Toolkit for 404 Error: Teacher Not Found

As the article “404 Error: Teacher Not Found” shows, there are many complex aspects to a virtual education. Students might initially be drawn to the idea, but it is important for them to understand the implications in terms of equity and justice. This toolkit will help your students become well versed in the issue of virtual learning. You will give your class an opportunity to talk about what might be good about an education that happens virtually, and what is better about in-person education. A key purpose of this lesson is to put students in conversation with one another so that they gain different perspectives on this hot topic.

Essential Questions

1. What is virtual learning?
2. What are some of the advantages of virtual learning?
3. What are some of the disadvantages of virtual learning? 

Procedure

1. Before they can have an effective conversation about virtual learning, students need to understand what it is. Begin by asking them what they already know about virtual learning. What preconceived notions do they have? What experiences have they already had with virtual learning? What questions do they have about it?
2. Give students 2-4 of the following articles to read. Allow them to read with partners, but ask that they hold off on talking about what they have learned until after they are finished reading.
   • The Teaching Tolerance feature story “404 Error: Teacher Not Found”
   • “Education Equity in Virtual Schools”
   •  “How Online Learning Companies Bought America’s Schools”
   • “NEA Policy Statement on Digital Learning”
3. After each partnership has read their assigned pieces, have them create a T-chart and list their ideas about the pros and cons of virtual schools. They should list at least three items on each side. If students are stuck, ask them to think about what they personally would like or dislike about having a virtual education. What would they gain? What would they miss out on? Then encourage them to think about someone different from them and how that person might experience a virtual education.
4. Now, have students switch partners. In their new partnerships, each student should briefly summarize their previous conversation and find out what their new partner might have come up with that was similar or different. Ask students to talk with their new partners about the question, “Who might stand to get the most out of a virtual learning experience? Who might stand to lose out because of a virtual learning experience? Why?” If students are stuck, remind them to think about different cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as different learning styles and personalities.
5. Now that students have had these conversations, give them time to write a paragraph in their journals describing their own views on virtual learning. Give interested students the opportunity to share their paragraphs with their peers.