I see it as the only hope for schools. In the face of daunting and hugely expensive reform, Paul Schwarz, leadership program developer for the Center for Educational Outreach and Innovation at Columbia University's Teacher College, agrees. We are not going to be able to compete with the quality of the information and the experiences that kids very soon are going to be able to get on the Internet. At this point, cyberspace learning is mostly an enhancement to classroom work. A growing number of Web sites offer online materials, games and strategies to help enrich school curricula, particularly in math and science.
Students help governments decide school closings for snowstorms or evacuations for hurricanes.
In the process they learn science and math. This is a connection between real life and learning. But e-learning is quickly expanding to more comprehensive educational programs for primary and secondary schools. The Virtual High School is a comprehensive, online cooperative school sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education that offers as many as 160 courses from high schools around the country and the world. About 60 percent of Florida High School's students use the program to supplement their school curriculum, overcome scheduling conflicts or accelerate, said principal Julie Young.