| I find it hard to believe that I have actually been | | | | environment. What a pity it had to come to that for |
| actively involved in education for the last 40 years!! | | | | them to get the individual help they needed. |
| I trained as a teacher back in the late 1960's and | | | | On many occasions we discussed the possibility of |
| apart from years at home with my children when | | | | offering distance learning using the computer, but |
| they were younger I have been teaching or involved | | | | somehow the technology was never good enough |
| with my own children's education for all of that time. | | | | and it came to nothing. |
| Coupled with that, my husband is also a teacher. He | | | | Over the years there have been many attempts to |
| was head of a village primary school for 25 years and | | | | offer online or e-courses, many of which have been |
| is still involved in primary school education now that | | | | very good, the only problem being that you have |
| he has retired. | | | | little or no personal contact with your tutor |
| Throughout that time I have seen many changes in | | | | Very recently I have been introduced to a |
| the educational system. Some good, and some not | | | | completely new concept in online education. It is |
| so good. During the last 15 years of my education | | | | being called Webucation,and is being hailed as the |
| career I was involved with pupils who had either | | | | next big internet trend. |
| been excluded from school or who were medical / | | | | So what is Webucation and how does it differ from |
| phobic referrals (exclusion by another name). It | | | | the online education we have experienced to date? |
| became obvious to me very quickly that these pupils | | | | Interactive Online Live Learning Channels will offer |
| were unable to cope with the rigors of mainstream | | | | children the opportunity to work online with a tutor |
| education, either because they had learning difficulties | | | | using an interactive whiteboard. The lessons are a |
| or more unusually because they were very bright and | | | | part of a new technology and will be available online |
| had such high expectations of themselves that they | | | | throughout the day. They are offering adult |
| were afraid that they wouldn't perform well enough. | | | | education in all manner of subjects including topics |
| Both of these types of children had "special needs" | | | | such as "How to Create a Basic Web Site" " What's |
| and those needs on most occasions demanded | | | | Missing in your Weight loss Plan" "The Power Within" |
| specialized individual help. However the school system | | | | "Understanding Your metabolism" "Living a Life on |
| being what it is meant that the specialized help | | | | Purpose" to name but a few. |
| couldn't be made available because of constraints on | | | | There are also curriculum lessons for school children |
| the school budget. | | | | as well as the opportunity for one to one tuition and |
| In some cases where the parents were aware and | | | | help with homework. The concept is phenomenal. |
| understood the needs of their children private tuition | | | | How this would have helped the children I used to |
| may have been a way to offer temporary help to | | | | teach. They could have had the lessons in their own |
| that child. In many cases, however, the parents | | | | homes to suit their needs, or even accessed the |
| either couldn't afford such a luxury or didn't fully | | | | lessons on a school based computer as necessary. |
| understand the needs of their child and would have | | | | The Online Channels are currently being beta tested |
| had no idea how to go about getting that individual | | | | by a group of people who have chosen to pursue |
| help. In some cases the child may have refused to | | | | the business opportunity. These founding members |
| have private tuition because of what their friends | | | | are now accessing courses at their leisure and |
| might think. | | | | experiencing the enormity of the business they have |
| Ironically when the pupils were excluded or referred | | | | chosen to develop. |
| to The Pupil Referral Unit where I worked, because | | | | During this prelaunch phase Representatives are being |
| of the low pupil teacher ratio in such establishments, | | | | paid to build their businesses and learn about the |
| they were able to get that individual attention they | | | | wonderful technology that is bringing Webucation |
| needed and many of them thrived in that | | | | LIVE into our homes. |