U Phoenix and Blackboard Host Virtual Teaching Academy
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/14/20
An
online university and an education technology company have teamed up
to create a free virtual teaching academy focused on the changes
wrought in K-12 education. The Virtual
Teaching Academy,
an initiative by the University
of Phoenix
and Blackboard,
is intended to help educators develop a blueprint for teaching in the
next school year.
The
program will kick off with two online, interactive sessions, one on
May 20, covering the shift to virtual teaching and learning; and
another on Jun. 17, to provide guidance on how to shift between
virtual and in-person learning.
The
actual academy will run between Jun. 26 and Jul. 1. That's a six-day
workshop with breakouts that will cover topics such as student
and parent engagement, assessment of student learning, equity and
disparity and student social and emotional needs. The university will
grant free continuing education credits for the time spent attending
the academy.
Participating
experts include Pat Hoge, a specialist in the field of distance
learning; author Tom Vander Ark; and former district superintendent
Heath Morrison, who now heads up McGraw-Hill School Group.
"Teaching
outside of the classroom requires different skills, capabilities and
mindset than a traditional learning environment," said
University of Phoenix Provost, John Woods, in a statement. "With
more than 30 years of experience delivering successful online
education, we feel a deep responsibility and sense of urgency to
share our knowledge in virtual teaching to help the K-12 education
community succeed in today's new normal of remote learning."
Registration
for the events is open on
the Blackboard website.
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.