A few years ago I attended a Chester-Upland School District presentation on their new cyber learning program. It made sense if the student was being homeschooled by a competent parent although I still couldn’t understand how a 1st grader would benefit.
Since then, cyber schools have popped up that are facilitated by adults who assist students in navigating their Internet teacher but results have proven to be no better than students who have real live teachers.
But what is a cyber school? Not having sat in a cyber classroom, I can only imagine that it’s a bunch of students sitting in front of a computer instead of a book. I’m not sure if there is live instruction or if all lectures are delivered by HP, Dell or Apple.
I can’t imagine how students with special needs are accommodated in cyber schools. That’s got to be a challenge.
Finally, with cyber charters sucking so much money from the school district (among other things), how does the district survive with a nearly $20 million budgeted deficit?
I don’t understand how it all works but I guess that’s why top school district administrators make the big bucks.
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I put my son in cyber school out was Agora...because he was not learning in the overcrowded classes in cusd...there was always 30+ students in his class in middle school and he went from 20 students per class at the stem high school to 50 students when they combined the stem and the allied health schools and like with all overcrowding there were fights and no learning....he graduated from Agora this past June something I believe would not have happened if I had kept him in traditional cusd brick and mortar schools I got my son out in the middle of 9th grade...thankfully..I do hope that cusd can turn it around, but my youngest attends a charter school and will continue in her charter school unless I can find a better option for her or like many families have to move to a better school district.
ReplyDeleteI didn't want to imply that cyber schools don't work. From what I saw, they had great curriculum, far beyond what you'd find in most classrooms. I couldn't see most younger students having the discipline to stay on track without a parent or instructor monitoring progress. The CUSD overview I saw had students taking laptops home, but now I think the cyber school is conducted at the school. I've got to see this thing for myself.
DeleteTrue the cyber only schools, do supply the students with desktops k-8 and laptops and literally supply the students with everything they will need except pencils and notebooks...but I have known Agora to supply those items to families as well...every book,every science experiment supply....everything...and yes it does become challenging to keep some children on track just like the brick and mortar schools but if the child is focused and determined they can complete assignments and move on to unscheduled assignments instead of waiting on the teacher and class and in some cases move up enough to be promoted to the next grade earlier and even graduate early...in my son's graduating class their were about 30 children that graduated 1-2 years early. Agora pairs what is called a family-teacher-coach which is the connection between the school and the family, and they have the same administrators, school board,etc as a traditional school...hope this helps
ReplyDeletewhat is your son doing know is in college or working 85 percent stem student class of 2014
ReplyDeletewent to college