Web classes provide new outlook

Marisa O’Neil

Some parents complain that their teenagers spend too much time

online, but Karen Allison doesn’t mind.

Her son, 17-year-old Newport Harbor High School student Brent

Terrones, is one of two-dozen students enrolled this summer in

economics and American government, the school district’s first online

courses. And despite the format, which many worry lacks the

inspiration of personal interaction, Brent is more motivated and open

about his schoolwork than ever before.

“He’s been really good,” she said. “He goes on [the computer] and

loves to share with me what he’s doing. They have [online discussion]

forums and he’s pretty passionate about politics already at 17 years

old. He will show me what he’s posting in the forums. He loves to

share it all.”

The online summer courses are a pilot program for the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District, which will offer three more starting this

fall. The district offered them to incoming seniors at all its high

schools for summer school.

The course curriculum is aligned to California’s teaching

standards, said Barry Barowitz, director of secondary curriculum and

instruction for the district. Students and parents had orientation

meetings at the beginning of the summer. For the class, students meet

once a week with their instructors to discuss problems or take

quizzes and do the rest of the work on their own.

Despite the infrequent meetings, American government teacher Bob

Hiles said he gets more personal interaction with students and

parents -- via e-mail and telephone. The students, he said, are also

more likely to open up in the required online discussion forums than

in a class with 30 other students.

“It’s almost impossible to get them in intelligent, adult

discussions in class,” Hiles said. “That’s not the case online.”

Rather than traditional lectures and textbooks, students have the

whole course plan and due dates from the start. They read study

materials online and do further research on other web pages linked to

their main content page.

Students take tests on computers during class meetings or at home

with a parent acting as proctor, said Steve Glyer, director of

educational technology for the district. Projects, however, play a

bigger role than tests and quizzes, Hiles said.

Erin Braswell, a 17-year-old Estancia student enrolled in both

classes, put together a video presentation on what it takes to become

an American citizen. She used historical video clips and text set to

music for the project.

“I do [videos] a lot for my projects,” said Erin, who wants to go

into the entertainment industry. “This is more entertaining than an

essay.”

This fall, Hiles will teach an online course in American

government at Corona del Mar High School. Estancia High School will

have the economics course and Back Bay and Monte Vista high schools

will have an American history online course, Glyer said.

In those classes, students will meet once a week or less. The

class will be scheduled as a “zero period” course, meaning they would

come in earlier on the days they meet.

All the students participating this summer have their own

computers with an Internet connection, Glyer said. But the district

can make arrangements at school sites or local libraries for students

who don’t have a computer.

While some students may excel with the format -- one student has

already finished all her work at the midway point of the course --

not everyone finds it suitable.

“Online classes may not be for all students,” Glyer said. “It

takes self-motivation because they’re on their own a lot of the

time.”

Most of the students in the class said they like the freedom and

independence of online studying. Some of them report doing their best

work between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., Hiles said.

“I’m pretty self-disciplined,” said Michael Matthews, a

17-year-old Newport Harbor High School student. “But it is hard

sometimes, sitting down on a nice day and doing homework instead of

going to the beach with my friends.”

Logan Mosley, 17, offered a suggestion.

“That’s what 11 o’clock [at night] is for,” she said.