Press Releases

Virtual School Teachers Exchange Innovative Practices, Knowledge and Strategies for Delivering Quality Online Instruction

Press Release: November 20, 2006

--Virtual Forum Creates New Opportunities for Online Educators to Collaborate --

Orlando, FL (November 20, 2006) – Today, Florida Virtual School launched a unique online forum through which educators exchanged strategies, knowledge and best practices for creating effective online learning programs for K-12 students. Educators from across the country participated in a synchronous, web-based discussion where they exchanged ideas, solutions and started an open discussion about ways to broaden the knowledge and collective understanding of effective online learning tactics.

During the first Virtual School Community of Practice (CoP), over 60 online educators from around the country discussed strategies for motivating students online. They also exchanged tried and true strategies that have been proven to be effective in keeping students engaged in an online learning environment.

The CoP will provide members of the online learning community with an open and informal opportunity them to interact with their peers at times and in a format most convenient to them. Beyond the forums, the CoP will offer teachers:

1. Monthly synchronous web sharing sessions (recorded and archived)
2. Information resources and best practices / strategies
3. Knowledge bases to which members can contribute their work and findings
4. Colleagues engaged in similar work and tackling similar challenges
5. Experts who may be able to clarify issues and provide references
6. A forum for research and implementation questions, and
7. Colleagues who might want to collaborate on a project.

“During this school year, over a million students across the country are taking classes online – a number that industry experts project will grow 25% annually. Together as educators, we can best serve the needs of students by collaborating, sharing our intellectual knowledge through regular communications to ensure that online learning remains cutting edge and continues to meet the educational needs of students,” said FLVS President and CEO Julie Young.  “Our hope is that these regular online forums we will build upon a movement among online educators to exchange lessons learned on how to bring inventive strategies into education and keep today’s students engaged and challenged.”

FLVS will hold the second CoP forum on December 14. Participants will discuss time management strategies for online teachers. Additional topics for January and February CoP forums include: academic integrity, reading and ELL strategies. For more information about the CoP visit our training section  or send email to: info@flvs.net.

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