Insight's teacher of the year never leaves home
By Erik Hidle, Peninsula Daily News
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"I put in a lot of time to the job," Mishele Newkirk-Smith said.
"But my commute time is less than a minute."
That's because she works for an online high school.
Insight School of Washington is an accredited, diploma-granting, public high school that serves its students online.
The school, launched two years ago through the Quillayute Valley School District in Forks, served about 600 students in the 2006-2007 school year.
In the 2007-2008 school year, 1,300 students were enrolled in the classes, which offer a certified staff-to-student ratio of "just under 21 to 1," according to the Insight Web site at www.go2ischool.net/.
The national award was unexpected, Newkirk-Smith said.
"It came out of the blue.
"I guess it came because I am always looking for new ways to teach and have fun."
Science teacher
Newkirk-Smith is the head of the science department at the digital high school.
She teaches biology and environmental science classes to students from across the state and across the country.
The school now educates students in Oregon, California and Wisconsin as well as Washington state.
Because it is a public school, there are no fees for the students who attend.
Students are furnished with laptops and headsets so they can attend class online.
Teachers meet their students, and each other, digitally.
"It's all online," Newkirk-Smith said.
"Everything is done over the Internet, from classes to department meetings.
"It's all done here at the dinning room table."
Even the dissections of animals in biology classes are digital.
Students listen to lectures through their headsets.
Both students and teachers write on a digital whiteboard, solving problems and answering questions.
Topics in chat rooms, which are monitored by teachers, range from household pets to biological ethics.
Mentors and tutors are available online in all subjects.
Best years of career
Newkirk-Smith — who is a certified teacher in Washington state, as are all Insight instructors — has taught for 12 years, mostly at brick-and-mortar schools.
Yet she feels that her two years online with Insight have been her most productive.
"I actually spend my time teaching," she said.
"I don't take roll.
"I don't deal with bathroom passes.
"I don't have to worry about the kids not showing up or not listening.
"I teach."
Lessons are recorded so that any student who shows up late or misses a class can rewind and listen.
Online students must be more motivated than those attending brick-and-mortar schools, Newkirk-Smith believes, because there is less discipline.
Students are in control of their own education.
More opportunities
"Kids who are gifted, who are professional athletes or models, students with illnesses, who are caring for their family members, or having to work a part-time job have all been successful here," she said.
"I had a student who traveled across Europe with his laptop and made every class online.
"We offer opportunities a lot of brick-and-mortar schools can't."
Newkirk-Smith said one of her biggest accomplishments this last school year was taking a student to the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair in Bremerton.
"I had a student step up, and I walked him through the process," she said.
"He did the research and ended up winning first prize in his category."
He also won a $60,000 scholarship for college.
"He's only a sophomore, so he still has a few more years, too," Newkirk-Smith said.
"That might have had something to do with the award."
Newkirk-Smith said she makes every attempt to get kids involved.
Even her two sons, Aaron and Elijah, who are in fifth and first grades respectively, engage in some of her teaching activities.
"They are home-schooled, so they are here at this table, too," Newkirk-Smith said.
And when it comes time for them to attend high school, she plans to enroll them online.
"They will absolutely go to an online school," Newkirk-Smith said.
"The online school holds kids to be accountable.
"It's the key to success."
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: July 06. 2008 9:00PM