Learning On-line

One local elementary student isn’t leaving home to attend school this fall. She’s studying at her kitchen table through an on-line state charter school.

2nd grader Donna Martin’s whole world is a classroom. Instead of a bell, a humming bird wind chime marks the beginning and end of her school day. She studies science in her flower garden and learns cursive at her kitchen counter.

It’s all because Donna doesn’t attend classes like other kids, she learns at home through Ohio Connections Academy, an on-line charter e-school funded by the State of Ohio.

Her lessons are taught by a teacher and by her mother, Lisa.

“The live lessons give them the ability to attend class virtually on-line. They are interactive,” explained Angela Tank outreach coordinator for OCA. “They have a stylus pen and pad they can write on and the teacher can see what they are writing out.”

Lisa decided to enroll Donna in the e-school because Donna suffers from a speech delay which requires her to work with professional therapists. It also gives Lisa the freedom to allow her daughter a more hands on experience.

“We planted flowers outside. We dug a frog pond and we planted natural flowers all the way around it. We bird watch,” said Lisa.

“We planted sunflowers, morning glories and cosmos,” added Donna.

A typical day for the mother/daughter duo is four to five hours of classes and because Donna enjoys art, learning is made fun by adding more creative projects into her experience.

Just like any student Donna has her days when learning is the last thing she wants to do and that’s when school rules come into play, do your best and have fun.

And since she has an on-line teacher there’s lots of one on one help for both Donna and Lisa.

“The teacher will grade portfolio assignments and any written assignments,” said Tank. “The teacher actually writes comments and sends them back to the students. We do follow state standards and exceed them in a lot of areas.”

But on-line learning may not be for everyone.

“The family needs to be willing and able to be actively involved in the students education and the parent is called a learning coach,” said Tank. “Everyone needs a coach that’s behind them and encouraging them to do better, succeed in every avenue so they can know their strengths and weaknesses.”

And for Lisa she’ll coach Donna every step of the way.

“It makes me proud of her.”