The Penn-Trafford Virtual Academy

Today our guest blogger is Mr. Capoccioni, one of the assistant principals at the high school.  Mr. Cap is helping lead the Penn-Trafford Virtual Academy.  This initiative allows teachers to stretch their instruction beyond the classroom walls.  In a "blended" instructional environment students will receive more opportunities for meaningful engagement and interaction with the subject.  I am proud of the hard work that the teachers involved in this project have undertaken thus far. This initiative also supports the vision of the school board to move our students into the 21st Century.

In 2000, forty-five thousand students were learning in an online environment; in 2007, 1 million students were learning in an online environment, and in 2009 27% of high school students were learning in an online environment.  If these statistics continue, Ambient Insight projects 10.5 million students will have taken an online course by 2014 (Christensen).   Based on these startling statistics, Penn-Trafford teachers began experimenting with the blended learning approach to instruction.  They believed that for our students to become 21^st century learners a technology component had to be integrated into the instruction.   

Blended learning occurs when a student learns in a supervised brick-and-mortar building and through an online delivery, with some element of control over time, place, path and/or pace.  Blended learning is the effective combination of different modes of delivery, models of teaching, and styles of learning.  Classes are student centered with customized instruction in which students become active and interactive learners.  To assess the learning, the instructor must create integrated formative and summative assessments. 

            Because of the success and interest by the teachers, the Penn-Trafford Virtual Academy was created. The Penn-Trafford Virtual Academy is an all-inclusive technology system based upon the Blackboard Learn platform.  This allows users to interact with Blended Schools seamlessly from a single login.  The main goal of the PTSD Virtual Academy is to create a customized learning environment that all students can successful learn by utilizing web 2.0 tools. 

This summer 19 teachers in grades 3-12 were in-serviced on how to instruct through the blended learning model.  They are excited to begin utilize blended learning this school year.   To begin his school year over 1000 students will be enrolled into the PTSD Virtual Academy.