This week was a busy one! We started it off with a long weekend (woohoo), and then I found my self working on homework for all my classes at all hours of the day! That being said, we did get to have a presentation on distance education. I wasn’t sure how this presentation would go considering it is based mostly towards high school, but there was some interesting links and information. I never took a class through distance education while I was in high school, but I did see them happening in my school.
The types that I saw through my schooling were the ones done through correspondence. So they basically had a giant work book and had to finish it by a certain date, and then they sent it away to be assessed. After they were done their assignment’s they also had to write a test for the course. I find it interesting to think about how much it has changed just since I was in school. It seems, from the presentation on Wednesday, that most of the distance education is done online now which is more efficient for both the teacher and the student.
The other type of distance education I saw in high school, was through a T.V. placed at the front of the classroom and we were watching the class happen at another school. We could see them, and they could see us and we could interact with the teacher and other students. Living in a rural community, if you wanted a specific class you were going to have to do it through distance education so I find it interesting that we were able to use a video conference tool to do a calculus class.
The only question or problem that I have is that it puts the responsibility on the student. Which is not a bad thing, but how do we encourage them to get it done. Through tutoring, I have witnessed a someone get the book and leave it till a few weeks till grad and then not get it done. So I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas or tips about how we engage students in their online or text courses and motivate them to get it done!
Emily's Tech Talk 
I recall taking grade 12 consumer math over correspondence, however there was a classroom allotted for us taking this class, and a supervisor who would periodically check in to make sure everything was going good. I remember it being easier to stay on task and finish our assignments, due to the fact we had the the support of our fellow classmates, and a structured environment to work.
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Great points made in this post Emily! Like you, also growing up in a rural community, I had to experience taking courses in high school through distance learning. For me, this was done through something called “IITV” which I believe stood for interactive instructional television. Yes, students could see another classroom taking the same class, on a tv screen, the teacher was then either in our classroom physically or theirs. Microphones and speakers were turned on so that classes could interact in their learning. Luckily schools have been moving forward, and have the ability to use things like “Zoom”! Personally I found it difficult to learn content without being able to ask the teacher for help in person. I also have seen the ‘large workbooks’ for courses you mentioned! In fact, I was someone who didn’t end up finishing a course, exactly like you said! Luckily it was an extra credit that I did not need to graduate. Looking back, i’m not sure what would have motivated me to finish on time… other than it being mandatory??? Maybe having peers working on it at the same time as me, or more regular check ins from the instructor??
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