universe"(para. 5)--Instead of seeing evaluating an online course as a whole new scenario, look at evaluation in the same way that you would for a face-to-face course. A lot of familiar tools can be used, just in an adjusted manner.

2. "Evaluation as Judgment" (para. 6)--Avoid making evaluations about judgment or accountability, as this just makes people defensive and may cause instructors to focus more on damage-control than on actually improving the course. Use evaluation to "make meaning" (para. 7) and consider how the program or course is working for those involved.

3. "Evaluation as Episode or Autopsy" (para. 8)--Don't allow evaluation to just be a one-time thing (usually at the end of the class). Make it continual and reflective--for both students as staff--by conducting several smaller evaluations throughout a course. This way, the data is actually useful to those students who provided it, and the course can be adjusted as it is going on, rather than revamping at the end for the next group.

4. "Content is King" (para. 13)--While evaluating how well content has been passed on is important, it is just as important to evaluate the processes that have been used. This can be especially important in evaluating online courses. This may require more non-traditional evaluation methods, such as journaling or response logs, in order to collect feedback as students work through various stages of the process of the course.

5. "The Comparison Trap" (para. 20)--Making comparisons between classes (or between online delivery vs face-to-face) to determine which is 'better' is "irrelevant and counterproductive"(para. 20). Instead, focus on making the class (whatever the format) better. This shift in focus can also keep the evaluation process from becoming adversarial.

Two approaches may allow evaluation to move in this direction. The Sloan-C Quality Framework focuses on five key pillars of access, student satisfaction, learning effectiveness, faculty satisfaction, and cost effectiveness. The CEIT Model for Evaluating Online Learning focuses on moving through four stages: comparisons, effectiveness, quality improvement, and transformation, but accommodates multiple progressions through these steps. What's important is that institutions find a system that works for them and allows evaluation to be more effective and rewarding.

Response:
I like the idea of making evaluation more useful and productive. I agree with the author that we have allowed evaluation to turn into something that often is not useful for instructors or students because it doesn't actually encourage any real reflection or improvement. Breaking it down into five simple areas is helpful because it creates concrete places where overhauling evaluation can start. Simply choosing to conduct a few smaller, maybe more informal, evaluations over the course of a quarter or semester could change the whole meaning behind the process. Rather than simply 'judging' the course, the evaluators are providing feedback that may improve the class for them, not just those who take it next time. This would also, I imagine, motivate them to take the evaluation more seriously and provide more helpful feedback. This is something I like to try to do in my class--although we don't do technical evaluations, I often ask my kids to write me a note at the end of each quarter telling me what is working for them and what isn't. I find it's helpful to hear that while I can still make changes--if I waited until the end of the year, it would be too late.

Dool, Richard. Managing Conflict in Online Student Teams. (2007). eLearn Magazine. Retrieved May 8, 2007 from http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=best_practices&article=36-1.

Summary
In this article, the author discusses the issue of team assignments in an online class and, specifically, how to navigate the group dynamic problems that can result. His argument is that although a team assignment is even harder online than it is face-to-face because of communication difficulties, they are necessary. Learning how to function on a team is a necessity for employment, and with increasing globalization, 'virtual teams' are becoming more common. However, some of the same problems come up in online team assignments as when students are face-to-face--the 'silent' team member, a lack of quality involvement, or accusations of plagiarism. To alleviate these problems, the key is addressing the issue before the assignment is ever given. First, the syllabus for the class needs to clearly outline the expectations for team assignments, and those assignments need to be given enough weight to show their importance. Second, students need to actively think about their role in the group before beginning--both by documenting that they understand and accept the guidelines in the syllabus and by agreeing to a team charter, which structures the group interaction. The author also recommends assigning groups, stating that conflict tends to be less in teacher-assigned groups. He also sets up team chat rooms that are monitored by the instructor so that someone outside of the group can monitor their interaction.
If group problems do arise, there are a variety of ways to deal with it, depending on the severity of the problem. Sometimes a gentle reminder to the entire class can redirect a wayward group. Other times, speaking to a specific student or group may be necessary. If things go really awry, the instructor can conference call with the group and lay out exactly how he/she expects the group to proceed. One last issue that can arise is grading. In the author's classes, team members are asked to evaluate their own and other group members' participation. If there is proof of a real discrepancy, individual grades can be adjusted.

Summary
It is interesting to think about group project issues from a distance learning perspective. Although I've seen all of the issues that this article describes in the physical classroom, I can certainly see how they would be even more pronounced in a virtual one. Trying to communicate with group members (and avoid miscommunication) becomes more difficult--and a whole host of other excuses arise! I liked the solutions that the author sets forth, particularly those that focused on dealing with conflict by avoiding it. Thinking through what you, as an instructor, really want students to do and knowing exactly what you want them to get out of team assignments is half the battle. Structured, clearly expressed expectations seem like they would be a necessity for any online assignment, but especially when you are expecting multiple people to get on the same page and work together. I also like the suggestion of the group charter because it puts the responsibility for thinking about and monitoring group behavior first on the group members. If they have to think about, and agree to, what their group plan will be, I would think they would be more likely to follow through. I may try this in my classroom!

Burgstahler, Sheryl. (2002). Universal Design of Distance Learning. Information Technology and Disabilities Journal 8 (1). Retrieved on May 7, 2007, from http://www.rit.edu/%7Eeasi/itd/itdv08n1/burgstah.htm.

Summary
This article provides a basic overview of how universal design principles can be applied to a distance learning environment. As more modes of delivery are utilized in a single course, it becomes more important to think about accessibility issues for both students and instructors. The author points out that instructors have not only a moral responsibility to see that everyone can access the course, but a legal one under the Americans with Disabilities Act. There are several access barriers to consider, including blindness and visual impairments; specific learning disabilities; mobility, hearing, or speech impairments; and seizure disorders. All of these conditions can affect how students are able to access online classes.
Planning for these issues before beginning a course is much easier than trying to accommodate them as the course goes along. For example, In terms of Internet communication, students may not be able to participate in real-time chat conversations because of the speed of communication involved. Therefore, instructors can choose other discussion methods like email, bulletin boards, or listserv distribution lists. Web page access can be made possible for students who have a visual impairment by creating a text alternative or by allowing students access to a text-only browser. Instructors should also test to see if the functions of a Web site can be accessed using only the keyboard. Video content should have real time captioning or, in the case of video conferencing, a sign language interpreter. Telephone conferencing presents enough issues that alternative communication avenue (like email or a chat room) may work better.
Although the principles of universal design that are discussed in the article are focused on students with disabilities, they can also make the course more accessible for those without disabilities, and so they benefit everyone.

Response
This was a good basic overview of how the principles of universal design can be applied to online courses. It brought up issues that I know I wouldn't have thought of, and made me realize how important it would be to try to address as many of those things as possible before
beginning a class so that considerations can really be taken and options put into place. Too often we don't address these things until the issue is upon us (in the form of a student in the class who can't access the content in a "standard" way), and then we scramble to make the accommodations that we can at that point. This certainly isn't in the best interest of the student, and with more articles or checklists out there like this one, it makes it easier to remind ourselves to look for ways to accommodate all students before we even begin.

Downes, Stephen. (2005). E-learning 2.0. eLearn Magazine. Retrieved May 8, 2007, from http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=29-1.

Summary
This article starts out discussing trends in e-learning--mainly the rise of 'digital natives', those who access technology differently than learners in the past. They like "on-demand" access to information and media and often navigate multiple technologies simultaneously. Thus, the phrase 'student-centered' is moving from meaning that instructors adapt for different styles of learning to meaning that students are in control of the pace and direction of their learning. The same ideas governing these learners use of the Internet--open sharing of files and information--translates to learning--active collaboration and creation of information. The author points out that this centers around how the Web has changed--it has gone from being a place where information is simply consumed to a place where it is created. He gives examples--blogs, wikis, podcasting--and says that these types of tools can help create a true community in online learning (as opposed to the more contrived, discussion-board communities of the past). Because of this, students involved in this type of learning have a more authentic experience as they have a very real audience who not only consumes what they create but can interact with and respond to it. The article ends with a discussion of areas that have yet to reach their potential--educational gaming/simulations and mobile learning. Gaming is a way to encourage learning because it involves immediate application, while mobile learning gives students more opportunities to learn and connect with others.

Summary
I liked the introductory nature of this article--since I'm still having trouble getting my head around what this 'Web 2.0' thing actually is, it was nice to have the background laid out for me simply one more time. It makes me realize yet again that the way my students see/use technology is so different from the way that I do. While both are viable, I realize the more I read that I need to accept some of these new technologies as useful, rather than just writing them off because I don't get them. Take Wikipedia, for example. ; I'll admit it--in the past, I've been a teacher that banned it as a source. My thinking was that if anyone could add to it, how could it possibly be valid or reliable? Now I'm not so sure--I see it as a much more valuable tool now that I understand it a little better. Same goes for the nature of these 'digital natives.' I laughed when the author used the term 'twitch speed' to describe the rate at which these learners expect responses and feedback. While this can be frustrating (they don't understand, for example that the online gradebook doesn't just update itself--there is work involved), I could also use it to my advantage by planning activities (digital or not) that play on their ability to access multiple sources and collaborate. However, I will say, based on our discussions in class and my own experience, there are many, many learners who can use the computer but do not have these skills. So it comes back to engaging them in tasks that encourage those skills.

Boon, R., et al. (2006). The Impact of Cognitive Organizers and Technology-Based Practices on Student Success in Secondary Social Studies Classrooms. Journal of Special Education Technology, 21 (1), 5-10. Retrieved from ProQuest Database on April 26, 2007.

Summary
The authors conducted a study to look at the impact of using cognitive organizers (Inspiration 6) in an inclusive high-school social studies class. The two classes involved in the study included students in both general and special education. The rationale behind doing the study came from problems with traditional textbooks--the incorrect assumption of background knowledge, lack of clarity about events and relationships, and overload of information. The researchers chose to use Inspiration because of previous research that showed its effectiveness for students with learning disabilities as well as those without. The purpose of the study was to see whether technologically-enhanced organizers (Inspiration) could increase learning in a content-area class. The study used two classes--one that followed traditional textbook materials to cover the unit, while in the other, the teacher utilized Inspiration software during lectures and had students use it to outline and map the unit afterwards. Both students and the teachers involved had a small amount of training in how to use Inspiration before the study took place. A pre- and post-test was used to determine how well the material had been learned in both groups. The results showed that students using the cognitive organizers performed significantly better than those using the traditional textbook--both students with and without learning disabilities. The authors did recommend that further research with a larger sample be done before generalizing the results, they seemed confident that this software would have a positive effect in other classes as well.

Response
I chose this article because I am presenting on Inspiration in class in a few weeks, and I was curious about what research has found in terms of its effectiveness. This study made it sound promising, and did describe a use of Inspiration that I wouldn't have thought of--using an LCD projector to map out concepts during a lecture and having students take notes from that. When I first read that, I thought, yeah, but is that really using technology in a new way? Isn't it just like an overhead? But then I saw that they had the students get on the program and turn their map into an outline, which is one of the features that I really like about Inspiration. I'm not surprised that students who went through this process recalled the information more readily on a test than those who did traditional textbook work. My only question would be whether or not this same trend would continue once kids used the technology more than once--or was some of the positive outcome based on the novelty of using something new? The article referred to this briefly at the end, but didn't address it directly. But I suppose that if it's just used as a once-in-a-while resource (so students don't lose interest), it could be a great way to motivate students and help some of them organize information that would otherwise be overwhelming.

Sternberg, R. (2006). DISTRICTS Delivering Online. School Administrator, 63 (7), 10-17. Retrieved from ProQuest Database April 26, 2007.

Summary:
This article discussed several different K-12 school districts that have implemented some kind of distance learning program, either as an alternative or an addition to 'bricks and mortar' schools. Districts' interest in distance education came from a variety of sources or issues: students spread out across an isolated geographic area, high drop out rates, high school physical education requirements that take up a period a day, the need for more college-prep classes, a loss of students to charter schools, credit retrieval--the list goes on. Regardless of the reasons they started, there seemed to be some similar lessons to be learned from their experiences. First, funding must be worked out, and is not always what it seems. State funding differs, and some districts use distance programs to increase state revenues by boosting enrollment. Also, many districts found that buying into pre-packaged programs was helpful, but costly. Setting up clear expectation about what will be paid for with what monies helped some districts work through this issue. Another issue surrounds what kinds of students to target for these programs. One district started out targeting at-risk students, but found that many of those students performed just as poorly online, so they expanded their program to draw in students who wanted accelerated classes as well. Another district has experienced success catering mainly to students who were at-risk for dropping out. Many cited versatility for students as the biggest draw of online classes--it allows middle school students to take high school classes without the social awkwardness of actually sitting in a high school class, students who relocate to other countries to continue at their American school, sick students to keep up with classes from home, and overburdened students to free up a class period to take something else during the day.
One idea that seemed consistent, though, was that online schools cannot be modeled after their non-virtual counterparts. They are an entirely different entity, and need to be structured in a way that specifically addresses the needs of the program. Figuring out how to provide every student a computer and Internet access is a priority, and using a separate staff from the 'regular' schools seems to make a big difference. Overall, this article gave the impression that online schools open up a lot of possibilities for K-12 education that many are not yet taking advantage of.

Response
This article grabbed my attention because I know very little about how distance learning programs in high school are set up--and I still know very little about it. I kept waiting for the author to get into specifics about how these programs worked rather than just saying that they worked. I kept wondering how classes are structured, how well students in an online school do on state tests versus students in traditional schools, or what assignments and assessment look like. Those questions didn't get answered by this article. However, I did get a better picture of the reasons why schools might choose to offer online classes--a lot of which made sense to me. Allowing students to take classes at their level, whether that's middle school kids in high school classes or high schoolers taking college courses, makes perfect sense...and if students can do this without the issues of having to go to another school or sit in a classroom full of much-older students, that's even better. And even though I found the funding discussing a little confusing, I get the point that funding is available for these ventures, whether it's through a grant or a partnership with a company who provides materials.
What's funny is that even though I see all the good that the author says online schools can do for students, a big part of me is hugely resistant to the idea. Call me old fashioned, but I still have a hard time accepting that a student can receive just as good of an educational experience online as in a physical classroom. Maybe I'll feel more open-minded once I see some of the tools that are available to support these classes? We'll see...