Distance Learning: Why Online Courses Work

Following up on my last post, I’ve been researching why Distance Learning  Online Writing Courses Work. And I quote:

Distance learning has caught fire. No longer limited to the university level, 44 states now offer significant K-12 online learning opportunities—either supplemental, full-time, or both. States recognize the importance of having an online learning option to address the public’s demand for school choice/reform, 21st century workforce preparation, and practical solutions for school closings caused by weather or illness (e.g., swine flu).

Estimates indicate that enrollment in K-12 online courses is growing by as much as 30% a year. According to the 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Education—Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning—over a million K-12 public school students enrolled in a technology-based distance education course in the 2007-08 school year. While the majority of research has been done with older online learners, the report’s analysis of 51 studies shows that students who took all or part of a class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.
Personally, I know that it’s a lot more complicated than that. Some subjects just seem to require immediacy. I mean face to face contact. By watching my son, I know if he can do a math problem and see what he’s not getting. Being face to face makes it easy to take a pencil and teach him.

Writing goes in the other camp.  There’s no benefit of being on top of him while he collects his thoughts and works through the drafts: it’s a natural for distance learning.

Homeschooling Writing Resources

Like a lot of homeschool parents, I find that the reality of parenting can be a little rough. Some educational experiences seem to go smoothly, some don’t. Teaching writing seems to be a real sore spot. I’ve found that teaching writing is something really well done over the net so I”m happy to use external resources. Time4Writing has some great Writing Resources:

• Distance Learning: Why Online Courses Work
• Elementary School Online Writing Instruction
• Essay Writing for Standardized Tests: Tips for Writing a Five Paragraph Essay
• Four Types of Sentences and the Effect of Punctuation
• High School Writing Overview
• How Graphic Organizers Help Students Master Writing
• How Writing Rubrics Improve Writing
• Middle School Writing Overview
• Step-by-Step Guide to Writing an Essay
• Paragraph Writing Secrets
• The Writing Process: The Steps to Writing Success
• Descriptive Essays: Tips for Writers
• Narrative Essays: Tips for Writers
• Persuasive Essays: Tips for Writers
• Expository Essays: Tips for Writers
• Types of Essays: End the Confusion
• Understanding Writing Prompts
• Writing Can Be Fun: Tips to Enhance Your Child’s Desire to Write
• Writing Prompts That Inspire
• Writing a Better Book Report

Old Urchin Data vs Modern Google Analytics

Here’s my sort of real world problem. I have a lot of  Urchin data from the hosting companies analytics on my website from March 2007.  Since then, we’ve switched hosting companies and added Google Analytics.

Still, I see that my March 2007 report showed 495,000 visits in March 2007.  I still have a breakdown showing that it was visits since I can see where they came from: PPC, natural search, referring sites, direct, and search engines.

We’ve grown since then but I can’t seem to find the same type of number. Google Analytics only shows around 300K visits per month these days.

But I’ve known we’ve grown.  Very frustrating. I did read something on the intermediate seo blog.
The new place that I’m agonizing over some seo issues is in better understanding how homeschooling relates to homeschool curriculum (does Google consider them synonyms?), what google’s level of reading comprehension is.

Bottom line: is online homeschooling counted the  same as homeschool on line?

More on homeschool resources

There are so many interesting items about homeschooling.  For instance, I just found a parents state homeschooling forum that provides information on homeschooling in each state.  It helps families connect with local homeschooling resources.  For instance, here’s what I read with info on California homeschooling rules:

According to the HSLDA, homeschoolers in California have four options for teaching their children at home: 1)file an affadavit to function as a private school, 2) enroll in a private school satellite homeschool program, 3) have home instruction provided by a certified tutor, or 4)enroll in an independent study program at home using home school curriculum. It is nice to have choices in the best way to homeschool our children.  Because of the different options for homeschooling in California, it is easy to find some way that fits your family best.  Our family is currently using a charter school.  In the past, and starting next year, we will be filing a PSA so that we will be our own private school

Homeschooling resources

The good news for homeschoolers is that the bad old days are long gone. Todays newbies have no appreciation of the 80s when the laws were not on our side and publishers wouldn;t even sell textbooks to us.  Today, we are a target market. There are so many great homeschooling resources. Today, the problem is choices. Too many.  Some are great. For instance:

arents want the best homeschool material for their children

But the “best homeschooling resources” means the right homeschool material for that family and child.

But there are so many homeschool resources. How do parents choose the right homeschool materials? Should they mix homeschool resources and material?

Time4Learning is a new approach to homeschool. Our online learning materials takes advantage of today’s technology. Its a convenient, interactive homeschool resources that helps children from preschool through elementary and middle school.

Children like using the computer to learn. Time4Learning’s homeschool curricula engages and challenges your children, letting them work at their own pace.

Parents like that it tracks progress and helps children advance by teaching with individualized learning paths that assure coverage of the skills and concepts that make children succeed.

Todays Learners also points out some great homeschool resources for online homeschooling.

School Choice a la Carte

I’m attending an online chat today called School Choice a la Carte hosted by EducationSector.org. I’ll keep notes here…. Choice quotes:

Science fiction author William Gibson (read Pattern Recognition, loved it. Hated Necromancy): “The future is already here – it is just unevenly distributed.”
Clayton Christensen’s book Disrupting Class (reading it) predicts that the growth of technology, especially computer-based delivery of instruction, will revolutionize how we educate students,

A couple forward leaning examples of what’s to come: (Weird list – given all the huge investments in adaptive learning by subject, this is a funny sample….)

• Provost’s second generation is at least partially adaptive for level and modality
• School of One pilot in NYC this summer tested personalized math play lists mixing online and onsite instruction
• Guarenteach.com, incubated by Christensen inspired Innosight, has 20,000 short math videos that match learning levels and interests
• Sylvan’s new platform is partially adaptive
• Informal learning (social learning platforms, peer-to-peer learning, and learning games are all exploding

There are over 100 universities participating in the “Open Courseware Consortium”, at http://www.ocwconsortium.org/

2. Credit recovery: most schools/districts will adopt an accelerated credit recovery strategy that involves an outside provider–an ESP like AdvancePath (a Revolution portfolio company) or vendor like Compass, Plato, NovaNet or SuccessMaker.

Speakers…..

Education Sector’s Erin Dillon andBill Tucker; Courtney Bell of Educational Testing Services;Julie Evans of Project Tomorrow; Curt Johnson of Education/Evolving and co-author of Disrupting Class; Brian Dixon, teacher and director of High Tech High’s Flex program; andTom Vander Ark of Vander Ark/Ratcliff Partners and former executive director of education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Maryland Homeschooling

I think Maryland (my home state) has a unique homeschool system.  Basically, the state hires homeschoolers to help other homeschoolers. Of course, it could go horribly wrong.  Here’s the write-up from one website on Maryland homeschooling and a place to get MD homeschool parent support.

Meeting the Maryland Home School Requirements

We follow what MD requires of us, no more and no less. In the state of Maryland we are required to meet with the board of education twice during the school year for a review. We provide documentation on what our children are being taught outside of the public school system. They like to see that we have samples of what our son is learning, mostly in the areas of English, health, math, science, and social studies. Art, music, physical education, and other activities that we do are extras and at our discretion. We keep all that the state needs in a binder and take that to the review. However, there are several umbrella homeschool groups that one can join to avoid meeting with the school board. We prefer to meet with the school board.

Help Teaching Writing

I think Time4Writing is a great way to get help teaching writing to your kids.  As you know, they can get sensitive about feedback on their writing from their parents.

Time4Writing Provides One-On-One Writing Help for Kids

Time4Writing provides eight-week online writing courses that help elementary, middle and high school students build writing skills through one-on-one interaction with a certified teacher. Students study a new topic each week through automated online exercises, lessons, readings, and written assignments. A personal writing teacher reviews and provides feedback on each assignment, the day after it is submitted.

They have Elementary School Online Writing Instruction which covers  the  Types of Sentences. They have High School Writing courses. They teach how Graphic Organizers Help Students Master Writing and How Writing Rubrics Improve Writing. Their Middle & Secondary School Writing courses start with teaching how to  Write Paragraphs using the The Writing Process. They explain how to interpret Writing Prompts and how to Write a Better Book Report.

Flash Cards – Still popular

I’d like to create or find flashcards of my preference. If I could figure it out, I’d like to help others with the same:

Numero uno on Big G - flashcardexchange.com. Its pretty cool but a little weird. There’s no upfront explanation of what’s free and what’s paid.  There’s no real explanation of the process at all. Instead, they draw you in by having you get started making flash cards and then, when it’s time to do a little more, you get this info:

Free Services: Create unlimited flashcards. Share your flashcards with friends and students. Study on-line (no account required). Play memory.

Premium Services: $19.95 one time fee for

• Print flashcards in multiple formats.
• Export flashcards to Word or Excel.
• Advance Study with Leitner card files.
• Cram Mode quick learning made easy.
• Images create image flashcards.
• Audio create audio flashcards

Here is some info on the company: Flashcard Exchange – founded in January 2001 by Culley Harrelson. Since that time the web site has grown into a thriving community of educators, students, and all types of enthusiastic learners. Culley still owns and maintains the web site. He does all of the development, answers all the emails, and manages the business. He lives in northern California with his family. In January 2005, Culley formed Tuolumne Technology Group, Inc. to encompass Flashcard Exchange and his consulting business. The eight topics in google: spanish, english, navy, anatomy, math, nrusing, mcat

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number two  is flashcardmachine.com – it had adsense and asks for donations.  Not clear who owns and runs it. Might be the agency that developed it that also has a brain training and college-bound-student site.

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vocabulary flash cards is third

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The earningLay Today people seem to have a good entry in this area: myfreeflashcards.com/  Basically, they seem to be recycling some old materials.

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The Aplus people are doing some marketing. They’re fourth with aplusmath.com/Flashcards/ IT’s java based, plenty of google ads, and seems to be for online use.

Favorite homeschooling resources

I found a great meme on a blog by an online homeschool lady: What’s your favorite online homeschool resources?

Here’s my answers about my favorites:
Parents forum: Parents Homeschool Forum & Secular Homeschooling
Homeschool directory: Google – it’s better than any directory!
This year:  for Spelling, Vocabulary, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Printables,  Math Curriculum
 Favorite homeschool blogs: Homeschool Online,  Topsy Techie, Web Home School 

What’s yours? Be sure to credit the creator of this meme, the online homeschooler at http://www.homeschoolonline.org