News
$100,000 grant for Michigan schools to expand state SEL and mental health offering for students and parents
Michigan VirtualLANSING, Mich. — At a time when children’s mental health is paramount, schools now have an opportunity to utilize expanded online services and functionality building upon a free statewide social-emotional learning (SEL) program launched earlier this year. The new… Read more
State Superintendent joins Michigan’s leading online education board of directors
Michigan VirtualLANSING, Mich. — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Michael F. Rice has joined the Board of Directors of Michigan Virtual. Rice was appointed state superintendent in 2019 and is the fifth top school chief in Michigan to serve on… Read more
St. Patrick High School offers Michigan Virtual courses
Michigan VirtualThe article “Randy Hodge: St. Patrick High School courses” — originally published by the Ionia Sentinel-Standard on October 11, 2020 — overviews the various courses offered at St. Patrick High School in a letter from principal Randy Hodge. In… Read more
COVID-19 has made our world more virtual. Here are three reasons why this is a good thing
Michigan VirtualThe article “COVID-19 has made our world more virtual. Here are three reasons why this is a good thing” — originally published by the World Economic Forum on October 8, 2020 — explores three major ways that COVID-19 has… Read more
Online schools and courses are seeing a fall semester enrollment surge
Michigan VirtualThe article “Online schools and courses are seeing a fall semester enrollment surge” — originally published by the Digital Learning Collaborative on September 15, 2020 — overviews online programs and schools across the country who are experiencing tremendous enrollment… Read more
AP courses go online at Three Rivers Community Schools
Michigan VirtualThe article “A Closer Look At Lincoln Learning: Part II” — originally published in the Three Rivers Commercial News on September 1, 2020 — is the second in a two-part series about virtual learning options at Three Rivers Community Schools. For… Read more
Public school ‘back to class’ announcements
Michigan VirtualThe article “Public school ‘back to class’ announcements” — originally published in the Monroe News on September 1, 2020 — overviews the back-to-school plans for several Michigan school districts. Included is Ida Public Schools, who will be using Michigan Virtual… Read more
Put your kids on a ‘news diet’ and other tips to coping with anxiety during a pandemic
Michigan VirtualThe article “Put your kids on a ‘news diet’ and other tips to coping with anxiety during a pandemic” — originally published by MLive on August 31, 2020 — explores tips & resources that parents can use to help their… Read more
What to Know About K-12 Online Schools
Michigan VirtualThe article “What to Know About K-12 Online Schools” — originally published by the U.S. News on August 27, 2020 — answers commonly asked questions regarding K-12 online schooling, such as: What is an online school? How are online schools… Read more
Students have choice of face-to-face, online learning
Michigan VirtualThe article “Students have choice of face-to-face, online learning” — originally published by the School News Network on August 25, 2020 — overviews how Caledonia Community Schools is leveraging online options, including Michigan Virtual course content, to support remote students… Read more
More than 700 ZPS students opt for online learning
Michigan VirtualThe article “More than 700 ZPS students opt for online learning” — originally published by the Holland Sentinel on August 18, 2020 — overviews a recent decision by Zeeland Public Schools to offer online courses through Michigan Virtual to students… Read more
Addressing a problem of practice through research partnerships: How should you prepare students for online learning?
Michigan VirtualThe article “Addressing a problem of practice through research partnerships: How should you prepare students for online learning?” — originally published by the Digital Learning Collaborative on August 5, 2020 — summarizes the results of our joint study on the… Read more
Amy Smith, of Whitehall, named 2020 Online Teacher of the Year
Michigan VirtualVersions of this article were also published in the Shoreline Times and WZZM13 on August 5, 2020. It was also shared on MiTechNews.com on August 8, 2020. LANSING, Mich. — Amy Smith, of Whitehall, Mich. has been named the 2020… Read more
CourseArc Develops Tool that Enables Sharing of Course Content Across Counties and States
Michigan VirtualThe article, “CourseArc Develops Tool that Enables Sharing of Course Content Across Counties and States,” describes a new feature developed by CourseArc, a popular content authoring and management tool, that allows for the quick and easy sharing of high-quality… Read more
Statewide Work Group launches website and initial resources to support flexible learning models for 20-21 school year
Michigan VirtualLANSING, Mich. — The Learning Continuity Work Group convened by Michigan Virtual has released a new website to help Michigan educators prepare for the coming academic year. The website, Keep Michigan Learning, provides a collection of free resources to… Read more
Pandemic May (Finally) Push Online Education Into Teacher Prep Programs
Michigan VirtualThe article “Pandemic May (Finally) Push Online Education Into Teacher Prep Programs” — originally published in EdSurge on May 28, 2020 — makes a case for why current school closures as a result of COVID-19 should push teacher prep… Read more
Michigan prioritizes emotional and mental wellbeing of families with launch of new Michigan Cares program
Michigan VirtualDuring times of crisis, children need extra support to process their emotions. Beyond academic resources, one of the most challenging areas for many educators supporting students remotely is emotional and mental health. Beginning today, the newly launched Michigan Cares program offers educators and Michigan families — children, teachers, and parents alike — free digital lessons focused on developing social, emotional, and mental wellbeing skills, which have become especially important in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Josh AllenLANSING, Mich. — As Michigan’s educators explore how to serve their students during school building closures, they now have a unique personal growth opportunity to learn new skills and best practices when teaching outside of the physical classroom. To… Read more
LANSING, Mich. — Recognizing the importance of learning continuity planning in the wake of the COVID-19 school closures, Michigan Virtual today announced the creation of the Michigan Virtual Learning Continuity Work Group. The Work Group, composed of 21 education… Read more
Education Groups Largely Support Whitmer K-12 Order
Michigan VirtualThis article was originally published by Gongwer News Service on April 2, 2020. Lansing, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order suspending in-person K-12 education for the rest of the 2019-20 school year was greeted Thursday with support from… Read more