Cyber Village Academy dares new teaching forms
Now the time has come: in St. Paul, Minnesota, a long-awaited new form of teaching is tried. Schuler der 4. till 8. Yearning stage will only be taught two days a week in the classroom, the remaining three days spend the kids in parental supervision in front of the computer at home. The model is called Cyber Village Academy.
All schools are equipped with a 500 MHz Compaq laptop, which is provided with a 56K modem. About 10 percent of the Schuler uses DSL on your own. The online training will be carried out with the help of Lotus Learning Space, a software that was specially developed for this purpose. Via Microsoft Net Meeting, conference circuits are handled; So a virtual classroom should arise.
Robert Bilyk, the director of the private school, can refer to considerable successes. The results of the performance queries, according to Bilyk, on average by the 90 percent. The work on the computer is crucial. "We can in this way the schoolers very good and inexpensive to face complex tasks." Bilyk refers to the example of some schoolers who have created a virtual mini solar system, including 3D Studio Max, a professional animation and special FX program.
With such projects, the school pursues a concept called "Cohesive Learning" – expertise different Disciplines and teachers should be in the planning a Cut the activity. In addition to 3D Studio Max, Microsoft PowerPoint, Macromedia Flash and Lotus Notes for the projects are used.
Jean Haga, mother of a 12-year-old schoolman, emphasizes that the lessons of Cyber Village Academy also influences them: "Last year I did not even know how to turn on a computer. Now I can do that and more, and I’ll do it even. I have learned a lot from my daughter."
Director Bilyk hold the model of "Local distance school" For exemplary: Despite the EDP emphasis of school work, there are "still a bond to a special place, and the schoolers know their teacher as someone whose face is known to them."
However, he does not stop the computer for educational panacism. In many places of location the risk of waste of money from ignorance. The equipment of teaching institutions with computers and software must be superimposed and adapted to the teaching content.
On our request, in which habit the manufacturers of the software used has been involved as sponsors, the school management announces that one "Donations of Microsoft" and "a lot of support by lotus" have received. from "a special manufacturer" you will "non-sponsored"…