NP - there are several "it's not possible" posts - but as I've said, I did not mean a personal attack in my response. I find it notable that you have not called out those posters whose posiotion is entirely assertion and ad hominem - but that is a digression.

I understand the privacy concern - however, while this may limit a live stream of a classroom to the public sphere, it does not limit several other approaches including the use of the on-line HS approach where the students clearly assent to being on video with a teacher (and perhaps other students). It is also possible that students/parents would consent to video if certain safeguards were employed. The benefits of access to various classes, avoiding transportation inefficiencies and more feedback from tutors/teachers would entice many students to participate. At the simplest, there could be a "corner" where the camera doesn't reach where non-consenting students could sit.

You mentioned that you have reviewed many of these programs - what is you professional opinion of the Stanford on-line HS, TECCA, and K12? What is preventing the Calc B/C teacher at TJHSS teaching an interactive, on-line class so that my son can take this class (when his HS can't staff it due to low interest). My wife subs Math and could teach full time as there are so few qualified upper level math teachers. What are the concerns/objections/issues with her setting up a course on-line that any interested student could participate in?

Anonymous wrote:to NP - my comments decrying the reflexive opposition to a new and intriguing use of technology in education - one that has seen commercial success (e.g. Stanford On-Line) - were not meant as personal attacks, but rather to point out an attitude that is detrimental to learning (i.e. "it can't be done", "it's impossible"). I will apologize to anyone who took offense at my comments - the intention was not to demean someone personally, but to oppose the use of baseless assertions and persistently negative comments without basis. You have included my question/comments on profit in your post - I think it's clear that this was in response to the comment on "profiteers" - an ad hominem attack that is simplistic, naive and unnecessary. I stand by my comments on profit - whatever station you enjoy in life in this country you are a beneficiary (and dependent) on the profit principle. It doesn't promote effective change to attack people as profiteers and ignore the merits of their proposals. There are more and more examples of alternatives to public schools and changes within public schools that are working to educate more children to a higher level, more efficiently. I don't have all the answers, but I've put forward several options and brought to the discussion alternatives that others have tried with success. I hope these will be considered on their merits and not simply derided and dismissed.

I welcome your comments providing feedback and will continue to consider them as we engage in a discussion of technology that appears to have great potential for addressing many of the difficult problems that our school system is grappling with - e.g. class size, achievement gap, access to specialized instruction/classes and transportation.

NP back. I read your response and I understand what you are saying. Yet, when you replied to the "it's not possible poster" you didn't address any of his or her concerns. Start there.

I am not that poster. And, frankly, I don't agree with everything that the person said. However, I think that you were completely off the mark when you moved immediately to belittle with personal attacks rather than to address the merit (or not) of the argument.

School systems and funding organizations like cities, counties and other municipalities would -love- to move to more intensive use of technology in classrooms. Taxpayers would be elated if the cost of running a school system dramatically decreased because of the use of technology.

Using technology could be a remarkable cost savings over the cost of paying a teacher and could be a way for school systems to continue to educate effectively despite the growing and increasingly urgent teacher shortage. Yet the efficacy just is not there. In fact, every single one of the technology programs that I have reviewed in the past year, and I have reviewed many, seem to ignore the basic tenets of good teaching and learning. Until the program developers begin to focus more on learning outcomes and less on the marching band of "use technology for technology's sake" I fear that we won't make any more progress than has already been made. And we may even begin marching backwards.

My encouragement to you is to go back and consider the prior responses you have had. They seem to be coming from front-line staff, teachers, who are interested in the topic and giving you their perspective. When you begin to understand what they are saying then perhaps you will be able to address some of the issues hindering the expanding use of technology in the classroom. Instead of cutting off the "it's not possible" poster, listen to what she or he is saying.

to NP - my comments decrying the reflexive opposition to a new and intriguing use of technology in education - one that has seen commercial success (e.g. Stanford On-Line) - were not meant as personal attacks, but rather to point out an attitude that is detrimental to learning (i.e. "it can't be done", "it's impossible"). I will apologize to anyone who took offense at my comments - the intention was not to demean someone personally, but to oppose the use of baseless assertions and persistently negative comments without basis. You have included my question/comments on profit in your post - I think it's clear that this was in response to the comment on "profiteers" - an ad hominem attack that is simplistic, naive and unnecessary. I stand by my comments on profit - whatever station you enjoy in life in this country you are a beneficiary (and dependent) on the profit principle. It doesn't promote effective change to attack people as profiteers and ignore the merits of their proposals. There are more and more examples of alternatives to public schools and changes within public schools that are working to educate more children to a higher level, more efficiently. I don't have all the answers, but I've put forward several options and brought to the discussion alternatives that others have tried with success. I hope these will be considered on their merits and not simply derided and dismissed.

I welcome your comments providing feedback and will continue to consider them as we engage in a discussion of technology that appears to have great potential for addressing many of the difficult problems that our school system is grappling with - e.g. class size, achievement gap, access to specialized instruction/classes and transportation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"It's not possible. I teach HS..."

This is classic. It would be funny, but it's not. It's even worse in that the poster doesn't recognize the irony.

I just hope s/he is not teaching my kids. What they hear at home is "anything is possible if you set your mind to it".

Maye that charter idea on the other thread is something to consider.

Yeah! "More charters! More vouchers! More online HS!" say the profiteers.

What's wrong with profit? Do you work? How do you live without making a profit? Maybe you're a trust fund baby - your funds pay dividends out of profit. Maybe you are just a sugar baby for a rich spouse - they are making a profit that pays for your food, car, clothes, entertainment. Profit is the payment that encourages people to work, take risks, invest to provide needed services and encourages people to try new things - I recommend it!

NP who wants to say that you are not doing your argument a favor by launching personal attacks against someone who disagrees with you. Technology has its benefits but there are some reasons why (see some of the posts above) that people intimately involved in the education profession have indicated that only live-streaming or videotaping classes would encounter roadblocks to the success in the education of children. Rather than persisting in mocking other people, perhaps you could come up with solutions to some of the roadblocks that have been surfaced already. Because right now you come across as an immature promoter who isn't listening to the client. There is a reason why all classrooms have not converted to the Khan Academy model. Figure out why not and then maybe you'll begin to have some success. Until then your haranguing potential purchasers isn't winning over any customers--even those of us inclined to like to see more technology use in classrooms.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"It's not possible. I teach HS..."

This is classic. It would be funny, but it's not. It's even worse in that the poster doesn't recognize the irony.

I just hope s/he is not teaching my kids. What they hear at home is "anything is possible if you set your mind to it".

Maye that charter idea on the other thread is something to consider.

Yeah! "More charters! More vouchers! More online HS!" say the profiteers.

What's wrong with profit? Do you work? How do you live without making a profit? Maybe you're a trust fund baby - your funds pay dividends out of profit. Maybe you are just a sugar baby for a rich spouse - they are making a profit that pays for your food, car, clothes, entertainment. Profit is the payment that encourages people to work, take risks, invest to provide needed services and encourages people to try new things - I recommend it!

I hope that FCPS is seriously looking into how to provide class instruction on the internet. The Stanford program looks interesting. I guess it's a bit different than just video of a class as the teacher talks back to the individual students. That could be great for allowing kids to attend a class from far away. My kids are on the bus to attend classes and that wastes a lot of time. I'd like to see them do classes over the internet and then get together for actual face time once in awhile. I think something like this has potential to be good.

Anonymous wrote:As an IT guy, the technology is pretty simple. Many day care centers do it. Our church does it. Technologically...simple..not expensive.

But bureaucratically, it's prohibitive. By the time the bureaucrats and their consultants get done with it it would cost a fortune. These are the people that say it costs a million dollars to change a school name.

It's like putting GPS trackers on buses (a la Lyft/UBER) so you know when the bus will get to your stop. Technology...simple. Bureaucracy...impossible. They will hurt your head with reasons they can't do it.

The technology is not simple. It is one thing to have a simple camera filming whatever steps in its path. But... Teachers move around the room, there's always one kid who is not allowed to be photographed, interactive material wouldn't necessarily show up ... Sure, the technology to video a lecture is straightforward. Anything more complicated than that involves staffing.

More money - it's all for the kids!

Anonymous wrote:"It's not possible. I teach HS..."

This is classic. It would be funny, but it's not. It's even worse in that the poster doesn't recognize the irony.

I just hope s/he is not teaching my kids. What they hear at home is "anything is possible if you set your mind to it".

Maye that charter idea on the other thread is something to consider.

I stand by my comment that it is not possible in current high schools with interactive classes. Obviously you have not been in any or you would understand the need to protect the privacy of students. Sure, the technology is available to change voices and black out faces. It's only time and money and school districts have plenty of both, right? I'll read your post on charter schools when you read he ones discussing budget deficits and the teacher shortage.

Anonymous wrote:"It's not possible. I teach HS..."

This is classic. It would be funny, but it's not. It's even worse in that the poster doesn't recognize the irony.

I just hope s/he is not teaching my kids. What they hear at home is "anything is possible if you set your mind to it".

Maye that charter idea on the other thread is something to consider.

Yeah! "More charters! More vouchers! More online HS!" say the profiteers.

"It's not possible. I teach HS..."

This is classic. It would be funny, but it's not. It's even worse in that the poster doesn't recognize the irony.

I just hope s/he is not teaching my kids. What they hear at home is "anything is possible if you set your mind to it".

Maye that charter idea on the other thread is something to consider.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are also privacy concerns. Parents have a right to know about their child but do not have a right to know about other children. FERPA concerns.

A) The focus could be on the front/teacher.
B) the kids can "opt out" like they do with yearbook.

Frankly, I don't see why this can be done. The PP IT guy seems to recognize that it could be relatively easy. I note that one of the grades at my ES uses an app where the teacher uploads videos of the class already (at this point just activities that class has done that day). THe app was free and it has been very seamless so far. Parents and kids love it.

While I think it could be used system-wide for some of the things other posters note (taking classes at different schools), I think it could easily be implemented now so kids could have access to lessons missed due to illness. It's already being done on a teacher by teacher basis.

And as for the science-based classes, I know a lady who did a medical-based graduate degree via distance. All classes online and then partnered with a local college (in this case it would be their own HS) to do the labs. Very easy.

It's not possible. I teach HS and this was asked this week and wasn't allowed for privacy concerns. All classes now are interactive in all subjects at my school. Teachers do not stand and teach at the front of the room the entire class. More and more parents are filling out the opt out form that they do not allow their child to be photographed or filmed except for the yearbook. You would need signed permission slips for all students in the class and I don't have a single class with a student without an opt out form. There are several in every class. There are so many online high school classes already available with videos and interactive components. Teachers post videos all of the time for review but we make or find the videos ourselves.

America! The land of progress and innovation! GMAFB.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are also privacy concerns. Parents have a right to know about their child but do not have a right to know about other children. FERPA concerns.

A) The focus could be on the front/teacher.
B) the kids can "opt out" like they do with yearbook.

Frankly, I don't see why this can be done. The PP IT guy seems to recognize that it could be relatively easy. I note that one of the grades at my ES uses an app where the teacher uploads videos of the class already (at this point just activities that class has done that day). THe app was free and it has been very seamless so far. Parents and kids love it.

While I think it could be used system-wide for some of the things other posters note (taking classes at different schools), I think it could easily be implemented now so kids could have access to lessons missed due to illness. It's already being done on a teacher by teacher basis.

And as for the science-based classes, I know a lady who did a medical-based graduate degree via distance. All classes online and then partnered with a local college (in this case it would be their own HS) to do the labs. Very easy.

It's not possible. I teach HS and this was asked this week and wasn't allowed for privacy concerns. All classes now are interactive in all subjects at my school. Teachers do not stand and teach at the front of the room the entire class. More and more parents are filling out the opt out form that they do not allow their child to be photographed or filmed except for the yearbook. You would need signed permission slips for all students in the class and I don't have a single class with a student without an opt out form. There are several in every class. There are so many online high school classes already available with videos and interactive components. Teachers post videos all of the time for review but we make or find the videos ourselves.

I also teach in a Title I school and we do provide a lot of ways for our students to use technology at home, including internet access. However, much of the in-class work that we do in our school involves cooperative learning and the use of manipulatives. I see those as two as being significant inhibitors to the efficacy of video and live-streamed lessons. Most of our teachers are using technology in very creative ways so that our students are receiving the full benefit of the tool while we are maximizing learning. Technology can be an effective tool but livestreaming and videos aren't the complete answer.

Anonymous wrote:Implementing more online learning modules are great, but the FCPS Lobby for the Low Income will whine and wail that students from low-income families simply do not have the same access to technology and time to watch lectures in the evenings as other students and on and on. Then you get into providing ipads and laptops for large swathes of students and such.

I teach in a Title 1 school and my students have better technology than my kids and I do. Many 3rd graders have phones and they all have them by 5th/6th grade often with data plans too. Lots of the newest iPhones. They laugh at my iPhone 5 and are shocked that my 7th grader doesn't have a phone. They have tablets and their younger siblings get their hand me down tablets. They can get Internet at home for $10/month because they are get free and reduced priced meals.