Creating a Virtual School Drawing board to Implementation

Creating a Virtual School Creating a philosophy – INACOL, IBM, Florida v Concord Consortium, District game players and naysayers

Creating a Virtual School 1.Consultants 2. Leadership of District/University 3. Technical Staff Leader 4. Professional Development Department Reps 5. Curriculum Department Reps 6. Teacher Leaders 7. Counselors 8. Community Leader 9.Parent/Student

Leadership Leadership needs to meet and discuss: –What is your philosophy concerning online education and professional development? –Is your district/university willing to commit to doing synchronous and asynchronous online education? –Develop a needs assessment? –Create a strategic plan. Analyze resources available Develop partnerships Marketing strategies

What is your philosophy concerning online education? Learning Training Meetings Format – Concurrent – Full-time/degree granting Confirm Your Philosophy

Your Vision The best technology is integrated with the best instructional practices. A dynamic environment is created to foster continuous social, emotional and intellectual growth.

Confirm Your Commitment Is your district/university willing to commit to doing synchronous and a synchronous online education? Flexibility of scheduling Technical assistance Connectivity issues Additional training Quality vs. quantity

Identify Your Needs Geographic issues Classroom issues Technical staff Professional Development needs Administrative needs

Southern Nevada Clark County School District covers 7,910 sq. miles Lincoln Clark

Growth Students178,896280,83457% Teachers11,31618,95334% Schools % CCSD Statistics

Identify Your Users District Admin Teachers Support Staff Professional Technical Students

Identify Your Needs Create a strategic plan. Analyze resources available Develop partnerships Create a business plan Set goals Identify leadership structure for program

Growth Money issues Marketing State Requirements... Attendance The need to rewrite regulations and rules Be prepared for :

Before Starting How do you get ready for everything that is going to happen? –Organize training –Organize technical infrastructure –Identify initial target groups

Key Elements Needed Organize training: Create your own or outsource –Process for Course Creation and Review –Pedagogy Training Design Team –Curriculum Specialists –Teacher –Instructional Designer –Administrator –Tools/Technical Training for Teachers –Classroom Environment

Organize Technical Infrastructure Create a Technical staff –Networking Staff –Help Desk

1.Tech Staff Collaboration 2.Server Requirements 3.Tech Support Needed for Students and Staff 4.Tech Requirement for Student and Teacher Computers 5.Minimum Bandwidth vs Optimal Teaching Requirements 6.Develop a liability waiver for adding software to computer 7.Consider a time and place for participants to bring in their computers Technical staff collaboration

Networking Staff Server, Firewalls, Connection Speed Unforeseen tech issues Administrating the Program Domain management Create relationship with Help Desk and your tech people Develop efficient way for users to communicate issues to tech staff Upgrades... Microsoft School connectivity

Help Desk Create your own Help Desk Home connectivity issues Unforeseen tech issues Initial installs Upgrades... Microsoft Browser Issues

1.Administrative Issues Scheduling Time for Classes Number of licenses 2.Organization Domains for each subject area Groups within the Domains Create a Users group Support Area 3.Scheduling calendar 4.Support documents 5.Sharing Ideas Administrative Issues

What happens if you don’t develop an efficient and functional Technical staff Lose school... Lose students Lose teacher Lose credibility

Teacher Philosophy is critical Delivery Creation of content Administrative and Departmental Needs ie. Meetings Deliver Attend System Management Training Teacher Training and Professional Development

Decision about training Outsource or create your own Need for flexibility How to use tools to deliver training Definite plan for delivery if giving your own Teacher Training and Professional Development

Time for implementation 6 months to a year to develop Tap resources that are already there Consider purchasing courses from other sources Train groups Teacher Training and Professional Development

Needs Content needs to be set by a team, not an individual Teachers need to be aware of team effort to deliver Standards-based content Procedure in place for changes to content

Needs... 1.Teachers will like Synchronous contact because it is most like a classroom Need to be trained on the proper use Synchronous class needs to be interactive Need to hire teachers and Administrators with same philosophy 2. Need for personal touch Teachers come in from

1.Access to content for synchronous and asynchronous learning materials 2.Active Discussions groups 3.Model the shared environment 4.Rubrics are essential 5.Share lessons- teacher notes, all files 6.Create an interactive environment-If you want to do a lecture, use the Playback in synchronous tool 7.Rely on an experienced staff to model best practices Essential Elements of Training

The Emerging CyberSchool –Need for interactivity –Teachers –Students –Online Professional Development Growth Technical Infrastructure Valuable lessons along the way