Lisa Russell
SLM 521
Article Critique #1

Vail, Kathleen. (2002). A New Kind of School.  American School Board Journal.  Retrieved September 20, 2003 from http://www.asbj.com/specialreports/2002pdf/sept02asbjs.1.pdf

In her article, "A New Kind of School", Kathleen Vail addresses the challenges, concerns and benefits of online instruction.  She describes online learning as "The new kid on the block" stating that the earliest programs date to the middle 1990s.  She cautions us not to hesitate in taking advantage of this valuable tool because of the opportunities it provides for both educators and students.  It provides educators with additional resources to use while planning  their curriculum and a flexible and easily accessible manner in which to present it.  Moving from the traditional classroom environment, to the more flexible online learning program; however,  is not without complications.  Among which are:  Keeping track of students' progress, grading students' work, judging the quality of the course and the quality of the instructor.  There are also those who oppose online learning for fear that it will replace the need for teachers or will result in "socially isolated students."  Vail answers this concern by stating that it is "simply another choice for students and not a substitute for face-to-face learning".  When starting a program of online instruction, Vail suggests treating it as a business venture complete with marketing tactics like:  What type of consumers will be targeted?  Where will funding come from?  What type of product do you want to offer?  Another, perhaps more important, issue is that of finding teachers who are qualified in online instruction.  Vail cautions that technologically advanced teachers are not necessarily better suited for the job than more traditional instructors.  When searching for an online instructor, she suggests a teacher who is open minded about technology and instruction and who is also a good motivator.

I enjoyed this article and found  it easy to follow and comprehend.  It appeared well researched and constructed.  I would like for it to have included some thoughts, opinions and perhaps even experiences of  other teachers of online courses.  The author did; however, name her sources of infomation and also provided the reader with additional resources that I found helpful.  I was encouraged by the knowledge that web based teaching can provide education to those who otherwise may not have access due to geography or other limitations.  This confirms my belief that it is a worthwhile endeavor.