Online Learning Gains Steam in Metro Atlanta
Martha Dalton/WABE News
Years ago, the term “online learning” may have seemed like a concept straight out of The Jetsons. But the idea is gaining popularity across the U.S. and in metro Atlanta.
Listen to the audio version of this story.
Susan Patrick, the President and CEO of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, says it’s important to understand what online learning is.
“Online learning, in its most basic form, is using the Internet and the World Wide Web to connect teachers using digital tools and digital content resources and learning materials with students that are usually in a different location,” she says.
Patrick says schools offer online learning for different reasons. Some schools don’t offer Advanced Placement classes; some fields, such as math and science, lack enough teachers; and some schools use it to help kids catch up so they can graduate on time.
The Georgia Department of Education offers online classes through the Georgia Virtual School. State officials expect 25,000-30,000 students to enroll for at least one class this school year. Those classes are also available to districts that have their own online learning programs.
One such program is in Gwinnett County, the state’s largest school district. The Gwinnett Online Campus has been around since 1999. It opened as a charter school in 2011. District spokesperson Jorge Quintana says the school now serves 329 students in grades 4-12.
“This is about giving parents more options with how they want their children to earn the GCPS diploma,” Quintana says. “That’s giving students more flexibility with their time.”
Students have to come to campus to participate in some activities and to take tests.
State officials say six Georgia school districts have their own online learning programs. Some metro Atlanta districts that offer programs include Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton counties and the Atlanta Public Schools.
9(MDAxODM0MDY4MDEyMTY4NDA3MzI3YjkzMw004))
Top Stories
