Different School Models

                                                      

	School A	School B	Differences & Similarities
Type of School	Florida Virtual Academy (Internet)	Clarkrange High School (B&M)	Virtual school provides an education to students via the Internet or even Correspondence courses. At Florida Virtual, you may be one student at home but you are linked to many via an online classroom with a teacher. Lessons are taught by the child's parent or self guided based on age. Field trips allow these students to socialize with each other and to meet and talk with their teacher. Clarkrange HS is traditional brick and mortar (B&M) high school. The system runs on four blocks, each ranging about 90 minutes each. When the student completes a semester of a class, credits are earned and the next semester of new classes begins.
Population/Demographics	1 student in home hundreds of thousands in school	About 400 in whole school	The general population of this school is massive because it does not reside in one geographical location, rather it sits within each students computer. The population of this school is small compared to most high schools but that is because it is located in a small town where the population of the entire county is about 1900 people. It is worth mentioning that there are two high schools in this county, this one simply sits on the south side in the farming community. (residents are minimal)
Student-Teacher Ratio	2-1	1-25	Students at Florida Virtual have at least two teachers, the one that is physically teaching them at home and the teacher who works at Florida Virtual, handing out assignments, giving guidance to both the parents and teachers. This environment is greatly rewarding because of this ratio. As with most high schools, our classes hold about 20-25 students and require only 1 teacher per class.
Role of Technology	Majority of learning takes place on computer	Majority of learning is taught "lecture" style with some group interaction	Our classroom is built on the use of technological skills. One must know their way around a computer, the Internet and the tools that we use in class. For instance: Power Point, Excel and even Skype. Our class is built upon a lecture style of teaching. Students are required to sit and listen and when asked, participate. Computers are not required in my class but some projects may require them to complete. Because we live in a small farming community, not all families have access to this type of technology, so our school has computers for students to use. On occasion, I may ask y students to do a Power-Point project by themselves or in some cases, in small groups.
21st Century Skills	Being technical savvy, knowing how to manage time, problem solve	Being able to use technical tools such as computers, internet and the programs associated with those tools. Problem solving and learning to work in groups as well as individually		At Florida Virtual Academy, having 21st century skills is extremely necessary in our learning environment. Our lessons are completely online, some of our textbooks are even online. If one is not savvy in technology, one would surely fall behind in their online studies. Our classes require very little computer time, but we do pride ourselves on teaching the kids how to use some forms of technology. However, in this day and age, most kids have been playing with technology type toys for years upon years. Ipads, Ipods, MP3 players, Video game consoles, computers, Micro-soft word, Skype, Social media and the list goes on. Because our students are taught in a traditional way, our students are taught time management, through peer interaction and group assignments, the kids are taught how to problem solve.
Students Role in Class	Check their assignments daily. Do their assignments daily and if they fall behind to catch back up. They are required to attend all video lessons and participate.	Students are required to show up to school and class on time and prepared with their books, paper and pencils. Homework needs to be turned in on time and daily work needs to be finished before the end of class. They are to study for tests and my biggest rule and requirement is that "they do their best".		Basically, both the Virtual school and Brick and Mortar school have the sale student requirements. Basically, both the Virtual school and Brick and Mortar school have the sale student requirements.
Teacher's Role in Class	To be available to my students, answer questions readily and to ensure my students understand. If a student hands in an assignment that is less then par, then I need to take some extra time with this student and see how I can help.	My role as a teacher is to be the best teacher I know how to be. I need to ensure my students understand the lesson material and if they do not, I need to give them additional help so they can understand. Our school uses a standardized testing each year and as their teacher, I need to ensure my students have the necessary knowledge they need to pass the test. I also feel as though I am there to be a friend to my students when they need someone to talk to. I want my students to succeed.		Both teachers have the same philosophy in this topic. They both have their students best interests in mind. They both want to teach and they both want their students to be successful and pass. The only real difference is that Fla Virtual Academy is an online school and the teacher has no "in-person" access to the child other then by phone or field trips. Whereas the brick and mortar school teacher sees her students everyday and can reach out to them quicker and probably more efficiently since they see each other in person. For instance, a math problem might be easier to explain in person rather in via a computer message or phone.
How Has Teaching Changed?	Before computers and the Internet, students who wanted a unique educational experience could either opt for a mail order education where the lessons were snail-mailed and assignments sent to their teacher for grading. This method had major flaws as students did not have immediate access to their teachers and if an assignment had many errors and the lesson was obviously not learned, it could take weeks before the teacher and student could rectify the situation.	Not much has changed except the incorporation of technology into the curriculum. The students still arrive at school via busses, the bell still notifies when class begins and ends. Teachers are still held responsible if their students fail or do not understand and classrooms still have 25 students to 1 teacher. Prior to technology, special assignments were usually craft projects on power board and such. Now, students can create in just about any technological format they can imagine.		Virtual school has endured many changes over the years. What used to be called Correspondence school (mail order education) is now called Virtual and is almost completely taught and learned via the Internet. Brick and Mortar schools have not really changed over time. They still have the same basics we all knew and loved when we were in High School. School bells, lockers, different classes, etc.

　

Summary

I found this assignment to be extremely interesting. Not only did I have the chance to speak with one of my child's teachers about her teaching style and her thoughts on the current educational system, but I also got to speak with my daughters former Virtual teacher in Florida about the same topic. I myself was a correspondence student in the 9th grade, I attended a school called American High School, so I know first hand all the changes that have occurred throughout the last twenty years. On Tuesday of last week, I made an appointment to speak with my child's math teacher and became surprised when a meeting was granted later that day. I took this time to speak about her teaching ambitions before becoming a teacher, what she was looking forward to the most as a new teacher and what she dreaded. Her answer surprised me, as she said her dream has always been to be a teacher, she did not care what subject, only that she had the opportunity to interact with students and relay her knowledge on to them. I was surely expecting her answer to be more about money and stability but Ms Bates was truly interested in her students first and foremost. I of course needed to ask about 21st Century skills and technology as that is basically what this assignment is about and again, her answer surprised me. She stated that kids in this day and age are so technically savvy that they come into the school system knowing more then the teachers sometimes in regard to technology. They began playing with their moms cell phones/game apps and music devices from the time they could point. Teaching kids these skills is not top priority in her class for this very reason because as she adds with a laugh "they know more then I do, in that department". This observation stunned me but after thinking about it a bit more, I totally understood because I myself am from an era where technology was non-existent once upon a time. She then went on to discuss how she tries to introduce her students to problem solving by using math, math relate to real-life problems very nicely and so she has lots of opportunities to incorporate that skill. She stated, if any one tool could help her do her job, it would be to incorporate the computer into her class curriculum, adding that the computer could itself be a teacher to students and teach lessons on a program and that would allow her to make sure each student understands the lesson and can evaluate them accordingly. Ms. Bates then said, "I do not want to be replaced by the computer, but that the program could provide students who learn at a faster rate to move ahead while students who require more help, can be helped".

After speaking with my daughters former Virtual teacher, I can clearly say that I was not surprised with all the changes that have occurred. Gone are the days where students mailed their assignments in and waited for them to be graded, the internet has improved that process greatly. I enjoyed getting to speak with Mrs. Jones about her teaching aspirations and if they have changed from before she started teaching and have they changed since teaching. Mrs. Jones was one of the 3rd grade teachers at Florida Virtual Academy, she has since retired. She told me that her dream was to become a teacher and reach as many children as she could in a positive manner and so she began her career in 1981 at a standard brick and mortar school. When she began getting older, she discovered that she wanted a change, and so she sought employment through virtual schools, they allowed her to work from home on occasion and with her age, that worked for her. Mrs. Jones told me that as much fun as teaching at a brick and mortar school was, teaching virtually added more adventure and creativity to her lessons. Students were given assignments and turned loose "so to say" to complete them in the manner they wanted. For instance, a science project may require an experiment and allowing the children to "think" about how to do the experiment allowed those students to problem solve situations that might occur in life. She then went on to say that these were the lessons that she had dreamed of teaching prior to becoming a teacher. She said that brick and mortar schools are bound by certain criteria that Virtual schools are immune from and that is why she enjoyed teaching at Florida Virtual Academy so much. "Teaching is not about shoving information into a students brain", she said. "It is about getting that student to want to learn, to explore the world around them and to create life-long learners".

My personal teaching philosophy I believe mirrors Mrs. Jones philosophy. As we learned this week, Students are being taught information from a textbook when they should probably be taught from the heart. A teacher who has passion and ambition is a teacher who will find a way to make a lesson creative and educational for all her students.