Who's teaching online?

Module 3 summarizes the current state of the online educational field.  The readings show that online learning is now firmly entrenched in the K-12 experience.  Archambault (2009) cites a nationwide survey by Setzer and Lewis (2005) that in 2003 over one-third of school districts has some form of online learning.  So online learning is now "mainstream".

The videos gave examples of how online learning is successfully employed and how teachers and administration have adapted to make it successful.  This coincides with the article (Borup) that emphasizes the importance of teacher engagement in establishing a successful online experience. Now that I see how far online learning is embedded in today's learning environment I feel really stupid.

In my earlier blogs I talked about how online education was up and coming, it was on its way, it was the future, etc.  After watching the videos in Mod 3's video playlist I no longer feel I'm going to be "first out at the gate" of online learning, I feel all the other horses are halfway down the track and I'm simply trying to catch up with them.

Did I say online education is maturing?  Kids, teacher, principals--entire schools are are already up and running and the technology they use has left me slack-jawed in astonishment.

I really need to catch up to my colleagues.  This module has left me overwhelmed, embarrassed--and determined to catch up. Online learning isn't the future.  It's now.

On the plus side, I see an opportunity for part time or retirement jobs.  I can work at home being an engineering teacher!  I can even teach from my room at the nursing home.  :)

I've updated my Popplet to include topics introduced in this module.  There are many videos on how to be a successful online learner, most of them are geared to becoming a successful online student.  Here's one from a teacher's perspective, which I thought quite good.  She mentions that although the data says online learners learn as much as their brick and mortar counterparts, some students felt they learned less.   Those who thought so also mentioned the lack of socialization in their learning.