An article from my home province that touches close to home for me.

Using the net to learn

AARON BESWICK
Northern Pen

Rural schools are turning to the Internet to provide full courseloads to their students when appropriately trained teachers aren’t available. Pictured are students of Conche’s Sacred Heart All Grade learning creative writing: (l-r) – Brittany McLean, Megan Wiseman, Sara Gardiner and Cassondra Carroll.
Rural schools are turning to the Internet to provide full courseloads to their students when appropriately trained teachers aren’t available. Pictured are students of Conche’s Sacred Heart All Grade learning creative writing: (l-r) – Brittany McLean, Megan Wiseman, Sara Gardiner and Cassondra Carroll.

The Northern Peninsula’s many rural schools are turning to technology to keep their students abreast with advanced subjects.

Few students mean small teaching staffs trying to handle a wide variety of subjects, many of which, such as physics and chemistry, require specialized knowledge.

Level three students at Conche’s Sacred Heart All Grade were logging onto the Centre for Distance Learning Innovation (CDLI) last Tuesday, as they do every day.

“Now raise your hands if you have any questions,” came Cindy Lander’s voice across the information superhighway from Goose Bay.

A strange statement to older generations who would wonder how a teacher in Goose Bay would see a raised hand. But the Sacred Heart students are savvy - in the online world they hit a hand on their screen with their mouse to ask a question.

Under Ms. Lander’s supervision, the class typed away at their mystery stories - next week they are set to write and record radio plays on their computers.

“It’s a good system, but it’s different,” said student Brittany McLean. “You have to work harder because you don’t always have someone around to point stuff out to you.”

Though not an educational researcher, Brittany’s words mark one downside to CDLI.

“Those who don’t do as well with CDLI are those who don’t do as well academically - less independent learners,” said Jeff Thompson, an assistant director of education with the Western School District. “Those are the students who need some extra help and monitoring from the teaching staff that is present at the school.”

Students in CDLI programs write the same exams as those learning in a classroom setting and Mr. Thompson has found marks to be comparable.

CDLI courses are divided into supervised online time, during which they communicate with a teacher, and time during which they work alone on their projects. During the unsupervised time students can access short movies for extra instruction.

For Mr. Thompson, the benefits outweigh the shortcomings.

“It’s not without its challenges, but it’s a wonderful opportunity,” said Mr. Thompson. “Some schools can only put off a course every three years - so if a student failed the course they would be facing the possibility of having to wait another three years to graduate. But with CDLI that course can be arranged.”

Another major benefit, he added, is providing a wider course selection with subjects like creative writing, Canadian History and advanced sciences.

He has a supporter in Conche principal Dalton McLean.

“We don’t have a sufficient staff to cover a vast array of courses,” said Mr. McLean, whose school offers eight CDLI courses. “I’ve found CDLI really good for broadening their array of courses.”

Original article available at: http://www.northernpen.ca/index.cfm?sid=131780&sc=361

Note the comments about the type of student who succeeds in these virtual school courses, one of the main concerns I continue to have about virtual schooling.