01-01-2013, 04:49 PM
Proposal for The Online Academy for Teachers University Certificate Program
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Introduction
The Internet is perhaps the most transformative technology in history, reshaping business, media, entertainment, and society in astonishing ways. But for all its power, it is just now being tapped to transform education. . . . The World Wide Web is a tool that empowers society to school the illiterate, bring job training to the unskilled, open a universe of wondrous images and knowledge to all students, and enrich the understanding of the lifelong learner. The opportunity is at hand. The power and the promise are here. . . . Web-based education is just beginning, with something of far greater promise emerging in the middle distance. Yet, technology, even in its current stage of development, can already allow us to realistically dream of achieving age-old goals in education
To center learning around the student instead of the classroom.
To focus on the strengths and needs of individual learners.
To make lifelong learning a reality (Web-Based Education Commission, 2001, pp. 3-4).
So proclaims the Congressionally-appointed Web-Based Education Commission (2001). Are claims such as these hype or reality? Only time will tell. What is certain about online learning is the reality of its inevitability. Regardless of whether or not online learning reflects sound educational practice, it is changing the landscape of education. Online learning has already captured the attention of the corporate sector and much of higher education with 70 percent of colleges and universities in the United States now offering at least some courses online. Forty percent have created online degree programs, and, in the fall of 2001, Arizona became the first state to formally recognize an online graduate degree in educational administration toward principal certification. The leader in the field, University of Maryland University College, had more than 62,000 online enrollments in 2001 and offered 20 complete degree programs online (Russo, 2001). Web-based training is the fastest growing segment of the $60 billion corporate training market (Baer, 1999).
Online Learning Pivots on Informed and Inspired Online teaching
Ultimately, teachers are the ones responsible for transforming lifeless equipment into valuable learning tools. Creating high-tech educational tools and insightful pedagogical models that capitalize on these tools without educating teachers to use them would be “as useless as creating a new generation of planes, without training pilots to fly them (Web-Based Education Commission, 2000, p. 10) ” or like giving students paper and pencil and telling them they can only use the eraser. Teachers must be educated to use these tools well or investments in high-tech educational resources will be wasted. It is the teacher, after all, who guides instruction, shapes the instructional context, and facilitates teacher-student and student-student interactions. It is a teacher's skill at this, more than any other factor, that determines the degree to which students learn. Teachers must be knowledgeable about technology, able to apply it appropriately, and conversant with new technological tools, resources, and approaches (Web-Based Education Commission, 2000, p. 11).
Proposal for The Online Academy for Teachers University Certificate Program
Colleges of Education are charged with the education of America’s teachers, both those that want to enter the profession and those already in the profession who seek professional renewal and growth. Yet, there are only a few education programs available that focus on the preparation of teachers to teach in virtual online environments. States Davis (2004): "The number of teachers qualified for online teaching is not adequate to meet the growing demand. And all teachers need to be able to coach students." Developments in online learning suggest that the time has come to design and offer a certificate program to teachers wishing to develop expertise in online teaching.
The proposed Online Academy for Teachers would serve to meet the challenge of preparing qualified teachers to teach online. It makes sense that such a program would be offered online. Part of learning to teach online is to experience online learning for oneself and to see models of online practice that promote excellence. In addition, such a delivery system supports local, statewide, national, and potentially international participation. Thus, the number of potential teachers enrolling in the certificate program is potentially limitless.
Such a program would not only support teachers interested in online learning generally, it will also support the GSE/GMU Collaborative to design a virtual high school program, The Online Academy. The Online Academy is a collaborative between the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University and three Virginia school divisions – Frederick County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools, and Stafford County Public Schools. Combining resources, knowledge, and expertise, these school divisions and George Mason University are developing virtual high school courses that reflect robust learning opportunities for students and meet Virginia’s Standards of Learning. Course design is guided by Virginia’s SOL, school divisions’ curriculum guidelines, relevant text-based materials, and an innovative design model. The Collaborative completed 6 online courses during AY 2003-2004 and is developing five additional courses in AY 2004-2005. Completed courses include Algebra I, Geometry, World History I, World History II, English 11, Earth Science, and Chemistry. Courses being developed include Algebra II, US History, English 12, Biology, Physics, and a Fine Arts elective. The Collaborative has been extended to include another development cycle in years 2005-2007.
Proposed New Courses
EDIT 641 - Understanding Virtual Schools (1 credit hour): This one credit hour course is designed to develop students’ knowledge about the world of online learning for K-12 students. As part of the course, students will examine the history of online learning, current trends in online learning, and the characteristics and learning needs of K-12 virtual learners. In addition, students will examine and critique sample virtual high school programs as well as selected demonstration courses made available by a wide range of service providers. Finally, students will examine the literature related to the benefits, limitations, and important criticisms of virtual learning opportunities for K-12 students. The course culminates in the submission of a briefing paper presenting clear recommendations to educational policy makers.
EDIT 642 - Meet The Online Academy (1 credit hour): This one credit hour course is designed to develop students’ knowledge about GMU's virtual high school program, The Online Academy. The course will focus on the design model that structures online courses with particular attention to the role of representative problems, performances of understanding, communities/fields of practice, and online mentors. Students will role play a virtual high school students and complete one learning module as well as role play a virtual high school student supporting an adolescent online learner. From these role playing experiences, students will come to understand the structure and interactions embedded in the design model.
Existing Courses to Be Included
EDCI 790 - Practicum in Instructional Technology (2 credit hours): This two credit hour course is designed to bridge theory and practice. Through robust "student-teacher" like relationships with expert virtual high school teachers, students will shadow a virtual learner and online mentor through the successful completion of a learning module or unit. The student will have opportunities to discuss their observations of the ongoing learning process with the online mentor. Following this experience, students will take on the challenge of serving as an online mentor for a virtual high school learner while being shadowed by an expert online mentor. Students will have opportunities to consult with the expert online mentor as well as receive constructive feedback from the expert online mentor as the learning module or unit progresses.