Technology & Learning November 2007 - (Page 27) © MIRELA SCHENK/ DREAMSTIME.COM With sustained, dramatic growth across the nation, online learning is here not only to stay but also to drive innovation in both core curriculum and professional development areas. Encompassing everything from a single Web site that links to resources (such as Virtual Learning Resources Center) to just-in-time lessons, a total school experience, workplace training, or part- or full-time online courses for students and educators, virtual learning’s adaptability is proving itself well-suited to the 21st century. The Connections Academy—a pioneering virtual school that began serving K–8 students in 2002 and has now expanded to K–11 in 12 states— “combines strong parental involvement of learning at home, the expertise and accountability of public education, and the flexibility of online classes.” Teachers work with their students using a variety of methods including Web-based exchanges, phone conversations, and videoconferencing. Students work on collaborative projects, and the schools even facilitate face-to-face field trips and gatherings for students in the same area—or beyond. principal. She touts the advantages of the online venue. “I had 34 kids in my last year, which made it impossible to reach every kid. To be able to talk with every kid and get them what they need is heaven for me! The parents are also very involved here, and in a brick-and-mortar school, sometimes I never even met teachers.” Connections Academy works with states and districts to set up regional virtual schools, and teachers within an area work together in a physical place so that if one is having difficulty with a student, he or she can talk with colleagues on the spot. Mickey Revenaugh, vice president of State Relations at Connections Academy, whose job it is to smooth the pathway of virtual learning with legislators who may be unfamiliar with the concept, explains that bringing together Connections Academy teachers from the various states is a priority. “We want them to interact with each other through online courses and become friends and colleagues in the same way their students do. In fact, they learn to teach online by learning online.” A 21st-Century Model Several years ago Connections Academy contracted with Boise State for custom graduate level courses for its teachers and administrators around the country. Kerry Rice, EdD, assistant professor at Boise State, explains Personal Attention Sarah Ault, principal of the Denver Connections Academy, taught for four years in a traditional setting, two years at Connections Academy, and is now starting her second year as that the program includes exploring many aspects of teaching that make an effective online program, including project-based and hands-on learning, distance learning, community building, engaging instruction, and technology tools. Rice explains that the “overarching themes are community building, collaboration, and teamwork, and how you build those features into online teaching.” Specific aspects include active listening, modeling collaboration in big groups and small groups, as well as teaching specific skills, such as the instructional design for developing courses for asynchronous delivery, and understanding the ever-growing palette of online learning tools. Not surprisingly, according to Rice and Revenaugh, good online teachers share many of the same qualities as teachers in traditional settings: caring about kids, mastery of their subjects, flexibility, and an interest in lifelong learning. Teachers of online courses also consider online instructional design, engaging students through online materials, and individualized planning and management. Founded in 1997, Florida Virtual School was the first statewide virtual learning effort. It currently provides virtual education for grades 6 to 12 in Florida and beyond, as well as courses for adults working on GEDs. Mary Mitchell, program manager for Professional Learning Development PHOTO Technology & Learning November 2007 | 27 http://DREAMSTIME.COM
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