I know it really does feel like groundhog day around here, with three of the four posts today being “Article Notice – ” and all having the same first line. Time to change that up I suppose with an item from Tuesday’s inbox…
Michael
I thought you’d be interested in this. Open enrollment for online schools starts Monday. Click here for an interactive release. Text below.
iForward Among First Wisconsin Online Charter Schools to Focus on Career Prep Education
GRANTSBURG, Wis. – iForward, the newly restructured online charter school operated by the Grantsburg School District, will focus on career preparation courses tied to each student’s career interests.
iForward will be one of the first Wisconsin online diploma-granting schools to focus on a career path emphasis by offering career prep courses in distinct career areas. iForward will especially emphasize career prep in fields with the greatest economic growth and jobs potential, such as health sciences, hospitality/tourism, finance, manufacturing, and information technology.
High school students will have the opportunity to take a variety of career path courses and participate in hands-on experiences to help them prepare for their future. Some classes will allow high school students to earn college credit.
“We believe students do better in school when what they’re learning relates to the person they want to become,” said Grantsburg School District Superintendent Joni Burgin, Ed.D. “And you don’t have to know, right now, what you want to do in a future career. You just have to know what interests you.”
The Grantsburg School District recently announced the restructuring of its online charter school to allow for a more customized and better quality educational experience for middle and high school students across Wisconsin. The district has offered an online charter high school to Wisconsin residents since 2002.
On July 1, 2012, the district will change the name of Insight School of Wisconsin to “iForward” and expand the curriculum to include courses aligned with career goals. The district will also begin enrolling 6th-8th grade students in addition to the 600 9th-12th grade students it currently serves.
iForward will continue to operate as a tuition-free, non-profit, diploma-granting online charter school for Wisconsin students who wish to learn online instead of in a traditional school environment.
Middle and high school students throughout the state can apply to enroll in iForward during Wisconsin’s open enrollment period, which begins February 6, 2012. For enrollment or other inquiries, contact the Grantsburg School District at info@iforwardwisconsin.com or visit www.iforwardwisconsin.com
Joni Burgin, Ed.D.
715-463-5499
jkburgin@grantsburg.k12.wi.us###
About iForward: iForward is Wisconsin’s leading nonprofit online charter school, administered by the award-winning Grantsburg School District. With career-focused academics tailored to meet each student’s unique learning style and personal goals, we give middle and high school students the individualized instruction they need to realize their own potential. www.iforwardwisconsin.com
iForward also plans to use Badges for course certification…picked up the idea from Scott McLeod at Slate in Wisconsin. Joni Burgin, Superintendent.
Comment by Joni Burgin (@jkburgin) — February 3, 2012 @ 10:33 pm |
I’ll be honest and say that I need to see some data on the badges concept before I pass judgement. I’m quite interested in David Wiley’s current open teaching experiment using badges, and I may try a similar one focused on K-12 online learning this summer. At present, the badges concept see like the latest fad du jour, at least until I see data indicating otherwise.
Comment by mkbnl — February 3, 2012 @ 10:38 pm |
Thank you for putting this out there….
I will be attending this wonderful program next year and I am so excited! I have been with this program fro 2 years now and I know its only going to improve as iForward. I’d like to tell your reader more about going to school online below, if I may?
As a student online…. I can tell you that online learning has some very large advantages over a traditional classroom.
I have live class periods if I choose to attend or I can watch a recorded version back when its convenient to me. IF I need help with a subject I can go to a teachers LIVE office hours or email/call them.
I am able to learn when its convenient for me and in an environment that fits my learning style. The flexibility is great.
The teachers are top notch with years of experience teaching online and in a traditional brick and mortar school Many of them still teach in traditional schools as well as online.
. There is a teacher with a Masters degree in Psychology teaching the Psychology courses . Our economics teachers not only has his teaching degree, but worked on the Chicago Board of trade himself before becoming a teacher.
The instructors in this program truly care about the students and our success. They are just wonderful.
I think there is a large misconception about students who attend online High Schools. Often its thought they cant make it in a regular school or are teen moms or behavioral issues etc.. That is just not the case.
The diversity at our school is wonderful. There are teen moms or students who have not had success in other programs, but there are also Athletes who travel and need flexibility, performers, musicians , gifted and talented , former homeschoolers , and advanced students looking to earn college credits before they graduate from High school..
A program like this gives everyone the flexibility to learn at their pace and learning style , with a much larger variety of courses to choose from,
You really have that flexibility to plan school around your life and not life around you school. It is also a great way to earn a diploma over a GED for homeschooling families and those who were seeking a GED before.
One thing I really like about our program is the social opportunities. They hold online events and pep rally’s, school assemblies, Movie and game nights and even Spirit Week. We have clubs, like stock club, writing club, newspaper and many more of the traditional clubs you would find at an offline High School. It’s great!
They also have in person activities that students can participate in if they choose to do so. They hold things like Bowling parties , Ski days, Brewer games, Noahs Ark in the dells, etc.. They hold those events all over the state to give students in each area the chance to attend.
There is even an in person Prom every year AND of course Graduation held in Madison in the spring.
This program has changed my opinion of online learning forever. There is a place for everyone , and every skill level in an online program like this..
Our program is changing names next year to iForward, but it is the same great school, just a new name and an even better program.
They are going to work with the technical schools and they are offering career clusters as well as traditional courses.
This is going to be exciting.. I really think iForward will be the premier online school to attend in the state.
Oh and did I mention .. it’s free ! They provide books, lap tops, printers .. You just log on and go to class!
Online education is a great option, I hope you consider it.
I would encourage anyone who is considering choosing the online option, to give it a try.
Of course I’d love to see you come to my school , but you can search for other programs as well.
Here is the webpage of our school if you want to check it out more.
http://iforwardwisconsin.com/
There are informational sessions online and you can send or call for information anytime. Open enrollment runs from Feb 6th until the end of April this year!
I hope to see you in the halls of my school next year!
Online school rocks!
~Katie E.
Comment by Katie E. — February 4, 2012 @ 12:00 pm |
Katie, thank you for your detailed comment. I always welcome student perspectives and would invite you – if you were interested – to prepare a 500-750 word guest blog entry about your experiences as an online student that I would feature as a full entry.
As I noted to your superintendent privately, regardless of my opinions about various aspects of K-12 online learning, I try to post anything related to the field that comes across my electronic desk. Not everyone shares my politics, but at least this space has become a place where you can go to find out what is happening in the field (and maybe while folks are here, I can convince to see the world through the same set of glasses that I wear.
Comment by mkbnl — February 4, 2012 @ 12:52 pm |
Hello, thank you for your offer.
Give me a few days to consider this, and look at my obligations right now, make sure I do not have any conflicts.
Can you clarify for me if this will be published as written , or if you would plan to edit the article.
There are many different angles from a students point of view to approach something like this with, was there a specific angle you were interested in?
Thank you for your time
~Katie
Comment by Katie E. — February 5, 2012 @ 3:12 am
Katie, I tell all of my guest bloggers that they have carte blanche in terms of topic, tone, style, etc.. I may editing for spelling, grammar, and punctuation; but I don’t edit for content. And I always send the document back to the author to have them approve those writing conventions that I may have corrected.
In terms of a deadline, that would be entirely up to you. If you wanted to wait until later in the school year or even during the summer break, it is an open ended offer.
As for topic, given your position as a student, maybe something like a day in the life of a student or things that you feel students needs in order to be successful in the full-time online environment (and this could focus on things that the student should do or skills and attitudes they should possess to things that your online teachers and your online school have, can or should do to support you – or both). It could focus on what full-time online learning allows you to do with your life or why you choose this option. You could also write about a specific course or even a specific lesson, as a way of trying to illustrate what online learning is like for someone who may not be familiar with it.
I used the length suggestion of 500-750 words as only a suggestion. I have posted shorter guest blog entries and, in all honesty, most have been much longer. Take a look at the guest blogger tag and see for yourself the kinds of things people write about. When you are ready, e-mail me (mkbarbour-at-gmail-dot-com) your submission. Make sure that you include a title for the entry, a little about yourself (e.g., name of your school, your state, you grade level, and anything else you want to say) for the by-line information (i.e., that stuff in red), and also include an image that you might want to include with the entry (e.g., some people have a professor image of themselves, others of their school, others an image that is thematic to their topic – as you’ll see most tend to do the thematic one, followed by the image of their school).
Comment by mkbnl — February 5, 2012 @ 8:58 am