Cosner Creations IN 2nd

Hi there!

Every time I begin to write I think of the old show when I was little ("hi there, face here...ber ba ber") from Nick Jr. anyone catch my drift?? Hahaha OK anyway...

Great day here on this mid July day. (HOLY MID JULY) Kids begin August 4th! Crazy how time flies!

So, you wouldn't believe the questions I've had about what does it mean to be a VIRTUAL teacher since I stated in my first entry about it. I know it is a crazy thing to think of. A teacher who teaches 2nd grade only online? What in the world, how can that be so. Yes, this was my first thought 4 years ago when I began this journey. And when people would ask...HA. Oh they would ask, I just had to say "you just have to see it in action, it is so hard to understand."

Well, let me try and explain the best I can. Take it with an open mind. Think of all the technology we live by today. It is unheard of for people to not have a computer or even a smart phone. When people do not have a smart phone, be honest you kind of give them that look like "what in the world dude" yea I know. Been there done that.

That being said. If you are ever around children...they LOVE to get a hold of your smart phone, I-Pad, computer, etc. So, to answer your first question you probably have. "How in the world can a 2nd grader or Kindergartner do online school?" Ha, well you would be amazed! They know WAY more than you think. And they LOVE it!

What does a day look like for a virtual teacher? To begin...everything revolves around a computer. Much like a business setting. We have a program that we run from, which is powered by K12. Within this program we have our curriculum that each grade level is to follow. Within the curriculum it is set up for the student to complete lesson by lesson in each subject area. As the student does their work, within the program there are many online "games" and tutorials to teach the child the standard that is to be taught. After several lessons they are then directed to take an assessment (test) to ensure they have mastered what it is they have been learning. Many students like this type of learning environment because it is one on one instruction and they are the one in charge of the MOUSE. (you know how that goes, it's like the remote in adult hood).

Each student is expected to have what we call a learning coach. This coach is usually a stay at home parent who puts forth all their effort to instill an education for their child as well as incorporate extra curricular activities for their student to be involved in. Let me touch base on this. If you would have asked me 4 years ago what I thought of homeschooling/online schooling I would have told you NO WAY! However, seeing the ins and outs first hand it has it's advantages for students and the way our world is headed. Education is a must in order for someone to succeed or even to be given a job. So, having the opportunity to teach your child one on one and to KNOW exactly where they are struggling is an advantage for your child. As a parent you want your child to be the smartest apple in the bunch. That being said, when you are their learning coach, you know exactly what they know and what they do not know. So, the learning coach plays a HUGE role in a virtual school setting.

What is my job as the virtual teacher? I am given a class size of 50-70 students. That seems like so many, however you have to remember the goal is for each child to have a learning coach by their side everyday. So in a teaching world that would be like having 70 students and 70 teaching aids! How AWESOME would that be (just a thought). As the teacher, I am the one with the background in the fundamentals on how to get a child to read, I have the resources. How to teach math, I have the resources. How to get your child to behave, I have the resources. (However, some problems apply when I am not there physically by your child). It takes a special learning coach/parent to be able to be the teacher and the parent. The virtual setting is not a good fit for EVERYONE. But, the people it does fit, benefit.

As the teacher each day I am to progress monitor my students and their data. That means from the beginning of the school year it is my job to track each students reading level. Where are they at? Are they on target, below target, or above target. From there it is my job to give the learning coaches resources to enhance their students reading level wherever it may be. If they are below reading level I have to make sure that the student is on a path toward bridging that gap. So the learning coach, student, and I work very close together to ensure that the student is reading by the time they leave my class. Just as you would in a normal school setting. However the student is getting one on one guidance to ensure that bridging the gap is happening. Also, the learning coach is very aware of exactly where the students educational level is at and not just the teacher.

How exactly do I get to see my kiddos? If you have ever taken an online class you might have heard of the program Blackboard. If not, this may be like gibberish to you, but I advise you to look into it. It is a cool concept. Blackboard is what I like to call my CLASSROOM. Blackboard is a Web-based learning management system designed to support fully online courses or provide a space for face-to-face course supplementation. Blackboard provides many types of tools and features for enriching the learning experience.That being said within Blackboard, I teach my students. We can meet one-on-one and work on an area of struggle. I hold weekly meetings where I tell the students important information that is coming up, I do star student, I do different activities to enhance the learning experience for them. Also, within Blackboard students are able to collaborate with one another as well as with me. They can do features such as video chat, raise their hand, type in the chat box, answer questions on the board, write on the board, turn their microphone on and read. Everything that can be done in the brick and mortar setting can be done on Blackboard. I can give students partners and a task and send them into their own room to complete and talk with one another to figure out the task at hand and then reconvene and go over information as a whole group.

I will admit...this way of teaching is very different than being in a classroom face to face with 25-30 students. It is much different. There are pros and cons to each (which, I will have to save for another blog). I have done both, but I personally enjoy the virtual setting for my job.

Why do I enjoy the virtual setting? Because I am learning new things every single day.The world wide web is HUGE and full of new things to be learned. As an adult I have found that enjoying what you do is most important. I still haven't found EXACTLY what I am looking for, but I have learned that I like a challenge and I love to learn! I like to be around people who have knowledge and who are apt to sharing their knowledge. As an educator I enjoy teaching concepts to students, but the best joy I get out of teaching is the challenge. Getting a student who reads 5 words a minute at the beginning of the year is like a bouquet of flowers to me. It is a challenge, because then it is my job as their teacher and educator to get them to read 89 words per minute by the end of the year. Knowing that I have the ability and resources to instill this in a child's education is prideful to me. Learning that I can do this from my home in a virtual setting makes it even better. My day is spent gathering data and figuring out how to get a child to read. I LOVE IT! That is not ALL my job consists of, but it would take several hours to write all of my duties on here. But, maybe one day I will go into more detail!

I hope you learned something about VIRTUAL SCHOOLING!

Enjoy your day!

Cassidy

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