Virtual School Meanderings

October 24, 2012

Digital Learning WEBINAR: Digital Strategies for Increasing Access and Opportunity in Rural Schools

Seems like today has been a day of announcing up-coming webinars…

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Digital Learning Day - Engaging Students. Celebrating Teachers. Creating Better Schools.

Dear Digital Learning Day Participant:

A short description of an upcoming Alliance webinar is below, followed by additional information and RSVP details.

  • Thursday, October 25, 2012: Digital Strategies for Increasing Access and Opportunity in Rural Schools: Evidence indicates that rural youth continue to be disadvantaged in terms of school resources to prepare them for college and a career. However, some of the most promising efforts around improving rural education are taking place in schools where digital media and technology resources are connecting students to the world outside their community and building their skills to make them better citizens within it. This webinar will demonstrate how rural schools are overcoming the challenges of funding to provide students with the best education the twenty-first century has to offer.
The Alliance for Excellent Education
Invites You to Attend a Webinar on

Digital Strategies for Increasing
Access and Opportunity in Rural Schools

Thursday, October 25, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Panelists
Alison Dwier-Selden, Principal, Walton Middle School (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Scott McLeod, PhD, Director of Innovation, Prairie Lakes AEA 8 (Pocahontas, Iowa)
Pamela Moran, EdD, Superintendent, Albemarle County Public Schools (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Terri Schwartzbeck, Senior Policy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education
Chip Slaven, Senior Advocacy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education

Rural youth continue to be less likely than their urban counterparts to reach their educational goals, and evidence indicates that they continue to be disadvantaged in terms of school resources to prepare them for college and a career. Some of the most promising efforts around improving rural education are taking place in schools where digital media and technology resources are being effectively utilized to connect students to the world outside their community and building their skills to make them better citizens within it.

Please join the Alliance for Excellent Education for a webinar on Thursday, October 25, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET), to learn more about how rural schools are overcoming the challenges of funding and support to provide students with the best education the twenty-first century has to offer.

Terri Schwartzbeck of the Alliance will moderate a conversation with two educators from rural Albemarle County, Virginia and Dr. Scott McLeod, who is currently serving as Director of Innovation in Pocahontas, Iowa while on leave from his position as an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE) at the University of Kentucky. Superintendent Pam Moran will discuss some of her districtwide strategies for using digital tools and technology to improve student access to enriching educational experiences. Alison Dwier-Selden, principal of Walton Middle School will share her experiences working to provide better access to broadband for not just her school but her entire community. Chip Slaven of the Alliance will discuss efforts under way in rural McDowell County, West Virginia. Panelists will also address questions submitted by viewers from across the country.

Register and submit questions for the webinar at http://media.all4ed.org/registration-oct-25-2012.

Please direct questions concerning the webinar to alliance@all4ed.org.

NOTE: If you are unable to watch the webinar live, an archived version will be available at http://www.all4ed.org/webinars usually one or two days after the event airs.

Support for this webinar was provided in part by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For More Information, visit our website at digitallearningday.org

©Copyright 2012. Alliance for Excellent Education

October 23, 2012

RSVP for Webinars on: 1) Rural Schools; 2) Fed. Student Aid; 3) Common Core & ELLs; 4) Business Role

From today’s inbox…

A short description of upcoming Alliance webinars is below, followed by additional information and RSVP details for each. Please note that you will need to register for each webinar in which you intend to participate. I.E. You should complete four registration forms if you intend to participate in all four webinars.

  • Thursday, October 25, 2012: Digital Strategies for Increasing Access and Opportunity in Rural Schools: Evidence indicates that rural youth continue to be disadvantaged in terms of school resources to prepare them for college and a career. However, some of the most promising efforts around improving rural education are taking place in schools where digital media and technology resources are connecting students to the world outside their community and building their skills to make them better citizens within it. This webinar will demonstrate how rural schools are overcoming the challenges of funding to provide students with the best education the twenty-first century has to offer.
  • Monday, October 29, 2012: Perspectives on the Federal Student Aid System: Promise and Problems: The federal student aid system is both complicated and costly, but is it effective? What measures should be used to determine the effectiveness of these programs? As numerous organizations across the country take on the task of reimagining the design and delivery of federal student aid, the system warrants a critical examination. This webinar will offer the perspectives of three organizations committed to student success on the problems and potential of the federal student aid system to help increase access and opportunity for postsecondary students.
  • Tuesday, October 30, 2012: Building on the Common Core State Standards to Improve Learning for English Language Learners: The transition to Common Core State Standards and Next-Generation Science Standards presents both opportunities and challenges for the growing number of English language learners. A number of initiatives are underway to help English learners access grade-level content while building their language proficiency. This webinar will highlight two such initiatives: 1) Stanford University’s “Understanding Language,” which looks at the language demands contained in the new standards; and 2) The Council of Chief State School Officers’ Framework for English Language Proficiency Development Standards, which helps states understand the sophisticated language competencies English language learners will need to perform in an academic area.
  • Wednesday, October 31, 2012: The Role of Business Leaders: Expanding Learning Opportunities Through Digital Learning: Businesses and employers are rightfully concerned that the large numbers of high school students who fail to graduate from high school prepared for college will translate to a less prepared workforce in the future. In order to turn these outcomes around, many businesses and employers are partnering with educators and using technology to provide youth with expanded learning time and opportunities. This webinar will explore how large and small businesses are capitalizing on expanding learning time and opportunities through digital learning to transform the educational experiences of youth.

The Alliance for Excellent Education
Invites You to Attend a Webinar on

Digital Strategies for Increasing
Access and Opportunity in Rural Schools

Thursday, October 25, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Panelists
Alison Dwier-Selden, Principal, Walton Middle School (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Scott McLeod, PhD, Director of Innovation, Prairie Lakes AEA 8 (Pocahontas, Iowa)
Pamela Moran, EdD, Superintendent, Albemarle County Public Schools (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Terri Schwartzbeck, Senior Policy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education
Chip Slaven, Senior Advocacy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education

Rural youth continue to be less likely than their urban counterparts to reach their educational goals, and evidence indicates that they continue to be disadvantaged in terms of school resources to prepare them for college and a career. Some of the most promising efforts around improving rural education are taking place in schools where digital media and technology resources are being effectively utilized to connect students to the world outside their community and building their skills to make them better citizens within it.

Please join the Alliance for Excellent Education for a webinar on Thursday, October 25, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET), to learn more about how rural schools are overcoming the challenges of funding and support to provide students with the best education the twenty-first century has to offer.

Terri Schwartzbeck of the Alliance will moderate a conversation with two educators from rural Albemarle County, Virginia and Dr. Scott McLeod, who is currently serving as Director of Innovation in Pocahontas, Iowa while on leave from his position as an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE) at the University of Kentucky. Superintendent Pam Moran will discuss some of her districtwide strategies for using digital tools and technology to improve student access to enriching educational experiences. Alison Dwier-Selden, principal of Walton Middle School will share her experiences working to provide better access to broadband for not just her school but her entire community. Chip Slaven of the Alliance will discuss efforts under way in rural McDowell County, West Virginia. Panelists will also address questions submitted by viewers from across the country.

Register and submit questions for the webinar at http://media.all4ed.org/registration-oct-25-2012 .

Please direct questions concerning the webinar to alliance@all4ed.org.

NOTE: If you are unable to watch the webinar live, an archived version will be available at http://www.all4ed.org/webinars usually one or two days after the event airs.

Support for this webinar was provided in part by Carnegie Corporation of New York.


The Alliance for Excellent Education
Invites You to Attend a Webinar on

Perspectives on the Federal Student Aid System:
Promise and Problems

Monday, October 29, 2012
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (ET)

Panelists
Amy Wilkins, Vice President for Government Affairs and Communications, The Education Trust
Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education
Tiffany Dena Loftin, President, United States Student Association

The federal student aid system is an assortment of grants, loans, campus-based aid, tax incentives, and other policies aimed at increasing access to postsecondary education by helping students and families pay for college. The system is both complicated and costly, but is it effective? What measures should be used to determine the effectiveness of these programs? As numerous organizations across the country take on the task of reimagining the design and delivery of federal student aid, the system warrants a critical examination.

Please join the Alliance for Excellent Education for a webinar on Monday, October 29, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET), to learn more about the perspectives of three organizations committed to student success, and hear their views about the problems and potential of the federal student aid system to help increase access and opportunity for postsecondary students.

Bob Wise, president of the Alliance and former governor of West Virginia, will moderate a conversation with two representatives from student advocacy organizations in Washington, DC. Amy Wilkins is vice president for government affairs and communications at The Education Trust, an organization whose goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that consign far too many young people—especially those from low-income families or who are black, Latino, or American Indian—to lives on the margins of the American mainstream. Tiffany Dena Loftin is president of the United States Student Association, the country’s oldest, largest, and most inclusive national student-led organization, which develops current and future leaders and amplifies the student voice at the local, state, and national levels by mobilizing grassroots power to win concrete victories on student issues.

Register and submit questions for the webinar at http://media.all4ed.org/registration-oct-29-2012 .

Please direct questions concerning the webinar to alliance@all4ed.org.

NOTE: If you are unable to watch the webinar live, an archived version will be available at http://www.all4ed.org/webinars approximately one or two days after the event airs.

This webinar is made possible with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.


The Alliance for Excellent Education
Invites You to Attend a Webinar

Building on the Common Core State Standards to Improve Learning for English Language Learners

Tuesday, October 30, 2012
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (ET)

Panelists
Kenji Hakuta, Lee L. Jacks Professor of Education, Stanford University
Mariana Haynes, Senior Fellow, Alliance for Excellent Education
Chris Minnich, Senior Membership Director, Council of Chief State School Officers
Susan Pimentel, Writer and Consultant
Maria Santos, Deputy Superintendent for Instruction, Leadership and Equity-in-Action,Oakland Unified School District (California)

The transition to Common Core State Standards and Next-Generation Science Standards presents both opportunities and challenges for the growing number of English language learners. A number of initiatives are underway to help English learners access grade-level content while building their language proficiency. Stanford University launched a two-year initiative—Understanding Language—to look at the language demands contained in the new standards. The Council of Chief State School Officers recently developed the Framework for English Language Proficiency Development Standards to help states understand the sophisticated language competencies English language learners will need to perform in an academic area.

Please join the Alliance for Excellent Education for a webinar on Tuesday, October 30, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (ET), during which Kenji Hakuta and Maria Santos, cochairs of the Understanding Language initiative, and Susan Pimentel and Chris Minnich, developers of the Framework for English Language Proficiency Development Standards, will discuss these efforts and their respective accomplishments to date along with state and district actions needed to support English learners’ language and content learning. Mariana Haynes, senior fellow at the Alliance, will moderate the discussion. Panelists will also address questions submitted by webinar viewers from across the country.

Register and submit questions for the webinar at http://media.all4ed.org/registration-oct-30-2012 .

Please direct questions concerning the webinar to alliance@all4ed.org.

NOTE: If you are unable to view the webinar live, an archived version will be available at http://www.all4ed.org/webinars approximately one or two days after the event airs.

This webinar is made possible with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York.


The Alliance for Excellent Education
Invites You to Attend a Webinar

The Role of Business Leaders:
Expanding Learning Opportunities Through Digital Learning

Wednesday, October 31, 2012
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (ET)

Panelists
Steve Andrews, U.S. Education Manager of Intel Teach program, Intel
Randy Wilhelm, Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder, Knovation
Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education

Nearly one-third of the nation’s high school students fail to graduate on time and too many of those who do graduate with a high school diploma are in need of significant remediation if they go to college. Businesses and employers around the country are rightfully concerned that these facts will translate to a less prepared workforce in the future. In order to turn these outcomes around, many businesses and employers are partnering with educators and using technology to provide youth with expanded learning time and opportunities. These opportunities expand where, when, through whom, and how students learn content.

Through technology, students can now learn before, during, and after school; in the classroom, their homes, libraries, and a variety of other locations; through teachers, other students, employers, and postsecondary faculty members; and in a variety of personalized ways that meet their unique learning styles. As in so many other areas of modern life, technology offers the potential to transform young people’s educational experiences and engage new stakeholders in this enterprise. In the process, businesses are engaging as advocates, technical assistance providers, and direct providers of expanded learning time and opportunities facilitated through technology.

Please join the Alliance for Excellent Education for a webinar on Wednesday, October 31, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (ET) to explore case studies that demonstrate how large and small businesses are capitalizing on expanding learning time and opportunities through digital learning to transform the educational experiences of youth. Panelists will also address questions submitted by viewers from across the country.

Register and submit questions for the webinar at http://media.all4ed.org/registration2-oct-31-2012 .

Please direct questions concerning the webinar to alliance@all4ed.org.

NOTE: If you are unable to view the webinar live, an archived version will be available at http://www.all4ed.org/webinars approximately one or two days after the event airs.

Support for this webinar is provided in part by the Ford Foundation.

The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington, DC-based national policy and advocacy organization that works to improve national and federal policy so that all students can achieve at high academic levels and graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship in the twenty-first century. For more information about the Alliance, visit http://www.all4ed.org.

If you receive this message via forwarding and would like to be added to the Alliance’s mailing list, visit http://www.all4ed.org/what_you_can_do and enter your information.

Alliance for Excellent Education, 1201 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 901, Washington, DC 20036 United States

October 13, 2012

WEBINAR: Digital Strategies for Increasing Access and Opportunity in Rural Schools

A webinar from the neo-liberals…

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The Alliance for Excellent Education
Invites You to Attend a Webinar

Digital Strategies for Increasing Access and Opportunity in Rural Schools

Thursday, October 25, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Panelists
Alison Dwier-Selden, Principal, Walton Middle School (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Scott McLeod, PhD, Director of Innovation, Prairie Lakes AEA 8 (Ames, Iowa)
Pamela Moran, EdD, Superintendent, Albemarle County Public Schools (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Terri Schwartzbeck, Senior Policy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education
Chip Slaven, Senior Advocacy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education

Rural youth continue to be less likely than their urban counterparts to reach their educational goals, and evidence indicates that they continue to be disadvantaged in terms of school resources to prepare them for college and a career. Some of the most promising efforts around improving rural education are taking place in schools where digital media and technology resources are being effectively utilized to connect students to the world outside their community and building their skills to make them better citizens within it.

Please join the Alliance for Excellent Education for a webinar on Thursday, October 25, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET), to learn more about how rural schools are overcoming the challenges of funding and support to provide students with the best education the twenty-first century has to offer.

Terri Schwartzbeck of the Alliance will moderate a conversation with two educators from rural Albemarle County, Virginia and Dr. Scott McLeod, who is currently serving as Director of Innovation in Ames, Iowa while on leave from his position as an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE). Superintendent Pam Moran will discuss some of her districtwide strategies for using digital tools and technology to improve student access to enriching educational experiences. Alison Dwier-Selden, principal of Walton Middle School will share her experiences working to provide better access to broadband for not just her school but her entire community. Chip Slaven of the Alliance will discuss efforts under way in rural McDowell County, West Virginia. Panelists will also address questions submitted by viewers from across the country.

Register and submit questions for the webinar at http://media.all4ed.org/registration-oct-25-2012

Please direct questions concerning the webinar to alliance@all4ed.org.

NOTE: If you are unable to watch the webinar live, an archived version will be available at http://www.all4ed.org/webinars usually one or two days after the event airs.

Support for this webinar was provided in part by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

If you receive this message via forwarding and would like to be added to the Alliance’s mailing list, visit http://www.all4ed.org/what_you_can_do and enter your information.

Alliance for Excellent Education, 1201 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 901, Washington, DC 20036 United States

April 18, 2012

K-12 Online Learning And The Seventeenth National Congress On Rural Education

This came through my inbox while I was attending AERA:

Cyber classes keep rural schools alive
Western Producer
The Chinook Cyber School has since developed a relationship with 18 schools in an area the size of Nova Scotia and with 14 teachers who help it deliver 54 …

After exploring the article, I discovered the Seventeenth National Congress On Rural Education, which occurred at the end of March in Saskatchewan.  In looking through the program, it appears there was some interesting K-12 online learning content – including these sessions:

Partnerships Create Opportunities – Thinking Outside the Box
Angela Clement, Shelby Budd – Val Marie School, Chinook Cyber School, Chinook School Division

Val Marie School is a typical small town school experiencing declining enrolment and decrease in staff. Through a partnership with Chinook Cyber School, Val Marie has been able to enhance their school programming for high school students. Val Marie has been able to maintain the benefits of a small town school and yet provide learning opportunities comparable to a larger center by accessing online courses. In turn, Val Marie offers programming to students throughout Chinook by delivering Chemistry 20 and Agriculture Technician‐Cow/Calf Production 10 and 20. Angela Clement, Principal of Val Marie School and teacher of the Cow/Calf program and Shelby Budd, Principal of the Chinook Cyber School will share their unique partnership successes and challenges throughout the past three years.

Innovative Partnerships in Distance Education
Darren Gasper, Shari Martin, Keith Willoughby – Sun West Distance Learning Centre, Edwards School of Business U of S

In this session we will discuss several partnerships that the Sun West Distance Learning Centre has formed to benefit students across the division and province, including a partnership with the Edwards School of Business on an Introduction to Business course, and a partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture around the Green Certificate program.

Providing Equitable Educational Opportunities to Schools of All Sizes Across A School Division
Darren Gasper, Marcy Waldner, Kurtis Heath, Jade Ballek, Doug Klassen – Kenaston School, Sun West Distance Learning Centre

In this session we will discuss the model of delivery that Sun West uses in its distance education programming to provide a broad range of courses to schools of various sizes across the division so that all students in Sun West have access to any of the courses available. We will also discuss the support mechanisms used to help increase student success in the courses.

Enhancing Technology‐based Course Delivery: There is no magic bullet
Glenn Cockerline, Mike Nantais – Brandon University

This presentation focuses on what has been learned about online learning in Southwest Manitoba. Three separate studies recently conducted at Brandon University looked at: 1) the high school teacher’s perspectives of online learning, 2) the high school student’s perspectives of online learning, and 3) learning modalities and online learning. Basically, there is no magic bullet when it comes to online learning. However, when looked at jointly, these studies provide a multifaceted snapshot of online learning. Key findings of each study will be highlighted, then session participants will be asked to join in a conversation about their experiences in relation to these studies.

Improving Educational Opportunities for Rural Students: Systemic Reforms in Times of Declining Enrollment
Brent Kay – Orange Southwest Supervisory Union, Vermont, USA

Since 2002, the Orange Southwest Supervisory Union (OSSU) has realized a 24% decrease in student enrollment, yet it has demonstrated significant systemic improvements in the areas of student outcomes, educational leadership, governance, recruitment and retention of staff, technology integration, and facility improvements. Fiscally, the OSSU is pending, in actual dollars, less than it did 7 years ago, generated over $5 million in reserves, invested over $2 million in new technology (last four years) and over $4 million in facility upgrades (last five years), significantly improved teacher compensation, and significantly increased the number of learning pathways for students (Dual enrollment, Virtual High School, Articulation Agreements with High Education, etc…). The presentation will explore the systemic changes over the last decade that enabled the OSSU’s successes.

If anyone attended the conference and has notes on any of these sessions, please leave them in the comments below.

March 22, 2012

Improving Rural Teacher Education – RRRTEC Final Report

This showed up in my inbox a few weeks ago and I’m just getting around to posting it.  Primarily of interest to the academic folks out there, but some well designed professional development modules are a part of this project so check it out.

Dear colleagues,
Many thanks for your interest, contribution and participation over the past two years in the progress of the
Renewing Rural Teacher Education Curriculum (RRRTEC) project.
A project that aimed to better equip teacher educators to prepare teachers to work in rural and regional communities.
It is my pleasure to provide you with the DEEWR approved final RRRTEC report (attached).
I would also like to let you know that late last year we secured a small amount of funding for the continuation and
 maintenance of the RRRTEC website for 2012. The person to now contact in regards to continuing to upload resources is
Vi Lam. I am sure you will all welcome Vi into our rural education research community.  Vi can be contacted at vi.lam@deakin.edu.au
Dr Jodie Kline has now gone full time as research fellow with an ARC Linkage project and continues to work at Deakin.
I would like to again give my thanks and appreciation to all her work in the RRRTEC project. I will miss working with Jodie very much.I would also like to share with you Jodie’s happy news that she and her partner Sarah, welcomed beautiful baby Adah into their lives recently!
The report will also be placed on the website. If you haven’t visited the website for a while – www.rrrtec.net.au please do so.
You will see new resources and articles have been updated from our remote teacher education mini-conference held late last year at James Cook University (with thanks again to Dr Pauline Taylor for hosting us) and from our workshop at the University of the Sunshine Coast (thanks to Shirley Richards for hosting us).
While the RRRTEC project has now been completed…in many ways the work continues….! Which is very exciting.
I look forward to seeing you all again soon and happy to hear how you might be using the website or improvements we can make.
Also – As Chair of the AARE Rural Education SIG I am hoping to host a mini-conference in Sydney (prior to AARE) on the 30th of November and 1st of December for those who would be interested in presenting or participating please let me know.
All the best
Simone
Professor Simone White
Head of School and Associate Dean of Education
Faculty of Education
Monash University -Gippsland Campus
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