Tariq Sarhan

Baby Tariq

The Love of My Life

Teaching an Online Course

I think I love to teach an online course. I am pretty confident that I would do a good job at it. I am usually a fast learner and really dedicated to whatever project I take on. I think I would be a very dedicated online teacher and make sure that I know and am well prepared to teach any course I am assigned to. I also think that I would have no problem learning how to use any an educational web tool such as Blackboard, etc., because I’m usually really good with anything hands-on.

Furthermore, I frequently check my email throughout the day; therefore I should have no problem with my students not being able to get a hold of me.

Finally, I feel confident teaching an online course because I have learned of so many web tools that could be used to assist students learn in a fun and educational manner. I feel that I have learned enough from this course and the activities we have been assigned to put together a great course that requires lots of student interaction and a great deal of tools to use.

Topic 2: Efficacy and potential influence of a virtual environment on student learning

From my own experience, it seems as though any student who has decided to complete high school online has done so because they were not succeeding in the traditional school setting. Also, of those students, the majority of them have had someone else complete the course for them. There are so many institutions online that offer students diplomas with very little to no effort being required of the students. I have recently heard of a high school that offers students a valid high school diploma after taking 4 tests. So basically, a person can get a high school diploma in about 2-3 hours. How will that affect the students? I think many of our students are used to doing things the easy way and doing just enough to get by. If more of our students are turning to institutions like these, I’m afraid that in the future, we will have intelligent individuals who cannot hold down a job or have trouble focusing on tasks because they were used to taking the easy route all their lives.

Topic 1: Challenges in providing effective virtual schooling

There are a few challenges that concern me about virtual schooling. The first is motivation/or lack of motivation of the institute that is providing the virtual schooling. It seems as though many of the virtual schools offered online are not very serious about the students they are teaching. As long as the student pays for the course, the institution moves on to the next enrollee. I am aware of many instances where people are enrolled in a course and someone else is taking the exams for them. This alone is an issue in itself. How is a student supposed to effectively benefit from an online course, if he/she is not even taking the courses?

The second concern is the follow-up process of these schools and the teachers. Of the cases I have heard of, it is very rare that the school follows up with students to see how they are doing and/or addresses the concerns of the students. Again, as long as the student pays for the course they really don’t care. Sometimes I wonder if there are actual teachers at the other end who are held responsible for the progress of these students.

The third concern is the accreditation of these institutions. Can a student really get a valid high school diploma from completing a few tests online? Whatever happened to the other factors that are considered in a traditional school, such as participation, attendance, completion of assignments, etc? How do we expect our students to be successful in college and hold down a successful career when we are basically spoon-feeding them and teaching them that being irresponsible and careless is ok, as long as you no one cares?

You Must Learn Online

Dear legislator,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share with you my views on online learning and support for this topic.

Being a secondary teacher working in Michigan it really saddens me to see how many students we are losing due to the lack of interest in schooling and education. Our students are brought up in a generation that is completely different from ours. In order to keep their interest in school and motivating them to excel we need to give them opportunities to do so using tools they are most familiar with. In this case these tools are computers and the internet.

Through the use of the internet to teach courses, our students will learn responsibility, time management skills, self-control, and will gain confidence. They will also learn how to use the internet to gain information and apply it rather than using it as a source of entertainment. Furthermore, the use of the internet and familiarization with technology will better prepare our students for future of Michigan, the United State and more importantly their future careers.
Thank you for taking the time to read and review my input on virtual schooling. Good luck with this legislation.

Sincerely,

Asmaa Kayed
A Concerned Michigan Educator

Additional Virtual Schooling Scenarios

Scenarios that could be developed in the future could be ones that discuss how teachers, students and parents from virtual schooling.

To display the benefits of the teachers, a scenario could be developed to show how the teacher is able to teach and convey a subject without all the disruptions that would usually arise in a regular class setting. It could begin with a teacher teaching in an in-class setting and display the constant problems and disruptions that the teacher has to deal with. It can then show that same teacher working as a virtual school teacher and show how she interacts with the students on an individual bases without all the daily distractions.

A scenario that displays the benefits for the students could begin with a student who is very shy in class and is often picked on. The students can be shown in an in-class setting sitting in the back and avoiding any kind of interaction in class. That same student could be shown taking an online course and blogging, carrying on in discussions and giving his/her opinion on topics without feeling the fear of being ridiculed or teased by the other students.

As for parents, a scenario could display a parent that is not aware of how his/her child is being treated at school or is not sure of how the teachers are helping her child. He/she can then sign her child up for a virtual class and help him/her with assignments and monitor his/her progress. The parent can also be reassured that his/her child is getting the proper education from the teacher and can have round-the-clock access to the teacher.