What It's All About

One hour, twice a week, every other week.  That is the total amount of time our fifth grade students spend in the computer lab over the course of the year.  If they are lucky enough to have a savvy scheduler of a teacher, they may get to use one of the school’s laptop carts on occasion for special projects. That’s it.  That’s the extent to which our students are being exposed to online learning at its most basic level.  In Virginia Beach City Public Schools, there exists the “Compass to 2015” initiative for students to become successful 21^st Century learners that are able to participate and meaningfully contribute to our society.  “Our Strategic Goal: Recognizing that the long range goal of VBCPS is the successful preparation and graduation of every student, the near term goal is that by 2015, 95 percent or more of VBCPS students will graduate having mastered the skills that they need to succeed as 21st century learners, workers and citizens.”  (VBCPS)  Are our students being provided with the best possible chance of becoming that exemplary 21^st century learner with the current state of online learning in our school?

To be blunt, in my opinion, there is no way our students are being prepared for the technology filled future with how little time they currently spend using technology.  Online classrooms and blended learning are here to stay, so to speak, and it is time our school got on the train, or we risk our students falling further behind.  Our students need to be exposed to the online classroom that involves more than just an hour lesson where they go to a few websites and fill out a note page.  Part of our job as elementary teachers is to provide a solid foundation for students to utilize in their middle, high school, and secondary education as is reflected in our “Compass to 2015” strategic plan.  This job now requires elementary teachers to prepare students to be capable of participating in online learning.  My suggestions for improved interaction with technology include whole units of the curriculum conducted in online or blended format, more time in the computer lab or with the laptop cart, and an at home initiative that supports online learning.  This blog serves to highlight the express need of meaningful online learning in our school, suggestions for improvement, and ways to implement those suggestions.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools :: Compass to 2015. (n.d.). Virginia Beach City Public Schools :: Compass to 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://www.vbschools.com/compass/index.asp