Michigan Virtual

From Playtime to Purpose: How Hobbies Can Set Your Child on the Path to Success

Michigan Virtual Logo Michigan Virtual
|
AUG 21, 2024
|
Hobbies aren’t just fun—they help kids grow. From building confidence to developing real-world skills, hobbies play a key role in helping children discover who they are and what they care about. In this post, we explore how parents and educators can support hobby-based learning and create space for curiosity, creativity, and long-term success.
Happy Asian father and son work as a woodworker and carpenter. Father teaching his son to hammer nails on a wooden plank carefully together. carpentry working at a home workshop studio.

Michigan Virtual Logo

Michigan Virtual

For more than 27 years, Michigan Virtual has partnered with K–12 school districts across Michigan to expand learning opportunities for students and educators alike. Through our high-quality online courses, taught by Michigan-certified, highly qualified teachers, we empower students to learn anytime, anywhere. We also provide affordable, impactful professional development to help educators grow in their craft. Most recently, Michigan Virtual has been at the forefront of innovation and artificial intelligence in education, offering consultation services and professional learning to guide schools in thoughtfully integrating new technologies and learning pathways.

Related Posts

Just the essentials: What mentors of online students want and need from professional learning

Just the essentials: What mentors of online students want and need from professional learning

Research indicates that online learners perform better when they have strong onsite mentor support. But mentors need support, too. Drawing on survey responses, this blog examines mentors’ current practices, key challenges, and unmet needs—and what those insights mean for designing more effective professional learning.

Online Learning, Mentoring Feb 06, 2026
Top-down View of Children in Classroom Use Tablets and Laptops, Connectivity by Lines of AI Data, Information. Diverse Kids Study with Interactive E-Learning, Modern Education, Digital Literacy

Have You Considered AI in Your Classroom? A Khanmigo Pilot Story

In a two-phase pilot across Michigan schools, educators used Khanmigo, an AI-powered tutor and teaching assistant, to explore how AI might support teaching and learning. Their reflections surfaced both opportunities and challenges. The big takeaway? AI has potential, but only with intentional support.

Online Learning, Online Teaching Aug 13, 2025
Psychological concept of choices and Finding or Choosing the right life path with group of diverse people following intersecting paths to doors with central signpost on arrow, flat vector illustration

Out of Order, Still Out of Reach: Variations in Pacing among World Language Students

Cuccolo & Green’s (2025) report highlighted the relationship between students’ assignment submission patterns and final course scores. Given that pacing has important implications for student performance, knowing what assignment submission patterns look like across schools with varying demographics could help prompt early identification and intervention. As such, this blog explores students’ assignment submission patterns based on school-level demographic information.

Research, Online Learning Jul 25, 2025
Woman looking at a computer screen displaying a bar graph

Out of Order, Still Out of Reach: An Interview with a Researcher

In this blog, MVLRI researchers synthesize the key findings from two research studies about student assignment submission patterns in Michigan Virtual online courses.

Research, Online Learning Jun 04, 2025
Big Data concept. Digital neural network.Business woman hand touching Introduction of artificial intelligence. Cyberspace of future.Science and innovation of technology.

Exploring Literacy Growth and Engagement: An 8-Week Pilot of Shoelace Learning in the Classroom

Online Learning Feb 17, 2025
Male multiracial teen high school students working together on a project in electronics class. Education. Cooperation

Project-Based Learning and Competency-Based Education Work Together at FlexTech: An Interview with an Educator

By blending project-based learning with competency-based education, FlexTech aims to provide a personalized path to graduation, meeting both academic standards and students’ personal growth goals.

Blended Learning, Online Learning Oct 15, 2024