E-learning in the media

I am a huge fan of the show "Sunday Morning" with Charles Osgood, and today's show helped me write this week's blog. The cover story discussed how parents are increasingly homeschooling their children for multiple reasons, but the one thing they featured was The Calvert School. Based out of Baltimore, the school began years ago as a home schooling source for parents during a huge flu epidemic. The school delivers a box of supplies for both parents and children to aid in the enourmous task of home instruction. Today, they still provide the same services - only they have thwarted their company into the 21st centrury by providing e-learning programs through their website.

You can enroll into their live, online classes (middle school students) for a couple thousand dollars (this is what the show said and I didn't find the actual cost - so I'm taking the media's word for it). The Calvert School also offers Instructional presentations and sets up learning situations. Check this demo out on Geothermal Energy - it was amazing. (It was a demo video so please click on the hot link)

http://www.calvertonline.org/ClassServerResources/Engage/Geothermal1/engage.html

It combines a lecture on the subject, plus the current energy crisis and how to testify against congress armed with the information you just learned. What a great e-learning supplement to home schooling!

Great Online Course Management Site

I would like to preface this by saying this is my first blog ever.
Now, after spending (surfing) time on the Web, I came across a website that I don't believe has been mentioned before. If it has, I apologize, but I think its a valuable resource for teachers and administrators to use if they want to set up an online course. Edu2.0 is a site for anyone - even those with minimal technical skills - to set up an online course for any subject for FREE. It is a great online course management system. Take the 3-minute tour http://www.edu20.org/tour and you will be impressed with how many resources are available.

The term edu2.0 stands for "next generation education" and also mentions that its a great tool for parents who want to home school their children. They also allow you to upload information and host if it for free. If you start at http://www.edu20.org/company/about , check out different tabs. Its an eye-appealling website that offers numerous options for the online teacher. Great site!