iNACOL Setting the Standard
The iNACOL Standards are a set of learning objectives that were put together by the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. It is important for the common person to be informed of iNACOL standards because these standards validate online education systems. There is a stereotype circulating that online students have an easier school experience than students who attend a physical school. These standards share exactly what students are learning in virtual classrooms proving their legitimacy. In addition to the common person, it is essential for teachers of physical classrooms to have experience with iNACOL standards. When former online students enter their physical classrooms, educators with an understanding of iNACOL standards will be more efficient helping students adjust. The teachers will know the information the students have learned. Due to the cross-over of students from physical and virtual classrooms, it is beneficial to plan lessons that align with state and iNACOL standards.
iNACOL Standards have a huge impact on online teachers throughout the world. It is important for future online educators, like myself, to know about these standards, because they impact what achievements the students should anticipate accomplishing. The standards define what will be taught in the virtual classroom. Furthermore, the standards specifically define what is expected of the teacher. The iNACOL standards can ensure that students are receiving “a world-class education and quality learning opportunity to prepare them for a lifetime of success,” (p. 3). The iNACOL Standards directly impact online educators, because they directly speak to the teacher and list what they “should know and understand and what online teachers should be able to do for evaluation purposes,” (p. 3).
I was shocked by my interest in the iNACOL Standards. They appear to be different than any other set of standards I have ever observed. I like how the International Association for K-12 Online Learning takes their users’ feedback into consideration when revising their standards. This organization is extremely willing to improve the standards in order to better the learning community. In addition to their proficient revising process, I enjoyed the people iNACOL employs to aid in creating new versions of standards. iNACOL “organizes a team of experts consisting of online teachers, professional developers, instructional designers, researchers, course developers, and administrators to review the new standards,” (p. 3). Overall, the feature of the iNACOL Standards I appreciated the most was the audience they address. Most standards explain what students must master by the end of the school year evaluation. However, the iNACOL Standards are used to evaluate the teachers and their skills. “The indicators have been divided between what the online teachers should know and understand and what the online teachers should be able to do for evaluation purposes,” (p. 3).
International Association for K-12 Online Learning. National Standards for Quality Online Teaching. 2, International Association for K-12 Online Learning, October 2011, Retrieved from https://www.inacol.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/national-standards-for-quality-online-teaching-v2.pdf. 29 August 2018.
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