For Someone New

I contacted a colleague earlier today who is just getting involved in a cyber school project. In the course of our conversation, he wrote:

One question I would ask you is - for someone new to this world, what are the top 10, 15, X things I should read to get up to speed as quickly as possible?

Here is my initial response

Wow! That’s a tough question to answer. As there isn’t anything really definitive. I guess the best place to start would be the Handbook of Distance Education. There are two chapters in there by Cathy Cavanaugh and Tom Clark that give probably the best overview-style pictures.

Next I’d probably look to the North American Council for Online Learning (think AECT for virtual school practitioners, and us researchers are represented there too) - http://www.nacol.org/. They help sponsor an annual report called Keeping Pace with Online Learning (the latest is available at http://www.nacol.org/docs/KeepingPace07-color.pdf) which outlines state policies across the US towards virtual schooling. They have also a fairly good document for those new to virtual schooling (see http://www.nacol.org/docs/national_report.pdf) which is more targeted to parents, teachers and administrators I think, but you might also find it as a useful starting point.

There are also three recent edited books that give a pretty good sense of what is going on in Canada and the US through the chapters written by those representing different virtual schools.

• http://www.amazon.com/Development-Management-Virtual-Schools-Issues/dp/1591401542/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210616182&sr=1-1
• http://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Schools-Planning-Tom-Clark/dp/0807745715/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210616255&sr=1-3
• http://www.amazon.com/What-Works-K-12-Online-Learning/dp/1564842363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210616215&sr=1-1

Also, if you look at my blog I’ve tried to answer this question in the past in a variety of forms too - see:

• http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2008/02/09/what-would-you-recommend/
• http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2008/01/06/a-need-for-a-common-language/
• http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2006/11/09/repost-from-the-aect-blogtrack-current-research-literature-base/
• http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2006/08/03/where-does-one-start/

I’ll post this there too and see if any others want to join in and make suggestions.

So how about it blog readers, what would you suggest?

Register Today for Upcoming NACOL Webinar

	May 14, 2008 2:00 - 3:00 PM (Eastern) “Blended Learning: Promising Practices for the Future of Online Education“ According to one definition, blended learning is the integration of face-to-face and online learning to help enhance the classroom experience and extend learning. This webinar, featuring three presenters with experience in blended learning programs, will explore how blended learning helps engage students and support their academic success. Presenters Scott A. Hornblower, Principal of Cincinnati Public Schools’ Virtual High School, will explain how the school’s students work primarily with online content while having face-to-face access to teachers. Susan Furick, Senior Director of Classroom Academics for K12 Inc, will discuss ways in which K12’s online curriculum and learning environment is modified for a blended approach at the Hoosier Academy in Indiana. Mary Schlegelmilch, eLearning Supervisor for Omaha Public Schools (OPS), will explore OPS’ blended learning program designed for credit recovery students and the district’s tandem development process in which all of the online content is being assembled in a learning object format, giving classroom teachers quick and ready access to online content. The panel will be moderated by John Watson, lead author of the forthcoming Blended Learning white paper in NACOL’s Promising Practices in K12 Online Education. Or copy this link: http://www.nacol.org/events/webinar/register.php?type=monthly Registration is open until 2 PM (ET) Tuesday, May 13, 2008. To ensure proper delivery of our email messages to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), add info@nacol.org to your Address Book or Safe Sender List.

VHS, Inc Receives Accreditation

This was posted in the NACOL forums earlier today.

May 8, 2008, Maynard, MA – Virtual High School Global Consortium (www.govhs.org), the pioneer of online learning for high school students and online course design for teachers, today announced that, after an extensive review, the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools (MSCSS) has granted them national accreditation. While the organization and its award-winning courses conform to multiple sets of national standards for online education and state standards, this is the first national education accreditation for the organization.

http://www.govhs.org/vhsweb/press.nsf/By+Date/C84457536A5C61E28625744400546F63?

One thing I would like to see some of their materials from this process.  Not that I don’t agree with the outcome, but if you look at both the internal and external documents required by this process I think you could learn a lot about the organization from reading them (which is I suppose the purpose, as the accrediting agency needs to become familiar enough with the organization to make a determination about them).