Virtual Classrooms

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.

A new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation says AR/VR programs could bring new lessons to students across grade levels, given the requisite investments to spur adoption and research.

Owensboro Community & Technical College is using a grant from the National Science Foundation to create a virtual reality-based training program for higher-education students in advanced manufacturing.

The state of Illinois has asked school districts to submit plans for teaching students remotely in the event of hazardous weather or other emergencies, potentially reducing disruption and make-up days.

The South Carolina school district is switching to virtual lessons after a surge in COVID-19 cases included dozens of students in the first week. Nearby, Beaufort County schools counted hundreds of cases in that time.

As school districts across Texas finalize their enrollment numbers for the new year, many are finding a decline due to parents keeping their kids home, awaiting mask mandates or online learning options.

With most students in virtual classes three days a week last year, and 20 percent of students all-virtual, Eau Claire High School saw a drop in As and increase in Fs which principals attribute to remote learning.

The Capital Area Online Learning Association and its system for enrolling students in full-time or part-time classes online is taking off in Pennsylvania, offering more electives and career pathways programs.

Administration at Mason City Community Schools is pleased that 73 students enrolled in a new virtual academy for K-12, established through ESSER funds and enabled by Chromebooks and Google Classroom.

When COVID-19 closed libraries, schools and churches, Latinos in Sussex County, Del. moved their English as a Second Language program to Zoom, which hindered participation for some but also preceded a rise in enrollment.

While many teachers consider fleeing the profession, either due to the risk of in-person teaching during COVID-19 or the difficulty of remote lessons, others are excited for fall and applying lessons of the past year.

Because Texas will no longer provide funding for students not physically present in classrooms, Austin ISD will lose $4,500 for every virtual student and incur $5,600 in additional costs, totaling about $41 million.

The state will not allow schools to offer virtual options for students this year, forcing districts to come up with contingency plans for those who contract COVID-19 and have to quarantine.

Communities throughout the state are trying local hotspots, limited virtual classrooms, Google Classroom, and private-public partnerships laying fiber in an effort to accommodate families with poor Internet connection.

Since all-virtual classes aren’t permitted for the coming year, Palm Beach County teachers are debating whether turning on their cameras for students quarantining at home is a viable way to keep them from falling behind.