Student Interview: Alexandra (Aly) Mulconnery
Interview conducted: 9-6-13
1. Why did you choose to go to an online high school?
I started looking a while ago, before high school, because riding horses is a huge passion of mine, and one that takes a lot of time. I was interested in a program that would allow me to complete my studies in a self-paced environment. The majority of online high schools are self-paced with no real teacher interaction. I like this because I am self-motivated, but academics are really important to me, too. I took some self-paced courses from other schools and I did fine, but I didn't feel like I was challenged.
So I kept looking, and had pretty much settled on Laurel Springs because it is a quality school that is still self-paced. But then I got an invitation from Stanford to take a look at their summer program for high school students and at their online high school. So I feel like they kind of found me.
I was actually kind of mad about going to Stanford at first because it's not entirely self-paced, and I wanted that. I wasn't quite sure how it would work out. But the name brand was a big draw for me, because academics are very important. Riding is important, but I also want to go to college—a good college. So the name "Stanford" was a huge draw. I started last year--this is my 2nd year, so I'm a junior. I've learned that the quality of education here is superb. All the teachers are very, very passionate about what they do. Most have doctorates or Ph.Ds and they work closely with Stanford. But they are employed as Stanford Online High School teachers, and are very committed to it.
What I've learned is that I still have flexibility. I have classes Monday–Thursday. Fridays are reserved for clubs, assemblies, student service committees, and extracurricular activity. This school requires a lot more work per class than I am used to—I spend about 10 hrs/class per week, so at least 50 hours of work per week. It's very interactive. People who hear that I am going to an online school immediately think I'm not getting enough interaction, but that is completely false. I have more interaction now than I ever did before. It's structured like college--you do work before you go to class, and then have a little over an hour to ask questions. This is a huge advantage--I don't have to waste time waiting for the teacher to get the students quiet, pass out homework, and do those things that are normal in a regular classroom.
Here, students have to be self-motivated and responsible. It's very easy to to fall behind.
We use Centra for our class meetings. So we can see whoever is speaking. The professor is visible to us. We all have to be in class. This can be tough for international students, who may have to show up at 3 a.m. They offer classes from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. PCT to try to accommodate everyone's needs. The classes are very interactive. We can see who is talking. In addition, there is a white board—teachers can import slides, we can scroll through and anyone can write on them, highlight things, use a laser to point, or draw. We also have a Text Chat--so no one ever talks over whoever is speaking, but we can still ask questions or make comments via text chat. That means everyone participates a lot more.
Participation is high. I would attribute this to the programs they use and the fact that the students are very like-minded—not in all ways, though. Students come from around 39 countries, so there is lots of diversity, but they are all passionate and dedicated to their studies and doing something else in the world. Some are doing really intense humanitarian work, others are models or actors or athletes or some combination of things. What we all have in common is that we are very passionate about our studies and something else. OHS allows us to pursue our passions without sacrificing an education.
Basically, the students are applying to all the top schools and getting in. We are definitely well represented at all the big schools. So online high school has not harmed anyone; it has given us more opportunities. It's also a great thing to put in a college application. It's still new enough that it's a great talking point for college interviews. People are interested in what we're doing.
So basically all the common perceptions about online school are wrong for me—my classes are more engaging and interactive. There is more of a connection between students and teachers and there is more work and harder work than in a traditional school.
At the same time, I have more time because I she can structure my day. I wake up at 7 and go riding. Then from 10:30–4:30 I do school work. I prepare for my classes every Sunday. So it's not self-paced, but teachers know we have a lot going on and work with us while still expecting us to get the work and not giving us shortcuts. I have one friend who runs a business and also skis. He trains in the morning, runs a clothing line during the day, and then takes his classes at night. It's great to be able to do it all.
2. Do you know how Stanford found you?
I'm not positive, but I took the PSAT in my freshman year, and I think they might have sourced me that way. I had never heard of the program. I got something in the mail about a summer session held in August. It mentioned that I could take individual classes as an OHS student and that there was a separate summer program just for OHS kids. I got a ton of stuff after the PSAT. They also have a middle school program. What some students do is home school until middle school, when they can enroll in OHS at 6th grade. But I heard about it more recently.
3. What is your favorite aspect of online learning?
That is really hard to say! I guess that it's designed to my own needs and individuality.
4. What is your favorite aspect of your OHS in particular?
It's not self-paced, but I can structure it in a way that works for me. I'm expected to be in class, but they will work with us to get classes that work for our schedule. Plus, going to a private school makes a huge difference. Our professors are so able to engage with us and teach us what they want to teach rather than teaching to the test like they do in public schools. Stanford OHS only offers honors, AP, and university level classes—there are no such thing as regular classes here. They may tell us to buy a book, but they never teach to a test. It's really individualized. Our teachers have office hours so we can work 1–1 with them.
5. What was your least-favorite aspect of online learning?
Technology diffiiculties! We turn in our papers through eCollege. There's always a worry that something won't go through. Centra is super glitchy, too, so that can be a challenge sometimes.
Other online high schools lack interactivity--I'm taking Spanish through another school (CMA) because I am not great in Spanish and I don't want to burn through one of my OHS credits. The English class I took online at UT was so boring. I realized I was wasting my time because the assignments weren't graded, so I just blew it off. Most people just take those courses for credit recovery, not to actually learn something. I really want to learn something. I'm really strong in English, so I took English II at UTOHS because I wanted to skip it at my public school.
6. What was your least-favorite aspect of Stanford OHS in particular?
That's hard. I wanted to take an AP Psychology course they didn't offer, so I took it from BYU. That was a really good one—good textbook, very interactive, well sectioned with questions, and the final exams were proctored. It was very challenging, and self-paced. At Stanford, we are encouraged to limit ourselves to only 5 classes, but I have taken a few outside the program—they didn't offer psychology and I was really interested in that course. Taking the Spanish in the online video format sounded awful to me because I'm no good at it. But I really like OHS.
7. Was it difficult for you to get enough social interaction?
No, because I already had an established base of friends. If I'd been home schooled and then went, it might have been hard. But I went to public school until my freshman year, so I already had close friends. Actually, now I can see them more because during the day I'm actually working on my classes, so I have more time in the evenings to hang out with my friends. My social interaction has actually gone UP since I started online high school.
8. How would you compare the quality of your educational experience with that you would have had if you had gone to a traditional school?
It's soooo much better!
9. Would you recommend online learning to anyone your age? If not, what type of student might you refer online learning to, if any?
No, I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. You have to be self motivated. People who are not self disciplined won't get it done. I have a friend who was going to try it over the summer, and he didn't even get around to signing up for classes! Here, teachers don't yell at you to do the work; the government doesn't enforce your being at school; and unless your parent is home during the day acting as your teacher, you are on your own and have to get it done. You can quickly fall behind, and once you do, it's really hard to catch up. People think online school is easier, but unless you are determined--you will sit home and watch cartoons all day. Students who do that will not succeed.
10. Would you recommend Stanford OHS in particular? Explain.
Yes--I have a friend who is now a senior. I only wish she would have started sooner so she could've gone to OHS. It would've been a perfect fit for someone who is self motivated, wants to learn, but also wants to pursue other things.
11. What skills do you think online learners need to have that traditional learners do not?
Self-discipline; self-motivation
12. What skills do you think you developed because of your online experience that you probably would not have developed at a traditional high school?
I interact so much more here than I ever did at a public school, so I've developed more speaking skills—a lot more. It's kind of nerve wracking speaking online. People see you in video, and you're not sure how you appear. If you stumble, you are stumbling online and it's recorded. All of our classes are available for playback. So if I miss class, I am counted absent, but I can go back and watch. Some teachers will let you write about the class to get some credit. Mostly, it's just to stay on track.
13. What are your short-term goals?
For this semester--I'm doing a lot! I've got school, horses, and work. I'm trying to keep my GPA above a 3.7, hopefully a 4.0. But I've got a full load of really advanced classes. It's really difficult. I'm also the Editor in Chief of the school newspaper. When I started it was basically dead, but I love to write and was able to get it going again. I'm also a reporter for two local community papers. My big thing is horseback riding. I will be going to the American Championships in 15 days. I've got lots of competitions all year. Next summer, I hope to be in National Young Riders. I also started a new paying job yesterday. So I have a lot to balance, and time management is a challenge.
14. What are your long-term goals?
I'm hoping to go to the UT Business Honors program or UT's Plan II. I'm not sure I'll apply to any other schools. I'm pretty confident that I'll get in. But my friends want me to apply to some other schools to see if I can get scholarships. Maybe I will. So that's basically my academic goal. My riding goal is to keep competing--I'd like to make it to North American Junior Young Rider. I'll definitely keep competing until the end of high school and maybe continue after high school. I want to balance all my interests—social life, riding, academics. These are all short-term and ongoing goals.
15. How did going to Stanford OHS help you get closer to your goals?
It allows me to focus more on my riding. I can ride in the morning. Last winter, I went to Florida for three months to train and compete. This is huge in the riding world because there are lots of competitions in Florida during the winter. I wouldn't have been able to do that if I'd been in a traditional school. At a traditional school, they want you to be there. I was always running into trouble for attendance, leaving every Friday and every week or two for a competition.
But now school can travel with me. Stanford has pushed me to my limits with academics. I'd never studied at my public school before. I was just sliding by. I was in the top 10 without doing anything. Now I'm actually pushed to achieve. I got my first B+ ever during my first semester at Stanford. I moved it up to getting all As, but it's really challenging. They are not OK with "good enough" there. They are not inflating grades, assigning extra points, or extra credit. If you fail a test, they won't let you just come make it up the next morning. They really expect you to learn.
16. If you had it to do all over again, would you choose online learning, and if so, the same online school? Explain.
Yes, definitely. It's been so amazing. My classes are so fascinating. They are philosophy based. Stanford OHS has a neat core program. There are four classes you take each year that are basically philosophy based classes, like the Freshman year is Methodology of Science—Biology; sophomore year it's History of Science: Great Ideas, Observations, and Experiments. Right now, I'm taking Democracy, Freedom, and the Rule of Law. It's very fascinating! It's about democracy, and how government is structured. We think about philosophical issues. It's really unique. OHS teaches you about thinking, teaches you to be critical thinkers and analyzers. We have to criticize and offer arguments. It's not teaching us to pass an exam. It's teaching us actual skills that we'll need in college, our careers, and in life. Things we can really use!
17. Did you make friends virtually? Explain.
Yes—I got involved in meeting people by writing for the newspaper. When I took on the Editorial Chief position, it expanded. I made some friends by interviewing them. The guy I told you about earlier who is a skier, a humanitarian, and has a clothing line became a friend that way. I've also talked to some elite musicians. Really cool people. I've only met one in "real life." She came to SXSW here in Austin. Her dad created Wolfram Alpha. It's a huge math equation solving program. The students here at OHS love it. You type in an equation, and it will solve basically anything. Her dad created that.
18. What would you say makes a good online instructor? What characteristics are necessary/helpful for the instructor to be effective in an online environment?
That's an interesting question. I suppose part of the answer is exactly what makes a teacher good in any setting—the willingness to interact with the students, their enjoyment for the subject and for teaching, and their ability to communicate. So being a good teacher in the first place is important; it's not all about online stuff. But it is helpful if the teacher knows how to make use of Tech Chat and other technologies. That can make a huge difference. Our teachers also have to be understanding about our other pursuits and the time it requires. They have also have to be able to relate to a huge diversity of kids and be able to relate to a lot of unique challenges. Our teachers are all so passionate. They are not just looking for a paycheck. Sometimes teachers are funny. You'll mention something they don't know, like a "selfie". We got to help one take his first selfie! It's funny. Others are so up to date and fresh out of college—they'll add us on Facebook and be right there with us with lingo and technology.
19. What is your favorite memory of high school?
I've had some great memories! I don't know how to boil it down. There are some unique challenges, for sure. The technology makes for some funny memories. Teachers trying to chat in class. I think my favorite thing is that I always leave my discussion sessions with something interesting on my mind. I used to come home and want to go take a nap. Now I can't wait to tell my parents about it, or bring up topics with my friends. It brings out the best in me; in all of us.
20. Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
My To Do list is pretty long. I have so much going on, but this school is helping me do it all. It's really the best possible of worlds!
1. Why did you choose to go to an online high school?
I started looking a while ago, before high school, because riding horses is a huge passion of mine, and one that takes a lot of time. I was interested in a program that would allow me to complete my studies in a self-paced environment. The majority of online high schools are self-paced with no real teacher interaction. I like this because I am self-motivated, but academics are really important to me, too. I took some self-paced courses from other schools and I did fine, but I didn't feel like I was challenged.
So I kept looking, and had pretty much settled on Laurel Springs because it is a quality school that is still self-paced. But then I got an invitation from Stanford to take a look at their summer program for high school students and at their online high school. So I feel like they kind of found me.
I was actually kind of mad about going to Stanford at first because it's not entirely self-paced, and I wanted that. I wasn't quite sure how it would work out. But the name brand was a big draw for me, because academics are very important. Riding is important, but I also want to go to college—a good college. So the name "Stanford" was a huge draw. I started last year--this is my 2nd year, so I'm a junior. I've learned that the quality of education here is superb. All the teachers are very, very passionate about what they do. Most have doctorates or Ph.Ds and they work closely with Stanford. But they are employed as Stanford Online High School teachers, and are very committed to it.
What I've learned is that I still have flexibility. I have classes Monday–Thursday. Fridays are reserved for clubs, assemblies, student service committees, and extracurricular activity. This school requires a lot more work per class than I am used to—I spend about 10 hrs/class per week, so at least 50 hours of work per week. It's very interactive. People who hear that I am going to an online school immediately think I'm not getting enough interaction, but that is completely false. I have more interaction now than I ever did before. It's structured like college--you do work before you go to class, and then have a little over an hour to ask questions. This is a huge advantage--I don't have to waste time waiting for the teacher to get the students quiet, pass out homework, and do those things that are normal in a regular classroom.
Here, students have to be self-motivated and responsible. It's very easy to to fall behind.
We use Centra for our class meetings. So we can see whoever is speaking. The professor is visible to us. We all have to be in class. This can be tough for international students, who may have to show up at 3 a.m. They offer classes from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. PCT to try to accommodate everyone's needs. The classes are very interactive. We can see who is talking. In addition, there is a white board—teachers can import slides, we can scroll through and anyone can write on them, highlight things, use a laser to point, or draw. We also have a Text Chat--so no one ever talks over whoever is speaking, but we can still ask questions or make comments via text chat. That means everyone participates a lot more.
Participation is high. I would attribute this to the programs they use and the fact that the students are very like-minded—not in all ways, though. Students come from around 39 countries, so there is lots of diversity, but they are all passionate and dedicated to their studies and doing something else in the world. Some are doing really intense humanitarian work, others are models or actors or athletes or some combination of things. What we all have in common is that we are very passionate about our studies and something else. OHS allows us to pursue our passions without sacrificing an education.
Basically, the students are applying to all the top schools and getting in. We are definitely well represented at all the big schools. So online high school has not harmed anyone; it has given us more opportunities. It's also a great thing to put in a college application. It's still new enough that it's a great talking point for college interviews. People are interested in what we're doing.
So basically all the common perceptions about online school are wrong for me—my classes are more engaging and interactive. There is more of a connection between students and teachers and there is more work and harder work than in a traditional school.
At the same time, I have more time because I she can structure my day. I wake up at 7 and go riding. Then from 10:30–4:30 I do school work. I prepare for my classes every Sunday. So it's not self-paced, but teachers know we have a lot going on and work with us while still expecting us to get the work and not giving us shortcuts. I have one friend who runs a business and also skis. He trains in the morning, runs a clothing line during the day, and then takes his classes at night. It's great to be able to do it all.
2. Do you know how Stanford found you?
I'm not positive, but I took the PSAT in my freshman year, and I think they might have sourced me that way. I had never heard of the program. I got something in the mail about a summer session held in August. It mentioned that I could take individual classes as an OHS student and that there was a separate summer program just for OHS kids. I got a ton of stuff after the PSAT. They also have a middle school program. What some students do is home school until middle school, when they can enroll in OHS at 6th grade. But I heard about it more recently.
3. What is your favorite aspect of online learning?
That is really hard to say! I guess that it's designed to my own needs and individuality.
4. What is your favorite aspect of your OHS in particular?
It's not self-paced, but I can structure it in a way that works for me. I'm expected to be in class, but they will work with us to get classes that work for our schedule. Plus, going to a private school makes a huge difference. Our professors are so able to engage with us and teach us what they want to teach rather than teaching to the test like they do in public schools. Stanford OHS only offers honors, AP, and university level classes—there are no such thing as regular classes here. They may tell us to buy a book, but they never teach to a test. It's really individualized. Our teachers have office hours so we can work 1–1 with them.
5. What was your least-favorite aspect of online learning?
Technology diffiiculties! We turn in our papers through eCollege. There's always a worry that something won't go through. Centra is super glitchy, too, so that can be a challenge sometimes.
Other online high schools lack interactivity--I'm taking Spanish through another school (CMA) because I am not great in Spanish and I don't want to burn through one of my OHS credits. The English class I took online at UT was so boring. I realized I was wasting my time because the assignments weren't graded, so I just blew it off. Most people just take those courses for credit recovery, not to actually learn something. I really want to learn something. I'm really strong in English, so I took English II at UTOHS because I wanted to skip it at my public school.
6. What was your least-favorite aspect of Stanford OHS in particular?
That's hard. I wanted to take an AP Psychology course they didn't offer, so I took it from BYU. That was a really good one—good textbook, very interactive, well sectioned with questions, and the final exams were proctored. It was very challenging, and self-paced. At Stanford, we are encouraged to limit ourselves to only 5 classes, but I have taken a few outside the program—they didn't offer psychology and I was really interested in that course. Taking the Spanish in the online video format sounded awful to me because I'm no good at it. But I really like OHS.
7. Was it difficult for you to get enough social interaction?
No, because I already had an established base of friends. If I'd been home schooled and then went, it might have been hard. But I went to public school until my freshman year, so I already had close friends. Actually, now I can see them more because during the day I'm actually working on my classes, so I have more time in the evenings to hang out with my friends. My social interaction has actually gone UP since I started online high school.
8. How would you compare the quality of your educational experience with that you would have had if you had gone to a traditional school?
It's soooo much better!
9. Would you recommend online learning to anyone your age? If not, what type of student might you refer online learning to, if any?
No, I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. You have to be self motivated. People who are not self disciplined won't get it done. I have a friend who was going to try it over the summer, and he didn't even get around to signing up for classes! Here, teachers don't yell at you to do the work; the government doesn't enforce your being at school; and unless your parent is home during the day acting as your teacher, you are on your own and have to get it done. You can quickly fall behind, and once you do, it's really hard to catch up. People think online school is easier, but unless you are determined--you will sit home and watch cartoons all day. Students who do that will not succeed.
10. Would you recommend Stanford OHS in particular? Explain.
Yes--I have a friend who is now a senior. I only wish she would have started sooner so she could've gone to OHS. It would've been a perfect fit for someone who is self motivated, wants to learn, but also wants to pursue other things.
11. What skills do you think online learners need to have that traditional learners do not?
Self-discipline; self-motivation
12. What skills do you think you developed because of your online experience that you probably would not have developed at a traditional high school?
I interact so much more here than I ever did at a public school, so I've developed more speaking skills—a lot more. It's kind of nerve wracking speaking online. People see you in video, and you're not sure how you appear. If you stumble, you are stumbling online and it's recorded. All of our classes are available for playback. So if I miss class, I am counted absent, but I can go back and watch. Some teachers will let you write about the class to get some credit. Mostly, it's just to stay on track.
13. What are your short-term goals?
For this semester--I'm doing a lot! I've got school, horses, and work. I'm trying to keep my GPA above a 3.7, hopefully a 4.0. But I've got a full load of really advanced classes. It's really difficult. I'm also the Editor in Chief of the school newspaper. When I started it was basically dead, but I love to write and was able to get it going again. I'm also a reporter for two local community papers. My big thing is horseback riding. I will be going to the American Championships in 15 days. I've got lots of competitions all year. Next summer, I hope to be in National Young Riders. I also started a new paying job yesterday. So I have a lot to balance, and time management is a challenge.
14. What are your long-term goals?
I'm hoping to go to the UT Business Honors program or UT's Plan II. I'm not sure I'll apply to any other schools. I'm pretty confident that I'll get in. But my friends want me to apply to some other schools to see if I can get scholarships. Maybe I will. So that's basically my academic goal. My riding goal is to keep competing--I'd like to make it to North American Junior Young Rider. I'll definitely keep competing until the end of high school and maybe continue after high school. I want to balance all my interests—social life, riding, academics. These are all short-term and ongoing goals.
15. How did going to Stanford OHS help you get closer to your goals?
It allows me to focus more on my riding. I can ride in the morning. Last winter, I went to Florida for three months to train and compete. This is huge in the riding world because there are lots of competitions in Florida during the winter. I wouldn't have been able to do that if I'd been in a traditional school. At a traditional school, they want you to be there. I was always running into trouble for attendance, leaving every Friday and every week or two for a competition.
But now school can travel with me. Stanford has pushed me to my limits with academics. I'd never studied at my public school before. I was just sliding by. I was in the top 10 without doing anything. Now I'm actually pushed to achieve. I got my first B+ ever during my first semester at Stanford. I moved it up to getting all As, but it's really challenging. They are not OK with "good enough" there. They are not inflating grades, assigning extra points, or extra credit. If you fail a test, they won't let you just come make it up the next morning. They really expect you to learn.
16. If you had it to do all over again, would you choose online learning, and if so, the same online school? Explain.
Yes, definitely. It's been so amazing. My classes are so fascinating. They are philosophy based. Stanford OHS has a neat core program. There are four classes you take each year that are basically philosophy based classes, like the Freshman year is Methodology of Science—Biology; sophomore year it's History of Science: Great Ideas, Observations, and Experiments. Right now, I'm taking Democracy, Freedom, and the Rule of Law. It's very fascinating! It's about democracy, and how government is structured. We think about philosophical issues. It's really unique. OHS teaches you about thinking, teaches you to be critical thinkers and analyzers. We have to criticize and offer arguments. It's not teaching us to pass an exam. It's teaching us actual skills that we'll need in college, our careers, and in life. Things we can really use!
17. Did you make friends virtually? Explain.
Yes—I got involved in meeting people by writing for the newspaper. When I took on the Editorial Chief position, it expanded. I made some friends by interviewing them. The guy I told you about earlier who is a skier, a humanitarian, and has a clothing line became a friend that way. I've also talked to some elite musicians. Really cool people. I've only met one in "real life." She came to SXSW here in Austin. Her dad created Wolfram Alpha. It's a huge math equation solving program. The students here at OHS love it. You type in an equation, and it will solve basically anything. Her dad created that.
18. What would you say makes a good online instructor? What characteristics are necessary/helpful for the instructor to be effective in an online environment?
That's an interesting question. I suppose part of the answer is exactly what makes a teacher good in any setting—the willingness to interact with the students, their enjoyment for the subject and for teaching, and their ability to communicate. So being a good teacher in the first place is important; it's not all about online stuff. But it is helpful if the teacher knows how to make use of Tech Chat and other technologies. That can make a huge difference. Our teachers also have to be understanding about our other pursuits and the time it requires. They have also have to be able to relate to a huge diversity of kids and be able to relate to a lot of unique challenges. Our teachers are all so passionate. They are not just looking for a paycheck. Sometimes teachers are funny. You'll mention something they don't know, like a "selfie". We got to help one take his first selfie! It's funny. Others are so up to date and fresh out of college—they'll add us on Facebook and be right there with us with lingo and technology.
19. What is your favorite memory of high school?
I've had some great memories! I don't know how to boil it down. There are some unique challenges, for sure. The technology makes for some funny memories. Teachers trying to chat in class. I think my favorite thing is that I always leave my discussion sessions with something interesting on my mind. I used to come home and want to go take a nap. Now I can't wait to tell my parents about it, or bring up topics with my friends. It brings out the best in me; in all of us.
20. Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
My To Do list is pretty long. I have so much going on, but this school is helping me do it all. It's really the best possible of worlds!