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On-line learning is coming of age
June 02, 2012 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at 07:21 AM
Quick - what is the largest private high school in Canada? It's the Virtual High School in Bayfield, ON - with over 4600 students! This school, which had its origins in 1995 when its founder created the very first on-line course, recently moved into new premises (shown in the photo). Here's a press release telling more about the school. H/T CC
In fact, the on-line learning field is expanding so fast it's impossible to keep up. Here are a few examples of what's happening. H/T AMP
- MIT has deepened its ties with the Khan Academy, as it recently announced that MIT students will create 5- to 10-minute videos for the Khan Academy.
- Connections Academy is a new on-line option for K-12.
- Harvard and MIT recently partnered to create ed-X, a service which will offer online learning to millions of people around the world.
I have just signed-up my children for summer courses through Connections Academy, in Math and in computer skills. First time trying this particular online school, but we have used other online schools out of the U.S. and found them to be worthwhile. We particulalry liked the schools that use live teaching over the internet. We tried two different Ontario online schools that use only screen text for teaching (and poorly organized/ written text at that), which we found utterly awful. Have yet to look at the Bayfield, ON online school, but so far I am not impressed with Canadian online school efforts. They have to do far better to keep up with the best of the U.S. offerings.