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I. Introduction
Virtual Classrooms, (K-12)

A. Reasons for Study
- Research Material- Managing Mayhem Strategies for K-12 Virtual Classroom - (Baab, Lujean, 2009)
-Word Document - Planning, Designing, Implementing, and Managing virtual classroom.

B. K-12 Distance Educators at Work: Who's Teaching Online Across the United States (Archambault, Crippen, 2009)
-Current Status of Distant Education in the K-12 Settings.
-Methodology
-Educational Level
-Nature of K-12 Online Schools and classes
-Class structure
-Survey, Teacher experience
-Implications, Limitations and Future research

II. Planning, Designing, Implementing, and Managing Virtual Classrooms, (K-12). Virtual School K-12

A. Identification of Students' Needs and skills.
-How will students with special needs be addressed?
-Available resources- hardware, software
-Teacher and student training
-If students cannot afford hardware, software, Internet, what are the choices?
-Can students get financial assistance for rental, purchase?
-Can local libraries, recreational centers be set up allowing students access to course material.
-How will the costs be paid for?

B. Community of Learners and Collaboration
-Encouraging students to become a member of community of learners.
-Incorporating collaboration activities.
-Designing Interactive Material that encourages and provides opportunity for all students to participate.
- Providing a safe environment for students and staff to communicate on school site which is recorded ensuring proper procedures and safety concerns are addressed

III. Student Assessment and Evaluation. -Virtual Classroom Assessment and Suggestions for Improvement.

A. Student Assessment and Evaluation.
-How will it be accomplished - same or different from regular face to face classroom?
-Teacher in service program to help teachers in identifying progress, modification needed to learning environment and providing teachers a link to answer questions and provide teachers with help.
-Encouraging teachers to join and form a community of teachers sharing ideas, and providing assistance to newer online teachers.



Word Document - Planning, Designing, Implementing, and Managing Virtual Classroom.


Planning, Designing, Implementing and Managing Virtual Classrooms (K-12).

Virtual classrooms in the 21st century especially in the K-12 areas will increase in greater number due to a variety of reasons. As an educator we have to become involved in ensuring that virtual classrooms provide equivalent learning, collaborating opportunities for all students, along with training for teachers and also ensure that each student has required equipment and training. Due to economic constraints and government cutbacks some states, boards provinces are providing alternative learning environment, the virtual classroom.

In my study I shall examine not only the reasons behind setting up virtual classrooms, but also look at management of virtual classrooms, positive and negative aspects, virtual classroom structure, similarities and differences between regular classrooms and virtual classrooms, studies dealing with impact and results of students learning in a virtual world.

The topic is just starting to gain momentum as such it is of interest to me of not only how I could take steps in gaining more information about policies and procedures but also be able to become effectively involved in planning, designing and implementing virtual classroom environment for students that will provide equivalent opportunities and allow them to complete educational objectives allowing them to have same opportunities as student that attend regular classrooms.
This topic will gain greater limelight, interest and will provide opportunities for virtual students to succeed if proper design techniques base on sound education theories and polices are implemented into design. It is important to ensure that haphazard steps of using ideas from regular classrooms and online adult classes are not molded together to come up with a ‘Mish, mash’ policy.

A starting point for me was to choose a topic which I believe will gain greater implementation, and importance in the 21st century. Checking the Internet Site NECC I located and article for my topic. The article Managing Mayhem Strategies for K-12 Virtual Classrooms, by Lujean Baab, states that “Most of what are considered best practices for distance learning theory and autonomous, self-directed, mature learners. Few K-12 learners fit that description and yet distance learning in K-12 continues to grow at a rapid rate” (Baab, Lujean, 2009, p.1).

One concern to this point is that since this is an upcoming development there might be few supporting research project that were done recently, but I am excited about gaining additional knowledge and share the findings with my colleagues.

References for Word Document

Baab, Lujean (2009). Managing mayhem: Strategies for K-12 distance virtual classroom. Accessed on March 20, 2010, Accessed from; http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2009/program/search_results_details.php?sessionid=43702657&selection_id=53614287&rownumber=4&max=110&gopage=.