Phil's+Traditional+Schools

Intro to Traditional School

 * The plaintiff in the case is a student from a traditional school. She is unhappy with her experience there and wants to change to a virtual school
 * The defendant is a representative from the traditional school. She is here to defend how the traditional school operates and challenges that the student needs to change schools

Leading questions for Rachel
====** Everyday is the same, teachers talk to much and don't seem to listen enough. I think I could do well in school if I didn't hate it so much. Our school is really clique like, if you don't fit into some sports group or club you become an outsider. **====
 * To plaintiff: State your name and age please.
 * Rachel Age: 16
 * How long have you been attending this school?
 * 3 years
 * How many classes have you failed?
 * 5 classes. Math 3 times, history, and P.E. I missed a lot of school though.
 * Give me a synopsis of what is going on at this school.

Interjecting Questions (Rachel)

 * Are you causing trouble? Yes What kind of trouble? I don't know, I feel like the teachers are just against me.
 * Why do they think you're causing trouble? Because the work is pointless
 * Have you asked for help?
 * Yes, but teachers don't have enough time.
 * Are you or they available after school?
 * No --> Ask Nora if her teachers are available after school
 * What are some of the things that make you need a flexible schedule? I have a job
 * Why do you need a job?
 * My parents are laid off and we have bills
 * Are you anti social? No
 * Why do you not like the social activities? I'm not really here to impress anyone, seems like that what social events are all about. I could care less of what my peers think of me.
 * Do you have a lot of friends? No, I'm not really the jock type. I have a good group of friends though, people who seem to understand me and have similar lives, they don't really fit in either.
 * Do you think when you get a job, you will be required to work with other people? Yes,
 * Explain what you mean by students having trouble fitting in if they are reserved. Give an example. We don't fit into the sterotypical high school football hero, cheerleader, I'm not like the student council kids. It seems to me that the teachers care more about the kids that are trying to get tons of attention. Seems to me that being myself is a problem. **I don't really care to be around these people any more, I'd like to try something different, that is why I want to go to a cyber high school, I feel like I could do better there.**

Leading Questions for Nora

 * To defendant: State your name and position at the school
 * Nora Kowalski: Principal
 * How long have you been at this school?
 * 17 years
 * How well do you know this student?
 * Pretty well
 * How well?
 * Many of her teachers along the way have tried to reach out to her. The more we try, the more she pulls away. She just needs to get motivated!
 * Give me a synopsis of your side.
 * The traditional school setting is the best way to reach all learners. Cyber school has many challenges, such as identifying at-risk students, providing interventions and resources for students with special needs, keeping students motivated, preparing them for the highly collaborative world of college and the workforce. I believe my case will prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that traditional learning will better prepare our youth for a successful future!

Interjecting Questions (Nora)

 * Do you know for sure that every student learns better from collaborative environment?
 * Students are more motivated to succeed in a collaborative environment. Collaborative environments:
 * “ provide experience in the knowledge construction process;
 * provide experience in and appreciation for multiple perspectives; embed learning in realistic and relevant contexts;
 * encourage ownership and voice in the learning process;
 * embed learning in social experience;
 * encourage the use of multiple modes of representation; and
 * encourage self-awareness in the knowledge construction process.” (Oliver and Harrington 2001, p.15)
 * With this student?
 * Yes, I truly believe that she would succeed if she could just accept help from teachers and students. I just don't think she has ever given it a chance.
 * If this kid has failed these classes and is not being successful, why?
 * She is very withdrawn. She is not motivated or inspired to learn. According to an article in Backroad Connections from 2003, “Deep learning’ occurs when the focus is on communication and interaction, the emotional IQ, rather than content.”
 * Why do you think this is the type of school to help her?
 * She needs supervision. She is not self motivated. She does not communicate her needs, and does not seem interested in the activities at our school. She needs to accept the help being offered and give school a chance. If she chooses to finish school from home, I'm afraid she'll slip through the cracks.
 * What kinds of things does your school do to help failing students?
 * Our school has many programs to help students like her, such as various interest, athletic and academic clubs, RTI programs to identify her struggling learners and assist them, counselors, etc...
 * More on RTI:
 * RTI can be applied more broadly across schools as a diagnostic approach that shapes instruction and informs decisions about intervention, eligibility for special programs, design of individualized education programs (IEPs) and effectiveness of special education programs (Batsche et al., 2005).
 * More broadly applied, RTI is a data-based approach to decision-making that can influence the nature of instruction, early intervention and LD determination (Strangeman et al., 2006)
 * In accordance with the research of TDT, how do you know how motivated this student is?
 * By her grades and engagement
 * Does the learning environment affect the motivation?
 * In my opinion, yes. However, more than the environment, the quality of teacher, the self directedness of the student and the support offered are the most important encouragement to motivation.
 * According to TDT, Transactional Distance Theory, it does. TDT states that //TD is the separation in the universe of teacher student relationships and is shaped around the constructs of structure, interactions between the teacher and learner, and the self directedness of the learner. The greater the TD, the more autonomy the learner has to exercise.// (Murphy 2003) I’m just not sure this student has the self directedness, the self motivation or the autonomy needed to succeed in an online learning environment.
 * A really good teacher can make the traditional classroom an exciting place, and the same is true for the online classroom. The specific goals of any class, or course, must be clear in the mind of the teacher, as well as the best methods for the type of classroom, and type of content presented.
 * Traditional education and online education each have unique advantages. The emotively supportive face-to-face environment of the classroom allows immediate feedback, and an immediate social environment, which has been viewed as essential to a quality educational experience. Facial expressions and body language are vital clues to the level of student understanding and engagement, and fundamental to recognizing those "teachable moments!". ( [] )
 * You talk about face to face time; do you see these cues from the student currently?
 * I’ll admit that this student is hard to read. However, her shyness and lack of interaction combined with her poor results have been noticed by teachers and administrators. She has been targeted as a student that requires extra resources. If she were sitting in her living room, on a laptop, there would be no hope for being noticed. That may be what she longs for, but I doubt it is in her best interest.
 * Again I ask you, what is being done to better educate this student? Look, there is only so much we can do. We have indentified her as a student at risk, offered help, and attempted to engage her. She needs to meet us in the middle. Some of her success must come from her intrinsic motivation to do so.
 * video example of students engaged in collaborative learning