"The question is no longer if the Internet can be used to transform learning in new and powerful ways.   The Commission has found that it can."
--Web Commission Report to Congress.  December 2000.  (www.webcommission.org)

Why would my child want to take an Online course?

Online courses allow increased flexibility for a student’s schedule.  A student may want two electives in a schedule (for example:  choir and instrumental music).  Taking an online course in addition to the regular schedule allows this to happen.  Some of the students in CAL Online this year are taking the online course so they can fit in a CART lab or the Clovis East Ag Center courses.  Other reasons students may want to take an online course include:

Increased flexibility as far as pacing, scheduling, and teacher accessibility

Individualization (Students do the course each day when it is convenient, teachers communicate via email, phone and electronic assignments.)

Lack of intimidation in online environment

Erase time constraints (Students busy with sports or a job can work on the online course early in the morning or late at night.)

Increase technological literacy (Some students enjoy using technology and the Internet to learn.)

Connect to real world (Online courses incorporate the best of what is on the web to help students learn the material.  As one example, the biology course uses an online imaging program to help students understand about cells.)  

Making up a poor grade in a previous course  (A student may need just one semester of English 9 to improve a grade.  A student can take the first semester of English 9 online during the second semester.)

Our goal is that every student who begins an online course will be successful.  To get a better idea of what the online courses are like:

See the PowerPoint overview of what the courses look like. 

See the “Is Online Learning for Me?” quiz for students.

See other online resources below about online high school courses.

How can my child enroll?

Visit our "How To Enroll" page

If you need any assistance or questions answered please email or call the CAL Online office at 327-9636.  
     

Other Resources

Florida Virtual School [http://www.flvs.net/] has been educating high school students for five years.  Currently they have over 3500 students enrolled in over 50 online courses.

See a listing of virtual high schools [http://www.dlrn.org/virtual.html]  currently in existence in the United States from a study commissioned by the Distance Learning Resource Network [www.dlrn.org].