Educate Me. Inspire Me.

In my school, teachers are assigned a homeroom group of students and we have the same group of students until their senior year of high school. Each year, we (the homeroom teachers) work with our students to select courses for the following year based on their course of studies, one that they selected in 8th grade, but are able to change throughout their high school career. Each year if need be. 

At a meeting earlier this week when we were being informed of the availability of virtual courses for next year, a teacher or aide (I’m not completely sure of her position in the special education department actually) suggested that we ask a student if they would be planning on considering a sport the following school year.

I thought to myself, “What does that have to do with whether a student is going to sign up for a virtual course or not?” I personally don’t think that students who participate in athletics should be given any special consideration when it comes to a virtual course, because any student can excel if they so wish to excel in something.

The registration guide outlines the following for students to be successful in an online course, the following components should be present:

Students should

 avoid procrastinating behavior;

 possess motivation to learn;

 possess the ability to follow written directions;

 learn independently;

 have access to an online service that is reliable;

 have access to a reliable computer equipped with MS Word, MS PowerPoint, a printer, and free Adobe Acrobat Reader;

 possess a working knowledge of technology, including Internet research skills and skilled use of the above software;

 communicate effectively with their instructor regarding subject matter and any other problem.

 read and comprehend a variety of written communications.

Students once they are enrolled in a virtual course are not able to drop the course for a face-to-face course in the new school year, so a student would have to be certain that it is the type of course that they are willing to take and see through to the end. 

Now, what really confused me with the teacher/aide’s comment was- why in the heck does it matter whether a student is going to participate in athletics or not? There are students that participate in athletics that would best benefit from this type of learning environment and excel. While she was right… there are those that won’t benefit at all.

After spending a year with the same group of students, a homeroom teacher would more than likely know what type of student the student is. And take into account the frequency that a student has dropped a course in the past because of how “difficult” it was or just didn’t want to do the work that was required for the course.

My question in the end is the following: 

Is asking my students if they plan to participate in athletics the following year really a pertinent and valid question for whether they plan to take a virtual course or not?

(Source: rcs.k12.va.us)