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.

Featured

  • DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education Announces Updates to Experience, DreamBox Math

    K-12 learning solution provider Discovery Education has announced enhancements to its Discovery Education Experience and DreamBox Math products, designed to create a more personalized, engaging learning experience for students.

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.

  • digital dashboard featuring a shield icon, graphs, a world map, and network nodes

    IBM Launches Agentic AI Governance and Security Platform

    IBM has introduced a new software stack for enterprise IT teams tasked with managing the complex governance and security challenges posed by autonomous AI systems.

  • laptop and fish hook

    Security Researchers Identify Generative AI 'Vishing' Attack

    A new report from researchers at Ontinue's Cyber Defense Center has identified a complex, multi-stage cyber attack that leveraged social engineering, remote access tools, and signed binaries to infiltrate and persist within a target network.