Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V.

Tech in Traditional Public School

1

Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V. Tech in Traditional Public School

Samantha Cottrell
University of Mount Union

Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V. Tech in Traditional Public School

2

Abstract
Within the world of education we have many different types of education. We have
private schools, public schools, vocational schools, charter schools, and online schools. The most
common that you hear of, I feel are public schools and online schools. While watching the
television you can see many ads for different online schooling. When I was in High School some
of my friends decided that they were going to go ahead and go with the online schooling route.
As one of my friends was in the process of switching over from public school to online school it
was very interesting to see the entire process and to see all the different equipment she would
need and which of that equipment would be given to her.
She was looking into one online school but they would have to pay out of pocket to be
able to get the internet that the school required and it would be much too expensive for her and
her family. She ended up going with another online school that was not as expensive and
provided her with a laptop for school and the equipment on her laptop that she would need.
While starting to think about online school and all of the costs that one might have for
online school I decided that this would be very interesting. Since we have so many different
online schools I have chosen to focus on the online school Ohio Connections Academy (OCA)
and to look at the system they use, technology needed and to compare how that is different from
traditional public schools. The reason that I have chosen this school is because I have heard of
the school since it is most often being advertised on my local news station and also my cousin
works for OCA so I thought that she would be able to give me some good information from a
firsthand perspective on the technology.
Main Body

Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V. Tech in Traditional Public School

3

I will be starting with OCA, and looking at the different technology services you can
request and the different services that are required by OCA. According to OCA website a family
may request one desktop computer and monitor per student. A family also has the option of using
their own computers. (Hardware and Connectivity, 2016) If a family chooses to use personal
computers they must make sure that they meet the connectivity requirements. The program that
OCA uses is called Connexus and they have be able to have access to Google Chrome, Firefox,
Internet Explorer, or Safari browsers. Also they must be sure that they have Windows Media
Player, Adobe Player, Adobe Reader, and Microsoft Office. Most computers come with some of
these systems and they only need to update or install Microsoft Office. (Connectivity
Requirements, 2016)
Internet services are also required, the household may be able to get reimbursed for some
of the cost of the internet services, but the household is responsible for getting their own internet
service provider. This is a very crucial part to online schooling since all of the classes through
OCA are through the Connexus Program and need internet access. Printers and scanners are also
needed for students at OCA and the families are also responsible for these. (Hardware and
Connectivity, 2016)
Connexus is the online learning management system that OCA uses for their students. A
feature of Connexus that is very beneficial is that if can be used wherever internet is available, so
not only can it be used at home but anyplace you have Wi-Fi. This program connects students to
lessons, teachers and a range of education resources. (Connections Academy, 2016) A wide range
of tools are available for students, parents, and coaches, teachers and administrators alike. Tools
available for students are daily and monthly schedules, lessons, online gradebook access for
student grade 6 and older, communication with teachers through WebMail and Message Boards,

Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V. Tech in Traditional Public School

4

online learning resources, and a very important part to all education, the ability to participate in
clubs and activities. (Connections Academy, 2016)
Tools through Connexus that benefit the parents are the ability just as student to be able
to see the schedules and lessons but also to see the assignments to be sure everything is getting
done. Ability to adjust the learning schedule for the students up to grade 8, the ability to you
would never have as a parent in the public school system. Access to online grade books,
WebMail and Message Boards. (Connections Academy, 2016)
Looking at online education from a teacher standpoint makes you really wonder what
exactly the teachers and staff are able to do. Through the Connexus system teachers are able to
conduct live lessons over the internet! To me this is very beneficial to still have a traditional
feel if you will to the classroom even though it is online. Teachers can track student progress,
review and grade online assignments and assessments, which could make the world of teaching a
bit faster than what it is on the public school level. Teachers can quickly communicate with
students, parents, and learning coaches. One big factor that I think is surprising about the
Connexus program is that teachers can keep track of student and family interactions. Family
engagement is so important to the learning process that I think it is wonderful that teachers can
still track that even though it is an online school. Lastly they can provide differentiation when
needed for students. (Connections Academy, 2016)
Deanne Anderson my older cousin is a senior guidance counselor at OCA, so as I started
this project I hoped that she would be willing to give me an insiders point of view on the
education and technology needed. I asked her a series of questions, both on OCA and public
school centered on technology, and she answered them to the best of her abilities.

Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V. Tech in Traditional Public School

5

As I researched the OCA programs I felt that it was a very good program with adequate
technology, so that was my first question for Mrs. Anderson. She stated that yes she feels that the
technology OCA provides their students with is very adequate with so many different resources
to help the students. One thing that she mentioned was that the parents receive a lot of
information on their children and the progress to help them be more involved in the work of their
child. Mrs. Anderson feels that the curriculum is very rigorous and helps students to be career
and college ready, the LiveLesson feature is a wonderful addition she feels. Within math classes
the math teachers can use the ELMO document camera to live project any info that is needed for
the class helping anyone with math issues as well as giving the student a traditional classroom
feel. (Anderson, 2016)
Technology is great for all these things when it works, so my next question was about the
technology failing or not working properly. Mrs. Anderson stated that the technology is generally
stable, systems dont usually go down but if they do its usually only for about 20 minutes. If the
problem is with the student and the hardware the tech support team takes care of the issue as fast
as they can and if a student needs a new device they are usually sent a new one within 1-2
business days. (Anderson, 2016)
Mrs. Anderson feels that the world of online education has made great strides, and all the
technology that is available is intuitive enough that it makes online education more legitimate
than ever before. Technology is not only changing the way students learn but also helping
teachers support the learning and engagement process throughout. The way that the curriculum is
set up lets the students get the public education needed with the experiences that come along,
while getting the traditional homeschool feel. (Anderson, 2016)

Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V. Tech in Traditional Public School

6

Now that we know the basis and background to the technology for OCA we can turn to
public schools and see how the technology matches up. Technology is taking over the world,
according to the Kaiser Family Foundation children spend up to 75 hours a week on tech
gadgets. (Myers, 2016) If this is the statistic currently for children then we can only begin to
imagine how it is going to go up form this point. As education is becoming more technologically
advanced you can see how the statistics would begin to grow, not including all the online school
students. 40 percent of teachers reported in 2009 that that they or their students used computers
in the classroom during instructional time. (Educational Technology, n.d.) Just like with online
schooling for regular schooling there are certain types of technology trends that you can see in
the public education system. One of the biggest trends in technology for the traditional as
according to Harman Singh is flipped classrooms. (Singh, 2014) This is when you teach a lesson
through the computer using some form of media, or you have the students watch a video about
the lesson and then you just do the homework in the classroom. Its kind of like a homeschool
approach except that children will have the help right with them the following day in class.
Another type of technology that I see used a lot on the classroom which I really enjoy is
the Smart Board. Smart Board open so many possibilities that you didnt have before. The
company was founded in 1987, and the annual revenue for 2015 was 431.3 million US dollars.
(SMART technologies, 2016) Although it can be a little tricky at times, obviously, most schools
have the smart board and utilize them. Smart board use can start as early as Pre-School and go all
the way up into higher education such as University level.
Even though having all of these educational strides in the field is wonderful, public
school is supposed to be traditional to a certain extent I feel. When I asked Mrs. Deanne
Anderson how she felt about the use of technology in the traditional classroom she stated that she

Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V. Tech in Traditional Public School

7

said that she does believe technology should be used in the traditional classroom because, she
believes technology can help enhance learning and that if can help teacher differentiate learning.
(Anderson, 2016)

Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V. Tech in Traditional Public School

8

Works Cited
Anderson, D. (2016, Aprl 7). (S. Cottrell, Interviewer)
Connections Academy. (2016). Connexus Eduation Management System. Retrieved
from Ohio Connections Academy: http://www.connectionsacademy.com/ohioeschool/about/technology/connexus
Connectivity Requirements. (2016). Retrieved from Connections Academy:
http://www.connectionsacademy.com/ohioeschool/about/technology/hardware/system-requirements
Educational Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved from Fast Facts:
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=46
Hardware and Connectivity. (2016). Retrieved from Connections Academy:
http://www.connectionsacademy.com/ohioeschool/about/technology/hardware
Myers, G. (2016). Brave New Wrold- How Technology Has Come to Take Over our
Lives. Retrieved from Home Remedies for you: http://www.home-remedies-foryou.com/articles/1769/wellness/brave-new-world-how-technology-has-cometo-take-over-our-lives.html
Singh, H. (2014). 5 Education Tech Trends For 2015.
http://www.informationweek.com/government/open-government/5-educationtech-trends-for-2015/a/d-id/1318396.
SMART technologies. (2016). Quick Facts. Retrieved from Smart Tech:
https://smarttech.com/About+SMART/About+SMART/Newsroom/Quick+facts+
and+stats

Tech in Ohio Connections Academy Classrooms V. Tech in Traditional Public School

9