Students Educate Legislators On E-Learning

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Virtual learning took on a new meaning as students educated legislators.

NBC 4’s Tom Brockman HAD ANSWERS FOR YOU on how virtual learning works and how Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposed budget plan could change that.

Students have more learning tools than ever before.

In some cases, laptop computers replace traditional classrooms. Legislators got a first-hand example Thursday.

Anna Marie Redenour, 15, spent her morning like many other students her age—working through math problems and other lessons.

Except she did her schoolwork on a laptop and she wasn’t in a classroom.

She was at the Statehouse where she and with other students, teachers and administrators from Ohio Connections Academy, a public e-school spent their school day.

“What we’re showing legislators is what students in a quality e-school, such as Ohio Connections Academy, do all day. So, our students here are actually working on their lessons, their projects and activities they would be working on during any normal school day,“ Ohio Connections Academy Vice President Mickey Revenaugh said.

Revenaugh said students, such as Anna Marie, are taught by teachers over the phone and Internet. Students also receive face-to-face instruction from learning coaches.

Instead of just going through it once, I can go over and redo the stuff I’m having a hard time with. And the teachers will personally go over items you don’t understand, Anna Marie said.

Revenaugh said e-schools already get less than traditional public schools from the state and under Governor Ted Strickland’s proposed budget plan, the gap would widen and they’d get even less

BOTTOMLINE: Student-to-teacher ratios would go from 35:1 to 125:1, according to Revenaugh.

Revenaugh and others continued to encourage lawmakers to keep that from happening.   

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