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Strategies for Online Elementary Education

A growing number of teachers are learning to balance instruction in face-to-face and virtual classrooms. Some say having both of those experiences helps boost skills in each environment.

Strategies for Online Elementary Education

Tuesday, September 14, 1 p.m. Eastern time
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Strategies for Online Elementary Education

(09/14/2010)

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10:00

EdWeek Producer: Jennifer:
Today’s chat, “Strategies for Online Elementary Education,” is open for questions. Please start submitting them now.

The chat itself will begin at 1 p.m. Eastern. Thanks for joining us.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 10:00 EdWeek Producer: Jennifer

1:01

Ian Quillen:
Hello everyone and thank you for joining us today to discuss strategies for online elementary education. With us today are Kayleen Marble from the Arizona Virtual Academy and Andrew Oberg from the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:01 Ian Quillen

1:01

Ian Quillen:
I’d like to welcome them both, and invite them to introduce themselves.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:01 Ian Quillen

1:02

Kayleen Marble:
Hi everyone! Thank you Ian. I’ve been an educator for 14 years - the last five have been with Arizona Virtual Academy - a K12 school. I have two masters degrees - one in distance education and one in administration and I am currently a lead master teacher. On a personal note, I am a mother of 6 children ages 6-17.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:02 Kayleen Marble

1:03

Andrew Oberg:
Good afternoon from Pittsburgh, PA. My name is Andrew Oberg and I am the Excutive Director at PA Cyber. I have been at PA Cyber for 5 years and before that I was a Middle School Principal and a high school teacher. Looking forward to the interaction.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:03 Andrew Oberg

1:04

Ian Quillen:
Thanks guys. I’d like to direct this first question, from a guest, to Kayleen to get us started. It’s a prevalent topic throughout online ed, But i think it’s of particular interest in the elementary grades.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:04 Ian Quillen

1:04

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]
How is it possible to use online learning tools to develop collaborative creativity?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:04 Guest

1:04

Andrew Oberg:
on a personal note...I have three children ages 10, 7 and 2. Hello to Kayleen as well.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:04 Andrew Oberg

1:05

Kayleen Marble:
re. guest - I think that every virtual school is going to have their own tricks for fostering collaboration and creativity. At our school, we have a fantastic online classroom called elluminate {more}

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:05 Kayleen Marble

1:06

Ian Quillen:
This next question from Connie is for Andrew.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:06 Ian Quillen

1:06

[Comment From ConnieConnie: ]
At what age should a student be allowed to participate in a full-time virtual school?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:06 Connie

1:06

Kayleen Marble:
re gues part 3 - we use elluminate synchronously - and can do breakout rooms with small groups of students and large classes for full class instruction. It is amazing. Anything I did 5-10 years ago in a brick-and -morter school I can do in Elluminate.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:06 Kayleen Marble

1:07

Ian Quillen:
I’d like to add to Connie’s question that, while I’m sure the answer is different for each kid, I would ask Andrew to say what factors he would consider when deciding to enroll a younger child in an online school

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:07 Ian Quillen

1:07

Andrew Oberg:
Connie- Good question. We offer curriculum starting designed and starting at the 4 year old level.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:07 Andrew Oberg

1:08

Ian Quillen:
Kayleen, this next question about Elluminate comes from Sue

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:08 Ian Quillen

1:08

[Comment From SueSue: ]
Kayleen, do you utilize elluminate daily with each of your students? Or is it on an as-need situation?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:08 Sue

1:08

Andrew Oberg:
Remember that the child in the primary grades are working with their first teacher, their parents so this is a natural extension of the learning process that has already been started.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:08 Andrew Oberg

1:09

Andrew Oberg:
However, if you are asking at what age is it appropriate to take part in a virtual classroom setting or asynchronous learning, than I would say 3rd grade.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:09 Andrew Oberg

1:09

Kayleen Marble:
Re: Sue - At our school, we use elluminate for classes - whole class on an almost daily basis - but also have special remediation classes, small group and one on one tutoring. There are many different levels of instruction.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:09 Kayleen Marble

1:10

Kayleen Marble:
Andrew - If I can interject also - I think it really depends on what kind of synchronous instruction you are having - I used to be the writing coordinator for my school and I did some really fun interactive writing activities with the K-2 kids on a weekly basis.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:10 Kayleen Marble

1:10

Ian Quillen:
Andrew, this next question from Lisa is about what technology elementary virtual students can expect to encounter in a virtual school environment

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:10 Ian Quillen

1:10

[Comment From LisaLisa: ]
What kind of exposure to technology do students entering elementary school grades have? As a follow-up, what kind of issues/problems occur when elementary schoolers are first exposed to virtual learning?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:10 Lisa

1:10

Andrew Oberg:
Thank you Ian- We to use Elluminate and have found that the fine motor skills, attention span and curricular offerings dictate that anything earlier than 3rd grade would not be age appropriate. That does not mean impossible.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:10 Andrew Oberg

1:11

Kayleen Marble:
I agree Andrew - attention span is definitely an important thing to consider - and having age -appropriate amount of time on the computer.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:11 Kayleen Marble

1:11

Ian Quillen:
Kayleen, would you like to take this question about parental buy-in from Tracy R?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:11 Ian Quillen

1:12

[Comment From Tracy RTracy R: ]
Hello. I am a K-5 grade resource room teacher. I meet each of my students at least one time weekly in our Elluminate Classroom to work on students IEP goals/objectives. They have the opportunity to meet me via Elluminate, soon to be SKYPE or telephone with any questions about their lessons.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:12 Tracy R

1:12

Ian Quillen:
my apologies, wrong question

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:12 Ian Quillen

1:12

Ian Quillen:
I meant this question, from Dennis

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:12 Ian Quillen

1:12

[Comment From DennisDennis: ]
As a teacher of fifth graders, I use technology in many ways. Recently, we have included use of blogs, wiki’s, and such as instructional tools. The issue that I have run up against is not that students aren’t ready for the technology, it is that parents are not ready. Parents have expressed concerns about giving students email addresses and access to such in order for their students to participate. How have you addressed this issue in lower grades where it is not as common to use online learning tools?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:12 Dennis

1:13

Andrew Oberg:
Lisa- Again, this is dependent on the provider of the online environment and the child’s earliest exposure. Keep in mind that today’s student’s are the digital natives and we are taking it all in second hand. So they are more ready than we are aware.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:13 Andrew Oberg

1:13

Kayleen Marble:
Re: Dennis - In our school we do have the same types of concerns. Parent act as a learning coach so those kind of things should always been done with the parent involvement. I, myself, do not allow my children to have email accounts until they are teenagers, even facebook until they are 17. It is important to teach internet safety.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:13 Kayleen Marble

1:14

Ian Quillen:
And Andrew, a followup on a previous question from Sam

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:14 Ian Quillen

1:14

[Comment From SamSam: ]
Just because they have a program for 4 year olds, doesn’t make it appropriate. WHAT FACTORS should be looked at before enrolling younger kids

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:14 Sam

1:15

Andrew Oberg:
Lisa- to your second point...much of the exposure is still with a paper and pencil, textbook and chalk and classroom materials you would expect to find in a brick and mortar classroom.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:15 Andrew Oberg

1:15

Andrew Oberg:
The school provides all the materials a student needs- computers, printers, and modems to texts and workbooks all at a very reasonable cost - nothing

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:15 Andrew Oberg

1:16

Kayleen Marble:
Re: Sam - If I may also reply - I completely agree that it might not be appropriate. I think that the level of parent involvement is also important when considering virtual education. The parent needs to know, especially for early elementary students, that they have to be actively involved in the day to day process.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:16 Kayleen Marble

1:18

[Comment From Jaclyn ZerkleJaclyn Zerkle: ]
Andrew and Kayleen, What type of math programs and or software do you use at your online schools in the elementary level?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:18 Jaclyn Zerkle

1:18

Andrew Oberg:
Sam- Sure, so a baseline assessment is performed to test the earliest indicators of phonemic awarness, computation, motor skills and most importantly...the input of the parent. We meet with every family before they enroll and then discuss the curriculum and expectation for each grade level. Typically in this conversation, a determination can be made.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:18 Andrew Oberg

1:18

Ian Quillen:
Andrew and Kayleen, you can each take a shot at Jaclyn’s math question

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:18 Ian Quillen

1:20

Andrew Oberg:
Jaclyn- we utilize two...

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:20 Andrew Oberg

1:20

Kayleen Marble:
Jaclyn - My school is a school that uses the K12 curriculum. We use their programs for almost all subject areas. The online school has built into it math videos, interative games, ect that you would see in any other software. We feel that our curriculum is outstanding.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:20 Kayleen Marble

1:21

Andrew Oberg:
Students in kindergarten through fifth participate in a curricular framework developed by Calvert. Calvert is a very traditional homeschooling curriculum that goes up to8th grade is also available upon request.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:21 Andrew Oberg

1:21

Kayleen Marble:
Jacylyn - part II, but we also use Elluminate, our vitual classroom - to have live sessions (that we can also record) for having live, engaging classes. Teachers work with students several times a week on the lessons if they choose to attend.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:21 Kayleen Marble

1:22

Ian Quillen:
This next question is for Kayleen from Molly

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:22 Ian Quillen

1:22

[Comment From MollyMolly: ]
Do you have experience supporting homeschoolers and/or their parent-teachers through your school’s virtual environment?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:22 Molly

1:23

Kayleen Marble:
Molly - yes we do have many “traditional” homeschoolers in my school. In Arizona, you can choose to do the K12 curriculum as a free public school offering or as a private homeschooling curriculum. {more}

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:23 Kayleen Marble

1:23

Ian Quillen:
And Andrew, this next question from Michael

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:23 Ian Quillen

1:24

[Comment From Michael PirogMichael Pirog: ]
Hi Andrew. My mother is actually a primary school teacher and recently was awarded a technology grant. The primary component of this grant was a smart board which she is now using in the classroom. Do you see the smart board as a fad or something that could both replace the chalkboard and become a hub for classroom technologies in the medium to long term future? If you indeed see it as prevalent future technology how can it be leveraged in combination with other online technologies to produce a more enriching classroom experience?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:24 Michael Pirog

1:24

Andrew Oberg:
We also use Little Lincoln which is created by the National Network of Digital Schools. It is a standards-based curriculum that combines online and offline components designed to focus on active engagement. The offline portion is designed to give students a hands-on learning experience with plenty of opportunities for extra practice and reinforcement.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:24 Andrew Oberg

1:24

Kayleen Marble:
Molly - part II - NOt only do they get the curriculum and other resources free if they do the public school option, but they have the support of state-certified teachers how asisgn lessons and assess learning. Not only do they get fantasic support with remediation, but accerlation is also on our program. Many people also love the social opportunities we have.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:24 Kayleen Marble

1:26

Andrew Oberg:
Michael- I am on board with the smartboard...lol. This technology has the ability to draw in and engage a classroom through the use of real time questioning and answering built in through the clickers or SRS.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:26 Andrew Oberg

1:27

Kayleen Marble:
Molly - part III - it is important to note though that virtual education through a public school is not homeschooling. There are many differences. We are expected to meet the requirements of the state and so our students have attendance and progress requirements as well and some other accountability that they do not have as trditional homeschoolers. Many, in high school, come to us for the diplomas as well as the help from exceptional teachers.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:27 Kayleen Marble

1:28

Ian Quillen:
Molly this next question comes to you from Alina, who I’m sure Andrew and I on the east coast will be jealous of in a couple months (weatherwise)

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:28 Ian Quillen

1:28

[Comment From Alina MoranAlina Moran: ]
Kayleen I am interested in starting a Virtual Elementary school in the Caribbean. I’d love to discuss the steps involved in setting up a virtual school.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:28 Alina Moran

1:28

Andrew Oberg:
Mike- Part 2 is that both technologies can be used in concert. There is a time for direct instruction that is engaging and teacher directed and a place for computer generated lessons and activities.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:28 Andrew Oberg

1:30

Kayleen Marble:
Alina, - I am not sure how to answer that one. I do know that K12 has many vitual schools across the world - through their private school option. You might want to contact K12 directly to find out if they can help you set one up in your area.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:30 Kayleen Marble

1:30

Andrew Oberg:
Alina- I am not only Jealous, but I can put you in touch with the people that can help you make it happen. I would be willing to offer my services if asked...smiling here.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:30 Andrew Oberg

1:31

Kayleen Marble:
Andrew - good one - I guess we’d all like to go to the Caribbean!

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:31 Kayleen Marble

1:31

Ian Quillen:
This one, for Andrew, comes from Jaclyn

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:31 Ian Quillen

1:31

[Comment From Jaclyn ZerkleJaclyn Zerkle: ]
Do you have issues with non participation at your school? If so, how do you encourage motivation to attend regularly?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:31 Jaclyn Zerkle

1:31

Andrew Oberg:
Alina- Please email me at: andrew.oberg@pacyber.org. We work with the National Network of Digital Schools and they help to create schools all across the nation and abroad. I look forward to helping you.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:31 Andrew Oberg

1:34

Ian Quillen:
Kayleen, another question from Connie

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:34 Ian Quillen

1:34

[Comment From ConnieConnie: ]
It seems that virtual education for elementary students involve dedicated parents’ participation to make it work. Therefore, elementary students who do not have parents or adults’ support should not attend a full-time virtual school, right?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:34 Connie

1:34

Andrew Oberg:
Jaclyn- I am sure Kayleen would agree that this is an issue with online schools. We dont have our students walking through our doors but we have electronic means for keeping attendance as well as Instructional Supervisors who keep a weekly monitoring of students work and attendance in the classroom. We are constantly working to improve and encouragement comes from a partnership between parent, child and school.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:34 Andrew Oberg

1:35

Kayleen Marble:
Connie - Yes - that is correct. Let’s face it. Our number one priority is the education of students. For elementary, this is not an independent study program. Without adult support, elementary students should not be trying to do this. This doesn’t mean that it has to be the parent. If there is an aunt, grandparent or friend that can be the learning coach, they can still be successful.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:35 Kayleen Marble

1:36

Ian Quillen:
Andrew, Jane has a question about increasing parental involvement, a concern both of brick and mortar and online schools

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:36 Ian Quillen

1:36

[Comment From JaneJane: ]
In our digital environment the parents are working very closely with the children, especially those in the primary grades. I find that sometimes they are not suitable as facilitators (some struggle as readers themselves or have difficulty when helping with beginning writing, etc.). Do you have these problems in your schools? What suggestions can you provide to help these families, or should they not enroll in this type of environment?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:36 Jane

1:38

Kayleen Marble:
Andrew and Jaclyn - yes this is an ongoing issue at all virtual schools. We have many things designed to motivate and increase engagement - but it does come down to knowing if this is a good fit for the student. Virtual education is an important public school option, but is not for everyone. Online schools provide personalized, one-to-one learning opportunities where education is customized to meet every child’s individual needs and learning styles.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:38 Kayleen Marble

1:38

Andrew Oberg:
Jane- Great question. Parents are supported in our environment by a PA Certified teacher who works side by side and with the student in the classroom. There are two modes of instruction and that is how i want to answer this.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:38 Andrew Oberg

1:39

Andrew Oberg:
Jane Part 2: An asynchronous curriculum is best for a student who needs greater flexibility in their schedule (i.e. motivated learners, students who are ill, students who have children, students who travel regularly, etc). In this scenario, the parent is a facilitator, but aided by a teacher in each of the subjects

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:39 Andrew Oberg

1:41

Andrew Oberg:
Jane Part 3: A synchronous curriculum is best for students who are interested in real-time instruction. This is the virtual classroom. We utilize Elluminate. In the Virtual Classroom students can interact with the teacher as well as classmates through spoken, written, and auditory communication. Classes are conducted several hours per week and there are also independent assignments, tests, and quizzes to complete on days in which live classes are not held. This is just like a brick and mortar scenario

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:41 Andrew Oberg

1:41

Ian Quillen:
Kayleen, would you like to take a followup from Lisa?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:41 Ian Quillen

1:41

[Comment From LisaLisa: ]
Thanks for answering my previous question. I’m wondering: Why would you recommend a virtual classroom for elementary over a non-virtual classroom? What opportunities or benefits do you see for the student as well as for the teacher?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:41 Lisa

1:43

Kayleen Marble:
Lisa - great question! Like I said before, online public schools are customized for an individual’s learning style. For many students, their learning needs are better met outside a traditional classroom. Some examples may include - special neds, gifted students, familiy circumstatnces, a desire for a more rigorous academic program, or children with medical or physical consitions (more)

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:43 Kayleen Marble

1:44

Kayleen Marble:
Lisa - part II - All educators agree that strong parent involvement is extrememly important to a child’s academic success. In virtual education, parents are active participants in their child’s education - working in close partnership with teachers. The benefits are huge for those reasons alone.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:44 Kayleen Marble

1:45

Andrew Oberg:
All- I would also like to echo Kayleen’s comments earlier that cyber schooling is not for everyone as brick and mortar is not for all. It is a choice and one that many states did not offer before. We make sure in the face to face interview process that the families understand all the variables that go into making educating this way a success. I believe it works and we made AYP again in Pennsylvania with over 4,000 students tested and that shows that it works.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:45 Andrew Oberg

1:45

Ian Quillen:
Andrew, would you like to take a stab at another question from Sam?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:45 Ian Quillen

1:45

[Comment From SamSam: ]
A number of charter cyber schools utilize the same vendor or vendor’s online curricula and online engines (such as K12 or Bridgewater or any number of others). What differentiates each of these cyberschools that are using the same vendor.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:45 Sam

1:46

Kayleen Marble:
Andrew - very well said - I think that all good virtual schools want families to know up front what is expected to be successful in this type of education. While there is a learning curve initially, families quickly adapt to the schedule and thrive with the help of teachers who oversee and manage the student learning.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:46 Kayleen Marble

1:47

Andrew Oberg:
Alina- Wish you well with Igor!!!!

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:47 Andrew Oberg

1:47

Andrew Oberg:
Mike- I know you mom and her students will love the smart boards.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:47 Andrew Oberg

1:50

Ian Quillen:
Kayleen, an interesting question from Randall

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:50 Ian Quillen

1:50

[Comment From Randall FRandall F: ]
Are there specific training programs for parents to teach them how to guide their children in online learning?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:50 Randall F

1:50

Andrew Oberg:
Sam- There are quite a few vendors for sure... but what differentiates is two things. One it is the mode of instruction, whether it be delievered synchronously or asnychronously. Two, as it is with brick and mortar schools and the number one factor on edcuation...it is the teacher who brings to life the instruction and makes it their own. This has always been the way even in traditional classrooms that had the same textbook companies as the next school.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:50 Andrew Oberg

1:51

Andrew Oberg:
Sam- Part 2- I believe in our provider (NNDS) becuase they have partnered with us to develop the offerings specifically for both the live envrionment and self paced.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:51 Andrew Oberg

1:52

Ian Quillen:
Andrew, thank you. Virginia asks a question I know first-hand that prospective teachers throughout the virtual education world are asking

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:52 Ian Quillen

1:52

[Comment From VirginiaVirginia: ]
Are online teachers able to work in their own project ideas that tie in to the set curriculum and then are students able to share their work with each other via web cam?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:52 Virginia

1:52

Kayleen Marble:
Randall - that is a fantasic question - at our school, when a family first enrolls, we spend a great deal of time helping the learning coach learn how to use the technology, as well as how to do school. One of the great tools that we also have is the K12 curriculum itself. As a leader in curriculum, one of my favorite things is the teachers guides that come with the curriculum. It very thoroughly explains the lessons to the parents and has suggested ways to teach concepts to the students. Of course, we have teachers doing that live as well. (more)

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:52 Kayleen Marble

1:53

Kayleen Marble:
Randall part II - one of the biggest things that we do as online teachers is help the learning coaches learn how to work with their students - the training process at the beginning is critical for overall success of the families. I love to take time to walk through the lessons with the family and demonostrate different techniques. It is one of my favorite things about being an online teacher.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:53 Kayleen Marble

1:54

Kayleen Marble:
Ian - maybe I can take the question from Virginia?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:54 Kayleen Marble

1:54

Ian Quillen:
Sure thing, Kayleen

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:54 Ian Quillen

1:55

Kayleen Marble:
Virginia - we do have to be very careful to protect student privacy - so the amount of webcam use that we do in our virtual classroom depends upon signed consent forms by the families. Teachers in our school, as in almost any other type of school, are able to have special projects. We usally organize clubs for these types of activities as well.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:55 Kayleen Marble

1:56

Kayleen Marble:
Virginia - part II - we highly encourage teachers to be creative and use their strengths. By no means do we want to stifle creativity. We love ideas of how to make education better!

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:56 Kayleen Marble

1:57

Ian Quillen:
Kayleen, this from Sherry ...

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:57 Ian Quillen

1:57

[Comment From SherrySherry: ]
Has anyone used virtual classess for RtI?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:57 Sherry

1:58

Kayleen Marble:
Sherry - RTI (for those of you who don’t know) stands for Response to Intervention - is a program for us to identify students that need extra support. We do use the RTI process at our school and use our elluminate classroom to provide both small group and one-on-one support for students that need remediation.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:58 Kayleen Marble

1:59

Ian Quillen:
Kayleen, do you think you could also address the second part of heather’s question about RTI?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:59 Ian Quillen

1:59

[Comment From Heather WHeather W: ]
Do you have any experience with RTI in the digital setting? If so, what universal screeners/progress monitors/interventions have you found the most useful?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 1:59 Heather W

2:01

Kayleen Marble:
Heather - sure - we do a 45 day screening when students enter our school - to initially identify students with special needs. We hav found that in our school - the best monitors are our teachers themselves. AS they work with students on a daily and weekly basis, it is clear which students need extra help. They will then start the RTI process. We also have checkpoints that help identify them. Interventions are varied by grade level and school. It is quite a process but very effective in the virtual realm.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:01 Kayleen Marble

2:03

Ian Quillen:
We’d like to thank you all for your questions today. Apologies for not having time to get to them all. We have one last one for Kayleen from Molly. And remember to access the archive of the chat anytime!

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:03 Ian Quillen

2:04

[Comment From MollyMolly: ]
What preparation do you suggest and/or provide for your online teachers? And, what is their demographic profile, for example, how long have they taught, what brings them to the virtual environment, what is the turnover rate, etc. ?

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:04 Molly

2:04

Kayleen Marble:
Molly - I think that online teachers need to have experience in a regular classroom before coming to the virtual world. My experience previously helped me to understand all the different types of learners - as well as those with special needs so that when I became a virtual teacher, I could pull out my bag of tricks and share with the parents of my students. (more)

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:04 Kayleen Marble

2:06

Kayleen Marble:
Molly (part 2)... as for the demographics - that is as varied as the pebbles on the beach! I think that everyone comes to virtual education for so many different reasons. - and every school across the country would have different demographics. The most important thing is that our teachers are dedicated to the success of their families - no matter where they live or what their situation - we want to make our students successful, lifelong learners.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:06 Kayleen Marble

2:06

Kayleen Marble:
Thank you all for the opportunity to be here today! It was my pleasure!

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:06 Kayleen Marble

2:07

Ian Quillen:
Thank you, Kayleen. And Andrew as well for your insight. And to our audience for all your questions. It was a blast :-)

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:07 Ian Quillen

2:07

Kayleen Marble:
Yes it was! Have a great day everyone!

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:07 Kayleen Marble

2:09

Andrew Oberg:
all-

Many thanks to EdWeek for putting this together. i apologize, that i had to step away. If i can be of further assistance to you with curriculum, RtI or anything else. I can be reached at andrew.oberg@pacyber.org

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:09 Andrew Oberg

2:09

EdWeek Producer: Jennifer:
And thank you to Ian for moderating this chat. A printable transcript will be available on this same page within 24 hours.

Make sure to check out other upcoming Education Week chats at www.edweek.org/go/chats.

Tuesday September 14, 2010 2:09 EdWeek Producer: Jennifer

2:09

Strategies for Online Elementary Education

Tuesday, September 14, 1 p.m. Eastern time

Online learning has exploded in K-12 education, with over 1 million students taking online courses during the 2007-08 school year. But online learning isn’t just for middle and high school students—elementary schoolers also play a part in that trend. Our guests discussed the unique challenges faced in the virtual elementary classroom, and how e-educators can best meet them.

Guests:
Kayleen Marble, a lead master teacher at Arizona Virtual School.
Andrew Oberg, the director of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.
Ian Quillen, staff writer Education Week Digital Directions moderated this chat.

Related Story:

• Schools Factor E-Courses Into the Daily Learning Mix (Education Week, April 28, 2010)