note: this is a contradiction of what I said in February 2011. At that time, I had been assured that Insight Corporation although had been sold/bought, and the CEO had left, no major changes would occur. I'm questioning the validity of that statement.
I am disturbed by a trend in virtual schooling. When I began this journey a decade ago, there were many players in the field. Keystone, Aventa, Apex, K12, FLVS, were the heavy hitters, but there were half a dozen other companies that were providing educational materials and courseware for schools. Each of these companies sold their product (the course material, online access) to a school (iQ, Insight, WIVA, Connections, etc) where the student could access the material. Many of these course providers also allowed parents to purchase individual courses. It was through this flexibility that my son took Auto Mechanics, and Aviation (I & II) through Grantsburg Virtual School. Today, that would not be possible. K12 has bought out what seems to be everyone. And, just like I don't like the fact that Wisconsin public schools are a monopoly, I don't like the fact that Virtual Schools are soon to be in exactly the same boat.
Insight Schools (corporation) is the most recent acquisition by K12. The CEO and founder of Insight, Keith Oelrich, is no longer associated with Insight. Virtual schooling has lost another leader, another innovator.
K12 is a wonderful curriculum. When it comes to teaching K-8, I don't believe there is a better choice available in this country. The K12 method is concept based. Children are taught ideas and then the details are applied. It's often referred to as a mastery approach, but that's merely the grading method. The teaching method is concept focus. It is unarguably fabulous. It was developed under the leadership of Bror Saxberg. Bror left K12 in 2009. I assume (although have not confirmed) that there were philosophical differences that caused Bror to leave. It was shortly after his departure that K12 turned from being a fabulous curriculum provider to being a pariah of independent virtual schools.
Insight schools of Wisconsin this week sent out a letter from Karl Peterson. In this letter, Karl mentions the new course catalog. While I had been assured in February that there would be no changes to the individual offerings at a local school, apparently, that is not the case. Insight will be offering the K12 high school courses. This isn't a bad thing. I like the K12 product. But, K12 doesn't offer British Literature. K12 doesn't offer Mythology. K12 doesn't offer C++. These are courses that have been dropped from the Insight catalog.
I am deeply concerned over this news. I do not believe that a monopoly is beneficial to the students of virtual schools. I do not know what is ahead for us, but to me, it appears there are storm clouds on the horizon.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Switching schools
Because of some serious issues with WIVA, I have decided to move my daughters to Insight Schools of WI. (oldest daughter graduated from Insight WI this June.) I must say, it is a learning experience to switch virtual schools.
Sending back equipment has been challenging. I have computer equipment from two different schools for three different students. I have books and other materials for the same. I've gotten 14 emails requesting supplies be returned. Most (but not all) of the emails have a student name. One email had both the materials to be returned listed and a shipping label. Some have just shipping labels with a student name as sender, in 8 point font. Two were links to generate shipping labels, for "computer equipment". (I have three laptops and two printers to return as well as a large assortment of microphones, cameras, books, microscopes, etc.) In total, I have 4 shipping labels for computer equipment. Not a single email/label gives me a serial number of the equipment that is being requested. I know, I'm a bad mom. I'm supposed to remember which HP laptop was from which school. And I'm supposed to remember which Lexmark printer was for which child from which school. My favorite email was from "Gene Ortman", a name totally unfamiliar to me. He asks, "How many labels do I need?" No reference to school and/or child and/or type of materials to be sent.
This quandary is of particular interest to me because I've been receiving detailed emails from Vicki Wood for the last six years. Vicki Wood is the name on the emails from K12 computer reclamations. I don't believe she is a real person, but I might be wrong. In these emails, I am asked to return a computer from K12 for my son Joseph. These emails include shipping labels and material specifications (CPU, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse). They specify Joseph's name. They even list the type of CPU - a Dell 386. Yep. A 386. (for non-geeks, a 386 was a computer in use in the early 1990's. It was only barely capable of running Windows 95. It had a floppy drive and less memory than an average smart phone.) This equipment was returned many many years ago. Apparently it was lost in a warehouse somewhere. Probably being used as a door stop, because it isn't good for anything else.
My suggestion to parents of virtual students: Attach labels to all computer equipment. These can be purchased from the local office supply store. Label cables and power cords, too. Keep the box and packing materials for each - or plan ahead on this one. It's hard to find Styrofoam padding that will adequately protect a laptop sent by FedEx. If you are returning equipment to Insight, they will not send labels (or they haven't to me) But, they will send the FedEx guy to your house and he can attach the label when he gets there. K12 also wants their computers sent via FedEx. They provide labels but not the home pick up. Therefore, you will need to take the computer to the closest FedEx pick up site. For me, this is 35 miles away.
My suggestion to schools: We are families, not corporations. We live in houses and not offices. Please send serial numbers of any and all equipment that you want returned. Many of us have a half dozen HP laptops lying around the house. If you want a specific serial number back, ask. Please affix school labels to all equipment before you send it to us. Don't expect us to read your mind. We have multiple children. Please include the students name in all correspondence. Please include the name of the school in all correspondence. Please include a real live contact name and phone number or email address.
One more thing, I got a lovely email today from Insight. It did have a real person's name. The subject line was "Welcome to the K12 Online School." (more on this confusing name change later) In the email it said, "Please disregard this system-generated email at this time" (underlining in original) And they wonder why sometimes we parents are clueless.
Sending back equipment has been challenging. I have computer equipment from two different schools for three different students. I have books and other materials for the same. I've gotten 14 emails requesting supplies be returned. Most (but not all) of the emails have a student name. One email had both the materials to be returned listed and a shipping label. Some have just shipping labels with a student name as sender, in 8 point font. Two were links to generate shipping labels, for "computer equipment". (I have three laptops and two printers to return as well as a large assortment of microphones, cameras, books, microscopes, etc.) In total, I have 4 shipping labels for computer equipment. Not a single email/label gives me a serial number of the equipment that is being requested. I know, I'm a bad mom. I'm supposed to remember which HP laptop was from which school. And I'm supposed to remember which Lexmark printer was for which child from which school. My favorite email was from "Gene Ortman", a name totally unfamiliar to me. He asks, "How many labels do I need?" No reference to school and/or child and/or type of materials to be sent.
This quandary is of particular interest to me because I've been receiving detailed emails from Vicki Wood for the last six years. Vicki Wood is the name on the emails from K12 computer reclamations. I don't believe she is a real person, but I might be wrong. In these emails, I am asked to return a computer from K12 for my son Joseph. These emails include shipping labels and material specifications (CPU, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse). They specify Joseph's name. They even list the type of CPU - a Dell 386. Yep. A 386. (for non-geeks, a 386 was a computer in use in the early 1990's. It was only barely capable of running Windows 95. It had a floppy drive and less memory than an average smart phone.) This equipment was returned many many years ago. Apparently it was lost in a warehouse somewhere. Probably being used as a door stop, because it isn't good for anything else.
My suggestion to parents of virtual students: Attach labels to all computer equipment. These can be purchased from the local office supply store. Label cables and power cords, too. Keep the box and packing materials for each - or plan ahead on this one. It's hard to find Styrofoam padding that will adequately protect a laptop sent by FedEx. If you are returning equipment to Insight, they will not send labels (or they haven't to me) But, they will send the FedEx guy to your house and he can attach the label when he gets there. K12 also wants their computers sent via FedEx. They provide labels but not the home pick up. Therefore, you will need to take the computer to the closest FedEx pick up site. For me, this is 35 miles away.
My suggestion to schools: We are families, not corporations. We live in houses and not offices. Please send serial numbers of any and all equipment that you want returned. Many of us have a half dozen HP laptops lying around the house. If you want a specific serial number back, ask. Please affix school labels to all equipment before you send it to us. Don't expect us to read your mind. We have multiple children. Please include the students name in all correspondence. Please include the name of the school in all correspondence. Please include a real live contact name and phone number or email address.
One more thing, I got a lovely email today from Insight. It did have a real person's name. The subject line was "Welcome to the K12 Online School." (more on this confusing name change later) In the email it said, "Please disregard this system-generated email at this time" (underlining in original) And they wonder why sometimes we parents are clueless.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual Families
The Wisconsin Coalition of Virtual Families has a new website. This organization has changed the face of public schooling, for the betterment of all. Without the efforts of the Coalition it is unlikely that Virtual schooling would exist in Wisconsin today. They deserve every superlative I know. They also deserve our support. They are not associated with any specific school. They represent all virtually schooling families in the state of Wisconsin. Please consider signing up to stand with them.
http://www.wivirtualschoolfamilies.org/
http://www.wivirtualschoolfamilies.org/
Monday, April 18, 2011
How Colleges View Online Education
The title of this post is slanted. I have never sat on an academic admissions board. Everything said is speculation. My student sampling is extremely low - one child.
My daughter is brilliant. She was in Calculus AB in the eighth grade. One of the reasons for switching to an online school was I couldn't continue to teach her at home, and the local public school didn't want to even try. (true story. They told me that she should graduate at the age of 14 and go off to college... yah, that's gonna happen) Online seemed like a perfect fit. Individually tailored classes, flexible scheduling, accredited. What more could I ask?
Fast forward four years, my daughter is graduating valedictorian of Insight Schools. She has taken 12 AP level courses. She took math classes from Stanford Universities EPGY program for gifted youth. She scored in the top 1% on her standardized tests. She has worked 20 hours per week and volunteered 5 hours per week for the last two years. Her weighted GPA is 4.3. Her recommendation letters were from Princeton alumni, Rose Hulman professors and other professionals. She was turned down by a dozen colleges. She will be going to UW Milwaukee, but it was truly her last choice.
Why was she turned down? Well, it is true the competition is stiff. There are tons of applicants for colleges. The average high school senior who wants to go to college applies to 10 or 12 schools. It is not uncommon for a student to apply to 20 different schools. This means there is a lot of paperwork for an admissions board to review. Her paperwork was all in on time, but her financial information was pretty close to the deadline. That might have made a difference. Finally, on those 12 AP tests, her average score is only a 3.8 (that's out of 5 possible) None of these possibilities seem likely to explain why this child isn't going to be attending a more prestigious school.
I think there is still a slight negative associated with the name of online schooling. I think the fact that the US Armed Services still views online schooling at the same level as correspondence school is a huge issue. I think that admissions counselors use that fact to justify their suspicions. After all, if the US Army doesn't approve, what do they know that we don't? I think there is confusion on the part of admissions boards. They don't understand that online education in Wisconsin is controlled by the same educational standards that regulates any public school. There is a move to try to change the opinion of the US Armed Services. This is a change we need to all support.
My daughter is brilliant. She was in Calculus AB in the eighth grade. One of the reasons for switching to an online school was I couldn't continue to teach her at home, and the local public school didn't want to even try. (true story. They told me that she should graduate at the age of 14 and go off to college... yah, that's gonna happen) Online seemed like a perfect fit. Individually tailored classes, flexible scheduling, accredited. What more could I ask?
Fast forward four years, my daughter is graduating valedictorian of Insight Schools. She has taken 12 AP level courses. She took math classes from Stanford Universities EPGY program for gifted youth. She scored in the top 1% on her standardized tests. She has worked 20 hours per week and volunteered 5 hours per week for the last two years. Her weighted GPA is 4.3. Her recommendation letters were from Princeton alumni, Rose Hulman professors and other professionals. She was turned down by a dozen colleges. She will be going to UW Milwaukee, but it was truly her last choice.
Why was she turned down? Well, it is true the competition is stiff. There are tons of applicants for colleges. The average high school senior who wants to go to college applies to 10 or 12 schools. It is not uncommon for a student to apply to 20 different schools. This means there is a lot of paperwork for an admissions board to review. Her paperwork was all in on time, but her financial information was pretty close to the deadline. That might have made a difference. Finally, on those 12 AP tests, her average score is only a 3.8 (that's out of 5 possible) None of these possibilities seem likely to explain why this child isn't going to be attending a more prestigious school.
I think there is still a slight negative associated with the name of online schooling. I think the fact that the US Armed Services still views online schooling at the same level as correspondence school is a huge issue. I think that admissions counselors use that fact to justify their suspicions. After all, if the US Army doesn't approve, what do they know that we don't? I think there is confusion on the part of admissions boards. They don't understand that online education in Wisconsin is controlled by the same educational standards that regulates any public school. There is a move to try to change the opinion of the US Armed Services. This is a change we need to all support.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Online College
I have been a college student for exactly 7 weeks now. As an "expert" on virtual schooling, I thought I'd start commenting on the college level as well.
A little bit of history: Many years ago (1995?) someone came up with the brilliant idea of using this new phenomenon (the internet) to help educate computer nerds. The online curriculum was begun. Within a very few years, many companies began to try to sell computer based training. These mainly focused on A+ certification (how to fix a computer) networking and proprietary software (Oracle, Microsoft, Red Hat etc) Some of these programs were very very good, some were scams to separate the unsuspecting person from their money. Years past and the programs offered grew exponentially. By 2001 there were full colleges online and just about any technical training could be found there. But, because of the wild west attitudes that pervaded the industry in the early years, skepticism of the media abounded. (the is why to this very day, the US Armed Services does not recognize virtual schooling in any form)
There are many programs now available for online college classes. Kaplan and University of Phoenix are two biggies. These programs have a long history (well, in context it's long.... maybe ten years) of decent course ware taught by decent instructors. I have no direct experience with either program. I do know, as a former human resources employee, the sight of these two on a resume was neither a big plus or a big minus. It will get your toe into the door - but it won't cause the door to open. But, these companies, and many others, made a LOT of money in the early 2000's. And, struggling Universities saw that this was a way to increase revenue. MIT began putting ALL of it's course ware online in 2004. (You only get credit if you pay for the class) Stanford began offering online high school classes (more on this topic another time) Big names gave credibility to the idea of college online.
Today, you can take classes from the University of Wisconsin and it is entirely online. It has the same name that goes on the resume, same impact for human resources. But, it has the convenience (and difficulties) of being entirely online. They only offer an associates degree, but they will guarantee that all credits received will be transferable within the UW system.
I have been a UW Colleges student for 7 weeks now. I am taking my midterms this week. (wish me luck) Some of the coursework has been pretty good. My psychology class is very effective. The teacher is readily available. There is a focus on making students participate in class discussions. The course takes advantage of the myriad of material online that is available to enrich the learning. My math class is not so good. The material is written by someone who apparently understood math, but not English. There are lots of practice problems that a person can do, but unless you buy both the student and the teachers text, you don't have all of the answers. The teachers (there are two of them, they swap in and out throughout the semester) are not the fastest at answering questions. (48 hours or so)
I have four courses that I am taking. Two are really quite good, two are not. That seems to be the downfall of all virtual schooling. Some people just don't get it. They know how traditional classrooms function. They know how to teach one on one or in a large lecture hall. But, they don't understand the differences and subtleties of online schools.
A little bit of history: Many years ago (1995?) someone came up with the brilliant idea of using this new phenomenon (the internet) to help educate computer nerds. The online curriculum was begun. Within a very few years, many companies began to try to sell computer based training. These mainly focused on A+ certification (how to fix a computer) networking and proprietary software (Oracle, Microsoft, Red Hat etc) Some of these programs were very very good, some were scams to separate the unsuspecting person from their money. Years past and the programs offered grew exponentially. By 2001 there were full colleges online and just about any technical training could be found there. But, because of the wild west attitudes that pervaded the industry in the early years, skepticism of the media abounded. (the is why to this very day, the US Armed Services does not recognize virtual schooling in any form)
There are many programs now available for online college classes. Kaplan and University of Phoenix are two biggies. These programs have a long history (well, in context it's long.... maybe ten years) of decent course ware taught by decent instructors. I have no direct experience with either program. I do know, as a former human resources employee, the sight of these two on a resume was neither a big plus or a big minus. It will get your toe into the door - but it won't cause the door to open. But, these companies, and many others, made a LOT of money in the early 2000's. And, struggling Universities saw that this was a way to increase revenue. MIT began putting ALL of it's course ware online in 2004. (You only get credit if you pay for the class) Stanford began offering online high school classes (more on this topic another time) Big names gave credibility to the idea of college online.
Today, you can take classes from the University of Wisconsin and it is entirely online. It has the same name that goes on the resume, same impact for human resources. But, it has the convenience (and difficulties) of being entirely online. They only offer an associates degree, but they will guarantee that all credits received will be transferable within the UW system.
I have been a UW Colleges student for 7 weeks now. I am taking my midterms this week. (wish me luck) Some of the coursework has been pretty good. My psychology class is very effective. The teacher is readily available. There is a focus on making students participate in class discussions. The course takes advantage of the myriad of material online that is available to enrich the learning. My math class is not so good. The material is written by someone who apparently understood math, but not English. There are lots of practice problems that a person can do, but unless you buy both the student and the teachers text, you don't have all of the answers. The teachers (there are two of them, they swap in and out throughout the semester) are not the fastest at answering questions. (48 hours or so)
I have four courses that I am taking. Two are really quite good, two are not. That seems to be the downfall of all virtual schooling. Some people just don't get it. They know how traditional classrooms function. They know how to teach one on one or in a large lecture hall. But, they don't understand the differences and subtleties of online schools.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Perks of Virtual school
My house, like most of yours, is occasionally busy, chaotic and disorganized. While none of us likes to live in that moment, life does have a way of creeping up on us and messing with the best of plans. Almost a year ago, I fell and broke a vertebra in my back. Fortunately, it was treated quickly and effectively and I am on my way to a full recovery. But, during the last twelve months, I have been unable to do many of the things that I used to do for my family. Virtual schooling has helped my family get through this.
The flexibility of time is one of the best assets of virtual schooling. My children have elluminate classes that they attend, but outside of those few hours a week, they are free to schedule their schoolwork as it fits into the rest of life. Because of this, my daughter can drive me to therapy. I don't need to depend on a neighbor, or ask my husband to take time off of work. We have managed to avoid paying for in home care for me throughout this time. Because of this flexibility, my children are available to help with shopping and dinner plans. And, as I have recovered, my daughters have been available to help neighbors, to volunteer at church, to watch school aged children who were out of school unexpectedly last week.
Life happens, and this week, my dryer has decided to die. If my children had to attend a traditional school, I would have been forced to find a way to get the laundry to the laundromat while we wait for the repair service. The challenge of lifting heavy laundry in and out of a car is just too much for me at the moment. But, because they aren't at a traditional school, they can wear their pajamas "to class". No one will tease them if they are wearing an out of style fashion. Plus, they have the time to hang clothes on the line to dry. None of this would be possible if we were out of the house for 8 hours each day.
Lunches are another perk. I have never had to buy a school lunch. I don't even have to plan for sandwiches, plastic utensils etc. for them to take their own lunch. There are leftovers from last night that can be reheated in the microwave. And, if all else fails, a frozen pizza can be popped into the oven. These are options a "normal" school aged child doesn't have.
I strongly believe that virtual schooling is not for every family. There are drawbacks. But, for me and my family, the perks are too good to pass up. What perks have you seen in your family?
The flexibility of time is one of the best assets of virtual schooling. My children have elluminate classes that they attend, but outside of those few hours a week, they are free to schedule their schoolwork as it fits into the rest of life. Because of this, my daughter can drive me to therapy. I don't need to depend on a neighbor, or ask my husband to take time off of work. We have managed to avoid paying for in home care for me throughout this time. Because of this flexibility, my children are available to help with shopping and dinner plans. And, as I have recovered, my daughters have been available to help neighbors, to volunteer at church, to watch school aged children who were out of school unexpectedly last week.
Life happens, and this week, my dryer has decided to die. If my children had to attend a traditional school, I would have been forced to find a way to get the laundry to the laundromat while we wait for the repair service. The challenge of lifting heavy laundry in and out of a car is just too much for me at the moment. But, because they aren't at a traditional school, they can wear their pajamas "to class". No one will tease them if they are wearing an out of style fashion. Plus, they have the time to hang clothes on the line to dry. None of this would be possible if we were out of the house for 8 hours each day.
Lunches are another perk. I have never had to buy a school lunch. I don't even have to plan for sandwiches, plastic utensils etc. for them to take their own lunch. There are leftovers from last night that can be reheated in the microwave. And, if all else fails, a frozen pizza can be popped into the oven. These are options a "normal" school aged child doesn't have.
I strongly believe that virtual schooling is not for every family. There are drawbacks. But, for me and my family, the perks are too good to pass up. What perks have you seen in your family?
Friday, February 25, 2011
Last day
Today is the last day to submit the Open Enrollment form to the DPI. Even if you are not sure that you want to try Virtual schooling, you should submit the form. If you turn in the form, you are not obligated to enroll in any school. If you do not turn in the form, you cannot enroll in any school outside of your district (unless you are already enrolled in another school)
Yes, there will be a waiting list for virtual schools. But, you can't get on the list, unless you fill out the form today. I know, it's six months before the next school year. I'm just looking forward to my tulips coming up. But, the government doesn't lead a normal life. They want their form today. Don't forget to give it to them.
Yes, there will be a waiting list for virtual schools. But, you can't get on the list, unless you fill out the form today. I know, it's six months before the next school year. I'm just looking forward to my tulips coming up. But, the government doesn't lead a normal life. They want their form today. Don't forget to give it to them.
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