Podcast Reflection #11: Barbara Brueggemann, Head of school at the George Washington University Online High School

           This week I listened to podcast #150: Barbara Brueggemann, Head of school at the GWU Online High School on the Ed Tech Talk website.  This was a very interesting podcast because it was about something I have not heard very much about: an all online school.  Barbara has been an educator all her life.  She started in post-secondary education, then moved so secondary education to make a difference in the formative years of students.  Now she has started the experimental, fully online George Washington University Online High School. 

            This high school, like many others, is for 9-12 graders.  It currently has 16 9^th and 10^th graders enrolled.  They wanted to start out small to get all of the kinks worked out.  This online high school has all of the good things from a traditional high school, but without the time and size conflicts.  Barbara discussed the Journey Symposium, one of the high school’s unique classes.  Every year students enroll in one seminar type class that helps prepare them for college.  In 9^th grade, students focus on the exploration of self.  They answer questions like: what am I good at? What do I want to do? How will I reach my goals?  Then in 10^th grade they focus on self and team.  Students learn through service.  In 11^th grade, student focus on stewardship.  They begin looking at their future and college.  Finally in 12^th grade, students focus on legacy.  They work with George Washington University professors on a project, and decide what they will leave behind when they are gone. 

            The class structure in this all-online high school includes some self-pace and some synchronized classes. There is a lot of interaction between peers and teachers using skype, e-mail, conference calling, and elluninate.  In this high school, Barbara said that students can’t disappear in class.  Teachers can monitor their work and see how much time they spend on assignments.    

            I believe this school is on the cutting edge of what we will see in the future.  With kids of this generation obsessed with digital networking and learning, I think we will start to see more hybrid and all online classes develop.  I think we need more research, however, to know how to teach kids effectively online.  We also, like Barbara said in this podcast, have to be deliberate about engaging kids.