http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-01-14/news/virtual14_1_virtual-...
This article, from the Orlando Sentinel (Jan 14th, 2009) was interesting for two reasons: it told about the Florida Virtual School - the country’s first entirely online statewide public school - and about their partnership with the University of Central Florida to offer virtual internships for future teachers.
According to the article, "The pilot program will give six students the chance to team up with experienced online teachers to learn what it takes to manage a diverse assortment of students who could be studying via computer anywhere in the world, at their own pace, at any time of day, and requesting help with assignments by email, instant messaging, and telephone."
More than 63,000 students in sixth through 12th grade took courses through the Florida Virtual School in 2007-08. Stephen McPherson, one of the online teachers coaching interns, says he knows his students so well he recognizes their voices on the phone. "Our students know we care and are there for them," he says. According to him, Virtual School students get used to sending teachers messages at all hours and often hear back at times when regular schools have been closed for hours.
"I tell my students that if they have a world-history emergency, they can call," McPherson said. "We can meet students at the point of need, whenever that is. That's what being an online teacher is all about."
The coursework for the intern teachers includes tips on managing their time properly and communicating effectively with students "who would just as soon text than talk." According to the article, most intern teachers are already familiar with the instructional technology that makes virtual classrooms possible.
This article made me wonder why California does not have more extensive online resources for K-12, and whether any teacher training programs are including this type of internship.
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