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Online High school classes

D

Derrick Velasco

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 17, 2008
210
0
I have a MacBook air for school and I'm moving up to Seattle next year,
My question is there online classes in Seattle that you can do from your home?
iSight intergration would be nice if websites can you the iSight camera.
Thanks!
 
I currently attend FLVS, you can also attend. But since your out of state, you will have to pay a little green. I really enjoy it, well worth it. But you can't get your diploma online, you have to go back to regular school the last semester. Also you don't really need a webcam, a mic may come in handy.

http://www.flvs.net/

Also note, if you intend to do this full time. You need to be a registered homeschool student.

This I believe to be your state's Virtual School. I am not sure, you need to look into that.

http://www.k12.com/wava/
 
that is nice however the concept of teens that are going to study at home will make them lazier..
 
jv17 said:
that is nice however the concept of teens that are going to study at home will make them lazier..
Click to expand...

Actually I feel more active then I ever was, at my old school we did not have gym (Go Figure). I get up at 8:00 (AM), get dressed in my work out cloths. I eat a nice briefest and go for a nice bike ride at 8:45(AM). I tend to ride till it's about 10:00(AM), then by the time I get home and shower it's 10:30(AM). Get in something conferrable, school from 10:30(AM)-3:30(PM). Then from 3:30(PM)-10:00(PM) is "me" time (Relax with family/friends, what ever I am in the mood for). Then from 10:00(PM)-11:00(PM), I do some more school. Then I listen to the radio and go to bed, that's my day.

I feel more productive during my day, then I did going to a regular school.
 
I did four of these in high school... I had good experiences with all my courses.

Despite what many would think, these classes aren't always super easy, and falling behind can be easier - the "out of sight out of mind" mentality can run ramped in such a setting.
 
I'm not sure of the High School situation and distance learning online in the US; reading the thread, I assume that each state has different requirements.

For what it's worth, I teach at college, and I have done a fair bit of teaching to adult "second chance" students. Over the past four years I have taught on an online programme and I have to say that it is extremely useful for people who are attempting to juggle exceptionally busy lives - who have jobs, mortgages, families, bosses, partners, children, pets, commutes, etc. It allows for flexibility in education and it is particularly useful for adults seeking career change, or "second chance" education, because it allows them to study while getting on the rest of their (often quite stressed) lives.

For High School, or normal 18 year old undergrads, I'd recommend it, too, but maybe not to quite the same extent. When I was a student, one of the features of college that I really liked most was the social life, the endless coffees, talking, meeting people. If you are sociable, perhaps, online classes can be difficult, as the social aspect is considerably less pronounced.

Academically, I wouldn't see a problem, as such schools (if they are any good) have good academic and technical support.

Good luck and cheers
 
Okay. That's great information!
Thanks for you help, Much appreciated!
Cool to get a post from a higher up!
 
Just a further comment to the OP, as you say you are moving to Seattle next year. My understanding is that the whole technology of distance learning electronically was pioneered in the north western US, - i.e. Washington State, Oregon, - not just California - places where the distances are vast, the winters sometimes vile, and education is valued. (Australia has a long tradition of classes by radio broadcasting).

It is a brilliant technology when it works; sometimes, there are spectacular crashes, and we have to apologise to the students, while frantically trying to raise the techies on our mobiles - they are across the country on the other coast - but such crashes are a lot rarer now than when we started four years ago.

We use audio technology, rather than visual, and I have to say that the college uses MS, (whereas I have a MBP) but Apple has yet to develop appropriate software for this type of interaction. In practice, this means that when I teach online it is actually from the college itself, whereas my students are at home or in a work-place (or an internet cafe, sometimes abroad), while my colleagues can teach from home also.

It is important to build up a support network fro yourself, as so much of distance learning occurs alone that it can sometimes be difficult to keep motivated; the students have their own forums, and have onsite classes every so often. We also have "virtual" office hours, and there are set times when they are free to email us with queries and we must respond within a given time frame.

When it works well, it is superb as it affords an incredible degree of flexibility to the student.
Good luck and cheers
Good luck
 
Most of my classes work well with Mac OS X, but my computer programing class. Where I have to use Windows, I chose to use Windows XP Pro on a old laptop I had. But you should be find, I do notice I have to use FireFox. The class will not load on Safari.
 
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