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Introduction
Secondary schools are operating in challenging times. They are expected to remain current with technological changes, but budgets are often frozen. They are charged with the task of challenging high-ability students, but are also expected to meet the needs of all students. While it's tempting to overestimate the power of technology in education, we believe that online learning can address these contradictory expectations.
Hotchkiss High School, on the western slope of Colorado, is in its third year of both offering online classes and providing a mentor to our students who are taking online classes from post-secondary institutions. We have chosen to pursue this form of distance education because online learning challenges our students in new disciplines and with new learning strategies. Online college classes further appeal to students who may be bored in the traditional classroom and who want to take a more responsible role in their own education.
This web site examines our mentor program for high school juniors and seniors who are concurrently enrolled at various colleges and universities around the country. This information is intended to be a reflection of our experience, in hopes that other educators and schools will consider online learning as a useful educational alternative. There is an assignment page for those professionals who wish to prepare formally for the responsibilities of a mentor.
We firmly believe that well designed online college-level classes can significantly add to our high school's curricula; however, an emphasis must be placed on "well designed." As with any emerging educational endeavor, the quality of instruction and content varies widely, as do the goals and motivations of the students. Even gifted seventeen year olds have trouble motivating themselves, and most online college classes understandably do not address this aspect of learning. Similarly, it is not uncommon to encounter instructors who are poorly trained in the technology and who seem to be administrators of the class instead of teachers. Therefore, the students' chances for failure can be much greater.
It is the mentor's job to work with the student to choose appropriate, high quality classes from reputable institutions. Although these precautions do not guarantee a successful learning experience, ambitious students embrace the opportunity.
Contact the authors: Curt Grinnell & Dave Schelle