May 2005

Tapping Into Students True Abilities

Washington State School for the Blind, Dean Stenehjem, Superintendent, and Theresa Tate, English Teacher

"The DLC is a real important step in helping to revolutionize the learning process and the availability of classes for students at the secondary level," says Superintendent Dean Stenehjem of Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB).

Online learning opens up new worlds

"A lot of people think that online learning is going to be isolating to students. The kids I’ve talked to will probably tell you differently. They’re connecting with students all over the country," Stenehjem says. "I know that for blind people, if you think about it, it opens up entire worlds that weren’t there before, because anything that can be digitized can be made accessible."

"Online learning also gives students the opportunity to move at their own pace," Stenehjem adds. "We have a lot of drop-outs in our state and in other states who may be gifted students who were bored. Programs and services offered through the DLC may be one of the mechanisms to help keep students interested and in school."

Stenehjem acknowledges that online learning may not be for every student, but he has found that there are students who can go far beyond what their teachers previously thought possible by having access to digital learning resources.

Being graded on ability, not disability

Theresa Tate, the English teacher at WSSB, teaches an online poetry class. One semester, she had five WSSB students in her class. One of the WSSB board members asked Superintendent Stenehjem how many other blind students were in Tate's class. Stenehjem replied: "We have no idea," to which the board member, who is also blind, said: "This is really cool. For the first time students are going to be graded on their ability, not their disability."

Tate echoes this sentiment. "The issue of not being singled out for their disability and having the ability to reveal it if and when they feel like it, not being immediately characterized and pigeonholed, that’s one thing our students really like about online classes."

Bonding with students all over the state

But just like all of Tate's poetry students, her WSSB students simply enjoy her online class because they get to know students from all over the country. "A lot of their poetry reflects things in their journals, so they get to know each other in some ways more intimately than they would in the regular English class…And they really bond…We’re on week thirteen, and they’re already starting to go 'Oh, I don’t want this to end.' "

Another advantage of online learning is that the students get to take classes that aren’t normally available. "Most high schools don't have enough staff or the wherewithal to offer 160 courses," explains Tate. "When the kids here take the poetry class as a semester-long class, it counts as their English class and gives them a chance to take an intensive study course."

Benefits of joining the DLC

Sixteen of WSSB's twenty-three academic high school students have taken at least one online course in the past two years, and several have taken two or three. Superintendent Stenehjem cites the following as additional DLC benefits:

Access to partners in the DLC, who help WSSB staff become more creative.
Connection to districts throughout the state.
Access to tools and resources for staff. "As some of our teachers have said, whether a resource is being used in a digital environment or in their classroom, those tools have helped each one of them tremendously."
The availability of a lot of resources through one source.

Stenehjem adds: "I see the DLC as a huge efficiency measure. This is really a one-stop center. The DLC has done a good job of weeding out resources that aren't very good. And believe me, we as a school don’t have the time to do that."

"The DLC is one more tool in the tool box. That’s really what it is. It doesn’t replace anything, but it adds a lot. I think it’s a very worthwhile venture."

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