"Researchers estimate that more than 2 million K-12 students were enrolled in some form of online school, district, or state virtual course over the 2015-2016 school year (Evergreen Education Group, 2015). Today's middle level learners are logging into virtual classrooms at a rapidly growing rate. As of 2015, middle level students represent 14% of learners taking virtual courses to supplement their current coursework, and 28% of full-time virtual school students. As a result, it is essential that teachers identify the unique needs of today's virtual middle level students and find ways to address these needs within this digital context. This book volume will explore resources centered on the growing world of virtual education and its implications for the middle level learner, middle level classroom, and middle level educator. It is our aim to provide virtual teachers and teacher educators the tools and information necessary to address the needs of middle level learners within blended or virtual classrooms. We invite researchers and teachers to share tips, strategies, guidance, and stories in working with middle level students in a blended, hybrid, or fully-online classroom setting"-- Provided by publisher.

3 simultaneous users

Characteristics of virtual middle school students : who they are and how we support their success / Suzanne Wolfinger -- The effective middle level virtual teacher / Kerry Rice and Shannon Skelcher -- Preparing teachers for the virtual middle level classroom / Shelly Furuness -- Professional learning and leading for virtual middle level educators / Barbara Smith -- Collaborating to create middle level blended learning environments / Mark Stevens and Mary F. Rice -- Fostering community in the middle level virtual classroom / Jillian L. Wendt, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, and Kyleigh B. Harrell -- Creating a community of care in the middle level virtual classroom / Brooke B. Eisenbach, Paula Greathouse, and Mary Kirk -- Mentoring virtual middle schoolers through the use of a guided online mentoring loop / Natalie Duvall and Matthew Duvall -- Making the leap from traditional to virtual : resources and strategies for teaching middle level learners online / Jeremy Wendt and Jason Beach -- Motivating and engaging learners in the middle level online environment / Eve Bernstein and Andrea Mosenson -- Employing culturally relevant pedagogy in middle level blended and virtual classrooms / Ebony Terrell Shockley, Cachanda Orellana, and Arquimen Chicas -- Organizing and facilitating online teaching, learning, and schooling via effective classroom assessments / Nancy P. Gallavan and Shannon R. Maiden -- Middle level virtual classroom development and instruction for students with disabilities / Sucari Epps -- Creating effective inclusion practices for students with exceptionalities in the virtual STEM classroom / Jennifer Gallup and Cory A. Bennett.