Kansas Students Walk Out on Online, Personalized Learning

[sanantone]

Due to budget cuts, schools in Kansas started using a web-based platform and curriculum called Summit Learning. Students work at their own pace on a Chromebook; the curriculum is personalized to each student. It sounds a lot like competency-based learning, especially the personalized learning programs at Northern Arizona University. I've said many times that research has found that young people perform worse in online classes than they do in face-to-face classes. So, it's no surprise that students had such a negative reaction to a competency-based program, which is probably even worse than being in a traditional, online class. 

Not only did students at Wellington High School in Kansas walk out, but there have been walkouts and protests in other states over Summit Learning. Some parents have even pulled their children out of public schools. Some students have been complaining of eyestrain and feeling isolated. 

Then, students started coming home with headaches and hand cramps. Some said they felt more anxious. One child began having a recurrence of seizures. Another asked to bring her dad’s hunting earmuffs to class to block out classmates because work was now done largely alone.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/techn...hools.html

[cookderosa]

such a nightmare. I feel really really awful for students who won't feel empowered by their education but instead feel trapped by it.

I am highly bothered by this quote
“Change rarely comes without some bumps in the road,” said Gordon Mohn, McPherson’s superintendent of schools. He added, “Students are becoming self-directed learners and are demonstrating greater ownership of their learning activities.”

Self-direction. Self. Self. Let's define "self" - and then define "directed" and this program is the opposite of what *actual* self-directed learning is! Ownership? They walked out. That's owning it!

[MNomadic]

I'm not familiar with the summit software, but I feel that SOME well designed software COULD be implemented as a supplement in certain circumstances.

I don't think it should completely replace conventional learning for every student though.

[dfrecore]

My kids are both in high school, and go to different high schools (various reasons). They both have online math courses that they do in school. My daughter because it's the only option for her program; my son because he had a horrible teacher and asked to switch. They both HATE it. Different circumstances, different kids, different schools, both are on-campus - and both really, really hate the format, and the isolation (even my kid who basically homeschools herself for her other courses). It's just not a good format for a lot of kids.

One of the things they both hate is the pace - it's "self-paced" but really drags. The videos are slower than they'd like, and are fairly long (maybe 7-10 minutes), and it just really annoys both of them. If it was a little more "fun" they might like it better I think.

I do like the idea of the "backwards" ALEKS model that I heard about - where kids all go at their own pace, and watch the videos and try to do the problems at home, and then the next day they come in and the teacher helps them if they had any problems. Class time is NOT spent on the computer, which is more like a regular class. Not sure how well it works and how well the kids do though.

[davewill]

I've always thought that computers in the classroom should mainly be used to teach about computers, not used to replace teachers. It's fine for an adult, or even the occasional teen, to CHOOSE to take online courses, but to hand a bunch of the day to day teaching off to an online platform is reckless.

[MNomadic]

I've worked a bit with Plato/Edmentum software(which is typically geared towards k-12). If it's anything at all like the summit learning platform, then it's outright horrible and probably worthless. I've also worked with other platforms that are highly interactive and engaging and wonderfully put together like school yourself. I think high quality, customizable, interactive software could be a valuable tool in the future of education as a SUPPLEMENT. But in my observations, the students usually get stuck with poor quality implementations that were developed on a low budget.

[pws]

Some students have been complaining of eyestrain and feeling isolated. 

That's because they haven't read my post. 

[udi]

I visited a charter school that used competency based learning, about 30 kids and 30 computers with one teacher managing from a 'control' desk, and it was AMAZING. They would use the charter school to separate problem kids from the nearby public school and also the really smart kids that didn't learn anything. A lot of kids would go in and work really hard for three hours and be finished for the day.

I was tasked with placing an international student at a school and two of three were really too dangerous (according to reputation). For kids that were having trouble, there was a teacher to help.

I would imagine this is more an issue of roll out. Or maybe the kids are used to bird courses like P.E.