Development of the Virtual Classroom and School

A school you can attend anytime of the day or night, Virtual Education will become the next reality. Will

On the advantages of virtual, text-based discussions:

"... In all my years of teaching classes, there are always some students in the class who are very hard to get to speak up. You can ask them a direct question, but basically, unless they are put on the spot, these students will not volunteer their own opinions in class, and I think that there are various reasons why people are reticent and don't want to do that. Sometimes I think people are shy and don't want to be put on the spot — all the conversation stops, and everyone turns to look at them. In some cases, students for whom English is not their first language, it really can be an intimidating thing to have to extemporaneously put together English sentences like that in a classroom environment.

In Virtual Classrooms,  that problem of students not participating in class discussions just totally disappeared. And when I thought about it, these reasons, these challenges of speaking up in a regular class went away in this environment. In Second Life, when you want to contribute something to the class discussion, you just go ahead and start typing it in your chat box, and nobody turns to look at you, even if they do notice that your avatar is doing the typing motions, they are not actually looking at you, it's just your avatar, and your avatar is not doing anything embarrassing. When you are ready to enter your comment into the conversation, you just hit enter. And it doesn't have that moment where everybody stops and looks at you. Your comment just goes right into the conversation, along with everybody else's. So i think a lot of the anxiety that goes along with the public-speaking aspect of participating in class discussions, is just removed in this environment.

On the flip side, we didn't have any trouble with students who dominate the discussion. There's always been the phenomenon of the student who ends every sentence with a conjunction in order to not stop their comment, and you can do that as much as you like in Second Life, and it doesn't stop anybody else from participating in the discussions. What's nice about that is very frequently people who usually speak a lot in class have a lot of very good things to contribute, and it's hard as a teacher to shut somebody down in order to make space for other students, especially if you do feel that you want to be encouraging of their interest and enthusiasm. And this just takes away that problem as well.

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"The idea that I would actually end up almost preferring to run a class in a virtual environment to a real-based environment, that was a huge surprise."

It started in 1998 with website Groups.

Students could read stories and write online, and share lessons and activities with other schools and teachers around the world.

This was linked with epals. They created an extensive list of schools and teachers who were interested in connecting first for writing experiences for their students, and today in shared projects and linked forums and websites withepals, with their school and classroom links .

It went ahead with websites in early 2004, using first on-line lessons and online courses and activities. Websites began offering free lesson plans and Activity sheets, and became an online source.

The next step was Moodle, and student tasks on-line with journals, activities and projects.

Sitepals, Virtual heads, and talk-back features started with ALICE

I used my first Alice, who is still on my first English website

From here the start of using the voice developed with podcasts, recordings, and news and the 'English Voice became the English Voice in Korea, then in China and now simply, "News and Views"

Suddenly the technology was there for the Online Classroom, and the start of the Virtual Classroom and the Virtual School    http://Activeenglishspeaking.com

Lessons are held on two platforms...wiziq and edufire

Lessons take place in a Virtual Classroom which has everything a real classroom has....a teacher, students, a whiteboard, a chatline and the sharing of file, images, and any other teaching tool and teaching aide. Classes can even be run by two teachers in a team situation.

Advantages:

You select your class, time and teacher and study when you wish. The lesson is also available for revision and replay, which is a feature the real classroom does not have.

Lessons can be one-to- one, or group. A teacher can take 100 or more students in one session. In China, the large classes often meant that students at the back do not get the same attention. Here all students get the same attention, and lessons can be replayed if needed as many times as the student wishes. The lesson becomes a students possession like a textbook.

The Lesson format is the same as a normal Classroom. The text is replaced by a Power Point. The lesson is read by the teacher with the students following the words like a Presentation. After the lesson, there is interactive activities using the whiteboard and student voice through a webcam and microphone. Students who are reticent, can practise the lesson in a replay, and listen to their own voices.

Student and Teacher tools...a computer with a microphone and a webcam.

Cost of the lessons...bulk lessons from $2.00 a lesson, and private lessons around $20-$30 a session. No insurance, no travelling, no being late for class, ( simply replay the lesson later and catch up on the part you have missed) and no building or maintenance costs, tasks, or issues. You simply enrol and take part in the lesson...at your leisure.

You can now learn anything online....free and paid lessons.

I am teaching English, but I will also be teaching Social Skills, Creative Writing and later, Art and Computer Technology, extending to a full School Day of as many hours as the student wishes to take.

You are invited to view the Free Public lesson and see how the Virtual Classroom works for yourself. The first lesson is on January 5th 2009 at 9.30pm Korean time (+8hours)

Will Virtual Education take over Real Schools?

With so many social problems and people resorting to Home Schooling their children, Virtual Education could well become the next generation.

With so much increased mobility and change of home and schools, here is one permanent security. You keep the same school and teacher, wherever you live and work, and when you travel, your school comes with you.

There is no bullying, no negative influences and no teacher student dissent. You stay where you enjoy and want to learn, and you learn at your own pace and own level o ability. You attend because you want to, and you are free to repeat lessons and replay the sessions you enjoy.

You can request the courses and lessons you wish to learn, at any level or stage, and you can move from class to class at your own leisure and pleasure. Learning becomes what you choose to do, and is Student Directed.

Welcome to the New World of Virtual Education. It is here to stay,  and can only get better. You and the Teacher is Reality in a Virtual Classroom and World.

Marguerite Carstairs 2009

Activeenglishspeaking.com

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