The Online Classroom

Resources for Effective Middle Level Virtual Education

Edited by:
Brooke B. Eisenbach, Lesley University
Paula Greathouse, Tennessee Tech University

A volume in the series: The Handbook of Resources in Middle Level Education. Editor(s): Micki M. Caskey, Portland State University. Steven B. Mertens, Illinois State University.

Published 2018

The world of middle level education is rapidly evolving. Increasingly, online learning platforms are complementing or replacing traditional classroom settings. As students exchange classroom interaction for online collaboration, pencils for keyboards, face-to-face conversations for chat room texts, and traditional lessons for digital modules, it becomes apparent that teachers, schools, and administrators must identify ways to keep pace. We must identify ways to meet the needs of middle level learners within this digital context. In this volume, researchers and teachers share a variety of resources centered on the growing world of virtual education and its implications for the middle level learner, educator, and classroom.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments. Introduction, Brooke B. Eisenbach and Paula Greathouse. SECTION I: OVERVIEW. 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. SECTION II: PREPARATION. 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. SECTION III: COMMUNITY. 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. SECTION IV: STRATEGIES. 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. SECTION V: DIVERSE POPULATIONS. 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. Appendix. About the Authors.