Are You Ready for Distance Education?

List five pros of having virtual schools.
1) Individualized Learning Plan for each student charts a course for success during and after high school.

2) The Washington Virtual Academies use the flexible curriculum from K¹², which is based on decades of education research about how minds really work. With courses in six core subjects, it was designed to let K-8 kids find the pace and learning style that work best for them and to enable high school students to find their own path to post-high school success. Students can choose to study what they are interested in.

3) The curriculum is wrapped with rich, engaging content that turns minds on. The minds that usually wander when traditional classes are too slow. The minds that get lost in the shuffle. The minds that need a little more time.

4) Students set their own schedule and go at their own pace.

5) You could have one-on-one time with the teacher whenever you need.

List five cons of having virtual schools.
1) Students don't get as much social interaction with other students. They will need social interaction in their future jobs and we are taking away that aspect of learning for your students.

2) Students have to work online on a computer. Some programs will provide lab tops for the students. It is a downfall to have to have all the the assignments due through the internet.

3) Students don't get in-person support from teachers. There is no physical contact between student and teacher.

4) It is harder for students to get involved in extra curricular activities and sports. Also it is up to the parents to keep the students accountable for physical activity.

5) There is always the issue of sexual predators online and hackers. You have no way of making sure your student doesn't see things online that you wouldn't want your student to see. Even secure sights can have its issues that lets stuff slide through.

How would you determine the readiness of a student to participate in distance delivery?

There are many aspects I would need to look at to determine the readiness of students to participate in distance education. First of all, I would look the maturity level of student to determine if the student was ready. Depending on the maturity level of the student they can or cannot handle the responsibility of distance education. When getting an education by distance delivery and not physically in a classroom with a teacher to help the student has to depend on themselves to find assignments, complete assignments, look for help when needed, etc. Another area I would look at when looking for readiness would be the student’s motivational level. The student is responsible for being proactive and if they aren’t motivated to do so, they will struggle in a distance education program.

What would you need to do to be able to teach in a virtual school?

Most programs require a bachelors in education but you don't have to be teacher certified. That detail kind of scares me. The best teacher qualification I found was the iQ Academy which I have pasted their requirements below. The teacher would need to have some technology knowledge. I personally think that the teacher would have to be observant at picking out the child's personality and learning style based on the child's homework. Also the teacher would need to be ok with the non-social aspect of teaching.

All iQ Academy courses are taught by experienced, state-certified teachers who are licensed in the subjects they teach. Every class includes teacher-graded assignments that are returned within 72 hours of submission. Teachers provide weekly online instruction for each course via Elluminate® — an interactive web conferencing environment. Sessions are taped, for convenient on-demand playback. Whenever students have questions, they can contact their teacher either by email or a toll-free phone number. Teachers respond to student requests within 24 hours.