Thing 29: Online Learning

As an AP History teacher, I search high and low for online resources to help my students prepare for their big test in May. . .This year's test was May 9th, and one online site I checked out is "4tests: Your free, online, practice test site!". . .Here is what I think of "4test". . ."4test" was a disappointing site which provided one 29 question multiple choice practice test and included popup ads for all sorts of products (e.g. Netflix) and ads for prep materials like Cliff's Notes. . .Not recommended. . .Nest, I tried "DEN", the Digital Education Network located at "actden.com". . .The site contained online software tutorials for PowerPoint 2003, Front Page 2000, Internet Explore 5, etc. . .and online courses: TestDEN, WritingDEN. SkillsDEN, etc. . .I tried the SkillsDEN online course which was produced by Microsoft Skills 2000 and was subtitled "The Museum of Modern Technology" with virtual host, Ada Omega. . .It is a Microsoft site with the idea of promoting Microsoft products. . .The "online course" is an outdated course which would have been directed at middle or elementary school level students. . .Not recommended. . .Online learning, of course, seems to be the future of education. . .More and more students are learning online, and more educators are teaching online. . .I had an experience in two classes at Hamline during the spring term. . .The blogging was fun, and it was great that in one of the courses, most of the required reading material was available online--thus, easily accessible at anytime. . .The thing I don't like about online learning is when it serves as an excuse for teachers and students not to meet face to face. . .The absence of "in the flesh" interaction was a negative when my two courses substituted online sessions for four classes. . .In fairness to the instructors, they did not care for it either. . .However, it appears to be an inevitable juggernaut. . .Soon, why would an institution concern itself with where their instructors lived since they could merely offer the class online. . .Now, there are obvious situations where the online revolution is an absolute plus: disabled and homebound students, geographically-isolated students (e.g. Antarctica), and courses not offered at the student's institution. . .But, we should move carefully when considering online courses. . .They are not a panacea. . .drfaust