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Virtual School Leaders Encourage Growth of K-12 Online Learning; Discuss High School Reform at Regional Summit

Posted on: Monday, 26 June 2006, 15:00 CDT

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL.org) an international K-12 non-profit organization representing online learning practitioners in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and Florida Virtual School (FLVS.net), a leading provider statewide public virtual school and model online learning program, hosted a regional professional development summit where teachers and administrators discussed how virtual education programs can create new opportunities to address student's educational needs. Conference attendees also explored how online learning programs can address high school reform efforts.

Florida's top educator, Commissioner John Winn, highlighted the accomplishments of FLVS in his Friday morning address and encouraged educational leaders to look at how virtual schools can create opportunities for rural and minority students through access to high quality curriculum, AP and Honors courses via online learning programs.

"You are all education visionaries," said Commission Winn. "I encourage you to continue to break down barriers so all students have the educational opportunities they need to achieve their academic potential and are equipped to thrive in our global economy. Education and the learning opportunities for students -- and future leaders -- must change. By offering students access to high quality online learning programs, we are equipping life-long learners with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today's high-tech world."

"Florida has been a leader in education innovation for years. We are grateful for their leadership on virtual education and for their insight on how online learning can solve some of our largest educational challenges -- especially in the area of high school reform," said Susan Patrick, CEO & President, NACOL.

The summit covered everything educators need to launch an effective, quality online learning program. FLVS students presented experiences and discussed how online courses were academically challenging and helped develop better time management and communication skills. Online practitioners shared lessons learned, tips and insights on how to effectively manage and instruct student remotely. National online learning experts presented numerous workshops ranging from assessing and evaluating online learning, developing strategies on how to effectively communicate the value of online learning to elected officials, understanding the fundamentals of mentoring online students, and teaching online to help at-risk students.

"We know firsthand that demand for virtual education is growing," said FLVS President & CEO Julie Young. "For the past five years, we have seen double-digit growth at FLVS. We firmly believe students deserve a high quality education -- even if it is online -- which is why we're pleased to have an opportunity to share our experiences and knowledge to support the growth of quality online learning programs throughout the country."

North American Council for Online Learning; Florida Virtual School

CONTACT: Jodie Pozo-Olano, Sequoia Public Relations, +1-540-720-9811, orCell: +1-804-986-6911, jodie@sequoiapr.com, for NACOL and FLVS

Web site: http://www.nacol.org/http://www.flvs.net/

Source: PRNewswire

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