Technology & Learning - March 2009 - (Page 32) FEATURESTORY plains of the state, foreign language vide students in his district with access courses—Chinese or otherwise—are to coursework that would otherwise be not offered. This is especially probinaccessible, “especially the foreign lematic for Karval students interestlanguage courses that can’t be offered ed in attaining a college degree, as at the school, such as German, Latin, ■ Enrollments in virtual learning increased many of the state’s colleges now Chinese, and Japanese.” 60% from 2002-03 to 2004-05, for a total of 506,950 students. require at least one credit of foreign Dickinson adds, “Students that ■ In 2006, enrollment increased another 38% language to enroll. “For our brickare not being offered online school and reached 700,000 students. and-mortar students, we couldn’t courses are not being properly pre■ 61% of virtual-learning enrollments are at get a foreign language teacher in pared for college. Today, if a student the high-school level. the classroom, but we can access a graduates from high school without SOURCE: LEARNING VIRTUALLY: EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES, SETDA, virtual one using an online prohaving taken a single virtual school NOVEMBER 2008 gram,”says Sharla Book, online educlass, I don’t think they’re being cation director for the school. prepared for the next level.” Book uses online courseware provided by the American Whether due to the demand for foreign language credits or Education Corporation (Oklahoma City, OK) to teach the obvious educational benefits, the steady adoption of virtuforeign languages to Karval’s college-bound students. “Now al school technology in mainstream classrooms seems assured. that Karval has stepped into the virtual realm,” says Book, “The blended learning model is the ‘killer application’ of online “we’ve been able to offer a wider variety of classes to a mineducation,” says Liz Pape, president and chief executive officer imum number of students. Today, students can take foreign of the Maynard, MA-based Virtual High School, a nonprofit language online and meet college entrance requirements.” organization that offers content-rich, credit-bearing high Christian Dickinson, an instructional leader in St. John’s school courses to students. “It enables classroom teachers to County, FL, has also turned to virtual school technology to proteach in a 21st-century model that is more engaging to students.” Where virtual learning is headed http://www.k12schoolnetworking.org http://www.cosn.org http://www.cosn.org http://www.k12schoolnetworking.org
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