The majority of children today use a cell phone and spend time online — two things that are not allowed in the classroom. It is time the educational system addressed this issue and used the computer to supplement education in the classroom. The United States is a decade behind in innovation, improvement and achievement, but by the end of the decade we will blend online and on-site learning. It will not cost any more and it will increase the number of students completing their education, which will result in higher achievement rates. In the future, a student will customize his education to suit his interests, level and motivational profile.
The transition will depend on state and local leaders, and how quickly existing schools ditch their textbooks and move to personal digital learning. New charter schools are leading the way in pursuing this technology.
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers is leading the charge for better charter schools. I’ll mention that state policymakers can lead by updating their charter authorizing law (as noted in this blog on differentiated authorizing strategies) for innovative and online schools.
Qualified applicants with a strong hypothesis should be able to seek conditional approval for innovative school models that incorporate novel assessment systems, performance-based progress, unique staffing and compensation models, distributed learning, blended institutions and/or year-round learning. State commissioners could modify criteria to target specific reforms, populations, or geographies.
Reflecting the internet’s ability to cross municipal and state borders, virtual and blended school operators should have the ability to enroll students statewide. Only 18 states have authorized statewide virtual charter schools. Lagging states have been protecting districts from competition by denying statewide virtual charters or by providing only a fraction of typical funding with weak rationale.
Susan Patrick from the International Association of K-12 Online Learning and I will encourage authorizers to lead the way in expanding high-quality options for students and families.
Now that netbooks and tablets [can] cost less than [some] textbooks, it’s time for schools and districts to embrace digital learning. It’s time for more engagement, more time on task, more productivity. Our kids are online, it’s time their education was.
Source: Huffington Post
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