NYSCATE The Power of Paperless Workshop Agenda

The Power of Paperless Workshop Agenda

Thanks to the power of The Cloud

Thanks to the power of The Cloud, my students and I:

have nothing to purchase or carry.

are automatically organized.

can access any assignment, assessment, or discussion from any point in the school year.

have 24/7 access to class resources.

work at individual paces, at differentiated levels.

receive an abundance of data to reflect on and be motivated by.

discreetly submit assignments on individual timelines.

receive immediate correction on spelling. 

work together in real time.

do not need to be in the same physical location to work together.

do not have to speak to ask a question or communicate.

maximize class time focusing on skills and concepts, not paper collection and distribution.

can locate facts, diagrams, statistics, or anything that we need or want to know.

do not exchange germ ridden objects.

do not have to attempt to listen, watch, and do the same thing at the same time.

are free to process information at individual paces.

are not limited by important information written on a single object, in one physical location.

have enrichment and support built in to each class session.

receive immediate results and feedback.

And all of this happens anytime, anywhere, and from any device!

There are so many benefits to The Paperless Classroom! 

Read more: Why go paperless? Why not?!

LMS Showdown: Google Classroom VS My Big Campus VS Edmodo

I love the seemingly infinite buffet of tech tools for education, including learning management systems. I use a combination of Google Classroom, My Big Campus, and Edmodo. I can't commit to just one; there are too many great features out there.

Of course, educators are at the mercy of which subscriptions their districts select. For example, I've heard great things about Schoology, Blackboard, Moodle, and others, but I have no experience with them. My district is a GAFE (Google Apps for Education) school that also has a My Big Campus subscription. Edmodo is free.

I use each for very specific purposes and have discovered strengths and weaknesses.

Google Classroom

Google Classroom's greatest strength and weakness is its simplicity.

GC is simple to set up, simple to use, and simple to look at.

Teachers can set up classes in under a minute. The options for "classes" are infinite. I know a middle school teacher who sets up a new "class" for every unit she teaches. So instead of having 1st period, 2nd period, 3rd..., she has a mythology class, a research class, a Shakespeare class, and a poetry class.
My building used a class for a paperless faculty meeting. The media specialists at my school have various book clubs set up as classes. Most teachers set up traditional classes by class periods, but, like all things tech, the options are infinite for how the groupings of classes can be used.

It's simple to make announcements or to set up assignments on GC. Teachers can quickly and easily add links, videos, Google Drive items, and other files to assignments and announcements.

There is little to no learning curve because the features are practically intuitive, like all things Google. I know a few teachers who have one toe in the water with Google Drive and Docs, so they are having students share assignments with them. That's a nice way to start, but their drives will be a hot mess in no time. Not to mention, how do they easily identify which students have and have not submitted the assignment? Where are they going to put the grade? As a comment? Where will they track the grades for the class? How do they know who handed in what and when, and if anything was handed in late? Google Classroom organizes and tracks all of that, with the information offered all at once, at a glance.

The built in features of Google Classroom are not as robust as those on My Big Campus and Edmodo, but sometimes robust features means the main page will be a busy place, to the point where students may need assistance navigating. Those simple features on GC are a Stream, a Students tab, and an About tab. The About tab is a perfect place to keep class resources. What does a class need besides announcements, assignments, and resources?  

I am not a fan of class discussions on Google Classroom. The stream quickly becomes long and jumbled. GC recently added an option to assign questions and comments. I tried it and it's just not as organized and as user friendly as holding discussions on My Big Campus.

My Big Campus

Since My Big Campus is a subscription, classes are automatically set up, new students are automatically added. Even though the Groups on MBC are set up according to scheduling, there are other options for using Groups, such as for a book club, or for a specific topic, or for a school club, but the set up is not as quick and simple as on Google Classroom. There is no join code; teachers have to look up and add everyone they want to place in a group. And as nice as it is that MBC syncs with the school scheduling data everyday, there are drawbacks to that. For example, every time I added the special education teacher I work with to a class, or Group, she was refreshed out every night at midnight.

At this point, I only use My Big Campus for class discussions. It's very organized, easy to see which responses go with which comments, and offers an option to assign a grade and track participation. Each group has its own Discussion tab where all discussions are listed.

The layout allows students to place responses to other students' comments right under the comment, instead of one long unorganized stream. The discussions take place on separate pages not just adding to the long stream of everything including class assignments and announcements. Students and teachers can easily reference a discussion from months ago. For example, a discussion from the first week of school could be reflected on the last week of the school year. It's not long lost on an endless and unstructured stream (or long lost forever like a traditional class discussion). Once in awhile, I even use the discussion feature on MBC as an exit ticket, where students need to answer a single question.

I used to use the MBC library to allow students video access. The MBC library lets teachers select videos, add them to the library, and then share with students. This year my students have YouTube access, so there is no need to go through the MBC library. Before they had YouTube access, the MBC library was a handy way to use videos with students in a way that would otherwise be rejected by the school filter. In short, the MBC library could be a powerful resource if your school filter rejects student video access in general.

The biggest drawback of My Big Campus? Glitches galore! All sorts of glitches on all features. Some options work in Firefox, but not in Chrome. There are glitches in grading and grade recording. The Drive or MBC cloud is no exception. I have had students lose work and that is the worst! Previous to being a GAFE school, the MBC cloud was the best and only way to save work, not on the school server, or to a particular device. When the glitches occur, they are usually widespread. What a morale killer to have a class steadily crafting a piece of writing all period and then getting an error screen when trying to save at the end of class. It hurts to look around the room and see 28 screens with the same error message. The MBC drive is great when it works, but you really can't count on it, unlike like Google Drive, now there's a cloud I trust.

Other drawbacks to My Big Campus include overly complicated assignment creation. A first time user will most likely need guidance from a more experienced user or to consult a tutorial video (thankfully there are plenty!) in order to set up and assign anything. Many teachers in my building have become fans of Bundles (collections of videos, resources, tasks, infinite options) on MBC, those who have the patience for the extensive set up.

My Big Campus is about to become a non-factor in learning management systems as it is scheduled to end in the summer of 2016. Heavy users of MBC should migrate their content to elsewhere this school year.

Edmodo

I like Edmodo for the poll feature, quizzes, Snapshot, apps launcher, and for student teachers.

The poll feature allows me to ask the class a question and then immediately charts the results as they come in. I use this for things that I used to request a show of hands for. Last year, I began using it for exit tickets. For example, I could ask students about their progress on a piece of writing, offering options like: planning, drafting, editing, done. I could then see at a glance what I needed to know to plan for the next day and students could gauge their progress against that of their peers. Any paperless exit ticket is better than a paper based one, but that's a whole separate article...

I love giving quizzes on Edmodo. My favorite feature is how students slide their options around for matching questions. Quizzes are a breeze to set up and quick and simple to assign, so quick and simple that I wait to push out a quiz to students until the moment they are ready- desks separated and quiet, instead of having the quiz pre-set up and waiting for them as they each log on at different paces. Students get to view their results immediately and I can view the grades at at glance, as well as an abundance of pretty color-coded data.

Snapshot is huge for Math and ELA. Teachers can assess and track the progress on each Common Core learning standard (and sub standard!) for each student, class, and entire population. By simply selecting specific standards, each student is assigned vetted (and rigorous!) Common Core aligned questions. Last year, I used the data gleaned from Snapshot to inform my SLO rather than the team benchmark.

I just started using the apps launcher, but I'm already very impressed. The apps launcher allows students access to sites often used separately, but through the apps launcher, the outside accounts are linked with their Edmodo accounts. For example, I planned to use NoRedInk this year with students and set up accounts on NoRedInk. Instead, students just go through the apps launcher on Edmodo to use NoRedInk. There are a variety of app options. If nothing else, it's one less login.

Since Edmodo is public and free, it's a great option for student teachers. Cooperating teachers don't have to share passwords and account access, which gets especially sticky when email and drives and accounts are meshed. Student teachers can set up their own classes, small groups, and special groups according to their objectives. They have complete control over how they present themselves and can manage anytime, anywhere, and from any device.

Students like the social media-esque  look of Edmodo. With that, the main page is a busy place, where students could get lost, but notifications help students see what pertains to them.

Edmodo works with Google Drive and gives students and teachers access to Office 365 tools when they are creating content on the site.

The drawbacks of Edmodo are few. Since it is public, some school filters may not allow access, especially at the elementary level.

Final Verdict

Who knows what LMS will be created next, but for now I'm glad that I'm not limited to just one. Google Classroom's simple features somehow allow for infinite options. Edmodo offers a wide variety of apps and features in a fun environment for free. It's time for My Big Campus to get out of the game, and apparently they agree, but in the meantime, I will hold class discussions there.

Projector Diet - The next step in taking full advantage of tech tools

I'm fortunate to have a mentor who says the things that are tough to hear, the things I most need to hear to become a more effective speaker, writer, and educator.

An innovator and a visionary, she experiences paradigm shifts and then plans strategies to essentially revolutionize my educational approaches and practices. She notices what isn't working and creates solutions. She notices what's working well and figures out how to take that to next level.

Usually her targets are archaic educational practices that are going unquestioned, accepted as the way things are done.

The backstory of my projector diet begins in June when my mentor popped her head in my door, looked around, and asked, "How attached are you to this space?" Just the fact that she was calling my assigned classroom a "space" let me know this was going to be big.

"Not at all. Why? What are you thinking?"

She wondered if I might want to go mobile with my classes next year and experiment with the ability to work out of various locations.

"Sign me up!"

The super supportive administrative team embraced the idea, brainstormed possibilities, and implemented the details.

It's the third week of school and I'm loving the simplicity brought about by internet access and the fun of working out of different rooms.

Like last year, when I first went paperless, everything my students' parents used to buy and my students used to carry around is online: docs, folders, binders, texts, highlighters, dictionaries, variety of writing implements, notecards and flashcards, etc. That list could go on and on!

Since the only need my students and I have is the internet, we can work out of any space - a science room, a tech lab, the auditorium, a gym, a hallway even. Actually, we don't even necessarily have to be together in one place at one time...but that's a whole other article.

Anyhow, what an education and a pleasure  to see up close the set ups and procedures my colleagues have in place! My students and I have sampled a small variety of rooms thus far and my new roommates have been welcoming, accommodating, and interested in my students' mobility options.

I wanted to make things as seamless as possible in the rooms my classes used. I realized the potential to cut into another teacher's class time if on back to back periods, we each needed to log on/off the classroom workstation hooked to the projector. Well that is simply unacceptable, with each teacher needing to make full use of each class period.

Neat solutions presented themselves immediately - a projector input splitter, a mini ultra portable projector to connect to any device, and the potential for wireless projection.

After giving projection options more thought, my tech mentor had ideas to share....

She started with something along the lines of that she was disappointed in us and that we were better than this. I've learned that with her, the heavier the opening constructive criticism, the bigger and better the idea or plan she has for me. So this is going to be good if she is "disappointed" in us!

She questioned why I was relying on a projector with all the tech tools available to me and my students. Further, she pointed out that acting like I needed to stand front and center and reference something on a single surface was perpetuating a model of education that was very 1800's.

Oh she's had another paradigm shift!
Immediately I saw the light. She was so right!

And she was already full of specific ideas: How about incorporating more Nearpod? How about a daily interactive agenda with links that could be posted on Google Classroom each day? 

She pointed out what a powerful, empowering, and useful resource it would be to make the daily agendas an ongoing doc where any student could reference any resource from any day of the year (and of course- anywhere, anytime, and from any device). Everything could be linked there- every assignment, survey, class discussion, text, video excerpt, quiz, form, exit ticket, everything! With YouTube access for students, there is no need to try to watch videos as a class again. Now each student can pause, rewind, replay, fast forward as needed, in addition to selecting the perfect lighting and sound levels.

This conversation took place mid-day. I changed stream immediately, adjusting my plans to enable going projector-less in my afternoon classes.

I agreed to go as projector-less as possible going forward.

Even so, I voiced a few erroneous exceptions...

"What about Kahoot!?" I asked. "My students love to Kahoot! I have to project for that."

"Check out Quizizz. It has all the info on the student devices."

"Ok, but what about open house?"

"You can Nearpod your presentation onto Chromebooks or iPads, and parents can even choose to join on their own devices."

She has all the answers! 

Thus my projector diet has begun...

The Transformative Role of Technology: New York Smart Schools Commission Report

A "heavy" document indeed, but a great read as far as reports go, I highly recommend the New York Smart Schools Commission Report to any tech integration enthusiast.


New York Smart Schools Commission Report

Peruse at least the first 20 pages for a great overview of the envisioned transformative role of technology in education going forward.

My favorite part is the framework of tech integration. 

See below or Doc pg 13, Scroll pg 15. 

Education is REDEFINED at the highest level of tech integration, where:

"Tech allows for the creation of new tasks previously inconceivable."

AND

"Technology profoundly alters all or part of the task/assignment, providing students with an enhanced educational experience."

Read more about the online learning movement:

Online Platforms Revolutionize Student Motivation and Engagement

Lifelong Learners Go Digital

Educators love learning, and when we're not busy instilling that love in the next generation, we are exploring how to become more effective educators.

I am thoroughly enjoying the momentum of tech integration and digital options in education.

Homes and businesses have eagerly embraced tech tools, and education is rapidly evolving too, worldwide.

I love being a part of the paperless movement and the unique experiences this has afforded me.

In addition to numerous speaking engagements this school year (CV with presentation list and video excerpts), I've enjoyed hosting visitors from other districts. They got to see a paperless classroom in action, while I gleaned a wealth of ideas, and insights from hearing where they were at in their individual tech integration journeys. I was inspired and energized by the shared passion for ed-tech, no matter the subject area, grade level, or years of experience.

I was honored to host observers from in-district and the following local schools:

Buffalo United Charter School
Depew
Cleveland Hill 
Maryvale

Sarah Krajewski, fellow high school ELA teacher, tech enthusiast, and blogger, wrote a review of her observation experience with me which I was very flattered to read, and am eager to share:

Sarah Krajewski's "Journey Toward a Mostly-Paperless Classroom"

ePasses Review - All positives!

ePasses: Digital corridor passes

This year I piloted ePasses (through Remind) to explore potential options to traditional paper corridor passes using school issued and required agenda planners.

If you are curious about the logistics of using Remind for ePasses check out the logistics section at the end of this article.

Why try ePasses?

I noticed that traditional paper student agenda planners were underutilized, cumbersome, unsanitary, often misplaced, and alterable.

Here is a breakdown of the limitations of traditional corridor passes and how ePasses resolve each issue:

Underutilized - 90-some% of the traditional student agenda planners go unused. Most of this is the calendar. Most students prefer online or phone calendar options for tracking assignments and other academic responsibilities. Their digital calendars even offer reminders before due dates and events, whereas a paper calendar has to be looked at to remind onselff of anything. The other underutilized portions of the agenda planner (anything that is not the hall pass pages) contain school policies (accessible through the district website) and Reference information ie.units of measurement, periodic tables, etc. - all items that students now Google on a need to know basis.

Cumbersome - The agenda planner is a fairly hefty object at well over 100 pages considering that many students only use four pages. It adds to the already large amount that students carry around. Students have to remember to bring their agenda planner to each class, each day, just in case they may need to use a corridor pass. This causes many students to abandon carrying the item altogether. This results in teachers needing to make judgment calls - If a student does not have his or her required agenda planner but requests to visit the lavatory or another location, a teacher must discern if it is an emergency that deems a trip to the lav or elsewhere without the otherwise required pass. Almost all students have their phones on them at all times, which makes ePasses a better option.

Unsanitary - Where does one place the agenda planner when using the lavatory? Enough said! How about the exchange of germs during cold and flu season when students carry the planner around all day and need to touch it with both hands to fill out passes and then having  teachers need to touch the object enough to sign it? What’s nice about ePasses (and all things paperless!) is that no one has to touch anything that belongs to someone else.

Often misplaced - There are students who say they haven’t seen their agenda planner since the first week of school. It may be at home, or the bottom of their lockers, or who knows?! But it’s not with them when hall passes are needed. This can result in discipline, money spent on replacements, inconvenience for teachers and students, confusion for hall monitors, requests for passes to be written on scraps of paper, denial of hall privileges, etc, the list goes on and on! Students rarely misplace their phones, so ePasses are a more convenient option, for everyone.

Alterable - I have noticed several unauthorized alterations to paper passes over the years: Recycling or reusing teacher signatures, change of time or destinations, etc.

ePasses cannot be altered. If you have concerns about attempts at unauthorized use of ePasses, see the logitstics part of this article.

The Logistics of Using Remind (formerly Remind 101) for ePasses

Teachers set up Remind accounts and students join.

Many teachers are already doing this for course reminders and information. It’s simple and user-friendly.

Teacher sends a pass to the student who needs to go somewhere.

Example: Jane Doe to Locker from Room 223

Remind automatically timestamps the pass and adds the teacher’s name:

Thu, May 7, 9:04 AM - Mrs. Metzgar

Is this more work or does this take longer than issuing a traditional hass pass? 

No! And the ePass is legible enough for everyone to easily read!

*On Remind, teachers have to send messages to at least three subscribers at once. This is a safety feature, and what makes the ePass system beautiful.

The pass to any student also goes to two administrative devices. The administrative devices can be as simple as an iPod. These devices can be with hall monitors, or sit on a secretary’s desk, or remain with principals - infinite options there.

This feature makes the passes verifiable. You may have wondered what keeps a student from creating a Mrs. Metzgar account on Remind and issuing passes to friends. This feature answers that. A fake pass would not show up on the administrative devices, so each pass can be verified for authenticity if necessary.

All things considered, I highly recommend the use of ePasses over traditional student agenda planners, at least as an option. The small percentage of students who like paper calendars could still have the choice to purchase or receive a paper planner. Schools could order only the amount needed.

Read more about why everyone wins when classrooms go paperless:
Why go paperless? Why not?!

Microsoft HoloLens - Video Preview

Microsoft HoloLens - Coming soon!

"Transform your world with holograms..."

Check out this video preview of Microsoft HoloLens.

It's well worth the two minutes!

For more info: 
Microsoft HoloLens - Official Site

Basic Paperless Classroom Tools

 

Technology integration allows students and teachers to have cloud based classrooms.

Students can access assignments, videos, discussions and much more anytime, anywhere and from any device - 24/7 access!

Folders, binders, packets, pens, etc have been replaced by online accounts and devices. All class resources and student documents are stored in clouds. 

Students are no longer burdened by the requirements to have certain pieces of paper at certain places at certain times.

Everything is clean, organized and efficient, a big help for students who struggle with organization or who have poor penmanship.

Freedom, accessibility and convenience for all! 

Check out these user-friendly options:

Edmodo, Google Classroom, & My Big Campus

These online classrooms are used for assignments, discussions, polls, assessments, videos, research, messaging, and much more.

Newsela

Students use Newsela to read current news articles, take quizzes, annotate and track reading levels. 

Lexile levels are adjustable so that all class members can focus on the same topic, but each at his or her own level. In my classes there is a reading range from 5th grade through college level, so Newsela is a valuable tool in providing individualization. I love being able to challenge upper level readers and provide support for struggling students. 

Students enjoy reviewing their data and are motivated by seeing their progress tracked on colorful charts.

There are paid and free features. The free 6 month trail of the PRO version is a great way to get a feel for the abundance of data and options.

Google Chrome

I teach at a GAFE (Google Apps For Education) school, where students have Google Chrome accounts with cloud storage.

"G-Chrome" is used for creating, storing and sharing: documents, presentations, spreadsheets, drawings, research and much more.

GC eliminates the need for flash drives, printers, and Microsoft Word. 

Consider using Google Chrome on your home devices instead of Internet Explorer! 

Quizlet

Quizlet offers online flash cards for any subject that can be worked with in multiple formats (games, digital index cards, quizzes, etc).

Teachers can assign specific sets of cards for review. 

Students can use Quizlet for any topic they are reviewing by searching existing sets of cards or by creating a custom deck.

Check it out for your next quiz or test! 

Socrative

This student response system uses games to engage students in lessons and provides valuable data for teachers.

Socrative is a valuable tool in data-driven instruction, where teachers need to identify mastery of specific skills and where remediation is needed for individual students.

Kahoot!

Kahoot! is game-based response system that all ages enjoy. 

Similar to Socrative in regards to engagement and data. 

Kahoot! makes reviewing any topics or terms fun. 

Students especially enjoy the leaderboards.

I am a paperless classroom enthusiast and advocate.

Feel free contact me if you have any questions, ideas, etc. 

kppaperless@gmail.com

Read more about eLearning / tech integration / going paperless:

4 Tips for Success (Things I learned the hard way!)

Why go paperless? Why not?!

Chromebook (and clouds!) - The future of school supplies?

Online Platforms Revolutionize Student Motivation and Engagement

And many more articles like these...

Curriculum Vitae

Kimberly Metzgar
kppaperless@gmail.com


Education

Master of Education - Secondary English
University at Buffalo
1999

Bachelor of Arts - English
University at Buffalo
1996


Professional Experience

English Language Arts Teacher (Grades 9 - 12)
Lancaster High School - Lancaster, NY
1997 - Present


Recent Presentations

"The Power of Paperless Workshop."
NYSCATE Annual Conference. 11/21/15.

"The Paperless Classroom Summer Workshop."
LCSD William Street School. 7/14/15.

"The Paperless Classroom."
Medaille College. 6/27/15.

"Paperless Classroom Tech Tasting."
WNY Superintendents at LHS. 4/30/15.

"Newsela: Something for Everyone."
LHS Paperless Faculty Meeting. 4/20/15.

"Paperless Classroom Tech Tasting." 
NYSCATE Digital Wave at Erie 1 BOCES. 3/13/15. Video Excerpt

"Impact of Technology Curriculum Mentors." 
LCSD Board of Education Meeting. 3/9/15.

"The Paperless Classroom: Positives and Possibilities." 
Holland Central School District Superintendent's Day. 3/6/15. 

"The Paperless Classroom: Positives and Possibilities." 
LCSD District Technology Meeting. 1/21/15. Video Excerpt

"Paperless Classroom Tech Tasting." 
WNY Principals at LHS. 1/16/15. Video Excerpt

"Online Learning: Successes and Challenges." 
LCSD Online Learning Meeting. 10/30/14.

"Going Paperless (or at least paper-'less')." 
LCSD Leadership Camp. 7/31/14.

Detailed List of Presentations


Recent eLearning Efforts & Exploration

Professional Blog: The Paperless Teacher

Paperless Classroom: Paperless Classroom Teacher Page

Bee Group Article: "Teachers use summer to get their homework done"

Lancaster RR Article: "English 9 Embraces Technology and Online Learning"

Member of LCSD Smart Schools Committee and LCSD Online Learning Team

Development and piloting of ePass system for LHS: ePasses Review Article

Professional Development: Transcript of Professional Study

I got schooled on virtual schools!

Written in response to 

NYSCATE 11th Annual Riding the Digital Wave Conference 

Erie 1 BOCES - March 13, 2015

Keynote speech on Virtual Education by Scott Merrick

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Virtual School

"The unacknowledged design flaw in American education" is the school day and school year.

      - 1994 report by the National Education Commission on Time and Learning

The infinite options presented by tech integration beg the question: Is it really necessary for humans (grouped by birth dates) to gather together, at the same place, at the same time, in an effort to "work together"?

A conference I recently attended opened my eyes to a whole new world...virtual schools!


Students:

Would you like to be gainfully employed during the day? 
You can! If you attend a virtual school.

Are you in Europe training for a professional soccer career? 
That's great! Just log in at your convenience.

Is your dad a rock star and you need to travel the world? 
No prob! If you are a virtual school student...


The option to graduate early

In the traditional model, students are grouped by age and many decisions related to graduation are based on age. What if students could truly work at their own paces and on their own time schedules? 

Students can "fast forward" through material that comes easily to them, and focus as much time and energy as needed to work through more difficult concepts.


Graduate when ready!

What are the options? Graduate when you're not yet ready? Or when you've been ready and waiting around until your scheduled time?

Scott Merrick asked, "Are students prisoners of time?"

A National Education Report states, "Learning in America is a prisoner of time. For the past 150 years, American public schools have held time constant and let learning vary."

Read the full report here:
 Prisoners of Time - Education Commission of the States


Optimize energy

"The American Academy of Pediatrics declared the chronic sleepiness of our nation's teenagers a public health issue" (Netburn, 2014). 

See the full LA Times article: 
Do sleepy teens need later start times? Pediatricians say yes.

More from the article: 
"The exhaustion has serious consequences. The AAP reports that the average teenager in the U.S. regularly experiences levels of sleepiness similar to people with sleep disorders such as narcolepsy. Adolescents are also at higher risk for car accidents resulting from drowsy driving. And, as many of us know from personal experience, lack of sleep affects mood, attention, memory and behavior control."
And:
"When high school classes begin early in the morning, we ask teens to shine when their biological clock tells them to sleep."

What if students had the option to start the school day at noon? 6 pm? Whenever and wherever suited their ambition and energy levels?

Furthermore:

What if a student wanted to work on just math one day and just science the next?
What if a student wanted to focus on school on the weekends and hold a job during the week?
What if a student wanted to surf on sunny days and complete assignments on rainy days?

Want to read the full list of reasons to go virtual with your education?
Check out this list from the MNPS website:
 MNPS Virtual School - Why Enroll?


Of course virtual schools are not for everyone!

This extreme option is for motivated and independent individuals.

Just like in business - People who can push themselves, focus, and rally others make great bosses, while people without that drive benefit from the motivation a boss provides. Likewise, the freedom of virtual schooling will cause some students to flourish, while some will need the structure of the school day, schedule, building, and all that comes with it.


Tech integration is rapidly changing the "details" in education. 
It will be interesting to watch virtual schools gather momentum.


Intrigued? Check out these related items:
MNPS Virtual School
How about just one virtual day? A PA school tries it on 4/6/15