Virtual School Meanderings By Michael Barbour K-12 Certificate Series: Univer... - 5 views
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Continuing the Certificate Series, where I have been describing and discussing each of the certificates in online teaching that are focused on the K-12 environment. The sixth one I wanted to discuss was the E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate Program at University of Wisconsin-Stout.
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Michael, Thanks for letting your readers know about our program. I am the advisor for the E--Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate program. I also wrote and teach two of our 5 classes, E-Learning for Educators and the E-Learning Practicum. Our graduate classes are offered by the University of Wisconsin Stout, School of Education. (We are not an extension program.) I'm delighted to be able to talk with those interested in K-12 Virtual Education. I was a public school teacher for 25 years before I went fully online. Working online has been a journey of discovery and a constant reminder of the joys of being a lifetime learner. As you mention we do mix together all kinds of educators in our classes. A typical course will include K-12 classroom teachers, some K-12 online teachers and a good number of community college and university instructors. We also see health educators and some corporate trainers. Folks join us from around the country and the world. It's an eclectic mix of people who all share an interest in teaching online. Our goal is to help people become experienced professional online teachers as a way to expand and grow their careers. To accommodate everyone's interests we have our materials highly differentiated. K-12 teachers have the option of investigating the great resources from iNacol. They are encouraged to build useful quizzes and surveys and to craft discussion prompts as they practice facilitation skills. The topics for all projects are learner selected. We emphasize a practical hands on approach where participants can use what they learn and make right away. The great thing is to see a strong community of practice develop between all kinds of educators. Everyone is richer for it. When it comes to the E-Learning Practicum, I customize each student's experience. I have managed some placements with K-12 Virtual Schools. More often, K-12 teachers take one of two options. Both involve teaching with one of our cooperating
