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Just wanted to briefly share my thoughts with you on this. I, too, believe in the possibilities of online learning. For kids in the region where I live, it is a necessity to help level the playing field. Students in western Nebraska do not have the opportunity to take the same classes that kids in larger cities have. The number of electives gets whittled down more and more each year. The high school in my town is working on eliminating all elective social studies classes within the next two years. Why? Need to focus on the “real” classes that are assessed! (It is a relatively large high school for Nebraska—1000 students) Kids will be chomping at the bit to take classes that we will eventually offer at the Virtual School—-Civil War, History of the American West, etc. However, these kids will probably be advanced students looking to broaden their horizons before heading off to college. They are ideal online students. Motivated, driven, self-starters.

Here is the problem as I see it. Both of us teach mostly at-risk kids. School is not at the top of their list of priorities. If my students have to choose between working an extra shift or coming to school they will nearly always work. They care about their grades, but they are not driven by their grades.

Last year we piloted an online program at my school. We did not have a mandatory attendance policy which I believe cost us 50% of the students within the first two weeks. But the remainder that stuck with it did quite well. I spent a lot of time analyzing what caused some of the students to drop out and what motivated others to stick with it. Here are my thoughts.

I required that each student check in once a week and I counted it for a grade. I’d send out an email on Monday morning to all students and they had until Wednesday at midnight to respond. All they had to do was respond so I knew they were still active. I sent out text reminders a couple times each week. I also took the time to let them get to know me. However, it did help that they already knew me. None of my students were “new.” I had all of the in f2f classes prior to the summer school pilot program.

Cory, you are in an almost impossible situation. If I understand correctly you don’t ever really see your students f2f, correct? Aren’t students assigned to a mentor that may not necessarily be one of their teachers? Other than working in a computer lab I don’t know when you would see them. Do they ever Skype you? Do you ever Skype them if you see them online? Do they ever see your face? Do they ever hear your voice? Do you email/call them at least once a week to check on their progress and to see if they need anything?

I know some people might say that it is up to the student to be responsible and we should not keep on top of them, but online classes are much different than f2f. Teenagers, especially at-risk teens, do not have the skills needed to work independently. They are intelligent enough, but online classes require a great deal of motivation that most teens (except the most dedicated ones) just don’t have. It is through no fault of their own, it is just the way they are wired.

It is too bad that your school does not require students to take just 3 classes at a time for 9 weeks. Juggling a full course load (6+ classes) is why many students in a traditional setting get discouraged and ultimately decided to drop out. Fewer, but more intense classes, solved this issue for us at my school.