Many of today’s high school-aged students already have some familiarity with online learning. Even if they have yet to take a remote course, they likely know someone who has or expects to encounter online education, themselves, in the near future.
It’s a paradigm shift at the high school level that, as David Smith explains, is already well underway.
“Students today are expecting to learn online at some point,” says Smith, a principal at Summit Trails Online High School. “In fact, in the United States and Canada, 70% of all university students are taking online courses. It’s getting to the point where this is a requirement of learning.”
He also points out that, when he was a student, distance education essentially meant correspondence. It was an impersonal process where students would simply regurgitate information for an unfamiliar teacher to then grade. There wasn’t an actual connection.
Well, those days are over. And have been for some time.
“In the new era of online learning, we think about how we can build community,” he says. “At Summit, for instance, students have what we call ‘connect classes’ where they simply take time to get to know one another. Then, when they’re in their Zoom class and their cameras are on, they’re seeing other students they already have connections with. They also have fewer distractions.”
As an Alberta high school in the public school system, Summit’s curriculum is identical to that of a brick-and-mortar school. And while virtual education may not work for, say, playing an instrument in a band, it more than compensates by offering core courses in subjects such as coding, photography and design.
Another benefit is its ability to draw students from throughout the province.
“We serve students from all around Alberta, not just Rocky View,” Smith explains. “Any Alberta student can get their diploma with us, no problem.”
Oftentimes, students who may have had difficulties in traditional high school settings quickly find they’re able to thrive in Summit’s synchronous learning environment. To that end, Smith says he’s received more positive affirmations from students and families in the last three years than the rest of his long career combined.
“I had a student tell me that they wouldn’t have made it through school if they hadn’t come to Summit,” he recalls. “Some students, when they come, are able to leave certain pressures, peer pressures, behind and then establish new relationships. They were even surprised how they could develop friendships and community online.”
Smith also points to a recent Summit valedictorian who, when she registered two years earlier, had assumed she wouldn’t finish high school. But then it all clicked, and she went from failing grades to being top of her classes. Summit gave her the chance to learn in an environment that worked for her.
Naturally, Summit Trails Online High School students need to have access to, and a working understanding of, computers. Summit’s programs are delivered on a platform called Moodle, and instructors give students a full orientation on how to use it. School administration is also intentional about connecting with prospective students and finding out if online education is the right fit for them.
“We have a discussion, just to make sure that this is a good fit,” says Smith. “Students also want to know what they’re walking into.”
A common misconception, he adds, is that online institutions can accept an unlimited number of students. In actuality, Summit Trails Online High School’s current capacity is 280 fully-synchronous students and approximately 1,200 part-time learners. Those numbers can only grow alongside the additions of new teachers – something that speaks to the emphasis on interpersonal connections at Summit.
“We’re continuing to grow,” says Smith. “I think the big thing to understand about online learning today is that it’s starting to parallel mainstream learning. It’s not an offshoot.”
Parents of prospective students who live in Rocky View should complete a transfer to Summit before September 30, and those in other Alberta school districts can simply register with Rocky View Schools and select the online option.
“Come check us out,” invites Smith. “We’re here for you, and we’re excited to see you come to the school.”
Summit Online High School, located in Airdrie AB, can be reached by calling (403) 945-4197. Further information regarding their course offerings and learning strategies can be accessed by visiting their website.
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