Technology & Learning - March 2009 - (Page 30) FEATURESTORY curriculum, exemplary classroom teachers, and a student-centered philosophy. “We’ve created a safe, academically successful school within a positive, interactive, technologically advanced environment,” says Atols. VOISE Academy, which opened in the fall of 2008 in Chicago’s economically challenged Austin neighborhood, serves approximately 150 ninth-grade students. Atols expects to expand to 600 students within the next several years. Students at VOISE attend school for eight periods each day in seven faculty-staffed labs with high-end technology and broadband Internet access. They study math, science, social studies, and other traditional subjects. Teachers are ready to assist students with reading, resources, technology support, and specialized services. Students also have access to online courses 24/7 from computers provided for home use. “By providing courses online, we can teach students at their particular level, rather than follow a mass factory model where every student has to learn in lockstep,” says Atols. “By using a blended approach, we’re allowing each student to progress at their school level, instead of waiting for someone to catch up or being left behind as the class moves forward.” Students at VOISE use Pittsburgh- How they use virtual learning In 2004-05, school districts surveyed report that 86% of students participating in virtual learning access courses from school and 59% access them from home. FOR STUDENTS ACCESSING COURSES FROM HOME: ■ 19% of school districts paid for computers for all students and another 10% of districts provided a computer for some students. ■ 18% of school districts paid for Internet service for all students and an additional 9% paid for some students. ■ 8% of school districts paid for software and/or phone service to connect to the Internet for all students and an additional 2% paid for some students. SOURCE: LEARNING VIRTUALLY: EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES, SETDA, NOVEMBER 2008 based Carnegie Learning’s Cognitive Tutor for math instruction and Safari CPS-on-Demand, a broadcast-quality, plug-and-play, video-on-demand server, to access educational videos and lesson plans. Teachers, meanwhile, use Webbased software training from Atomic Learning (Little Falls, MN) to increase their knowledge and improve instruction. “The atmosphere at VOISE Academy is Students work in a blended learning environment at North Hill Elementary School. 30 | TECH & LEARNING http://www.califone.com http://www.califone.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.