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School Districts Team Up on Virtual Ed. Initiatives

March 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As school districts begin to tackle the overwhelming task of starting a virtual school, many of them are looking to their neighbors for support.

Banding together in multidistrict virtual learning collaborations helps member districts pool resources, increase purchasing power, and share best practices as they launch and support online learning for their students.

“Why re-create the wheel?” asks John Jacobs, the director of online learning for the Wisconsin eSchool Network, based in Webster village. The network, which began in 2002 as a collaboration between two districts—the Appleton and Kiel school districts—in the state, now serves 12 districts and has become its own nonprofit organization.

“Our mission is to ensure equitable access for all students and school districts and maximize the autonomy for our districts,” says Jacobs.

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Virtual Education Sees Shift to Accountability

February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Virtual schooling is in the era of a fundamental shift in its development that should be embraced, not feared, argue the authors and sponsors of the 2011 version of the “Keeping Pace” annual report on virtual schooling.

While most virtual school advocates in the past may have focused on gaining exposure for their programs, experts suggest they should shift toward emphasizing accountability and transparency in those programs to a community at-large becoming more aware of virtual education. And despite some recent negative press about online schooling’s benefit or lack thereof, they agree that many virtual providers are heading in this direction.

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Erasing the Limits: Sharpening Your Students’ Edge while Watching Your Bottom Line through Blended Learning

October 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Virtual and blended learning isn’t the future—it’s today’s reality. Blended learning combines the personalized, self-paced aspects of online learning with the face-to-face instruction students want and need. By providing the best of both worlds, schools and districts are achieving amazing academic gains as they help young minds realize endless possibilities.

If you’re a traditional school moving to an online model or a virtual school looking for blended learning best practices, join us for a free webinar presented by eSchool News to learn how educators like you are erasing the limits of education and driving results through a blended approach to learning.

For the rest of the article, go to Erasing the Limits: Sharpening Your Students’ Edge while Watching Your Bottom Line through Blended Learning

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Connections Academy, Leading Virtual School Provider, Graduates Record Number of High School Seniors

June 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Connections Academy, http://www.connectionsacademy.com, a leading, fully accredited provider of high-quality, highly accountable virtual schooling for students in grades K through 12, is celebrating the graduation of its largest ever senior class at the end of this 2010-2011 academic year. More than 1,100 12th graders from Connections Academy virtual public schools – plus the online private school National Connections Academy – are celebrating their achievement during traditional commencement ceremonies in their local communities.

Connections Academy’s 2011 graduating class is 89% bigger than its class of 2010 graduates, reflecting the rapid growth of the virtual school program. More than 61 percent of Connections Academy graduates will continue their education and immediately enter four-year colleges and universities or community colleges and approximately 39% will attend vocational schools, enter the military, start careers or pursue other plans.

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Gasp! No more snow days?

June 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Were it not for snow days, the Capital Weather Gang may have never come into existence. Seriously.

In the spirit of fairness/balance, there are good, legitimate reasons for virtual learning during snowstorms which the AP article describes. Maybe a good compromise would be to have a “shortened” or condensed virtual school day (a few hours – I’d suggest focused on weather education) when it snows – so learning can continue while students/teachers can enjoy the splendor of snow.

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Leading Virtual Education Provider Establishes New Corporate Entity – Connections Education Reflects Expansion, New Corporate Structure

March 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

BALTIMORE–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–A new corporate entity called Connections Education has been established to meet the growing demand for quality K-12 online learning. The new company is the result of an expansion by leading virtual school provider, Connections Academy, and supports a new corporate structure. Connections Education consists of two education-focused divisions including the newly created Connections Learning (www.ConnectionsLearning.com) that will serve educational institutions and other organizations, both in the U.S. and internationally, with e-learning solutions. The company’s full-time virtual public schools – expected to serve 40,000 students in the 2011-2012 school year – will continue to operate under the Connections Academy name.

For the rest of the article, go to Leading Virtual Education Provider Establishes New Corporate Entity – Connections Education Reflects Expansion, New Corporate Structure

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Maryland should make the most of online education

September 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Today, widespread virtual education might seem like science fiction. But online learning programs are proving to be a practical and effective learning option for a growing number of students. Full-time virtual school programs are giving students the chance to learn from home, at their own pace, from some of the best teachers in the world. In school “blended learning” programs that use computer programs to supplement traditional teaching are providing students with customized instruction that provides a more rewarding learning experience.

Growing empirical evidence shows that online or virtual learning programs can be more effective than traditional instruction. A 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Education’s Center for Technology in Learning found that, “students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.”

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Top 10 Summer Learning Tips for Parents: Say Goodbye to Kids’ Summer Slump — Learn Anytime, Anywhere

July 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Summer Learning Activities from the Educators at Connections Academy, Leading Virtual School.

Baltimore, MD (Vocus) June 17, 2010 — What child doesn’t look forward to summer vacation? It’s a time to get outside, ride bikes, swim, play with friends, and… take a break from school. But unfortunately, it’s also a time when children experience learning losses if they don’t engage in educational activities. Educational research shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer (1).

But there is good news for parents, say educators from Connections Academy (www.ConnectionsAcademy.com), a leading virtual school known for its innovative and flexible learning approach. There is a wealth of fun, educational resources available — for free — that can help parents keep their students sharp this summer. Parents can take advantage of some great Internet sites, but should remember favorite, ‘tried and true’ learning activities, like reading books or exploring a museum together.

For the rest of the article, go to Top 10 Summer Learning Tips for Parents: Say Goodbye to Kids’ Summer Slump — Learn Anytime, Anywhere

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