Published: Friday, September 3, 2010
Online education can open a new world
It looks so tempting. Happy kids are working on computers, spending time at jobs, and throwing graduation caps in the air.
One girl works at a coffee shop, then puts on a helmet and zips away on a stylish motor scooter.
Where did I see these cheerful teens? Isn't this the time when most kids grumble about heading back to class?
They're in TV commercials for online schools.
The night before my son started sixth grade, as I scrambled to get his clothes and supplies ready, I saw at least three TV ads for online high schools.
It's an Insight School of Washington commercial that shows the teen girl at work. Kaplan High School, also running TV ads, is part of Kaplan, Inc., an education business that's a division of The Washington Post Co., which owns The Herald.
Another online school, iQ Academy Washington, recently held an open house in Snohomish County. The iQ Academy offers both middle school and high school, starting with sixth grade.
With all these choices, it's not hard to imagine conversations between teens tired of getting up early and parents stressed by jobs and school-related activities. Online? It sounds like just the fix for overscheduled families.
The price is right. Insight School of Washington is a tuition-free public school, as is iQ Academy Washington.
Jon Hagen is vice president of marketing for Insight Schools, which operates schools in eight states. He said that Insight School of Washington, which meets state curriculum requirements, has a partnership with the Quillayute Valley School District. Diplomas are granted in tandem with Insight Schools and the school district in Forks.
Similarly, iQ Academy Washington is linked to the Evergreen School District in Vancouver, Wash. Kaplan High School, a private for-profit school, charges tuition, about $3,000 for a full year or $625 for a two-semester course.
Skipping a traditional brick-and-mortar school is a must for some students. In 2007, I wrote about then-17-year-old Andrew Bartee, a gifted dancer who commuted from Everett to the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle. He left Everett High School to continue his studies online through Insight School of Washington.
Elite young artists and athletes, kids with serious health issues, even teens living in remote areas can benefit from online schooling.
Still, for most students, I think actually going to school is nearly as important as any subjects taught there. I worry that heavily advertised online schools may lure kids away from local schools, where there are lessons in getting along with people and handling tough days.
Waking up early, showing respect for teachers, finding someone to talk with at lunch, all those challenges help shape children into productive adults. But how tempting it must be -- especially some days -- to consider opting out. Why go through high school hassles when a diploma is so readily available from home?
"Online education is not for every student," said Jeff Bush, executive director of Insight School of Washington. Bush said Thursday that while teens attend Insight Schools for many reasons, most didn't have a strong connection to a traditional school. A student may already be a parent, he said, or need to work full time.
"There are even studies that the adolescent brain is not functioning well at 8 o'clock in the morning," he said. "A tremendous number of kids haven't been successful in a traditional setting. Online, they can do it on their own time and in their own way. That's really why it exists."
Bush said students with deep connections to school through sports, music and friends aren't likely to seek online education.
For kids who do sign up, online high school takes time management and responsibility. Students are asked to spend 25 to 30 hours each week on studies, Bush said.
Insight School of Washington has an estimated 3,000 students statewide, and about 240 were granted diplomas last spring at a graduation ceremony at Kent's ShoWare Center. Bush said there was even a prom the night after graduation.
It's inevitable that as online communication grows, educational opportunities will grow too. That's good -- to a point.
Let's just hope this will always be a season for sending kids back to school.
Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; muhlstein@heraldnet.com.
One girl works at a coffee shop, then puts on a helmet and zips away on a stylish motor scooter.
Where did I see these cheerful teens? Isn't this the time when most kids grumble about heading back to class?
They're in TV commercials for online schools.
The night before my son started sixth grade, as I scrambled to get his clothes and supplies ready, I saw at least three TV ads for online high schools.
It's an Insight School of Washington commercial that shows the teen girl at work. Kaplan High School, also running TV ads, is part of Kaplan, Inc., an education business that's a division of The Washington Post Co., which owns The Herald.
Another online school, iQ Academy Washington, recently held an open house in Snohomish County. The iQ Academy offers both middle school and high school, starting with sixth grade.
With all these choices, it's not hard to imagine conversations between teens tired of getting up early and parents stressed by jobs and school-related activities. Online? It sounds like just the fix for overscheduled families.
The price is right. Insight School of Washington is a tuition-free public school, as is iQ Academy Washington.
Jon Hagen is vice president of marketing for Insight Schools, which operates schools in eight states. He said that Insight School of Washington, which meets state curriculum requirements, has a partnership with the Quillayute Valley School District. Diplomas are granted in tandem with Insight Schools and the school district in Forks.
Similarly, iQ Academy Washington is linked to the Evergreen School District in Vancouver, Wash. Kaplan High School, a private for-profit school, charges tuition, about $3,000 for a full year or $625 for a two-semester course.
Skipping a traditional brick-and-mortar school is a must for some students. In 2007, I wrote about then-17-year-old Andrew Bartee, a gifted dancer who commuted from Everett to the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle. He left Everett High School to continue his studies online through Insight School of Washington.
Elite young artists and athletes, kids with serious health issues, even teens living in remote areas can benefit from online schooling.
Still, for most students, I think actually going to school is nearly as important as any subjects taught there. I worry that heavily advertised online schools may lure kids away from local schools, where there are lessons in getting along with people and handling tough days.
Waking up early, showing respect for teachers, finding someone to talk with at lunch, all those challenges help shape children into productive adults. But how tempting it must be -- especially some days -- to consider opting out. Why go through high school hassles when a diploma is so readily available from home?
"Online education is not for every student," said Jeff Bush, executive director of Insight School of Washington. Bush said Thursday that while teens attend Insight Schools for many reasons, most didn't have a strong connection to a traditional school. A student may already be a parent, he said, or need to work full time.
"There are even studies that the adolescent brain is not functioning well at 8 o'clock in the morning," he said. "A tremendous number of kids haven't been successful in a traditional setting. Online, they can do it on their own time and in their own way. That's really why it exists."
Bush said students with deep connections to school through sports, music and friends aren't likely to seek online education.
For kids who do sign up, online high school takes time management and responsibility. Students are asked to spend 25 to 30 hours each week on studies, Bush said.
Insight School of Washington has an estimated 3,000 students statewide, and about 240 were granted diplomas last spring at a graduation ceremony at Kent's ShoWare Center. Bush said there was even a prom the night after graduation.
It's inevitable that as online communication grows, educational opportunities will grow too. That's good -- to a point.
Let's just hope this will always be a season for sending kids back to school.
Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; muhlstein@heraldnet.com.
Comments
(
