Virtual Classrooms

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.

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.