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1. 

   Scott, 13 Dec 2005 @ 1:26pm

   
   

   Realistic?

   Is the state going to provide a PC and connectivity to the students who do not have it? I grew up in an area of ohio, that still has relatively no internet access(dial up is almost all long distance, no AOL or MSN, those that aren't are $20/month or more), and many people don't have computers. In my High School(now a junior high) to this day there are only 36 computers total for around 600 students. The local library is 15 miles away, and they have 10 computers, this is government shortsightedness at its finest.

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2. 

   Jared Anderson, 13 Dec 2005 @ 1:35pm

   
   

   Re: Realistic?

   Yea Its unrealistic to think every student will gain access to a computer,I guess some kids just won't graduate.:(

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3. 

   CompTeacher, 13 Dec 2005 @ 1:46pm

   
   

   Why not!!

   One would AssUMe that this is probably a more affluent community anyway. Besides, one can take an online class in a classroom. Many of today's college classes are taught via an online interface but profs are available. In my own high school classroom I use an in-house Moodle server to give my students an online experience in a closed schoolhouse environment. More and more computer classes are going "paperless" - this is just one more way to use the resources we've got more efficiently. Bravo!!

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4. 

   NonDeskript, 13 Dec 2005 @ 1:48pm

   
   

   More Sense

   Wouldn't it make more sense to have students take a Computer Literacy course? Then instead of simply having them use a computer, you can teach them HOW to use it and how to do more than simply go to an online course in a web browser. I've known people who took online courses but had a very low level of computer literacy, just enough to get by... Mandatory online courses for HS students is an absurdly dumb idea. OPTIONAL online courses, OTOH, would be a good idea, so that school districts could combine resources for courses that would only appeal to a minority of students.

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5. 

   Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2005 @ 1:51pm

   
   

   No Subject Given

   Really? An increase in online education courses? How interesting, because I can't find anything except PARTIAL degrees that you can acquire online EXCEPT from shady places like Pheonix University Online and the line (and who the hell would get a degree from some sub-par place nobody has ever heard of in one of a whole three branches of study that they might offer?).

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6. 

   NonDeskript, 13 Dec 2005 @ 1:51pm

   
   

   Re: Why not!!

   Thing is, according to the post, this isn't an individual school board, this is a STATE issue, and I doubt that all of Michigan is affluent.

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7. 

   Craigmcb, 13 Dec 2005 @ 2:13pm

   
   

   No Subject Given

   Things like this always seem like a good idea, but schools are increasingly being put upon to answer unfunded mandates from state and federal governments. Without providing some kind of funding, the state may be accused of just trying to shove its unpopular 'virtual university' down the throats of helpless and financially strapped locals.

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8. 

   Anonymous Coward, 13 Dec 2005 @ 2:30pm

   
   

   Re: More Sense

   Yes these classes should become mandatory for high school education, but they cirriculum should be more than just internet knowledge as you have stated.
   
   The problem with optional is that it ignores the inevitable. Computers and the Internet are NOT going away, EVER. They are a part of all of our lives and will continue to grow to all corners of the world. They are the future and therefore ALL people should have some basic knowledge of them.
   
   Just because you work in manual labor profession or don't make use of computers/internet on a regular basis, DOES NOT mean you won't NEED to know how tomorrow or in 20 years.
   
   "Those who refuse to change are always left behind."

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9. 

   Rob Miles, 13 Dec 2005 @ 4:47pm

   
   

   Revenue Source

   Hmm, I wonder how much I could make by offering Michigan students to take their online courses for them (assuming that they are remote courses)? Do you think they'd be logging IP addresses? My guess is no, becuase that would require a level of competency that might be missing from a State requirement.
   
   Rob Miles
   ==
   There are only 10 types of people in the world;
   those who understand binary and those who don't.

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10. 

    Ivory Bill, 13 Dec 2005 @ 6:12pm

    
    

    No Subject Given

    The way the world is going, the last time many people have live instruction is for the sixteen or so courses they take in high school. While tech savvy is a good thing, its not such a good thing when it comes at the expense of having a competent live teacher.
    
    Frankly, I question the motives of the education board-- can they not find anyone to teach/facilitate computer literacy? Or are they too cheap to pay for it?

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11. 

    Dak, 14 Dec 2005 @ 8:19am

    
    

    No Subject Given

    so if you dont have a computer at home are you suppose to use a computer at school? whats the point of taking remote education when your at the school you are taking the class online for?

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