Webcast Recordings
What Does the Future of Learning Look Like? Welcome & Introduction (Susan Patrick)
Susan Patrick provided a national and global perspective on the trends in education, expectations for students, and what strategies states and schools need to have in place. Online learning is providing a revolution across the globe for the best teachers to reach the most remote students. All schools can deliver on the promise that every student should have access to the best education available regardless of their neighborhood or geography, and online learning offers a solution for expanding opportunities, global collaboration and 21st century skills.
Webcast
Why Online Learning is Important to States (Gene Wilhoit)
Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director, Council of Chief State School Officer
Gene provided an important national and state perspective on the most important issues in American education today and how online learning and virtual schools are solutions. Gene shared his broad vision for online learning and the future of education.
Webcast
Online Education's Role in the Schools of Tomorrow (Liz Pape)
Should all students participate in online learning? How can an online initiative support a technology-infused school district’s vision and mission? In this session, hear from a school superintendent and researcher how online teaching and learning can transform education and educators. Learn how students benefit from online courses and global classrooms. Discuss how online teaching can transform classroom practice. Discuss policies and infrastructure to put into place to ensure course quality and teacher preparation.
Webcast
Tools of the Trade: Free Online Tools to Enhance Interactivity in Your Online Course (Allison Powell)
Many of the new free Web applications are useful in online learning with a special emphasis of online collaboration and social networking. Web 2.0 applications related to digital photos, video, and music, one-to-one and one-to-many communications, social bookmarking, Web office tools, and even old-fashioned tools like blogs and wikis will be demonstrated. Participants will learn how to integrate these free software programs into their online courses to enhance and enrich the student’s learning experience.
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Webcast
Blending Virtual Learning with Face-to-Face Teaching (Lisa Watkins)
With the implementation of no Child Left Behind, traditional brick and mortar schools are struggling to find highly qualified instructors to teach content-rich, standards-based courses. Blended learning easily allows schools to do this while teaching students technology skills to function in the 21st century world. In this session, learn how Georgia Virtual School is helping Georgia schools offer students various, rich learning opportunities through its various blended learning model.
PowerPoint
Handout
Webcast
Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: A Policy and Practice Review (John Watson)
Get the latest scoop on the online learning landscape across all 50 states – plus emerging trends and important policy moves that could affect your state, school or district. The author and guiding sponsors of Keeping Pace, representing state-led supplemental programs, full-time programs, and state education agencies, will lead an interactive discussion of the leading and emerging policy and practice issues.
PowerPoint
Webcast
Plenary Panel - Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills
Introduction and Facilitator: Julie Young, CEO, Florida Virtual School
Keynote panelists: Tim Magner, Director of the Office of Educational Technology U.S. Department of Education and Allyson Knox, Academic Program Manager, US Partners-In-Learning, Microsoft. Learn about groundbreaking state and national K-12 initiatives focusing on the importance of virtual schools and 21st century skills. The session will explore the following questions: What are the most important issues at the national level for education? What are the “21st century skills” students need to succeed? How do virtual schools and online learning support 21st century skills? What is being done today to measure quality, skills and benchmark success for 21st century learning in virtual schools? How does globalization play a role? How can virtual schools support 21st century learning?
Webcast
Evaluating Online Courses (Sue Steiner)
With the number of vendors providing online courses, criteria needs to be developed to determine which courses will provide the highest quality content for your students. This presentation will share examples of evaluation forms and RFPs that are being used by several districts in Wisconsin. Sharing characteristics of quality online courses, samples of best lessons, and external resource evaluation considerations will provide the audience with ideas that they can tweak to meet their individual needs.
PowerPoint
Webcast
Recent Research on Online Teaching and Learning: Implications for Practice (Susan Lowes)
This panel will move beyond comparisons of online and face-to-face environments to present recent research on online teaching and learning. The presentations focus on the implications of the research for practitioners—instructional designers, professional developers, and teacher/facilitators—and include findings from brain research applied to the use of gaming in online learning; the effective use of interactive tools in online math courses; the instructional design elements that motivate student persistence; and the meaning of different patterns of participant interaction in online professional development.
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Webcast
Instructional Perspectives of Best Practices: Successful Strategies in Virtual School Courses (Richard Ferdig)
This session will focus on the results of a collaborative effort undertaken between the University of Florida and Michigan Virtual to investigate the instructional practice of effective virtual school teachers. The goal of this session is to initiate conversations that can provide a basis for developing the body of research on K-12 best practices for online teaching by sharing the outcomes of this collaboration, and providing members from MVU an opportunity to share their perceptions and practices of virtual school teaching.
Webcast
Presentation Materials Available for the Following Sessions
Safe Uses of Social Networking Tools with Students (Glenn Moses)
In this session the value of Social Networking, and other Web 2.0 applications, will be demonstrated by online teachers who are currently using these tools with students. The overall theme of this session will be how to use these tools safely. How to sell the use of these tools to parents and administrators will also be presented. An overall focus on student success in online classes will be present throughout the presentation.
Website: http://wiki.odysseyk12.org/vss2007
Research on K-12 Online Learning (Cathy Cavanaugh)
Virtual schools improve learning outcomes for students when program managers look deeply and reflectively at their practice and act proactively in implementing promising practices. This preconference session brings evaluators, researchers, and practitioners together for a conversation about decision-making based on qualitative and qualitative program data. Researchers and evaluators for this session are Robert Blomeyer and Cathy Cavanaugh (Organizers) with Tom Clark, Kristie Clements, Niki Davis, Rick Ferdig, Julia Parra, Kerry Rice, Saul Rockman, Ray Rose, Jamie Sachs, Bill Tucker, Jenna Vega & John Watson.
PowerPoint - Cavanaugh
PowerPoint - Dawley
Effective Science Labs in the Virtual World (Harry E. Keller PhD)
Creating effective science labs is a challenge for classrooms but especially in the virtual world, where the authors have focused their efforts for nearly ten years. Effective science labs are authentic and engaging. Students know they're performing their own personal inquiry into real-world phenomena and will discover science themselves. The authors will demonstrate their unique technology, discuss it, relate it to the College Board requirements, and provide access to it for the audience.
PowerPoint
Two Different Worlds: Seeking Value for Online Learning in Second Life (Ferdi Serim)
The early hype about the potentials for Second Life to transform online learning has proceeded to the next phase of re-evaluation. The educators who've spent time and invested effort in "virtual worlds" are coming to differing conclusions based on their experiences. Explore the commonalities and controversies of whether (and if so, under what conditions) these new environments for online learning may deliver on their promises.
PowerPoint
Cart Before the Horse: When Practice Precedes Policy (Ferdi Serim)
Online Learning is the fastest growing segment of edtech, with the potential to redefine school facility needs. New multi-campus policies will either promote or prevent effective online learning, depending upon how well they are informed by the experience of professionals working in this field. Learn to apply a research synthesis of best practices for online learning, and a rubric for assessing online programs in relation to these practices to build and strengthen your programs.
PowerPoint
Attributes that Enable a Virtual High School to Go to Scale (Daryl Diamond)
This research investigates the attributes that enable the virtual high school to go to scale. Traditionally, scaling up referred to replication; increasing the number of sites using the reform. Going to scale implies that a reform becomes so routine it ceases being an innovation and becomes the norm. Going beyond spread, it includes achieving depth, sustainability, and shift in reform ownership that builds the infrastructure, policies, incentives, leadership, network, and funding to support the reform.
PowerPoint
Video
Other Resources:
Codebook Reference Sheet-diamond.doc
ELEVEN_x007E_1-diamond.doc
Final Attribute Checklist-diamond.doc
Debunking the Top Myths About Online Learning with Research (Robert Letcher, Jr.)
“There’s no accountability.” “It’s a haven for cheaters." “Online courses steal jobs away from teachers.” These are just a few of the myths and misconceptions that revolve around online learning. Attendees of this session will learn how research disproves the most commonly held fallacies, enabling them to be better prepared to deflect the slings and arrows of detractors.
PowerPoint
Deepening Learner Understanding Via Games and Simulations in On-line Courses (David Gale)
Games and simulations are tremendously underused conduits to connect students with concepts in experiential ways that deepen their levels of understanding. Participants will (1) discover the instructional potential of games and simulations in on-line courses; (2) explore the different types and purposes of games and simulations; (3) interact and collaborate with each other in examples of on-line simulations; (4) and be introduced to how and where games and simulations can be implemented in on-line courses.
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Curriculum Pathways®: Expanding Online Teaching & Learning Opportunities (Deborah Gray)
How can online courses address education reform standards? By incorporating resources that facilitate inquiry, problem-solving, and active learning—like those found in Curriculum Pathways, from SAS. Explore its features, functionality, and content, and learn how Curriculum Pathways serves as a resource partner, helping secondary educators address common teaching challenges. Discussion will focus on resource evaluation and development of structured courses that address instructional objectives, meet recognized standards, and allow for differentiation and self-pacing.
PowerPoint
One Off or One On?: Life after Virtual Educator Training (Donna Scribner)
How many times have you gone to workshops or participated in courses to gain new knowledge only to feel abandoned once the training is over? It doesn’t have to be that way! In this session we will present a model for ongoing professional development and support for online educators. If you teach online, or want to teach online – this is a session you don’t want to miss!
PowerPoint
Training, Mentoring, Evaluating, and Retaining Online Teachers (Sue Steiner and Jamie Sachs)
Interaction between students and teachers affects achievement and the overall success of an organization or program. This presentation will provide an overview of various online teacher-training options and describe models for mentoring and assessing online teachers, including methods to do an online or virtual observation.
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Vodcast: Video Producer: Katie S., Waggener Traditional High School - Louisville Kentucky, Videographers: Bryan K. and Stephen M., Waggener Traditional High School - Louisville Kentucky
State Virtual School Leaders (Donna Vakili, Linda Pittenger & Jamey Fitzpatrick)
This session will focus on the unique needs that statewide programs face such as legislation, funding, curriculum, sustainability, partnerships, and policy. Using roundtables and small group discussions, participants will have an opportunity to dialog, collaborate, problem solve, and network with their counterparts at state virtual schools. Statewide directors and associates are encouraged to attend. The moderators for this session are Jamey Fitzpatrick, President and CEO of Michigan Virtual High School; Linda Pittenger, Director of Secondary Education and Virtual Learning for the Kentucky Department of Education; and Donna Vakili, Executive Director of the Idaho Digital Learning Academy.
PowerPoint
What Are They Doing and How Are They Doing It? (Michael Barbour)
This study examined the learning experience for students in one province-wide virtual school in Canada. Data were collected using multiple interviews and observations of twelve rural students. How students interacted during their synchronous and asynchronous scheduled time, along with the process that students went through when they needed content-based assistance will be discussed. Recommendations for how to maximize on-task behavior and facilitate student support will be presented.
PowerPoint
Interoperability and Technical Standards for Online Courses – Why So Important? (Jill Abbott)
Challenges exist when using numerous pK-12 educational applications from developing content to reporting and tracking of student administrative data to assessment to planning instruction. The Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) leads the development of technical specifications for interoperability between pK-12 educational applications. Come learn some of the work that SIF is doing to solve these real-worlds challenges, how this is unique for virtual schools and provide your input into the future direction of the SIF Specification.
PowerPoint
Course Design Using Open Educational Resources (John Watson)
Course content is increasingly available to online programs through open educational resources (OERs) and course sharing, but the challenges and opportunities of OERs are not yet well understood. This session will combine the perspective of a non-profit organization developing and sharing educational resources with some of the online programs that are using the courses and learning objects, exploring best practices and lessons learned in developing and delivering high quality courses for a variety of students.
PowerPoint
State Oversight and Online Program Management: Lessons from the Response to the State Audit of Online Programs in Colorado (John Watson)
In December 2006 the Colorado State Auditor issued a report reviewing online education programs, igniting controversy and a series of political and policy responses. The Trujillo Commission, comprised of educators and online practitioners, was created to craft recommendations that became the basis for a law that was subsequently passed to increase the state’s oversight capability. Commission members will discuss key issues, findings, and the outlook for the future of online education policy.
PowerPoint
Ongoing and Effective Online Professional Development for Virtual Course Instructors (Barbara Treacy)
What’s different about teaching online and why do virtual school instructors need specific training and ongoing professional development? This session will explore the pedagogy of effective online teaching and provide an overview to successful strategies and techniques online instructors use. Participants will explore EDC's online courses to train online instructors and discuss the key qualities of an effective online instructor.
PowerPoint
Online Teaching: Professional Development and Quality (Barbara Treacy)
This session will address the skills and background for online teaching and how to define a high quality online teacher. The session will address professional development needs for online programs in ensuring online teachers have the skills they need to succeed.
PowerPoint
Making Real World Connections through Virtual Learning Environments (Emily Kornblut)
Hear a panel of students and educators from around the world discuss their experiences using Web 2.0 to connect and learn collaboratively. This session will share best practices in integrating digital media and social networking tools into project-based online learning, with insights from students themselves about what it means to be an engaged global learner.
PowerPoint
Effective Virtual School Communication and Student Orientation (Michael Richards)
As the world of virtual education expands more students and schools are taking advantage of Online Learning. Communication with and orientation of these growing number of students is becoming more and more important to their success in this new medium.
PowerPoint
Standards-and Performance-Based Assessments Enhance Successful Outcomes in Online Classes (Beth Gaunce)
Online classes provide ideal environments for standards- and performance-based assessments that promote differentiation; provide essential feedback so that students continue to learn beyond the assessments; relate to specific standards; promote self-assessment; and are relevant to students. In this session examples and demonstrations of assessments, performance activities and rubrics will be presented by course designers, teachers and students from Kentucky Virtual High School. Examples will be primarily in world language and math.
PowerPoint
Collaboration and Communication = ONLINE SUCCESS! (Kathleen Klink)
You will learn collaboration strategies and communication tools to ensure parents, teachers, administrators and community members are positive and energized about online learning.
PowerPoint
Virtual Savvy: Growing School Leaders From Within (Earl Grier)
High quality leadership is the key factor of success for any organization, and virtual schools are no exception! Just what are the critical competencies for virtual school leadership? How best to groom leaders from within the ranks? Take a look inside the Connections Academy Leadership Academy, designed to create a pathway to school leadership for teachers and others. Hear from leaders-in-training as well as current virtual school administrators about what works in leadership development.
PowerPoint
Changing the Course of Education through Online Teacher Professional Development: The Tale of Large-Scale Statewide Project (Vicky Coe)
In this session the panel of presenters will share information and results from ongoing research about a comprehensive statewide online model for providing professional development to preK-12 educators.
PowerPoint
So Far, Yet So Close: Building Online Communities (Jean Swenk)
One hallmark of a high-quality virtual school is development of embedded online communities for teachers, parents and students alike. See how leading networks of virtual schools use webcasts, message boards, online training, interactive whiteboard, student clubs, and more to encourage students, teachers and parents to collaborate, observe, share and reflect within and among their learning communities. Learn from a technology visionary, a school leader, a student and a parent how these communities support school success.
PowerPoint
What Does It Really Take to Teach online: New Research and Effective Strategies for Professional Development (Lisa Dawley)
As online learning grows, so does the challenge of developing an effective teacher corps for today’s student body. What frameworks and expectations do online programs bring to preparing their faculties – and what rubrics do they use to evaluate? Hear preliminary findings from Boise State University’s major research project on effectiveness in online professional development, and see how two online programs – one state-led, one a cybercharter – integrate emerging best practices into their innovative teacher training programs.
PowerPoint
Improving Student Success: Assessment for Learning (Sharon Johnston)
What are key components of assessment for learning in the virtual classroom? Using a checklist from research of Rick Stiggins and Jay McTighe, participants, in a workshop format, will evaluate sample teacher feedback. Curriculum experts from FLVS and SVL will facilitate a discussion of formative assessment techniques that impact student achievement. Participants will leave with a checklist for descriptive feedback and with assessment strategies, including student self assessments.
PowerPoint
Podcast: Audio & Visual by Kentucky Student Technology Leaders
Differentiating the Online Curriculum (Dennis Rice)
The Director of Education from Laurel Springs School will demonstrate and discuss how the LSS curriculum team utilizes Grant Wiggins’ Understanding by Design combined with Learning Styles theory to create differentiated online courses geared to standards, but friendly to a variety of learners. Participants will be encouraged to share variations, strategies, and insights on the topic.
PointPoint
Vodcast: Video Producer: Angela O., Waggener Traditional High School - Louisville Kentucky; Videographers: Bryna K. and Stephen M., Waggener Traditional High School - Louisville Kentucky
What Does It REALLY Take to Teach Online? New Research and Emerging Strategies for Effective Professional Development (Lisa Dawley, et. al.)
As online learning grows, so does the challenge of developing an effective teacher corps for today’s student body. What frameworks and expectations do online programs bring to preparing their faculties – and what rubrics do they use to evaluate? Hear preliminary findings from Boise State University’s major research project on effectiveness in online professional development, and see how two online programs – one state-led, one a cybercharter – integrate emerging best practices into their innovative teacher training programs.
PowerPoint
Vodcast: Videographers: Bryan K. and Stephen M., Waggener Traditional High School - Louisville Kentucky
Students Speak: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Virtual Schools (Debbie Powers)
Following a model for student summits developed in Kentucky in 2005, students from three states have spent time together in an online community discussing “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” of virtual schooling. Their online group has produced a white paper centered on the reality that is virtual learning and their hopes for online learning in the future. Students will present their white paper and be available to answer questions relative to the online forum in which they participated.
PowerPoint
Vodcast
Preparing Teachers to Teach Online (Alvin Trusty)
Most states do not have a license or endorsement program used to qualify a teacher to teach online. To bridge the gap between face-to-face and online instruction, in 2005 the University of Findlay began to offer a three course sequence that certifies that teachers know how to prepare and deliver courses online. This session will highlight the online certification program.
Vodcast
Virtual School Symposium Montage
By: Marah D., Waggener Traditional High School - Louisville Kentucky
Vodcast
Articles
These articles were written by Kentucky Student Technology Leaders, who covered the Virtual School Symposium in Louisville Kentucky.
Click on http://jcps.jefferson.k12.ky.us/vss07/ to read the following Cyber Gazette articles:
Online Learning Collaborates
By: Alyssa Sumpter, R.A. Jones Middle School
Behind the Scenes-Virtual School Symposium
By: Casey Cummins, Jones Middle School
GeeArt16 Children’s Art Education
By: Rebecca Bodenbender, Jones Middle School
Classroom to Computer
By: Darby Lankheit, Jones Middle School
Photos
Photos from around the conference, taken by Kentucky Student Technology Leaders