Dear editor,
At the Crossfield candidates forum, Oct. 4, the very first question put to the school board candidates was: “Why do students at W.G. Murdoch have to take core courses through distance learning?”
This tiresome old question was obviously submitted by someone with a grudge who is out of touch with activity at the school. W.G. Murdoch does offer all of the core courses with a real teacher in a real classroom. But this is not the end of the debate.
W.G. Murdoch has a surprising number of students who attend part-time because they either have jobs or are members of the Registered Apprenticeship Program. We also have several students who see the wisdom of upgrading their courses from a previous year in order to enhance their applications to college or university. This would be for the “dash-1” versus “dash-2” level courses. And we have several students who have the opportunity to accelerate a course one year ahead. We have had several Grade 11 students take Grade 12 courses and do very well on their diploma exams. It is commendable that W.G. Murdoch is so accommodating for these students. They are, however, difficult to fit into the regular schedule.
To provide this flexibility for so many students, all core courses are also offered by the Rocky View School’s online learning service called “WeConnect,” which offers real teachers in real time in a real classroom. W.G. Murdoch is not alone. Every high school in the division is tied into the WeConnect online service.
Last year, the online learning at W.G. Murdoch was so successful, we had teachers from Banff and Canmore visit to see the service in action.
Online learning offers students a chance to develop semi-independent responsibility – a big first step towards life-long learning, and a 21st Century Learning objective by Rocky View Schools. Online learning is no longer just for distance learning. Even in a traditional classroom, many teachers are using some kind of online service. And in the real world, many companies rely on online service for employee training and education. So, the negative attitude and resentment in this community towards online learning is no longer valid.
All of the teachers at W.G. Murdoch, including the WeConnect online teachers, are attentive and committed. We expect - and get - the same from our students.
Clifford Hurt, Online Learning Specialist, W.G. Murdoch School
