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Excellence in K-12 Christian Schools / Published by Dr. Barrett Mosbacker
I’m not OCD but I am constantly tweaking the tools I use to increase my productivity. Over the last several years I have settled on the applications listed below. I have listed them by device: iPhone, iPad, and Macbook Pro. NOTE: If you use a PC, Windows, or Android, these or similar applications are available for your devices.
Read MoreThis is not a rhetorical question. Perhaps for the first time in history serious questions are being raised about the long-term need for flesh and blood classroom teachers. For many this may seem ridiculous but for those on the frontier of technology it is anything but ridiculous. Consider the following developments.
A recent NPR headline* asked: "Can A Computer Grade Essays As Well As A Human? Maybe Even Better, Study Says" According to the article, the answer is a qualified yes:
Computers have been grading multiple-choice tests in schools for years. To the relief of English teachers everywhere, essays have been tougher to gauge. But look out, teachers: A new study finds that software designed to automatically read and grade essays can do as good a job as humans — maybe even better.
The study, conducted at the University of Akron, ran more than 16,000 essays from both middle school and high school tests through automated systems developed by nine companies. The essays, from six different states, had originally been graded by humans.
In a piece in The New York Times, education columnist Michael Winerip described the outcome: "Computer scoring produced "virtually identical levels of accuracy, with the software in some cases proving to be more reliable."
Machines that can think like and interact with humans beings is the goal of Artificial Intelligence (AI). While holding a conversation with a C3PO or R2D2 is unlikely in the near future, the possibility of holding an intelligent conversation with a machine is not as preposterous or as far away as one might think. Consider just how unrealistic, preposterous, and futuristic today's technology would have seemed just twenty or thirty years ago. Imagine your grandfather's reaction if you told him that you foresaw a world in which:
What once seemed preposterous, the stuff of science fiction, is now commonplace, illustrating that the uniformed and unimaginative dismiss the capacities and likelihood of AI to their own peril. Consider this summary of research on the progress and promise of AI:
When will human-level AIs finally arrive? We don’t mean the narrow-AI software that already runs our trading systems, video games, battlebots and fraud detection systems. Those are great as far as they go, but when will we have really intelligent systems like C3PO, R2D2 and even beyond? When will we have Artificial General Intelligences (AGIs) we can talk to? Ones as smart as we are, or smarter?
Well, as Yogi Berra said, “it’s tough to predict, especially about the future.” But what do experts working on human-level AI think? To find out, we surveyed a number of leading specialists at the Artificial General Intelligence conference (AGI-09) in Washington DC in March 2009. These are the experts most involved in working toward the advanced AIs we’re talking about ... The majority of the experts who participated in our study were optimistic about AGI coming fairly quickly, although a few were more pessimistic about the timing. It is worth noting, however, that all the experts in our study, even the most pessimistic ones, gave at least a 10% chance of some AGI milestones being achieved within a few decades ... In broad terms, our results concur with those of the two studies mentioned above. All three studies suggest that significant numbers of interested, informed individuals believe it is likely that AGI at the human level or beyond will occur around the middle of this century, and plausibly even sooner. **
Mobile technology and ubiquitous access to the Internet combined with online learning have many suggesting that the days of the traditional classroom teacher are limited. Although hardly ready to take over the class, meet Saya, the substitute robot teacher.
Crude yes, but by what standard? Twenty years ago this would have been amazing. What will Saya be capable of 20 years from now? The questions is not what is possible now but what may be possible in the not too distant future?
I am not ready to dismiss AI or robots or some other yet to be imagined technology as capable of teaching if one defines teaching as conveying information, assessing knowledge and measurable skills, and then customizing a new teaching routine to address identified weaknesses. Such technology is already available in rudimentary form through computer aided instruction (CAI).
However, the transmission of information and the use of sophisticated algorithms to customize lessons and testing are not the same thing as educating students. Transmitting knowledge is necessary for a good education but is not sufficient. Teaching and educating are not necessarily synonymous. No matter how sophisticated our technology becomes, it is doubtful that it can replace educators. Here is why; the transfer of information does not:
Technology can only be conceived as a replacement for traditional classroom teachers if we reduce teaching to the transfer of information, drilling skills, and preparation for test taking. Sadly, too many teachers have been reduced to this mundane level: such teachers ARE replaceable.
Loving, wise, dedicated, servant-hearted, educators who mentor, pray for, and discipline their students will never be replaced. They have nothing to fear from technology. For such educators, technology is their servant, not their masters or replacements.
** http://hplusmagazine.com/2010/02/05/how-long-till-human-level-ai/
Guest article by Dr. Mitchell Salerno, Assistant Superintendent (The Master’s Academy)
As we enter 2012, Christian schools face some decisions that could dramatically affect the extent of our mission and impact. A recent article in USA Today (http://usat.ly/wlEI2N), makes some suggestions worthy of consideration. In the article, Abrams suggests seven trends that small businesses must consider to remain competitive and relevant. Not surprisingly, five of the seven directly or indirectly involve technology. As small businesses, Christian schools would be wise to consider these technological trends, seriously considering how to responsibly respond.
1. The Cloud
Technology is encroaching into every area of business and education. Christian schools need to consider how the cloud can impact business and education. Many schools already utilize the cloud for SIS services (i.e. RenWeb); however, most schools do not strategically consider how the cloud can impact student learning and the bottom line. Has your school considered Google Apps.? Does your school evaluate software programs, asking essential questions about if the cloud could reduce costs and increase productivity? Quality Christian schools should begin to engage the cloud and become knowledgeable regarding its potential to enhance the essential functions of the school.
2. Social Media
Much myth and hyperbole surround social media. Rarely does one find a moderate opinion regarding social media and its purpose and values. Zealots leap in with little discrimination or discernment, while others are fearful and avoid all forms of social media. Worse yet, some Christian condemn social media and those that use it. In the midst of this contentious environment, Christian schools must navigate carefully. One thing is clear, social media has a ubiquitous presence and it is not going away any time soon.
How should Christian schools engage social media? Certainly there are opportunities for the admissions, school communication, alumni relations, and development; however, I would suggest that in 2012 schools must seriously consider how social media can impact student learning and pedagogy. Immediately, many are polarized by this thought. That's too dangerous! What would happen if students had access to all of the perils of the social media? Really, what would happen? Our students are engaged in this world everywhere except in our schools.
In my estimation, Christian schools must lead education by innovating methods for incorporating social media. The modern classroom demands a skillful blend of traditional and digital pedagogy. How can Twitter engage students and improve learning? Do Facebook and Google+ have a place in the classroom? As 1-to-1 technologies emerge, I question whether traditional pedagogical approaches are able to effectively utilize the power of 1-to-1 computing. At some point, we are going to reach a tipping point where it will be impossible to ignore social media. I believe that Christian schools should begin to engage social media for education, rather than simply utilizing it for administrative functions.
3. Mobile
The first two trends are fueling an increase in mobile technology. In education, these forces are encouraging distance education and computer based learning. How do these trends impact traditional K-12 education? Most immediately, mobile technology threatens, at least conceptually, the idea of a brick and mortar school. While I do not believe we will see the demise of the traditional school in 2012, Christian schools must begin to engage mobile technologies.
Many Christian schools, mine included, have begun to explore 1-to-1 technologies such as the iPad. Regardless of the device, and there will be many to emerge in the coming months and years, Christian schools must begin to ask questions on how mobile technology should impact classroom learning. Much like the previous discussion on social media, Christian schools must not only provide mobile technology for administrative functions such as cell phones, iPads, and laptops for administrators, but they must consider how mobile devices can be incorporated into student education. Perhaps the most challenging force prohibiting the incorporation of mobile learning is school faculty. Much work needs to be done to encourage innovation and experimentation in the classroom.
The convergence of the cloud, social media, and mobile technologies are an exciting, yet daunting, proposition for Christian schools. I believe 2012 will be a watershed year for Christian schools and educational technology. Many schools will discuss technology, several will implement solutions, and a few will become models of innovation. Regardless, we can no longer ignore the tsunami that has inundated education.
4. Analytics
Technology provides information and information is power. Schools can leverage this information in and out of the classroom. Google Analytics provides data on website usage and access. Learning management systems provide information on students access and usage. School information systems provide information for parents, students, and teachers. As we move into 2012, successful Christian schools will utilize the information available to them to make wise decisions.
5. Global
"Think outside the box by thinking outside your borders" (Abrams, 2012). Where are your borders? This is an essential question for 2012. We live in a world where the Kingdom can advance in a variety ways. Therefore, it is essential that we teach our students how to leverage technology for the Kingdom. I would suggest that Christian schools begin to determine where there borders are and how to expand them. Personally, I am interested in connecting Christian schools together and assisting in the utilization of technology. Christian schools have always had a global mission. In 2012, we have tools to truly have a global impact.
Reference:
Abrams, R. (2012, January 12). Small business strategies: Seven trends you can’t ignore. USA Today. Retrieved from http://usat.ly/wlEI2N
Too much to do! Too much stress! Not enough time! More expectations! More demands! More information! More interruptions! People, meetings, calls, emails, documents, events to attend, speaking engagements, budgets, training ….. and the list goes on!
Does that sound familiar?
In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with information, the urgent, and ever increasing expectations.
The weight upon us and the pace of our lives often leave us feeling dissatisfied, stressed,and sometimes burned-out.
There must be a better way! There is!
Over the years I have worked hard at working smarter. My goal is to increase effectiveness and to decrease stress. I make no claim to having arrived—I haven’t. I have learned to juggle the myriad demands paced upon my professional and personal life by developing habits and leveraging technology to help me work smarter.
Below is a brief summary of how I approach my work and responsibilities. If you want more detail or have a question, simply leave a comment and I will respond with more information.
Calendar & Meeting Management
Time of Arrival at the Office
I am usually in my office by 6:00-6:15 AM, sometimes earlier—depending on how often I hit “snooze” on my alarm! This enables me to beat the rush hour traffic, making me less stressed and more efficient. I’m also in a better mood for devotions.
Prayer and Devotions
I start the day with prayer and Bible study. My devotional time is blocked and locked on my calendar. It is not always easy to begin the day with prayer and Bible study. Some days I don’t feel particularly spiritual and don’t feel like praying or reading my Bible. I am tempted to start reading and responding to email.
It doesn’t matter how I feel. I pray and study my Bible anyway. My soul is almost always warmed and enlivened through prayer and Bible study (coffee also helps!) but not always. It does not matter—I pray and study anyway. God never told me to feel like praying or to feel like reading my Bible—he simply commands me to do so.
My prayer is that the “Lord will bless the work of my hands, that he will grant wisdom, that as I plan my way he will direct my steps, and that he will grant me holy rather than selfish ambitions in my work.”
I am currently reading through the Bible using the ESV on the iPad. I leave the computer off and go to another chair in my office to pray and read. This is called “fleeing temptation.” J
Review of Next Action Items and Upcoming Appointments
After devotions, I have 30 minutes set aside to review reports, NEXT ACTION items, the day’s appointments, etc. I am able to do this easily and effectively because I use the Task function in Outlook to manage my To Do list and projects. I am able to see at a glance what is due today and for the week.
Meetings
Time is scheduled before and after every meeting for prep, travel, and follow-up. This allows me time to walk into a meeting well prepared with documents gathered. It also ensures that I setup follow-up meetings, write a memo or email, etc., immediately after the meeting so that “balls are not dropped.”
When someone other than a parent or staff member stops by and asks “do you have a minute,” usually a salesperson, if I’m not in a meeting or leaving for one, I will give him or her a little time in order to give a good testimony of the gospel. However, if this is an unscheduled drop-in, I start by meeting him or her at the door. I remain standing. This significantly shortens the unplanned meeting. I will invite the unscheduled guest to sit IF I believe the issue has the potential to benefit the school and if I have time. Otherwise, the meeting will end as a standup meeting or my assistant will schedule a follow-up meeting. In other words, in so far as possible and polite, I attempt to control my time rather than having someone else control it.
I also use lunch for meetings. I have to eat anyway so I might as well make it productive. Very seldom do I eat without meeting with someone.
I normally leave the office at 4:00. I go home and run four miles on the treadmill while catching up on the news—I accomplish two things at once! I shower and eat and then go to any evening meetings or events that I may have.
I am almost always in bed by 10:00 and up at 5:00 the next morning.
Friday mornings are blocked on my calendar for project work—off campus to minimize interruptions. This is an important time each week. I am able to focus on those BIG rocks that can be crowded out by the urgent.
Phone Calls
I have the blessing of having a wonderful administrative assistant. I have instructed her to log all phone calls into Outlook’s Notes function. This provides a permanent record of every call. After returning the calls I make quick notes on each log. This ensures that I return calls in a timely fashion and I have a record of my response—which can be as easy as “Returned, Left Message, Referred, etc.
I also return calls in the car using hands-free voice activated dialing. NEVER dial when driving. (That sentence will make my attorney happy!)
Managing Email and Information
Email management is a challenge—but not impossible! Rather than outline strategies for managing email in this article, I have created a PowerPoint Presentation that you may find useful. At the end of the presentation are links to short Microsoft training videos.
Click HERE to download the PowerPoint Presentation. You may share the PPT with whomever you wish; I only ask that you refer them to this blog.
Think Week
My Think Week is one of the most important practices that I have developed over the years. As I write this, I am preparing to leave for my Think Week. I will be reading 10 books and a stack of research documents—all on my iPad. For more information on Think Week see my previous post: How To Find Time to Focus, Think, and Work.
I got the idea for Think Week from articles I read about Bill Gates and his Think Week. Here are two articles that may interest you: Article 1: Bill Gates in Secret Hideaway, Article 2: Bill Gates Think Week.
Tools I Use
· I use the iPad for virtually all of my reading and note taking. There is a very effective and powerful note taking application called “Note Taker HD.” Used with a stylus it is as effective as a legal pad but with the advantage that all of your notes are in one location, searchable, and shareable.
Software I Most Frequently Use
Personal Health
Staying fit is critical to reducing stress and being efficient and effective. Although it gets tiresome, I count calories (I use a software program called LoseIt on my iPhone) and I track my exercise using the same program.
I run four miles a day six days a week (Sunday off) unless providentially hindered. I maintain my weight within the “ideal range,” for my height and age.
I do NOT like running and I do not like counting calories—but—doing so makes a big difference in how well I sleep at night and how much energy I have each day.
Because I do not like running, I do not sit down when I get home—not even for a minute!! I walk immediately to the closet and change into my exercise cloths and mount the treadmill.
Life is hectic and our jobs are demanding. Learning to thrive rather than merely survive as a leader is a challenge. It can be done. Attention to one’s spiritual and physical health, establishing good practices and habits, and making appropriate use of technology can all, when used in combination, reduce stress while we strive to accomplish more for God’s glory.
Do you think electronic communication between teachers and students should be forbidden or restricted? What are the benefits and risks of texting with students? How have you used texting and/or social networking as an educational tool.
What about Facebook? Twitter?
Share your thoughts with the hundreds of educators who read this blog.
The article below provides more evidence of the rapid growth in distance education.
To proactively position itself for the changing educational market, Briarwood Christian School is currently developing a distance learning pilot prototype. The pilot will provide the needed data to assess what practices work and which do not, staff development requirements, infrastructure needs, formulation of a sustainable business plan, etc.
Please share with our CSJ readers what your school leadership is doing to position your school for the changing educational marketplace. Are you embracing distance learning or resisting it? Have you added any distance learning courses? What are the biggest challenges you face in moving forward with a distance learning program?
Click here to read the full article.
Funding Cuts Compel Florida Virtual School to Get By With Less
By The Associated Press
The Florida Virtual School is doing more with less under a new law that cut its funding while expanding online learning to every school district in the state.
A national leader in virtual education, the Orlando-based school has seen its budget reduced by nearly 10 percent with more cutting set for next year, while most other public schools in Florida have received a modest increase.
Enrollment, though, is expected to go up at least 50 percent. A small part of that is from expanding the school’s scope to include full-time virtual students from kindergarten through the 12th grade under contracts or franchise agreements with most of the state’s 67 school districts.
The bulk of the increase is coming from its customary role of providing dozens of supplementary online courses to middle and high school students enrolled in regular schools—a program now dubbed “Florida Virtual School Classic”—by operating as a statewide 68th school district.
“We’re not just coping, we’re embracing it,” said Sarah Sprinkel, the director of Florida services for the school….
Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that I am an advocate for the appropriate and effective use of technology in our personal lives and in our schools. I am not a Luddite.
Nevertheless, I also share the conviction that technology, like many good things in our lives, can become an obsession and a cruel master. Any addiction, even to good things, is harmful and unbiblical whether it is sex, food, work, or technology.
I recently came across a beautifully written article by John Freeman in the Wall Street Journal. You can read the entire article here. If the link is broken, you can access the article in PDF format here.
Because the article is copyrighted I will not post it here but I am providing a short excerpt with the hope that you will read the entire article.
… We will die, that much is certain; and everyone we have ever loved and cared about will die, too, sometimes—heartbreakingly—before us. Being someone else, traveling the world, making new friends gives us a temporary reprieve from this knowledge, which is spared most of the animal kingdom. Busyness—or the simulated busyness of email addiction—numbs the pain of this awareness, but it can never totally submerge it. Given that our days are limited, our hours precious, we have to decide what we want to do, what we want to say, what and who we care about, and how we want to allocate our time to these things within the limits that do not and cannot change. In short, we need to slow down.
Our society does not often tell us this. Progress, since the dawn of the Industrial Age, is supposed to be a linear upward progression; graphs with upward slopes are a good sign. Processing speeds are always getting faster; broadband now makes dial-up seem like traveling by horse and buggy. Growth is eternal. But only two things grow indefinitely or have indefinite growth firmly ensconced at the heart of their being: cancer and the corporation. For everything else, especially in nature, the consuming fires eventually come and force a starting over.
The ultimate form of progress, however, is learning to decide what is working and what is not; and working at this pace, emailing at this frantic rate, is pleasing very few of us. It is encroaching on parts of our lives that should be separate or sacred, altering our minds and our ![[SLOWSIDE4]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PT-AM329_SLOWSI_D_20090821171915.jpg)
ability to know our world, encouraging a further distancing from our bodies and our natures and our communities. We can change this; we have to change it. Of course email is good for many things; that has never been in dispute. But we need to learn to use it far more sparingly, with far less dependency, if we are to gain control of our lives.
In the past two decades, we have witnessed one of the greatest breakdowns of the barrier between our work and personal lives since the notion of leisure time emerged in Victorian Britain as a result of the Industrial Age. It has put us under great physical and mental strain, altering our brain chemistry and daily needs. It has isolated us from the people with whom we live, siphoning us away from real-world places where we gather. It has encouraged flotillas of unnecessary jabbering, making it difficult to tell signal from noise. It has made it more difficult to read slowly and enjoy it, hastening the already declining rates of literacy. It has made it harder to listen and mean it, to be idle and not fidget. This is not a sustainable way to live. This lifestyle of being constantly on causes emotional and physical burnout, workplace meltdowns, and unhappiness. How many of our most joyful memories have been created in front of a screen?
If we are to step off this hurtling machine, we must reassert principles that have been lost in the blur. It is time to launch a manifesto for a slow communication movement, a push back against the machines and the forces that encourage us to remain connected to them. Many of the values of the Internet are social improvements—it can be a great platform for solidarity, it rewards curiosity, it enables convenience. This is not the manifesto of a Luddite, this is a human manifesto. If the technology is to be used for the betterment of human life, we must reassert that the Internet and its virtual information space is not a world unto itself but a supplement to our existing world, where the following three statements are self-evident …
Remember, click here to read the full article or if the link is broken, you can access the article in PDF format here.
I stumbled upon a great site (Tiplet) that provides useful technical “How To” advice for laymen and techies alike. Click on the image below to go to the site.
One of the “How To” articles was about how to test your broadband speed. If you pay for internet service at home you will want to periodically check your speed to ensure that you are getting what you are paying for.
The article is reprinted below to give you an idea of how helpful these tips can be. You may want to pass this along to your staff.
February 1, 2009
by Gabe Goldberg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like to brag about connection speeds offered and speak glowingly about the wonderful “experience” their services offer. But how honest are their claims and how does connection speed affect what we do online?
The two most important words in any ISPs advertisement or service contract are “up to.” As in, speeds promised are described as “up to X megabits per second.”
(Megabits means “millions of bits” and “megabits per second” is often abbreviated Mbps. A bit is the basic unit of information or data, a “binary digit,” a single unit that is either 0 or 1. Everything on the Internet and all information and software on your computer is composed of bits.)
But quoting “up to” speeds is like saying that an 
automobile whose speedometer dial includes the number 160 can travel “up to 160 MPH.” When shopping for a car or an ISP, claims shouldn’t be taken as facts — though some are safer to verify than others.
It’s a pleasant surprise when ISPs deliver speeds faster than promised. That results from advancing technology and — in areas fortunate enough to have multiple broadband ISPs — competition. More common, though, is discovering that delivered service doesn’t quite match the 160 MPH sort of promise ISPs make.
So to keep your ISP honest and detect problems, and for bragging rights, it’s useful to occasionally measure connection speeds. Internet connections are usually described with two speeds: download and upload. For nearly everyone, download speed matters most — it’s the rate at which data, Web sites, email, sound files, video streams, telephone calls, and services yet to be invented reach your computer. This greatly affects your Internet experience, determining whether your browser responds quickly or sluggishly to Web requests, how quickly email arrives, etc.
Upload speed measures how fast your computer sends data such as email or Web requests to the Internet. Unless you frequently send large volumes of or huge email or other files — or run a server of some sort – this speed likely isn’t critical.
A number of Web sites measure connections speeds. My favorite is SpeedTest.net; Googling “speed test” finds others. It opens showing you a couple of gauges, a small map of the world, and a large map of your region. Your local map will include many blue pyramids and one orange symbol — that’s the closest and recommended server for your test.
Click the orange pyramid to run download and upload speed tests. When they finish, click My Summary at top to see your download test results along with a number of comparisons — your ISP’s average speed and its speed in your state, your state’s average, and similar numbers for the USA, North America, and globally. Click Upload Results for that set of speeds. SpeedTest.net reports speeds in kb/s — that is, kilobits per second. One Mbps is 1000 kb/s, so an ISP’s promised speed of 5 Mbps would show as 5000 kb/s.
As you run occasional speed tests, your history of speeds achieved lets you can track trends and detect problems. If your speeds don’t match your ISP’s promises — or they decline — it’s worth investigating. Note that cable connection speeds often vary more than those of DSL or FiOS services, though cable broadband is usually faster than DSL. I’m pleased with my Cox cable service, usually delivering more than 20 Mbps download and about 2.5 Mbps upload.
Gabe Goldberg (tiplet@gabegold.com), a lifelong computer pro and technology communicator, has written three books and hundreds of articles for audiences including techies, baby boomers and senior citizens. He enjoys sharing tips and pointers that help people use and have fun with technology.
(Reposted from Goggle Blogger)
Historically, our competition has come from free public schools, charter schools, and homeschooling. Our new competition is coming from technology enabled courses offered by public schools, colleges and universities, and virtual schools, including virtual Christian schools. This development is changing the educational landscape and the school market. The current recession is likely to accelerate this change.
Public schools are adopting interactive technology and distance learning (D.L.) at an accelerating pace. Moreover, there is an increasing number of online virtual schools in higher education and in K-12 education. These options make virtually (pun intended) any course available to any student anytime, anywhere. Students and their parents are no longer restricted to brick and mortar traditional schools to have access to high quality fully accredited courses.
Alabama, not historically known for innovation or high quality education, is leading the nation in connecting every public school in the state to online asynchronous courses and synchronous courses offered through video conferencing and other interactive technologies. Every student in the state now has access to a wide range of courses, including honors and AP courses that have historically been only offered to students in larger schools in wealthier school districts. The image below shows some of the courses offered through Alabama's Access Program.
To view a short news clip from Fox News about the Access program, click here.
As reflected in the Alabama Access Program, distance learning is exploding. According to Drs. Horn and Christensen (authors of Disrupting Class1) of the Harvard Business School, public education enrollments in online classes have skyrocketed from 45,000 in 2000 to roughly 1 million today. It is projected that by 2020 over 50% of high school classes will be available online1.
The Florida Virtual School (FLVS) reflects this explosion in D.L. Founded in 1997, FLVS currently enrolls 63,675 students in grades 6-12. Enrollment is open to public, private, and home school students.
FLVS offers more than 90 courses—including core subjects, world languages, electives, honors, and over 10 Advanced Placement courses. FLVS courses are accepted for credit and are transferable. Florida Virtual School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and courses are NCAA approved. FLVS also offers AP Exam reviews in April, even for students who did not take the course through FLVS.
Drs. Horn and Christensen outline four reasons why distance learning will continue to grow:
Distance learning technologies will keep improving.
Distance learning provides the ability of teachers, students, and parents to select right learning pathways for differentiated learning thus customizing the education to the learning preferences and needs of each child.
The looming teacher shortage caused by the retirement of baby boomers will propel schools to move to distance learning to gain access to hard to hire teachers in math, science, and other subjects.
The cost of distance learning will fall significantly.
I highly recommend Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns by Drs. Christensen, Horn, and Johnson. For a good overview, click on the play button below to watch a video podcast interview with the author, which runs approximately four minutes.
The short video below from Harvard Business School provides useful background context to Dr. Christensen's book. A key concept in this video is winning not by doing it better but doing it differently.
The key concepts in the video sound very familiar in our schools.
According to Edweek2, the Obama Administration plans to spend $1 Billion for Ed Tech. The House Democrats' "American Recovery and Reinvestment" plan includes "$1 billion for 21st century classrooms, including computer and science labs and teacher technology training."
The House Democrats' plan overall includes $41 billion to local school districts, including $1 billion made available through the Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2) program, which last year was just $263 million. From the House Democrat's proposal:
We will put people to work building 21st century classrooms, labs, and libraries to help our kids compete with any worker in the world.
Such developments have the potential to make public schools more competitive with Christian schools.
I can already hear the rejoinder "but we provide a Christian education in a Christian environment. This type of education cannot be replicated by technology."
It is true that neither distance learning nor any other technology can perfectly replicate the experience of community that one finds in a brick and mortar school. Warm human interactions, prayer in the classroom, chapel services, the excitement and lessons learned through athletics 
and fine arts are life changing and life enriching experiences that can only occur through face-to-face human interaction.
However, it is naive to assume that these rapidly developing technologies do not pose real challenges to our schools--and real opportunities.
1. The number of parents theologically and philosophically committed to Christian education is relatively small. Given the growing shallowness of Christianity in the U.S. and the evangelical church in particular, this number is likely to grow smaller.
As I noted in a previous post, for many parents, the "Christian" in education is not as important as "quality" in education. Many of our parents enroll their children in our schools for reasons other than the development of a biblical worldview, which frankly, most of our parents do not understand because their entire educational experience was secular, not Christian. They may have a Christian heart but most have a secular mind.
Once having experienced the benefits of Christian education, some of our parents come to a deeper understanding of and commitment to the philosophy of Christian education. Most, however, do not start with this understanding and many never acquire it.
Based on formal and informal surveys that I have conducted with parents over the years, I find that parents enroll their children in our schools for the reasons outlined below. Although survey results vary, in general the order provided below reflects the priorities of parents when deciding to enroll their children in a Christian school.
The essential question for us is "can distance learning replicate the above benefits of Christian education?" I believe that it can--at least partially and most importantly--well-enough for many of our parents. I believe this will become increasingly true for several reasons:
Younger parents will be much more knowledgeable and comfortable with online learning (many will experience it first hand in college). Online learning will not have the stigma that it does for many of our current parents, administrators, and teachers.
The notion of community is changing due to social networking sites like Facebook.
Rising tuition may make Christian education increasingly unattainable for many.
Technology will continue to improve resulting in enhanced synchronous interaction through high speed embedded video-conferencing technologies like Wimba.
Moreover, it is interesting to reflect upon how many of the reasons cited by parents for enrolling their children in a Christian school can be at least partially met through online classes.
To put this into perspective, consider the following information provided by one online provider of tutoring services.
To the extent that parents believe that they can provide their children most of what is available in a traditional Christian school by combining distance learning, homeschooling, and extra-curricular programs through community programs, we run the risk of experiencing enrollment declines. As technology improves, our younger more technology savvy parents may choose options other than the local Christian school. They will make a cost benefit assessment something like this: "I am willing to get 80% of the benefits of a traditional Christian school for 50% of the cost." The graphic below, which I developed for a workshop I recently conducted, illustrates the calculation being made by parents.
This leads to the next development in the market--the Virtual Christian School.
2. There are a growing number of Christian Virtual Schools such as Sevenstar Christian Academy. Schools such as Sevenstar offer online classes taught by Christian teachers, primarily to students of Christian parents. This is a new development that adds another player in the Christian school market.
As an experiment, I did a simple Google search for "Christian school distance learning". Here is what came up (note there are more than 10 pages of search results):
3. The recession is creating significant challenges for our parents. These challenges may affect parents' decisions regarding the enrollment of their children in a Christian school.
4. The availability of high quality academic courses through both Christian and public schools, along with the recession, may encourage more parents to homeschool their children.
Although the explosion in distance learning poses challenges, it also presents a significant opportunity. Consider the potential benefits of D.L. for our schools:
These are just a few of the potential benefits of this revolution in technology and learning. The question is "how are we going to respond?" As I see it we have three options:
1. The proverbial ostrich 
approach--deny the reality of what is already occurring. Adopting a smug, but in my humble opinion misplaced, confidence that D.L. is a fad or at most a niche phenomenon that will not materially affect the educational marketplace or our schools.
2. Adopt a theological superiority complex that in effect relegates distance learning to a sub-Christian status because it lacks the traditional definition of community. I call this the "Christian Luddite Syndrome" or CLS.
3. Prayerfully and creativity determine how we can redeem this new technology for God's glory, the advancement of His kingdom, and for the benefit of our schools and students. In short, we 
don't have to throw out the baby with the bath water. Whatever the shortcoming of D.L., we can and should work to redeem the technology to make it all that it can be in service to the mission of Christian education.
Can we keep up with our competition and should we care? I believe the answer to both questions is an emphatic YES. We face both a challenge and an opportunity. Our response will determine which it will be for our schools.
An African Proverb provides an insightful summary of where we may find ourselves as Christian schools:
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
I am currently working on a major distance learning initiative that will involved several Christian schools in the U.S. and overseas. If you would like to learn more about this initiative and your possible involvement, please email me (christianschooljournalblog@gmail.com) for more information.
References
1. Christensen, C., Horn, M., and Johnson, C., Disrupting class (2008): How disruptive innovations will change the way the world learns, McGrawHill, p. 91
2. Source: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2009/01/1_billion_for_ed_tech_in_house.html
Technorati Tags: Distance Learning,market,Christian school,Christian education,Technology,Ed Tech,Educational technology,innovation,disruptive technology,disrupting class,educational reform,enrollment
Dr. Barrett Mosbacker, PublisherI have a confession to make—I can be a workaholic. I’m not as bad as depicted in this picture but I have caught myself checking emails on my iPhone in less than appropriate places!
Work is good. God gave man work to do as a reflection of his image and as a statement of the honor that God bestowed upon us when he entrusted the earth to our care. Work gives purpose to life, provides a productive outlet for our God-given talents, and is a means to enrich our lives and those around us. Work was not the curse, work was cursed. There is a big difference.
Nevertheless, excess can make the use of God’s good gifts a curse or even a sin. Food is good and meant to be enjoyed. Too much eating is gluttony, which is dishonoring to the Lord and bad for our health. Sex is a good gift of the Lord. Sex outside of marriage or self-centered sexual activity within marriage is sinful and demeaning. Work is a good gift. Workaholism can be a sin and harmful to us and to our families.
As I contemplated my life recently I realized that I have workaholic tendencies. I am typically in the office by 6:15 to 6:30 AM, I work a full day without stopping, taking about a 15-20 minute lunch or having a working lunch meeting. I often have evening meetings or functions to attend.
When I am home in the evenings, I am responding to emails, even while “watching” television or I am working on the graduate class that I teach. I usually spend four to five hours on Saturdays writing articles (like this one) and preparing Sunday School lessons and faculty devotionals. Then, there is the pool to clean, the yard to mow, the shrubs to trim. This doesn’t even count the three miles of brisk walking I do six out of seven days.
I don’t mind work, in fact, I like it. The Lord has given me the honor of serving the students and families of Briarwood Christian School. I have a wonderful wife and three beautiful daughters. The Lord has “blessed the work of my hands.”
Nevertheless, it occurred to me that I was not living a holistic life that reflected what it means to bear God’s image in all of its dimensions. While work is a fundamental aspect of life—it is not life—there is more to life than work. I came to the conclusion that my life was out of balance.
What to do? I decided to restart an old hobby that I had abandoned 25 years ago—photography. Although my skills are rusty, they are beginning to return—slowly.
There are many benefits to a hobby. The benefits of my photography, many of which are applicable to many hobbies, are:
For example, in the past I would have missed the simple elegance of the wine bottles and glasses sitting outside a store in Birmingham. I would have walked by with hardly a glance. Instead, I stopped and took a picture. I was surprised by how nice a picture such a simple sidewalk display could make.
Likewise, I would have never walked into a local hardware store to ask permission to take pictures. I told them I needed practice taking difficult indoor pictures in preparation for my trip to Lebanon and Germany. I promised to send them copies of the pictures to use anyway they desired. They readily agreed. To my delight, I was able to capture several interesting pictures from the hardware store.
I would have missed the intensity of this great grandmother’s conversation with my wife.
I would not have seen this sad sight because I would not have been out and about looking for subjects to shoot (pictures of course!).
Again, my photographs are not particularly good, as I say, I’m rusty. The point is that photography has given me “new” eyes—eyes that see more of life around me.
This focus on the artistic encourages me to explore the more creative side of what it means to bear God’s image. After all, God is both the master artist and the master physicist.
The picture below was taken during the state championship baseball game. I would have never noticed this little boy at the baseball game or his contemplative expression if I was not thinking about finding good pictures. Many parents are delighted to receive my email with the free picture of their child attached.
I expect to have the same experience when I travel to Lebanon and Germany this summer. I plan to do a lot of “street photography,” which will require that I initiate conversations with people that I would otherwise simply walk past.
You may already have a hobby or you may have other activities that add variety and interest to your life such as golf or scrapbooking. If you don’t, I encourage you to consider finding a hobby that will stretch you as a human being and as a servant of Christ. After all, he made us to enjoy him, his creation, and the life he has given us.
Your life may be far more balanced than mine has been. To check, take this “Workaholic Quiz”:
Twenty Questions from Workaholics Anonymous
If you answered 'yes' to three or more of these questions, there is a chance you are a workaholic or well on your way to becoming one.(Source: Workaholics Anonymous)
If you need more balance in your life—consider a hobby! It will make you a more rounded individual, give glory to God, and be a more effective leader.
Cafés evoke feelings of warmth, conversation, community and connection. Conversations in a cafe often give birth to great ideas. This is the idea behind this site.
The Christian Education Leadership Cafe is a comfortable and informative place for connecting and sharing best practices in Christian School Leadership. This site is devoted to fostering practical and creative dialog for promoting excellence in K-12 Christian schools. Discussion focuses on leadership, productivity, professional development, technology integration, personnel, dealing with stress and conflict, enrollment and marketing, and best practices for promoting and sustaining world-class quality in Christian schools.
Come on in and join the conversation.
DISCLAIMER
This is a personal weblog. The opinions expressed here represent those of the authors and not those of my employer or any other organization. My thoughts and opinions may change from time to time as a necessary consequence of being a life-long learner. The information on this blog is authentic to the best of my knowledge, and as such, it is prone to errors and the absence of information. The content on this blog is provided for entertainment and informative purposes only and should not, therefore, be perceived as professional advice in regards to health, finances, or any other field. This disclaimer is subject to change at anytime without notification.
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