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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.
Restorative Justice 101 — A Paradigm Shift in Education [with infographics]
Michigan Virtual
Your Guide to Restorative Justice in Michigan Schools: This blog is the third in our series on Restorative Justice in Michigan Schools. We have already released articles on Michigan's new restorative justice law and the dangers of zero-tolerance policies and will continue to release articles on strategies for implementation in schools and classrooms.
An Open Letter to the Teachers Who Changed Our Lives
Michigan Virtual
We asked our staff to tell us about a teacher who changed their lives for the better. The patterns that arise in their responses are cause for inspiration. They reveal that one amazing teacher can change the course of a student’s life forever. We are all the living legacies of this truth.
7 reasons why your high-achieving students deserve online summer learning options
Michigan Virtual
For self-motivated learners, taking online summer school courses can be liberating because it allows them to make progress toward their goals while studying at their own pace in time blocks that fit their busy schedules. In some cases, online programs offer students more learning options with more flexibility than their face-to-face counterparts.
Podcast: Engagement Hoopla
The Digital Backpack
In this episode, Jeff and Erin chat with Emily Sicilia about engagement in the classroom. They explore how to define classroom engagement, and chat about Hoopla, an app Emily shares that has changed their reading lives!
4 ways that zero-tolerance policies affect Michigan students [with infographics]
Michigan Virtual
This blog is the second in our series on Restorative Justice in Michigan Schools. In this article, we explore four ways that Michigan students are negatively impacted by zero-tolerance policies. Infographics included!
What you need to know about Michigan’s new restorative justice law [with infographics]
Michigan Virtual
This blog is the first in our upcoming series on Restorative Justice in Michigan Schools. The other articles in this series features information on the dangers of zero-tolerance policies, restorative justice 101, and strategies for implementation in schools and classrooms.
Relationship Before Rules Equals Rejoicing
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
This is the eighth in a series of blog posts written by Michigan Virtual’s Regional Mentor Leaders to bring to life what mentors do to build and maintain a supportive online learner environment to help students be successful. If you are a mentor and would like to share a strategy, a success story, or another topic that illustrates how you support students, please email [email protected].
Michigan Virtual Teacher Professional Learning Community Design Research Blog, Part 2
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
In the second part of this two-part blog series (part one can be viewed here), we continue sharing the action research carried out by Michigan Virtual teachers as part of their involvement in the teac
Michigan Virtual Teacher Professional Learning Community Design Research Blog, Part 1
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
IntroductionThroughout the 2016-2017 academic year, the instructional design and Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute (MVLRI) staff at Michigan Virtual recorded in-depth analytics data to moni
Building Relationships
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
This is the seventh in a series of blog posts written by Michigan Virtual’s Regional Mentor Leaders to bring to life what mentors do to build and maintain a supportive online learner environment to help students be successful. If you are a mentor and would like to share a strategy, a success story, or another topic that illustrates how you support students, please email [email protected].
Design Learning for Visually Impaired Students with NVDA
Jeff Gerlach
Jeff reviews Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA), an open source screen reader for Windows. Screen readers help those with vision impairments to access digital content. Teachers can use screen readers to check that web content for lessons is accessible to students with visual impairments.
The Accessible Classroom: Online Learning and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Jeff Gerlach
The Accessible Classroom is a video series exploring web accessibility for K-12 education. In this first video, Jeff takes a look at the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) from the perspective of schools.
YouTube Closed Captions for Hearing Impaired Students
Jeff Gerlach
Jeff shows how teachers can use YouTube’s closed captioning to support access to videos for those with hearing impairments and other accessibility needs.
Reflections of a Fourth Year Mentor
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
This is the sixth in a series of blog posts written by Michigan Virtual’s Regional Mentor Leaders to bring to life what mentors do to build and maintain a supportive online learner environment to help students be successful. If you are a mentor and would like to share a strategy, a success story, or another topic that illustrates how you support students, please email [email protected].
Interview with Highlander Institute's Educational Strategy Specialist Team
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
https://soundcloud.com/mvlri/fuse-architect-an-interview-with-highlander-institute-on-school-progressThis episode is part of our series documenting the Fuse Architect Project, a collaboration between
Conversation with Barrington Principal & Assistant Superintendent: The Value of the iCreate Space
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
“Our students are really working in the iCreate Lab already, and it’s exciting to see.”Given what is happening on a national and international level, the students have decided that there's been a
Conversations with Barrington Teachers: Part 2 The iCreate Space and the Challenges of a New Initiative
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
“We are a little overwhelmed by all of the Fuse Architect meetings with all of the groups involved. We have a lot of initiatives going at the same time, and a lot that is changing in our day-to-day wo
Conversations with Barrington Teachers: Part 1 The Power of the iCreate Space
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
In late 2017, we had the opportunity to catch up with the Barrington High School teachers. They had so much to say about their work in the iCreate Space, a maker space that was set up as part of the F
A Principal's Perspective: Newport Area Career and Technical Center
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
We heard from Rob Young recently the P-TECH High School Director in Newport, Rhode Island, who shared more about their experience in the Fuse Architect project.“I can speak the language.”Because I had
Bringing The Team to the Courageous Side of Fear
Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute
We had the opportunity to chat with Principal Dan Warner at Narragansett High School who shared with us an organic shift from fear to courage with his Fuse Architect team.One area of growth for our te
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