Peggy
12-02-2007, 10:06 AM
I was recently made aware of a school that is basically "online", called Ecot (http://ecotohio.org). (Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow).
Since I don't explain things well, at all, I'll take this exerpt from their front page -
"Welcome to the online information center for the national leader in online K-12 education, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow!
The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) is an online public community school sponsored by the Lucas County (Ohio) Educational Service Center (LCESC). ECOT’s experienced, highly qualified teachers educate thousands of students throughout the state of Ohio".
How ECOT works -
ECOT educates over six thousand students between the ages of five and twenty-one from every county in the state of Ohio.
Running an online school requires as many resources as a traditional public school. In addition to our teachers, a staff of counselors, school administrators, customer service specialists, computer programmers, database managers, school-funding experts, shipping handlers and consultants enable ECOT to work.
ECOT is a public school that relies solely on a fixed per-student state tax allocation, without the addition of property taxes, private funds or donations from special interests. ECOT, as a public school, charges no tuition.
ECOT provides a valuable service for all Ohio students and families seeking an alternative to traditional public education.
*******************************************
MY interest in this is the fact that even in a smaller classroom setting (7 other students in addition to him), my son, who has Asperger Syndrome and ADHD, still struggles with extreme distractability and impulsiveness. Altho he excels in reading, spelling and math (2nd grade and he's performing at almost 4th grade level in those 3 subjects), he is very easily frustrated and comes home with negative reports for behavior almost daily. Even the least but of distraction is enough to get him off course. However, when he brings home the work he didn't do in school that day, I have no trouble whatsoever with him, as long as we're one-on-one. No tv, no music, no nothing.
Now to the really good part..........
The Dept. of Exceptional Children (http://ecotohio.org/exceptionalchildren.html)
I LOVE that they call them exceptional children rather than learning disabled or kids with disorders. They had my attention right off the bat with that.
(excerpt)
"Dear prospective students and parents,
Every day, Julie faces the challenges of autism. She could not be educated in a traditional public school because of the distractions that exist in a typical classroom. With individual attention from her teachers and parents and a curriculum that is customized to her specific needs, Julie is succeeding.
Since ECOT's founding, our Department of Exceptional Children has striven to accommodate the special needs of students like Julie in ways that a traditional public education cannot.
Sitting in a classroom of 30 students listening to a teacher present lessons for long periods of time is fine for some students, usually those in the middle of the bell curve. But for those at the far ends of that curve, the "one-size-fits-all" model of public education simply does not work.
ECOT is a public community school, and like all community schools, we have the freedom to explore new, innovative ways to educate students. We have found that the best methods involve building the education around each child individually"Here's more.........
"Our students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) such as Andrea, who will graduate this year, are also able to learn at their own pace and have the flexibility to do schoolwork during times beyond the regular school day when they may be the most motivated and the least distracted.
In the Department of Exceptional Children, we continuously evaluate new adaptive technology to successfully educate more students. It is almost overwhelming to see how new technology affects the learning process for our exceptional students".
***********************************
I am so excited about this! JJ's dad is completely onboard with me as well (*snicker* he won't be the one home with him every day!), lol.
So, anyone have any insights, opinion, or other, on this? Even tho our minds are made up, pretty much, I'd like to read what others think.
Better yet, if YOU homeschool, or your child is enrolled in ECOT or another online community school, I'd like to read your own experiences.
Thanks!
Since I don't explain things well, at all, I'll take this exerpt from their front page -
"Welcome to the online information center for the national leader in online K-12 education, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow!
The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) is an online public community school sponsored by the Lucas County (Ohio) Educational Service Center (LCESC). ECOT’s experienced, highly qualified teachers educate thousands of students throughout the state of Ohio".
How ECOT works -
ECOT educates over six thousand students between the ages of five and twenty-one from every county in the state of Ohio.
Running an online school requires as many resources as a traditional public school. In addition to our teachers, a staff of counselors, school administrators, customer service specialists, computer programmers, database managers, school-funding experts, shipping handlers and consultants enable ECOT to work.
ECOT is a public school that relies solely on a fixed per-student state tax allocation, without the addition of property taxes, private funds or donations from special interests. ECOT, as a public school, charges no tuition.
ECOT provides a valuable service for all Ohio students and families seeking an alternative to traditional public education.
*******************************************
MY interest in this is the fact that even in a smaller classroom setting (7 other students in addition to him), my son, who has Asperger Syndrome and ADHD, still struggles with extreme distractability and impulsiveness. Altho he excels in reading, spelling and math (2nd grade and he's performing at almost 4th grade level in those 3 subjects), he is very easily frustrated and comes home with negative reports for behavior almost daily. Even the least but of distraction is enough to get him off course. However, when he brings home the work he didn't do in school that day, I have no trouble whatsoever with him, as long as we're one-on-one. No tv, no music, no nothing.
Now to the really good part..........
The Dept. of Exceptional Children (http://ecotohio.org/exceptionalchildren.html)
I LOVE that they call them exceptional children rather than learning disabled or kids with disorders. They had my attention right off the bat with that.
(excerpt)
"Dear prospective students and parents,
Every day, Julie faces the challenges of autism. She could not be educated in a traditional public school because of the distractions that exist in a typical classroom. With individual attention from her teachers and parents and a curriculum that is customized to her specific needs, Julie is succeeding.
Since ECOT's founding, our Department of Exceptional Children has striven to accommodate the special needs of students like Julie in ways that a traditional public education cannot.
Sitting in a classroom of 30 students listening to a teacher present lessons for long periods of time is fine for some students, usually those in the middle of the bell curve. But for those at the far ends of that curve, the "one-size-fits-all" model of public education simply does not work.
ECOT is a public community school, and like all community schools, we have the freedom to explore new, innovative ways to educate students. We have found that the best methods involve building the education around each child individually"Here's more.........
"Our students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) such as Andrea, who will graduate this year, are also able to learn at their own pace and have the flexibility to do schoolwork during times beyond the regular school day when they may be the most motivated and the least distracted.
In the Department of Exceptional Children, we continuously evaluate new adaptive technology to successfully educate more students. It is almost overwhelming to see how new technology affects the learning process for our exceptional students".
***********************************
I am so excited about this! JJ's dad is completely onboard with me as well (*snicker* he won't be the one home with him every day!), lol.
So, anyone have any insights, opinion, or other, on this? Even tho our minds are made up, pretty much, I'd like to read what others think.
Better yet, if YOU homeschool, or your child is enrolled in ECOT or another online community school, I'd like to read your own experiences.
Thanks!