Virtual Classrooms

As cases of COVID-19 skyrocket with the prevalence of a new variant, New Jersey’s largest school district is preparing technology, materials and all necessary links and codes should students have to learn remotely.

Except for one live lesson a week, EBR Virtual Academy’s new vendor will have students either completing assignments on their own, meeting in small groups or one-on-one with Arizona State University teachers or coaches.

A recent educator survey conducted by the nonprofit Christensen Institute finds that students and teachers are struggling, and some ed-tech practices that flourished during remote learning have waned as schools reopened.

A recent paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that on average across 12 states, remote learning correlated with far steeper drops in reading and math scores than in-person classes.

The online cultural exchange platform Empatico connects classrooms in 160 countries for interactive lessons focused on social-emotional learning and building cooperation, cultural inclusion and empathy.

The Missouri State Library system in Boone or Callaway counties is administering the Excel Adult High School program, an accredited online high school through which adults 18 and up can earn a diploma.

The Michigan district will continue virtual instruction while surging COVID cases affect both students and staff, with buses shuttling students from the high school to the Lenawee Intermediate School District Tech Center.

Grown out of an evening-class alternative for students at risk of dropping out, the blended virtual learning program at Frederick County Public Schools has enrolled almost 1,200 students, with teachers from across the county.

Some K-12 districts that aren’t equipped to offer distance learning have partnered for those services with the Southwest West Central Service Cooperative, an organization that supports school districts in 18 counties.

During a visit from Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito as part of Massachusetts STEM week, fifth graders at Pingree Elementary School participated in the Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge, in which they practiced coding.

Virtual programming at New Synagogue in Palm Beach, Fla., including Zoom classes, pre-recorded religious services and live-streamed events, has allowed participation from families across North America.

Harris County, Texas, is turning to a managed private network to bring broadband connectivity to disadvantaged households. Officials hope the effort will increase access to distance learning.

The U.S. Department of Education will gather additional federal data to examine the full scope of problems faced by schools throughout the pandemic. The study hopes to guide policymakers tasked with reopening schools.

Despite a significant shortage of teachers and an ongoing pandemic, New Jersey is still training up future educators. Many have fulfilled their student teaching hours through virtual means.

The university’s first-ever online winter session attracted over 2,200 students, almost three-quarters of whom were juniors and seniors. The university is preparing this year’s course list with upperclassmen in mind.

The nearly 205-year-old school in West Hartford, Conn. is offering online bilingual courses in English, mathematics, science and social studies to deaf children worldwide, ages 12 to 16, supplementary to other schooling.

Some Bay Area parents tried to recall the Cupertino school board president last year over virtual learning, while others are now demanding that schools bring it back to keep their kids safe as COVID-19 persists.

While some students feel ill-served or short-changed by virtual learning, the state’s 15 public universities expect those options to expand in the coming years as other students demand flexibility.