Educator FAQ
Are online courses easier for students than regular courses?
Are online students isolated and therefore be socially
disadvantaged?
Do online courses lack interaction?
Are online courses for gifted and talented students only?
Is a student more likely to cheat online?
Is WeAVE accredited?
Are your courses developed "from scratch" or
purchased from a content provider?
Is WeAVE only focused on technology?
Do WeAVE teachers work as hard as regular classroom teachers?
Can a student in my school take a course from you?
Are online courses easier for students than regular courses?
•WeAVE's online courses are not condensed or easier version of
regular courses. They are aligned to Wyoming state standards and often times exceed
Wyoming standards. They require active participation and operate in settings under
supervision of Wyoming certified, highly qualified teachers, require students
take state assessment tests, have attendance policies, and have competency-based
academic progress requirements in effect.
Are online students isolated and therefore be socially
disadvantaged?
•In fact, students often engage actively both online and off as they complete
assignments and socialize with other students and adults in their schools, at
home, and in their community.
Do online courses lack interaction?
•Students typically have more one-on-one interactions with their teachers
and fellow students in online courses. Teachers report getting to know their
students better, and students who are shy or do not think well "on their feet"
tend to contribute more in online environments. Students are often actively
interacting with both resources and others in online environments.
Are online courses for gifted and talented students
only?
•Online courses have worked well with students of all kinds, including
at-risk students, students in large and small schools, those with limited English
proficiency, and those with special learning or health needs.
Is a student more likely to cheat online?
•Cheating is no more prevalent online than in the classroom. In addition,
there are many technological ways to deter it and track it. In many cases, the
online venue and communication enables teachers to get to know their students'
idiosyncrasies and skills much better. Teachers say that student writing has
a voice and that it is often easier to spot work that is inconsistent or unlike
earlier communication in online environments. Teachers also have access to an
online plagiarism detection service called TurnItIn
that instantly identifies papers containing unoriginal material.
Is WeAVE accredited?
•Yes. WeAVE offers face-to-face education and online instruction. Every
course that is offered has a highly qualified Wyoming teacher instructing. WeAVE
is endorsed by the Wyoming Department of Education as being a school of choice
and is accredited by North Central Accreditation
and by the Commission on International
and Trans-Regional Accreditation.
Are your courses developed "from scratch"
or purchased from a content provider?
•Both. Most of our courses are purchased from the content provider Class.com.
Some of our courses are developed in-house or "from scratch." All of our courses
meet Wyoming content standards.
Is WeAVE only focused on technology?
•WeAVE is about curriculum and instruction for students. The "medium"
is not the message because the student, instructor, content, and learning goals
are key. Networks simply make it possible to provide communication, access to
extended resources, and use of sound, graphics, video, text, interactivity,
and other digital capabilities to strengthen instruction.
Do WeAVE teachers work as hard as regular classroom
teachers?
•Our teachers report that they work much harder and spend more hours online
than in the classroom, but that they love it. They do not simply "move a class
online" and "put up what they teach." Online instructional design, writing,
management of instruction, and communicating with students can take considerable
time and be quire different from what goes on inside a traditional classroom.
Adapted from NACOL's Top Ten Myths About
Virtual Schools click
here
