Online Learning Tools What Parents Need To Know

By Kris PepperAdelphi University

Aspects of Online Learning

• Homework support• Enrichment \ Summer Advancement \

Regents \ SATs• Summer school alternatives• College Classes Online• Purchasing a computer• Touch of CyberBullying

Homework Support – Teacher Site

• School site– Contact numbers– Some teacher sites • Homework• Lecture notes• Email address

– Sometimes parents welcome to email– Subscriptions to online tools

Homework Support – Knowledge Sites• Knowledge sites– Nassau Library• Tutor.com Live one-to-one help: Every day from 2:00pm to 10:00pm

– Includes writing help

• Online databases for research sources– Kahn Academy (math, science, history - video, exercises, interactive!)

– Purplemath (good explanations - reference pre-algebra/algebra/trig)

– WolframAlpha Math (good pictoral explanations)

– Justmathtutoring (arithmetic through calculus - videos)

– You Tube– Just google

Khan Academy – Try It

• www.khanacademy.org• Search Angles– See topic, video, exercise– Click angle types exercise

• Stuck – watch a video• Move the protractor• Get hints• Enter wrong answer

– Topic angles

• Practice - see the map and click angles

Homework Groups• Skype – Get homework help from friends– Join many people to one call– Some teachers skype– Share screen (but has issues)

• Joinme.com– Choose basic –free– Tell the other person the access number– Share the mouse

Enrichment / Summer Advancement

• Ask teacher/district to acknowledge • Probably will not get credit, but can advance if

pass a school placement test - must work out beforehand

• Motivation– Agreement with school– Kohn Academy awards badges– What motivates your child?– Try to tap into self motivation

Summer School Alternatives

• Must get approval from district• Can sometimes satisfy degree requirement

with lesser course– Algebra 2 instead of Algebra/Trig

• Commitment– Self motivated, reliable on time homework– Encouraging supervision at home

• Regent retake – no agreement necessary

Finding ClassesHere are just a few online schools that offer both recovery and advancement classes:•Keystone•Francis School•Laurel Springs•Penn-Foster•Oak Meadow•NovaNet (how one school uses it)•NYC Department of Education runs I-Zone: email Innovation@schools.nyc.gov

Online High School Class Questions• Cost• Class time where everyone joins a session at the same

time? - unusual• What forms of help?• Qualifications of teachers?• Class prerequisites• Syllabus• Workload and study time needed• Credits• Does the college you want to attend accept these credits

as valid?

Free Online College Courses

Certificates often, but Not for college credit– Can take a CLEP exam (check college policy)– Can test to challenge the course - advancement

• Not Accredited• (There are accredited online schools you can pay

for, but no accredited free schools or classes that I can find.)

Some Schools• MITx - Top professors lecture snippets and exams• Stanford Engineering Everywhere– Classes designed for the web – 160,000 students took Artificial Intelligence

Course, with a couple net meetings for "office hours"

• Coursera– Founded by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng, also

Stanford Professors, but on leave– Website for accessing courses at many colleges– Some courses created for Coursera

Some Schools Not Associated to Physical Universities

• Udacity – Founded by Sebastian Thrun, former Stanford Professor

who helped launch their online program– Paid by companies that hire top students– Truly built for web, not just lectures taped– Udacity certificates

• Many more: – www.openculture.com/category/online_courses– Itunes University

Markoff, John. "Online Education Venture Lures Cash Infusion and Deals With 5 Top Universities." New York Times. 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/technology/coursera-plans-to-announce-university-partners-for-online-classes.html>.

Physical College's Online Course

• Adelphi Hybrid (Blended) Course• https://moodle.adelphi.edu/login/index.php?

authCAS=NOCAS• Discussion Boards• Assignments• Optional resources• Tests - with ability to review answers• Grades

Tips on Handling Online Courses

• Know when to come to class• Keep track of online assignments • How to keep on track:

– Check email regularly. – Review assignment day description – Plan to work BEFORE the online date – When your PC fails, get to the library

• How to organize your work: – Keep one directory for all your work– Backup – Expect memory sticks and hard drives to fail

• Work in groups - either online or physically

DANGERSkipping an online day is the same as

cutting class. NOT just homework assignments. Brush over in class OR new materialSKIPPING fall behind in class & quizzesNOT easily done later.Library PCs and Backup no excuses

Buying Home Access to the Internet• The internet itself: Reduced price internet access may be

available at Cablevision (FCC initiative)• Tablets, Netbooks, Desktops, Laptops• Mac vs PC • Refurbished OK?• What brand - Dell, Gateway, HP?• What processor?

– Intel vs AMD ? – Older Processors (Pentium4 +)?– Low end Processors?

• Open Office --- SurgeForce• Google docs

CyberBullying• How a parent can help

– Internet is public and recorded – forget privacy settings– Mistakes are public and can be considered criminal

– Help students realize they can restrict their online world• Blocking• Deleting• Taking Breaks

– Assess• Is your child at risk of physical harm or assault?• how are they handling the attacks emotionally?

– Warning signs: • Depression, withdrawal + more time online

– Talk to the school• Dignity for All Students Act - school environment free of harassment and

discrimination

Questions?

Summary

• Homework support• Learn more - Advance• Makeup problem classes• How to find and use Free online college• Bringing internet access to your home • Little CyberBullying Hints