Classroom Technology

Online Ed. Growth Prompts Teachers’ Concerns

June 05, 2009 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

From what I know about Jim Burke, he isn’t the type to worry about his relevance as an English teacher. Burke, the founder of the English Companion Web site, Ning, and a long-running listserv, as well as the author of a bunch of books about teaching, has had a huge influence on thousands of his colleagues around the country, and untold numbers of students throughout his career.

But a conversation Burke started recently on the popular Ning site hints at his, and other teachers’, anxiety over the rapidly growing world of online education.

As his district outside San Francisco turns to online programs to supplement summer school programs, Burke worries that more and more students will start to demand them as an alternative to regular classes throughout the school year. Indeed, many students across the country are already doing just that. Like many teachers, Burke’s concerns include academic quality and student-teacher relationships in virtual learning. Others who have joined in the discussion have misgivings as well, particularly about student engagement and retention rates for online courses.

Some of the participants in the discussion are downright skeptical about the effectiveness of online courses. But one commenter, Andrea Z, is a bit more positive about the trend:

“I often think about how many highly regarded intellectuals in centuries past have been described as ‘self-taught,’” she writes. “Education can take many different forms, including the idea that learners who chase down whatever knowledge they find useful and interesting in whatever ways that learning occurs best for them.”

What are your thoughts? Jim is waiting for you to join in the discussion.

Related Tags:

A version of this news article first appeared in the Digital Education blog.

Events

Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Cybersecurity: Securing District Documents and Data
Learn how K-12 districts are addressing the challenges of maintaining a secure tech environment, managing documents and data, automating critical processes, and doing it all with limited resources.
Content provided by Softdocs

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Classroom Technology Reports Technology and Student Well-Being: 10 Charts
The EdWeek Research Center surveyed educators to learn about their views and experiences regarding the impact of technology on students.
Classroom Technology From Our Research Center Most Teens Think AI Won't Hurt Their Mental Health. Teachers Disagree
Teens and educators have wildly different perspectives on what AI will mean for young people’s mental health.
7 min read
Brightly colored custom illustration showing a young male looking at a phone. His mind is being completely distorted in the process with a pixelated digital texture.
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Classroom Technology From Our Research Center Kids Turn to TikTok for Mental Health Diagnoses. What Should Schools Know?
Nearly two-thirds of educators say students “sometimes” or “frequently” use social media to diagnose their own mental health conditions.
8 min read
Brightly colored custom illustration of a young depressed female sitting inside of a chat bubble and looking at a laptop with her head in her hand while there is another chat bubble with the ellipsis as if someone is typing something to her. Digital and techie textures applied to the background.
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Classroom Technology 'The Backlash on AI Is Coming': 3 Early Lessons for K-12 Education
State education chiefs must figure out how to make the most of AI’s potential while steering around its problems.
3 min read
USmap ai states 535889663 02
Laura Baker/Education Week with iStock/Getty