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This teacher reaches out
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| Staff photo by Mark Boxley Sitting in his Beloit home's basement office, teacher Tom Young explains how a typical day at a virtual high school goes. Young is the only full-time teacher at Wisconsin's largest virtual high school, iQ Academies. Hanging behind Young is a map of the state showing the locations of different students who attend the school. |
By Ann Montgomery
Daily News staff writer
Online students link up all over state
Tom Young has a morning routine that would make him the envy of most teachers.
The Beloit educator of almost 30 years doesn't need to wake early to get himself ready for the school day. Instead, he wanders to his basement, flips on a computer and looks over the day's lessons. He does not teach within the time limits of ringing bells or deal with classroom interruption.
But he is a sort of pioneer.
Young is the only full-time teacher at the state's largest virtual high school.
iQ Academies at Wisconsin and Young are making waves this school year as about 250 students make their way through the school's first year with full-time enrollment. Offered through the School District of Waukesha, the charter school offers classes via the Internet in every school subject except physical education and art.
"I like it. I've always been an innovator, and to be on the front edge of this is really something," Young said while sitting in a room in his West Grand Avenue home that doubles as his office.
Young came to Beloit in the 1970s to attend Beloit College. He studied education, and shortly after student teaching at Beloit Memorial High School, he was offered his first full-time teaching job in the science department. He stayed at BMHS for 16 years before taking a job at Northwestern Military Academy in Lake Geneva. When that school closed, he applied with the Waukesha School District, the same district he attended as a teenager. He spent the next 10 years teaching science at Waukesha South High School before agreeing to make the jump to teaching through the district's virtual charter school.
Young has traded the hour-long commute to Waukesha for a simple trip to his basement. With only a few text books surrounding him and a state map showing where all his students are, the educator spends his days teaching earth science, biology, chemistry and physics to about 200 of the school's students.
He explained about half of the school's students are home schoolers who have outgrown their parent's teaching capabilities.
"They're looking for curriculum help," Young said, adding science is especially difficult for parents to teach to home schoolers.
Others enroll in the iQ Academies because they need the flexibility. Young said some of the students are semi-professional athletes, such as ice skaters, who need time during the day to practice and would rather take classes late in the afternoon or at night. He's even instructed a few models and musicians, as well as students with disabilities.
"Virtual education is billed as anytime anywhere. The only thing you need is a computer and a connection," he said.
All students enrolled in iQ Academies receive a laptop computer, printer and Internet connection through the School District of Waukesha. Text books and other classroom materials are also provided through the school district, Young explained.
To be a part of a class, students need to simply log on to the iQ web page and find their way to the class in which they are enrolled. A 36-week syllabus is provided at the beginning of the school year, and day-by-day instructions follow. Young is available via e-mail to guide students through their studies and to answer questions. He also hosts "office hours" during the day by going online and, much like logging onto a chat room, chatting with students. The office hours are used to discuss classroom work, to allow students to see each other's work, and for Young to look over their work.
Young said using a computer and the Internet as a teaching tool is not new to him. He's been setting up and utilizing Web sites for his classes for years.
While Young is iQ's first full-time teacher, he is joined by a number of other teachers from the School District of Waukesha in teaching classes to students can take full class loads. It is possible to receive a diploma from the virtual school, with the PE credit being replaced by community service.
While the virtual school is based out of Waukesha, any high school student in Wisconsin id eligible to enroll through the state's open enrollment program.
Young noted he does not have any students from Beloit enrolled in his classes, but he does have a few students from Janesville.
The majority of students are from the Milwaukee area, but students from all over the state are enrolled in the school.
Administrators at iQ Academies believe enrollment will grow in upcoming years as words of the school spreads. They are in the process of creating a marketing plan to advertise the school, including sending the school's teachers out to share information and answer questions about the school. Young will make three local presentations this month, including at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Fairfield Inn, 2784 Milwaukee Road, Beloit, and Feb. 12 and 24 in Janesville at the Holiday Inn, 3100 Wellington Place.
Anyone interested in learning more about iQ Academies at Wisconsin can stop by and talk to Young at one of the presentations. Information about iQ can also be found online at www.go2iq.com.
Tom Young has a morning routine that would make him the envy of most teachers.
The Beloit educator of almost 30 years doesn't need to wake early to get himself ready for the school day. Instead, he wanders to his basement, flips on a computer and looks over the day's lessons. He does not teach within the time limits of ringing bells or deal with classroom interruption.
But he is a sort of pioneer.
Young is the only full-time teacher at the state's largest virtual high school.
iQ Academies at Wisconsin and Young are making waves this school year as about 250 students make their way through the school's first year with full-time enrollment. Offered through the School District of Waukesha, the charter school offers classes via the Internet in every school subject except physical education and art.
"I like it. I've always been an innovator, and to be on the front edge of this is really something," Young said while sitting in a room in his West Grand Avenue home that doubles as his office.
Young came to Beloit in the 1970s to attend Beloit College. He studied education, and shortly after student teaching at Beloit Memorial High School, he was offered his first full-time teaching job in the science department. He stayed at BMHS for 16 years before taking a job at Northwestern Military Academy in Lake Geneva. When that school closed, he applied with the Waukesha School District, the same district he attended as a teenager. He spent the next 10 years teaching science at Waukesha South High School before agreeing to make the jump to teaching through the district's virtual charter school.
Young has traded the hour-long commute to Waukesha for a simple trip to his basement. With only a few text books surrounding him and a state map showing where all his students are, the educator spends his days teaching earth science, biology, chemistry and physics to about 200 of the school's students.
He explained about half of the school's students are home schoolers who have outgrown their parent's teaching capabilities.
"They're looking for curriculum help," Young said, adding science is especially difficult for parents to teach to home schoolers.
Others enroll in the iQ Academies because they need the flexibility. Young said some of the students are semi-professional athletes, such as ice skaters, who need time during the day to practice and would rather take classes late in the afternoon or at night. He's even instructed a few models and musicians, as well as students with disabilities.
"Virtual education is billed as anytime anywhere. The only thing you need is a computer and a connection," he said.
All students enrolled in iQ Academies receive a laptop computer, printer and Internet connection through the School District of Waukesha. Text books and other classroom materials are also provided through the school district, Young explained.
To be a part of a class, students need to simply log on to the iQ web page and find their way to the class in which they are enrolled. A 36-week syllabus is provided at the beginning of the school year, and day-by-day instructions follow. Young is available via e-mail to guide students through their studies and to answer questions. He also hosts "office hours" during the day by going online and, much like logging onto a chat room, chatting with students. The office hours are used to discuss classroom work, to allow students to see each other's work, and for Young to look over their work.
Young said using a computer and the Internet as a teaching tool is not new to him. He's been setting up and utilizing Web sites for his classes for years.
While Young is iQ's first full-time teacher, he is joined by a number of other teachers from the School District of Waukesha in teaching classes to students can take full class loads. It is possible to receive a diploma from the virtual school, with the PE credit being replaced by community service.
While the virtual school is based out of Waukesha, any high school student in Wisconsin id eligible to enroll through the state's open enrollment program.
Young noted he does not have any students from Beloit enrolled in his classes, but he does have a few students from Janesville.
The majority of students are from the Milwaukee area, but students from all over the state are enrolled in the school.
Administrators at iQ Academies believe enrollment will grow in upcoming years as words of the school spreads. They are in the process of creating a marketing plan to advertise the school, including sending the school's teachers out to share information and answer questions about the school. Young will make three local presentations this month, including at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Fairfield Inn, 2784 Milwaukee Road, Beloit, and Feb. 12 and 24 in Janesville at the Holiday Inn, 3100 Wellington Place.
Anyone interested in learning more about iQ Academies at Wisconsin can stop by and talk to Young at one of the presentations. Information about iQ can also be found online at www.go2iq.com.
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