Full-disclosure, I am on the founding board of the charter school discussed in this opinion piece, but the message is absolutely important and relevant to reforming New Mexico’s education system moving forward. Online learning may not be right for every child, but it can help large numbers of them. We need to get out of the “one-size-fits-all” mentality in education.
Great opinion piece. There are several important outcomes that a policy priority on online learning can accomplish. Most important among these are (1) improving access to education, particularly for a state that has a large rural population, and (2) improving the quality of education. An emphasis on technology-based learning requires a rethinking of the curriculum and an exploration into how students actually learn. Online learning is, inevitably, a learner-based form of instruction.