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Teens ride growing wave: Summer school online
BY LORI HIGGINS
FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITER
July 2, 2006
| Brendan Donahue, who'll be a junior at Huron High in Ann Arbor, is taking an online algebra class this summer at his home computer. (TONY DING/Special to the Free Press) |
| What kids learned |
| Michigan Virtual University sponsored an essay contest in which it asked students who've taken online courses to write about their experiences. Ten students were named winners. Here are edited excerpts from some of the winning essays: "Other than the occasional research assignment or online program such as Youth Leadership, my online experience ended at AIM instant messenger and Hotmail. And boy has that changed since this class! ... This class has not only taught me passable Chinese, it has taught me how to utilize my computer, a task not even the required computer class at my high school accomplished." Jessica Ernst, Howell High "I wasn't a great virtual student to begin with. It was difficult to be online and not get distracted. With millions of Web sites designed to entertain, it was sometimes an arduous task to stick to schoolwork. ... But I soon learned my study habits. I needed music to protect my ears from diversion, and I needed to train my eyes to focus only on my screen to make my virtual learning possible. Eventually, I fell into the swing of things and gained more control over my short attention span." Amarrah Kean, Schoolcraft High "Michigan Virtual High School has literally changed my school routine. Out of the dull classroom, I now have ounces of creativity at my fingertips. I'm treated as a young adult, giving me the responsibility of making my own deadlines and finishing the course." Casey Booyinga, Dansville High |
| Course demos |
| Want to see what the online learning craze is all about? The Genesee Intermediate School District's Web site demonstrates courses that students can take on the Internet. |
| Helpful prerequisites |
| Online courses are not an easy way out. In fact, many students find them difficult, educators say. Students who succeed generally have the following characteristics: • Self-motivated • Independent learners • Strong written communicators • Internet and computer literate • Problem solvers Know the basics To take a class online, you need to know how to: • Use a mouse and keyboard • Launch a browser • Navigate on the Internet • Send and receive e-mail • Open, close and save files Sources: Genesee ISD, online learning experts |
| How to sign up |
| Students should first contact their school guidance counselors if they're interested in taking online courses for credit. They can also check out: • Michigan Virtual University, which runs one of the largest virtual high schools in the nation: www.mivu.org • Genesee Intermediate School District, whose programs may be replicated in other intermediate school districts. • NovaNET, an online program used by many districts, including Oakland Schools. |
Brendan Donahue knew he'd need to take Algebra II this summer to prepare for an advanced chemistry class in September. So he did what an increasing number of Michigan teens have done: He signed up to take the class online.
Now, his home is his classroom. His teacher is miles away, instead of a few feet. And he can get his lessons anytime -- and anywhere -- he wants.
"It's a little bit easier because you can work at your own pace," said Brendan, who will be a junior in the fall at Huron High School in Ann Arbor. "If you want to take a couple of days off and work more on the weekend, you can do it."
Summer online learning has exploded in Michigan, where technologically savvy teens see it as an attractive way to make up lost credits, free their schedules for more electives or, in Brendan's case, so they have time to take higher-level classes.
The demand has driven summer course enrollment at the Michigan Virtual High School to more than double in one year -- from 650 last summer to nearly 1,400 so far this summer, said Jamey Fitzpatrick, president of the Michigan Virtual University, the Lansing-based nonprofit that runs the high school.
"Students really feel like they have more control over their education," said Susette Jaquette, a teacher in Ann Arbor Public Schools, which offers online courses through MVU. Ann Arbor's online summer course enrollment has grown from 18 in 2002 to 87 this summer.
MVU's online high school program is not the only game in town. The Genesee Intermediate School District works with seven companies to provide online courses for students in the 21 local districts in Genesee County, just north of Oakland County. Thirty students are taking online courses this summer, compared with none last summer.
In Oakland Schools, the intermediate school district for 28 districts in Oakland County, 125 students are taking online courses through a program called NovaNET. Another 100 are taking hybrid courses in which students do much of the work online but take some traditional classroom lessons as well.
Online courses not for everybody
The numbers, while increasing, still represent a small fraction of the school population. For example, Michigan has about 150,000 ninth-graders in any given year. Even those who promote online learning say it's an alternative that works for only some students.
"Not everyone does well online. You have to be a disciplined student to take an online course successfully. We tell students this up front," said Beverly Knox-Pipes, assistant superintendent for technology and media services at the Genesee ISD, known for its comprehensive online programs.
Online learning is still relatively new. And many districts are slowly testing the waters. Among the issues they must address: Is the class equivalent to classes taught by their own teachers? How will the student get credit for the online course?
Michigan is pushing online learning for all students. New graduation requirements that begin with the Class of 2011 -- next year's high school freshmen -- mandate that students take at least one online course or have some type of online experience.
It makes sense, teenagers say, because their generation is already so proficient with technology.
"Everything nowadays has become so technologically minded," said Dave Seaton, who will be a senior in the fall at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills. He took an online government class between April and June through Oakland Schools. "Everything that used to be done by hand is now being done by computer."
Why students like them
Claire Richardson is among the 100 Oakland teens taking summer courses in which a majority of the content -- about 60% -- is online. She's taking technical math.
"It's independent. You can get it done a lot faster," said Claire, who'll be a sophomore at Holly High School.
It's not a typical online class, because Claire and her classmates go to a school building every day. They spend some time online and some learning from teacher Dave Johnson.
But it works for teens like Monte Settlemoir III, who is going into his senior year at Clarkston High School.
"The computer thing is so much better for me," he said. "I'm not a book kind of guy. I like to be on a computer."
Like fellow Huron student Brendan Donahue, Nikitha Mohan is taking summer courses that will allow her to take more advanced classes when the school year begins in September.
Nikitha, who'll be a senior, is taking trigonometry and chemistry online and a government class in a traditional summer program.
"It's really convenient," she said of the online classes. "It's at your house. And it forces you to learn. In school you learn it or you don't. Online, it forces you to learn one concept before you go on to the next one. That always helps."
This isn't Nikitha's first foray into online learning. She took geometry the summer between her freshman and sophomore years. And even though she passed Algebra II during her sophomore year, she took it again that summer because "I wasn't that good at it."
The teachers' role
Students like Nikitha -- determined, motivated and independent learners -- are driving the demand for online learning.
Though she and many others can handle online classes, some others get lost in the virtual classrooms or put off the work until the last minute.
"It's really easy to not do an online class," Jaquette said. "There are no bells ringing to send you to the classroom. It's easy to not check your homework."
That's why the Ann Arbor district and others assign monitors or mentors to students taking online classes. Also, all Ann Arbor online students must take two of their online tests in a school building. Jaquette, who monitors online math students, checks weekly to make sure they're getting their work done.
"If they are, I send them a note saying, 'Great job, keep it up.' If they're not, I call them, I call their parents and ask 'What's going on?' " Jaquette said.
Brendan doesn't miss the direct interaction he would get in a traditional classroom.
"There's still a connection," he said. "You have classmates. You can talk to them by e-mail."
Contact LORI HIGGINS at 248-351-3694 or higgins@freepress.com.
Copyright © 2006 Detroit Free Press Inc.
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