High school scheduling always seems to go two ways. Either you have a packed schedule and can’t fit in that psychology class you were hoping to take or the school doesn’t offer the AP Calculus class you wanted on your transcript. Now, those classes are as accessible as ever.
Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative offers online classes for grades K-12 for schools all over Vermont. The program allows students to take courses of their choice taught by Vermont teachers. VTVLC offers everything from AP classes to electives that students may not have the opportunity to take at their schools.
MMU Spanish teacher, Gretchen Coleman is currently teaching Spanish 1 on VTVLC. She got involved in the program because she believes that online education is where we’re headed in the future. “Colleges already offer tons of online classes, and you can expect to take at least one [online class] at some point in the future, so why not high schools too?” Online classes are flexible and can open up options for students. They can learn at their own pace and at a time which is most convenient for them.
“The main difference is that I don’t have face to face interaction with my students, and I don’t teach them all the same thing at the same time,” said Ms. Coleman. Her students work at their own pace through the course, and all of the materials are there for when they decide they want to do their work. “For most of my students that is at night and on the weekends. Therefore it is much more individual.” Instead of addressing a class, Ms. Coleman said that she communicates with individual students about questions that they may have on the material. “Instead of talking to my students face to face, I use email, chats, telephone, and moodle to let students know how they’re doing and answer questions.”
While convenient, online classes are not always easy. Taking an online class requires a lot of self-discipline by the student. Students are responsible for completing work on time and there is no class that they have to attend. “The student really has to take control and responsibility for their learning,” said Ms. Coleman. The online courses have the same work load as a traditional class, and depending on the course, it may require more work. The amount of work a student does is usually tied to a weekly assignment, not a daily assignment.
The courses at VTVLC are tied to the school year, so students can take classes in either the fall or spring semester. VTVLC also offers courses in the summer for students who are looking to get ahead or need to complete a class that they didn’t take the previous school year. The program is very flexible so students can take courses at times that are convenient for them.
“I like the program. I think it provides amazing opportunities for students. This year there will be a number of really neat electives and AP courses that you can’t find here at MMU,” said Ms. Coleman. She said that she thinks the program is always improving and said that each semester more unique courses are being added to the catalog. “I hope that students take advantage of this terrific opportunity to take something new and learn how to manage an online course before they get to college!” Online education is the education of the future, so why not start now? For more information on VTVLC, visit http://vtvlc.org/.