Can+we+build+a+virtual+school?

Can we build a virtual school? What would a virtual school be like?

I started a conversation with the fabulous [|Stephen Heppell], earlier this year (2009), about the idea of working together to build a virtual school. Stephen wrote a great thought-leadership piece on the topic and neatly binned any idea of creating a conventional online K-12 offer. He linked me to some US sites trying to do this which, he was right, were truly awful. We exchanged ideas about small modular buildings (Stephen's thoughts) and about engaging communities (mine). As usual, he zoomed off at an intellectual pace nearing 200 kph, while I dawdled behind.

Then, in late September 2009, I caught up a little and we began to play with the idea of 'delivering' the virtual school, certainly in the developing world but maybe in the West as well, through the medium of parents. This is not simply looking to create a "home school' alternative to state systems. It is a matter of designing educational resources, activities and ideas so that teachers and parents can come to the same virtual space, participate and take something away to use with their children/students.

Idea started to follow idea. I feel that schools can probably only 'personalise' education if they try to engage the parent as well as the student. Stephen and I wondered, are we good enough to build an online resource which (a) equips the parent and the student with the personal control they should have over their own information and their own work, while (b) giving them access to activities, information and resources to enrich their learning....?

The ideas need a lot of work, but it feels like we are starting out on a good journey.