Systems standard
def. Understand that we live and work within systems of cause and effect in which actions may have multiple origins and consequences.
Artifacts from EdTech 550: Introduction to Distance Education
Virtual High School Report (doc, pdf) - Solo
Virtual High School Presentation (ppt, pdf) - Solo
Reflection
Course: 550 Introduction to Distance Education
Purpose: Research major virtual high school system components and various implementations in the United States.
Situation: As a high school teacher I feel we may be at a potential tipping point for traditional K-12 education. After researching the various successful implementations of virtual education found some promising benefits which could serve as a catalyst for change in our antiquated educational system. The promised benefits of virtual distance education seem to be significant; from addressing the equity in access issues and achievement gap problems to the potential for large scale cost savings. I believe a wider spread implementation of virtual schools could help address these issues however I don’t think it will work for all people. The highly politicized nature of educational institutions, labor unions and lack of properly spent funding will only hinder the development of a more inclusive statewide virtual education program. The tendency for policymakers to seek a one size fits all solution is scary and unrealistic goal. Perhaps a blending of online classes coupled with a traditional classroom environment would be a reasonable intermediate step that would mollify the concerns and deeply entrenched institutional resistance to change rampant through our public education system. While no panacea I think virtual education is a viable alternative to traditional classrooms however it faces significant institutional resistance.This was the situation. My research and presentation allowed me to summarize my findings and solidify my personal beliefs that K-12 education must reform in order to survive in the global economy.
What problem(s) or opportunities arose as you were developing this artifact?
This research paper and presentation provided a relevant and eye opening opportunity to devour as much information as I could about Virtual High Schools. As a high school educator and graduate student I had not experienced any form of secondary distance education nor had I heard of any high school implementations of distance education in California until working on this project. Serving as the lead teacher for a small learning community on my high school campus (the Academy of Information Technology - AoIT) has put me at the forefront of investigating innovative alternatives to the scheduling and resources challenges affecting our school programs.What did you learn from engaging that problem or opportunity, and how do you hope to apply in the future the experience you gained?
Early in the semester I became excited about the opportunity to investigate distance education solutions as part of a larger high school reform effort. This research not only gave me a foundational understanding of the various aspects of distance education but it also provided me with a greater level of knowledge which translated into confidence when meeting with administrators and district counselors. In the past much of my work with the administration and other teachers involved looking at disparate parts of our programs. After my research was completed I realized that whether we focus on course designs, teacher training, technological issues, legislation, or delivery methods, the strength of a single component of this system is dependant on the effectiveness or limitations of each of the other related components. Because of this research I have changed my way of thinking about how to approach change and reform in education. I’m no longer looking at how these changes affect only my classroom but how they affect the entire system.What does this work demonstrate about you and your capabilities?
The relevance of the project to my job needs unleashed a voracious hunger to learn as much as I could about the topic. From the extensive amount of articles and books I read I developed an understanding of the existing virtual school programs, the structures, limitations and challenges. The paper and presentation do not fully reflect the dramatic internal shift in thinking I had. I found that whether course design, teacher training, technological issues, legislation, or delivery methods, the strength of a single component of any social system is dependant on the effectiveness or limitations of each of the other components. This systems view of educational design is seemingly simple yet easy to overlook. When seeking a solution to an educational problem, it seems that many policy/decision makers focus only on one component (e.g. NCLB focuses primarily on standardized state testing to evaluate the effectiveness of a school or teacher when they are only aspect of the educational system). Without taking a dynamic systems approach to evaluating and implementing educational reform, I believe a narrow focus can lead to unexpected results which may do more harm than good.What did completing this work teach you about yourself within the field of educational technology?
Before taking this class and conducting my research, my understanding of the complexity of the distance education system was very narrowly developed. Originally, I thought this type of program was limited purely to a recently emerging computer based model of distribution (e.g. Internet and desktop) without considering other technological options, audience needs or historical precursors. Perhaps my own educational needs and Internet-centric leanings blinded me to the needs of those students with different access to resources than myself. My thought of “online” course development was a simplistic view that courses were merely adapted from traditional classes and only the speed of the Internet connection factored into the effectiveness of this class conversion. This research caused a paradigm shift in my thinking that still believe in.Since conducting this research, the Academy at my school has been absorbed into a school wide educational reform effort. We have received substantial money to investigate and implement alternative “small learning communities” within the comprehensive high school. Based on my involvement with the academy and my research in this program, both teachers and administrators have looked to me to help in the plan for changing our previous systems. With an altered (and enlightened) view of the dynamic nature of the educational systems I feel better prepared to contribute to the direction of the education reform at my school.