State Superintendent Luna's address to state leaders yesterday was mostly a rehashing of the speeches about Students Come First he presented last year. His lack of detail was particularly glaring in regard to required online courses. There will be a referendum vote in November of 2012, but until then, the mandates are going forward. Luna didn't answer questions on voters' minds, and he certainly didn't have answers for parents about required online courses.
- If the state is going to provide the technology and training to teachers and students, then why is it also going to require students to take online courses that will be purchased from an out of state vendor?
- We know that there are other states who require online courses, but to what success? (student success, not dollars saved)
- Was there any research done on online learning in relation to learning styles? How do online courses accommodate for, say, the kinesthetic (hands -on) learner?
- Do we know the success rates of Idaho students currently taking online courses through Idaho Digital Learning Academy or online charter schools?
- Why do many colleges and universities discourage or prohibit freshman students from taking online courses?
- Is $2.5 million really enough for IT support when considering every student will have a laptop and classrooms will be equipped with various technologies? Do we want teachers who educate students or teachers who take care of IT needs?
- How do online courses create better students and teachers? How do they attract great teachers to Idaho?
- How will online courses meet the educational needs of every student?
- What happens to vocational-technical, art, music and other courses that are hands-on and require face-to-face presence of a teacher?
- Why, in its original form, did Students Come First require students and teachers to be separate during online course time?
- Why are parents and students being denied a choice when it comes to online learning courses?
Mr. Luna's speech last night was filled with glittering generalities that didn't answer pertinent questions, particularly about online learning. For parents, particularly parents of teens who will be required to take online classes, there needs to be answers from Superintendent Luna and the officials we elected to office.
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T Luna. (2012, January 31). Superintendent Luna Provides Update on Implementation of Students Come First Laws [Written speech]. Retrieved from http://educationidaho.blogspot.com/2012/01/superintendent-luna-provides-...
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