Virtual school makes courses available online
By LEE HENDREN
T&D Staff Writer

As the South Carolina Virtual School shifts into high gear this fall, students in public, private, charter and home schools across the state can enroll in nearly two dozen courses online.

They include English I, II, III and IV; U.S. History I and II; World Geography; Government; Economics; Chemistry; Algebra II; foreign languages; SAT Prep; AP Calculus; AP Physics I and II and AP U.S.
History I and II.

Virtual courses are ideal for the student who needs to catch up, who wants to get ahead or who attends a school that does not offer a particular course that is available online.

Applications will be accepted beginning the first week of August.

Locally, students and parents can obtain more information from the OCEBA Virtual Academy, which is being operated as a pilot project by Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in cooperation with the school districts in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties.

It uses curriculum modified from the Florida Virtual High School, which is one of the oldest and largest online schools in the nation.

Students can perform their course work at a computer lab at the college, at a participating high school, at a public library or at home if they have a computer, preferably with high-speed Internet access.

The only local glitch so far has been that some Calhoun County students have discovered they can't use the school's Blackboard site via America Online dial-up service, said Dee Appleby, coordinator of the South Carolina Virtual School.

"Online is not easier than the traditional educational process. In fact, many students will say it requires much more time and commitment," a virtual academy handout advises.

"The requirements for online courses are no less than that of any other quality educational program. The successful student will view online as a convenient way to receive their education -- not an easier way."

All of OCEBA's instructors have received special training in Web-based teaching and each has a mentor at Florida Virtual High.

Each instructor is required to contact each student via e-mail or phone at least once a week. During these contacts, the instructors ask questions designed to determine the student's progress.

Testing is conducted "in a secure environment" to ensure that the student has mastered the material, said Donna Elmore, associate vice president at OCtech.

Although many students flourish in an online environment, virtual education is not for everyone, Elmore said. It requires more personal responsibility and accountability.

Students must sign an agreement/contract that they will check their e-mail daily, take note of the pacing calendar and complete assignments on time or risk being dropped from the course.

Parents are asked to check their children's online grade book at least once a week, read teachers' comments and provide a positive learning environment for their children.

For information, parents can call a guidance counselor at the public high school in their child's attendance zone or one of the following
people:

* Orangeburg Consolidated 5: Hazel Rickenbaker, 803-533-6378 or har31@orangeburg5.k12.sc.us.
* Orangeburg Consolidated 4: Shirl Ann Jenkins, 803-534-8081 or jenkinss@orangeburg4.com.
* Orangeburg Consolidated 3: Betty Garrison at 803-496-3288 or garrisonb@obg3.k12.sc.us.
* Calhoun County: Lynn Dukes, 803-655-5317 or ldukes@ccps.calhoun.k12.sc.us.

Residents of other counties should contact Orangeburg Consolidated 4.

More information on virtual education is available by phone at
803-535-1376 or 803-535-1261 or online at http://blackboard.myschools.com.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Hendren can be reached by e-mail at lhendren@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5552. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.