With vertical teaching, however, the faculty can meet, establish methods and protocol within their fields, and create a concise teaching plan that will work – and build upon itself – as students pass from grade to grade.

All was in preparation for the beginning of school, which takes place on Thursday. Tonight open houses will take place across the district. Elementary schools will kick open their doors to students and parents at 5:30 p.m. A seventh-grade orientation will be held at 6:45 p.m., with a Carthage Junior High open house slated for 7:15 p.m. Open houses at the high school and the Virtual Learning Center will take place at 6 p.m. St. Ann’s Catholic school will also hold an open house starting at 6:30 p.m.

For the rest of the article, go to R-9 teachers head back to school

“Aventa is thrilled to be providing students and schools from around Missouri our world-class foreign language, AP, core requirement and accelerated courses,” said Gregg Levin, vice president of School Solutions, Aventa Learning. “Virtual learning is taking off around the country, and it is exciting to be a part of Missouri’s innovative program to reach more students and address their unique learning styles and needs through online classes.”

In order to provide more Missouri students with online options, MoVIP has increased its course offerings by 25 percent, providing 172 online courses in the upcoming school year compared to 133 last year.

For the rest  the article, go to Aventa Learning Online Curriculum Endorsed by Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)

Columbia Public Schools entered the 21st century of learning last school year.

Virtual High School, or VHS, is Columbia Public Schools’ new online learning option for high school students.

During the spring semester, at least 25 Columbia students joined students across the nation in virtual courses. The change let the district continue to offer classes that might have been canceled because of small enrollments.

VHS was the first expansion of the district’s online courses since a state law passed encouraging schools to develop more online offerings.

The district plans to expand its online offerings further in future years.

For the rest of the article, go to High school education goes high-tech with virtual courses

Jefferson City, Mo – infoZine – Students and school personnel looking for online course options this school year may want to thumb through the new catalog offered by the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program (MoVIP). State education officials have announced MoVIP’s online registration will open July 15 for the 2010-11 school term.

Now in its fourth year, MoVIP is a program of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that offers credit-bearing, online courses for students in grades K-12. Last year, almost 3,000 Missouri students took at least one online course – whether for credit recovery, accelerated learning or access to special-topic courses not offered locally.

Due to recent state budget cuts, the nearly $7 million program has transitioned to a tuition-based model. The exception is approximately $100,000 set aside by the state for tuition for medically fragile students.

For the rest of the article, go to MoVIP Registration Opens

The University of Missouri System wants to close that gap between technological advances and traditional academia. Steve Graham, vice president of academic affairs, envisions a modern academic landscape where faculty members incorporate interactive tools and videos and online resources into their courses to marry the technology students already use with the traditional curricula they learn on campus.

“I would love to see rich resources in the form of instruction and discussion among faculty members and a culture of supporting this,” he said.

There are barriers. On the Columbia campus, an online learning system already exists, and internal politics will likely snag any efforts to re-create an e-learning environment.

There will be faculty members who aren’t interested in embracing digital devices and might resist efforts to change.

For the rest of the article, go to UM System aims to close gaps between technology, academia

ST. LOUIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The St. Louis Kaplan University Learning Center, an instructional and support services site, began offering center-based classes today. The Center will help serve the community’s need for business-focused education by introducing a blended-learning model, combining online and campus-based instruction for students seeking bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Located at 1807 Park 270 Dr. in St. Louis, the Learning Center also provides on-site support services to area Kaplan University online students, allowing for greater student flexibility, convenience and personalization.

“As our first institution in Missouri, the St. Louis Learning Center brings together the proven online learning and curriculum with the added benefits and resources of a brick-and-mortar location,” said Beth Hollenberg, president of Kaplan Higher Education Campuses. “The center shows how we are continually seeking to better our student experience and support the community’s needs for an educated workforce.”

For the rest of the article, go to Kaplan University Learning Center Opens in St. Louis

COLUMBIA — Students are not the same as they were 20 years ago.

Today they blog, tweet, text, listen to iTunes and write a paper all at once. They are technology addicts who are constantly multitasking — in and out of the classroom.

Many traditional classrooms have failed to meet the needs of this new student generation. That’s why the University of Missouri System aims to address the ever-changing student learning styles by spending $482,000 to develop 124 new online courses.

For the rest of the article, go to Online course expansion aims to meet needs of new-age students

COLUMBIA — A group of public school teachers in Missouri is preparing a class action lawsuit after budget cuts forced a University of Missouri System program to cut their positions.

Three teachers from Columbia and two from Mexico are among the 45 who were fired from the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program, or MoVIP, three months into their one-year teaching contracts. MoVIP is an online education program created by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide academic credit to students who have special needs that prevent them from attending traditional schools.

For the rest of the article, go to Missouri teachers prepare to file lawsuit against department of education