We're Moving!!!

Well, it is official... I am moving my blog Virtual High School Meanderings from Blogger to Word Press. I have secured the domain:

http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/

I made the decision to change hosting sites for a couple of reasons.

1. The domain http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/ is better than http://mkbnl.blogspot.com
2. Word Press is a better blogging system than Blogger in my opinion, as it has:
• Internal statistics
• Ability to add pages in addition to entry
• The calendar feature on the site
• Both labels (which Blogger has) and internal tags to Technorati (which I had to do manually in Blogger)

So after almost three years, I'm moving.

It is one month shy of three years ago I began this blog with the entry Welcome to my Blog on Virtual High Schools. I selected Blogger at the time because I was new to blogging and with the help of Nathan Lowell I got started. I added Haloscan so that I could keep trackbacks (and used the Wizbang Standalone Trackback Pinger to send them). To increase traffic I registered with BlogShares, BlogInSpace, BlogExplosion, BlogsCanada, FeedBurner, and Technorati.

But now I'm moving and I hope that my readers will follow. So, if you are physically coming to this blog, please re-direct your browser to http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/. If you're reading this in an RSS reader, please update your feed to http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/.

Hope to see you at my new location:

http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/

Tags: blog, blogging, blogs, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

2008 MVU Symposium

So, I'm finding out about this a little late, and unfortunately I teach Wednesday evenings, but maybe some others will be able to attend and let me know how it went.

The 2008 MVU Symposium, held Feb. 6, 2008 at the Marriott Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest Conference Center in Ypsilanti, is a forum for K-12 school administrators, school board members, technology directors and others to explore the growth and impact of online learning. To learn more about this event and how to register, please visit our website at http://www.mivu.org/symposium.

The symposium will feature state and national speakers, and a variety of presentations aimed at showcasing solutions to everyday challenges in education, including meeting the Michigan Merit Curriculum requirements, helping students succeed online, and discussing online learning solutions for urban schools, accessibility issues, network access considerations and more.

I may still try and get to this all the same, as my class is meeting synchronous using Wimba this Wednesday. We'll see...

I should note that I found out about this on the MACUL space on NING.

Tags: MUV Symposium 2008, Michigan, conferences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Virtual Schooling in the News

Beginning with the ASCD SmartBrief.

States take closer look at virtual schools
With around 500,000 children in the U.S. attending online classes, including some 90,000 who attend virtual charter schools full-time, states are taking a second look at the funding and oversight of such programs. "After some inquiry most states have said, 'Yes, we like online learning, but these are such new ways of teaching children that we'll need to change some regulations and get some more oversight,'" said Colorado consultant John Watson, who surveys online schools annually. The New York Times (2/1)

Back to the Yahoo! News Alert for virtual school.

Support grows for virtual education
Fond du Lac Reporter Mon, 28 Jan 2008 2:29 AM PST
Domingo Alonzo said leaving public school in favor of a virtual education changed his life.

UK Gov't welcomes virtual PE
GameSpot Mon, 28 Jan 2008 9:07 AM PST
After a trial scheme 'significantly increased' kids' energy expenditure, the Wii may become a permanent part of school-based exercise in the future.

District makes plans for virtual classroom
phillyburbs.com Wed, 30 Jan 2008 5:40 AM PST
QUAKERTOWN SCHOOLS - The district plans to offer virtual classes - courses that students couldn't otherwise get in a typical school setting.

Virtual schooling being explored in the Jersey Shore Area district
Williamsport Sun Gazette Mon, 28 Jan 2008 9:14 PM PST
JERSEY SHORE — With charter and cyber charter schools costing the Jersey Shore Area School District about $603,845 this school year, and trends showing that cost is likely to escalate, the school board on Monday opened up discussions on starting a virtual school within the district.

Virtual school may yet be fact
The Daily News Transcript Thu, 31 Jan 2008 7:05 AM PST
A program that would allow select high school students to take online courses remains in limbo.

Online high school opens virtual doors
Newport News-Times Fri, 01 Feb 2008 9:27 AM PST
Insight School of Oregon (ISO) - a full-time, online, diploma-granting, public charter high school authorized by the Lincoln County School District (LCSD) and governed by the local Oregon Council for Online Learning (OCOL) - opened its virtual doors Jan. 28 for spring semester.

Next the Yahoo! News Alert for cyber school.

Virtual schooling being explored in the Jersey Shore Area district
Williamsport Sun Gazette Mon, 28 Jan 2008 9:13 PM PST
JERSEY SHORE — With charter and cyber charter schools costing the Jersey Shore Area School District about $603,845 this school year, and trends showing that cost is likely to escalate, the school board on Monday opened up discussions on starting a virtual school within the district.

Moving on to the Google News Alert for virtual school.

Wis. lawmakers announce deal to keep virtual schools open
Chippewa Herald - Chippewa Falls,WI,USA
... an appeals court in December ordered the state to stop funding the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, the state's largest virtual school with 800 students. ...
See all stories on this topic

Madison Weekly
Green Bay Press Gazette - Green Bay,WI,USA
While a recent court ruling threatened to shutter about a dozen of the schools statewide, including a virtual school in Appleton, lawmakers recently ...
See all stories on this topic

Cram to pass online school bill
Wisconsin State Journal - Madison,WI,USA
The bill announced Thursday would establish new virtual school standards that would allow the schools to remain open. The standards would address the court ...
See all stories on this topic

Cyber high proposed in Seymour
Connecticut Post - Bridgeport,CT,USA
In her proposed 2008-09 budget, Supt. of Schools Mary Anne Mascolo included funding for slots in the Virtual High School program. ...
See all stories on this topic

Virtual High School
WCAX - Burlington,VT,USA
Burlington High School is one of ten Vermont schools that participate in a program called Virtual High School. That means this classroom is all but empty ...
See all stories on this topic

Wis. Lawmakers Strike Deal on Schools
Houston Chronicle - United States
... intensified in December after an appeals court ordered the state to stop funding the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, the state's largest virtual school. ...
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Corporate Partner Supports Students' Online Test Preparation Needs
Web Services Journal - Montvale,NJ,USA
This service was provided by the Michigan Virtual School(TM) (MVS(TM)) through a contract with Xap Corporation's Bridges Transitions Inc. (Bridges), ...
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BREAKING: Quakertown eyes virtual-school program for 2008-09
phillyBurbs.com - Philadelphia,PA,USA
As early as next school year, administrators in the Upper Bucks district are hoping to begin offering a program known as Virtual High School, which allows ...
See all stories on this topic

Finally, the Google News Alert for cyber school.

School closing plan sparks legal threats
Uniontown Herald Standard - Uniontown,PA,USA
"I'll put them in Cyber School," she said. Superintendent James Duncan said that he is conferring with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to determine ...
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Quakertown to spin Web of learning
phillyBurbs.com - Philadelphia,PA,USA
The district is also considering offering distance learning in Chinese, Arabic and Japanese and developing a cyber school to run alongside the brick and ...
See all stories on this topic

Tags: virtual school, cyber school, high school, education