Sophia Learning—32,000 Tutorials

NetTrekker has added Sophia Learning to its list of resource content providers. With access to Sophia, students can access tutorials in subject areas such as mathematics, science, English, fine arts, social studies, and foreign languages. For those interested in college credit while in high school, there are nine self-paced Sophia courses. The Sophia offerings not only helps students get a head-start in their studies, but also gives teachers the flexibility to add courses and enrichment to their classrooms. All of the Sophia high school, college readiness (ACT Prep, Refresher, College Success) and college courses are free.

Is a MOOC in Your Students’ or Your Futures?

Forty-two percent of those taking MOOCs (Massively Open Online Courses), according to as survey performed by Qualtrics, are educators. At this time most courses do not offer college credit or certificates of completion, but two-thirds of the survey respondents said that credits and certificates would be an incentive for them to complete a course.  The results of the survey suggest that people take an online course because they are interested in the course topic or expect the course to help them with personal and/or professional development. They also want courses that differ from traditional lectures, provide interaction, and are open in format.

With the growth of these free online courses, we’ll see more precollege students enrolling.  Will K-12 schools bring these courses into their classrooms, and if so, how? High school students are already enrolling to get ahead in the skills and content they’ll need for college.

Fear of Being Replaced by Computers

The Idaho State Legislature passed a law requiring all students to take at least two online courses to graduate. The idea is to create what ed tech people have been calling for for some time—the teacher as a guide, not the “sage on the stage.” Teachers in Idaho have risen up against the plan, not only because of the online course requirement, but also because it dictates what technologies will be used. Individual teachers won’t be able to request what will work best for their styles of teaching and their students. Some believe money for the program may come from cuts in teacher and administrator salaries. Teachers say they are not against technology, but that the plan has not been well thought out.