A+LS Anywhere Learning System (ALS) allows students to complete classes using the program entirely online. The system shows all assignments and grades each of them. Students can work at there own pace and just have to have the class completed by the end of the semester. This program is being used quite frequently in the school district I am currently teaching. What do you think about this program? Do you feel it is beneficial or are there too many negatives?
16 Comments
Ruth Ann Pfremmer
11/3/2013 10:46:36 am
I had not previously heard of this type of system. After completing some research I see an amazing opportunity for students to access information about various topics from K - 12 grade. I think young students would love interactive items that can be completed at school or home. I also think students in the last two years of high school will also utilize the system to progress and possibly move forward toward their college career. I think these two groups will definitely benefit from this type of system and I don't see many drawbacks.
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Lynn Royer
11/10/2013 10:17:20 am
As many online programs, some tests/assessments could be set up to be proctored to try to protect academic integrity of the courses or programs. I think online learning opportunities are the students of tomorrow. In higher education we know that the student of 2020 will be totally different than 2012. Millenial students have "cut their teeth" on technology, and we need to be prepared for them.
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Jodi
11/4/2013 07:48:08 am
I have never heard of this program before, but after reading a little more about it, I can definitely see where there could be some benefits! I struggle with how to balance the work with my class at times because I hate leaving a student behind when they don't understand, but also hate to hold back those who do. With the work were doing, it's hard to move too far ahead with the guided lessons. A program like this would allow the students to work more at their own level! I asked my 11 yr old daughter if this would be something she would enjoy doing and she thought it was a fantastic idea! She's a bright student who works hard and stays focused on her work. Unfortunately, not all of the students in her classes are the same and she often has to deal with the consequences of the problems those other students cause - like extra homework and not getting as far as they should in lessons. Something like this would allow her to excel and be more challenged.
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Trisha Shannon
11/4/2013 10:50:14 am
I agree It can be difficult for students to stay on task or keep them from cheating. There would have to be some sort of system in place to prevent or catch cheating.
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Trisha Shannon
11/4/2013 10:47:48 am
Like my other classmates I had previously never heard about this program. I can see how this program can be beneficial it can allow students to work at their own pace and learn on their own. It can allow students who do no learn in the traditional classroom to learn in other environments. But I can also see the drawbacks, it lacks the student teacher interaction and the personal relationship. If a student is really struggling with a subject it might make it more difficult for them to master it. I also remember in high school I was quite the procrastinator, I could see some students waiting till the very end to complete the subject and therefore not getting the most of the information.
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Thyago
11/5/2013 12:53:54 am
Never heard about this proigram either but like everything has good poinst and bad points. Its a new way to do things , and I like how they could use the technology to build some software like that , that could be use at home or anyplace and still teach students soewmthing. But at the same time the could cheat or not be focus while they were doing hw because you could loose focus really easy with some games on, web site, social medias...
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Joshua Hancock
11/5/2013 10:27:30 pm
A+LS is a very touchy topic in my school, that is why I chose to discuss it. I found it interesting that several of you had not heard of it. I wonder how my own administration heard of this program and why they chose to use it. The benefits of it are that students can work at their own pace, they can do everything using a computer, and they learn to be more independent while using it. The drawbacks seem to be keeping some students on task and having someone facilitate it. Currently there is only one A+LS class offered during the day. This year not as many people signed up for art, so our art teacher is having to facilitate it. Another negative is that although the program grades the assignments, the facilitator has to go through and find all the grades and record them in his/her gradebook. This is a very time consuming, and seemingly redundant process.
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Jodi
11/7/2013 10:31:33 am
This program may give students an advantage with the new Smarter Balanced Assessments (I think they're still going to call in MAP). During our PD time this week, we were able to get online and take practice exams and see what they will be like. If your students are at least familiar with using a computer and doing assignments, then it'll make the online test taking easier!
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Ruth Ann Pfremmer
11/7/2013 09:28:02 pm
Ther may be a way to export/download the grades an an excel spreadsheet. I would highly suggest someone ask about this...it will save a lot of time. Almost all of the various online learning tools we use have a way to export/download the grades. Sometimes it takes several attemptes to figure out the best way to get the format you want but it is definitely worth figuring out!
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Morgan Goetschel
11/8/2013 12:31:08 am
I had not heard of this system before, I feel that it is a unique way for learning and good be beneficial. But I know the type of student I could be at times when I was in High School and that I would probably put off doing all of the work till the last minute. If students do this they will not get anything out of the work that they are suppose to do. For this to work best they might have to have a few deadlines mid semester, but you still run the risk of students putting it off.
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Derek Lannigan
11/8/2013 02:57:56 am
I took courses there were very similar to these through VESI last January. I thought that the program was amazing because of the flexibility of the due dates on the assignments. This kind of format would be very beneficial for me now since it is football season and at the end of next week I will have an abundant mount of time to get all my work completed. The only negative I can see with these programs is if you are a procrastinator or not very focused, you could potentially put yourself in a very bad situation.
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Ethan Mignard
11/8/2013 04:46:54 am
Allowing students to work at their own pace has benefits, but I believe that at the high school level, it has more negatives than positives. I don't feel that most students have developed the time management and study skills to successfully complete a work-at-your-own-pace online class. Also, I think the lack of face-to-face interaction with the teacher could be a problem. Sometimes it's easier to communicate certain things in person. One of the positives could be that students heavily involved in extracurricular activities would not be in danger of falling behind in class during heavy travel seasons.
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Travis Dalton
11/9/2013 12:08:12 am
I have also never heard of this program. I think it could be a good tool, depending on the student. I think that there would be a definite possibility of procrastinating too much and falling way behind in the class. I think they could be good but I also think they need to have some kind of teacher oversight in order to help them from falling too far behind or if there was anything they really did not understand.
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Lynn Royer
11/10/2013 10:21:40 am
I feel the online programs are a wonderful idea for many students. Students can work at their own pace and learn dedication, time management, as well as how to be mature enough to ask for help when they don't understand, which teaches teamwork.
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Dustyn Yung
11/10/2013 01:23:12 pm
I think this depends on the type of person you are. I wouldn't like it because I know I would put it off till the end. I like have things week by week, so know these items are due then and I have that week to get them done, if not a bad grade. If you like having that type of freedom with your homework then I would say go for it.
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Alanna Dennison
11/10/2013 02:03:57 pm
I took several classes on a similar system to this in high school and loved it! I thought it was great to work at my own pace and often finished half way through the semester. However, at the college level, I dislike this type of class. I have too much going on and tend to put this off until the end. Like Dustyn mentioned above, it would depend a lot on the type of person, as well as their motivation for the class. If they were not ambitious about the material, they would not likely do well.
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Student BlogThis blog is for class conversations for ED 514 at Central Methodist University. These post are by the students of ED 514. We invite input form other teachers about how they use technology in their classrooms. Archives
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