Would you send your child to a virtual school?
Bangor Daily News | Bangor, ME
Some Maine students would be served well by virtual schools, either because the online classrooms augment homeschooling lessons, offer the simplest way to educate youth who travel often or have health problems, or suit particular learning styles. There are no full-time, kindergarten-through-12th grade (
read)
How Indiana Schools Are Blurring The Lines Between Computer & Classroom
StateImpact
Indianapolis high school junior Reo Burton spends as much of his school day at a cubicle as he does in a classroom. Half of Burton’s time is spent in a classroom, but the other half is spent taking online courses with the assistance of both virtual and in-person teachers and learning coaches. “It’s a lot more (
read)
Holland, Zeeland district leaders focus on responsible iPads use
Holland Sentinel | Holland, MI
Local administrators are making one thing clear this school year: Using an iPad at school is a privilege, not a right. “We feel it’s our responsibility to teach responsible digital citizenship,” Holland Public Schools technology director Dave Bast said. Earlier this year, the Holland Public Schools Board of (
read)
Letter: First year test scores poor measure of online schools
The Northwestern | Oshkosh, WI
As a long time online school administrator, I’d like to add context to the recent Gannett Wisconsin Media report (Aug. 26-28) about online schools. As public schools of choice, online schools serve large groups of new students every year. But in Wisconsin, students take state exams in the fall, less than three (
read)
Corbett’s aggressive charter school push could cost taxpayers money – and oversight
Philadelphia City Paper | Philadelphia, PA
Gov. Tom Corbett has cut $860 million from the state’s public schools; now, he seeks to remake them. Into what is increasingly evident: an ever-growing number of charter schools. With newly legislated authority to install (pro-charter) district leadership, a freshly expanded tax credit for donations to (
read)
Virtual academy gets interface makeover
Arvada Press | Arvada, CO
In the face of recent criticism of online schools in the media, Jefferson Public Schools stands behind the fact that the district has a great system in place. Students in Jeffco have the option to pursue their education online with the 21st Century Virtual Academy. With system changes to the school this (
read)
In Salt Lake City’s low-income schools, access to technology at home a challenge
Salt Lake Tribune | Salt Lake City, UT
Teacher Melanie Clayton is careful when she assigns homework that involves Internet research to her fourth-grade students. For many students in Utah, going home to log online is a given: Access to a laptop for school projects is as commonplace as having a bed to sleep in or food to eat. But that’s not the (
read)
Company seeks to form virtual charter school in Marion
Star-Banner | Ocala, FL
A nonprofit group has applied to open a K-8 virtual charter school in Marion County, though many school district officials are concerned about some of the educational and organizational plans the group listed in its application. If approved, the Florida Virtual Academy at Marion County, which would use the (
read)
Barker: Schools working to get technology in hands of students
Times-Herald | Newnan, GA
Coweta County School Superintendent Dr. Steve Barker said pilot programs are under way that involve students using technology in schools – and he predicted that trend will grow. Barker gave an update on the school system during the meeting of the Coweta County Development Authority Thursday. (
read)
Virtual Academy looks to improve achievement scores during second year
WBIR-TV | Knoxville, TN
Tennessee’s only public, virtual school program is gearing up for the second year of “class” this fall. Following some criticism over student performance last year, program administrators are developing plans to improve. “We’re working on improving our scores,” said academy head Josh Williams. His (
read)
Technology in schools: log on or log off?
KARE-TV | Minneapolis, MN
It’s a sign of the times: technology is everywhere, including the classroom. As students return to school this fall, many of them will return to classrooms that are becoming increasingly engaged with the latest forms of technology. And among those districts leading the technology push is Minnetonka. “We (
read)
Bricks, mortar and the future of learning
Times Colonist | British Columbia, Canada
As more than a million university and college students resume their studies, institutions of higher learning face an unprecedented challenge. Not a lack of money, as might be supposed, but their own creation: the Internet. The Internet arose when researchers at different universities in the United States wanted (
read)
