Michigan Virtual
The Digital Backpack - Your Resource For Online Learning

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The Digital Backpack

Your resource for online learning

Your trusted source for K-12 online learning insights, teaching strategies, and success stories from Michigan’s leading virtual education provider. Join us as we explore innovative approaches to help students thrive in the digital age.

Episode 9: Tom Driscoll

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

In this episode, we’re talking with Tom Driscoll a high school social studies teacher and instructional technology consultant based in Connecticut. Tom is on a mission to better and more efficiently s

Podcasts, Research
JUN 12, 2015

Episode 8: Christine Fox

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

In this episode, we talk with Christine Fox, the Director of Educational Leadership and Research for SETDA. Christine and her team face a lot of challenges in a constantly changing setting, as the pol

Podcasts, Research
JUN 02, 2015

Is Online Teaching in Your Future?

Jamey Fitzpatrick Jamey Fitzpatrick

During the next decade, thousands of educators in the U.S. will start a new professional journey by teaching one or more courses in an online environment. For some, this will be an exciting transition

Leadership
JUN 02, 2015

Episode 7: Jeff Renard

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

In this episode, we chat with Jeff Renard, Director of Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative. We gained quite a bit of insight as to how virtual learning is structured in Vermont public schools, d hear

Podcasts, Research
MAY 26, 2015

Online learning helps prepare students for higher education

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

The experience of learning online during high school develops independence and confidence with technology says Ed Lawless, Principal of Pamoja Education.After five years as the only approved provider

Research
MAY 26, 2015
Angela Mellott

Celebrating student learning at Brandywine

Jeff Gerlach

Exploring a blended learning project from start to finish.

Blended Learning, Professional Development
MAY 12, 2015

Episode 6: Cathy Cavanaugh

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

In this episode, we chat with Cathy Cavanaugh, Director of Teaching and Learning at Microsoft Worldwide Education. Dr. Cavanaugh provides us with a glimpse of some of the exciting research that’s bein

Podcasts, Research
MAY 07, 2015

Collaborative meetings bring researchers and practitioners together

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

MVLRI’s Collaborative meetings are designed to bring researchers and practitioners together virtually in order to share opportunities for collaboration, including but not limited to research, grants,

Research
APR 20, 2015

Episode 5: Michelle Licata

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

Our guest is Michelle Licata, Global Curriculum Coordinator for FLVS Global. Michelle’s work is focused on engaging educators and administrators in training and conversations about appropriate use of

Podcasts, Research
APR 15, 2015

The Online Learning Orientation Tool – OLOT – prepares students for new learning experiences

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

Students currently have an unprecedented level of choice when it comes to the courses they take and the subjects they learn in school. In Michigan, this is made evident by the goals of Section 21F of

Research
APR 13, 2015

Episode 4: Aubrey Francisco

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

In this episode, we chat with Aubrey Francisco, Director of Research at Digital Promise. Digital Promise is involved in a number of different projects aimed at improving the opportunity to learn for a

Podcasts, Research
APR 03, 2015

To serve and subsist: Reflections on finding the ideal registration window

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

How do online schools and curriculum providers attend to the myriad needs of teachers, students, and staff? This constant juggling act requires skill, tact, and most of all, data.To cite one example,

Research
APR 01, 2015
Dingy old book

Is Blended Learning a Fairy Tale?

Jamie DeWitt

In Michael Horn (@michaelbhorn) and Heather Staker’s (@hstaker) new book “Blended,” blended learning implementation is examined and discussed. As the blended learning movement is exploding, it is nat

Blended Learning
MAR 27, 2015

Calling all middle and high school online writing teachers!

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

We are posting this for Kristine Pytash and Jennifer Nigh of Kent State University who are conducting a study of online writing teachers. Please share this out with your networks.Two Kent State Univer

Research
MAR 25, 2015

K-12 teachers needed for survey about OER

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

This request is from a doctoral student who needs teachers who are using OER to fill out a short survey. See her request below.I am writing to request your participation in a short survey about how K-

Research
MAR 20, 2015

Michigan Virtual at MACUL in Detroit this week: See you there!

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

Michigan Virtual staff members will be presenting at the 2015 MACUL Conference this week on Thursday and Friday in Room 358. Please visit us at booth 145 and booth 614 in the exhibitor’s hall on both

Research
MAR 16, 2015

Comparing virtual schools in Michigan to national trends identified in NEPC’s recent national report

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

On March 10, the National Education Policy Center (NEPC), released its third annual report on virtual schools in the U.S. In this report, entitled Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2015, the authors tackle

Research
MAR 12, 2015

Call for participation – online secondary science education – student and teacher perspectives

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

Investigators at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Hartley University are looking for virtual school teachers and students to participate in a study called “The Experience of Online Secondary S

Research
MAR 11, 2015

Episode 3: Christina Jean

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

Christina Jean, Innovation and Blended Learning Specialist with the Colorado Department of Education’s Office of Blended and Online Learning, is our guest in Episode 3. The work of the Office of Blend

Podcasts, Research
MAR 05, 2015

SITE 2015: March 2-6, 2015

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute

We hope to see you at SITE 2015 in Las Vegas this week!Below is a list of the sessions that are categorized under the Virtual Schooling SIG. Safe travels, and we’ll see you in Vegas![table id=15 /][ta

Research
MAR 02, 2015

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