Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Distance learning webinar today

Last week we wrote about businesses -- including First Class Communication -- moving into the digital world, a world that lets your office be wherever you are.

That same move is inevitable for education systems. And many are looking at ways to pursue it -- the University of Arkansas recently announced that it will offer distance learning especially for non-traditional students who would rather live with their families than on or near campus. And we have a friend at Arkansas Tech who is teaching one marketing class half-and-half: half in the classroom and half online. Another of his courses is totally through emails and online chats.

Still, most K-12 and higher education systems are operating largely with the same organization and calendars as they have for many, many years.  The school calendar, after all, remains great for kids to be able to help out on the family farm each summer ... or let's just say that for the majority of us, it's pretty darn outdated.

So, at noon today, we will be tuning into “E-Learning in the Age of Choice,” an Education Week webinar that will offer examples of how educators have stepped, if ever so gingerly, into the 21st century.

"Now that many students have the opportunity to take online courses, schools and districts are starting to offer more choices when it comes to providers and accessing virtual education," the webinar blurb says. "Some districts are adapting online courses so they can be accessed by smartphones. States are also making sure students have choices in how they use virtual education. Several states—including Florida, New Mexico, and Utah—have passed recent legislation requiring that districts allow students to choose their own online learning providers, whether that means state-run online schools, virtual charters, or private providers. This webinar will provide useful tips for school administrators and K-12 policymakers on how to navigate this choice-filled world of virtual options."


If you would like to join in, you can sign up for the hour long session at  www.edweek.org/go/webinar.

Also, we'll try to take good notes and write more about this later this week.

1 comment:

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