June 1999 Volume 12, No. By David Schelle and Curt Grinnell, Hotchkiss High School Secondary schools are operating in challenging times.
Budgets are stagnant, but there is pressure to remain current with changing technologies.
Teachers in secondary schools today are charged with the task of challenging high-ability students, but are also expected to meet the needs of all students. While it's easy to overestimate the power of technology in education, online learning can address these contradictory expectations. Hotchkiss High School, on the western slope of Colorado in Hotchkiss is in its second year of both offering online classes and providing a mentor to our students who are taking online classes from post-secondary institutions. We have chosen to pursue this form of distance education because online learning challenges our students in new disciplines and with new learning strategies. Online college classes, such as those offered through Colorado Community College Online, further appeal to students who may be bored in the traditional classroom and who want to take a more responsible role in their own education.