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Resources

The Distance Learner's Guide (2nd ed.), by Sally M. Johnstone & George P. Connick (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2005).
Developed by the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications, this book is a practical, student- oriented guide to taking distance education classes. Every counselor should have a copy. For more information go to www.wcet.info/.

E-Moderating: The Key to Teaching and Learning Online, by Gilly Salmon (Sterling, VA: Kogan Page, 2000).
Somewhat jargon-heavy and focused on the United Kingdom, but still one of the best available books on effective online teaching practices and curriculum development.

Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction, by Rita-Marie Conrad & J. Ana Donaldson (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2004).
A teacher-oriented guide to adapting effective teaching practices to an online format. It emphasizes group collaboration, peer interaction, and activity-based instruction. A great source of ideas for involving students more effectively in their own learning.

Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: A Snapshot of State-Level Policy and Practice, by John F. Watson, Kathy Winograd, & Steven Kalmon (Naperville, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2004).
The results of a national survey that looked into the online education programs and policies in 22 states. Looks at key issues such as funding online programs, providing support for special needs and nontraditional students, ensuring course quality, and combining state, district, and program-level policies into a cohesive framework.

Virtual Schools and E-Learning in K-12 Environments: Emerging Policy and Practices, by Robert Blomeyer (Naperville, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, Policy Issues No. 11, 2002). Available online at: www.ncrel.org/policy/pubs/html/pivol11/apr2002c.htm
Developed for policymakers at both the state and district levels. A good overview of the major policy issues involved in developing effective, research-based online programs.

Virtual Schools: Trends and Issues. A Study of Virtual Schools in the United States, by Tom Clark (San Francisco, CA: WestEd, 2001). Available online at: www.wested.org/online_pubs/virtualschools.pdf
This study summarizes a 2001 survey of 44 state-approved or regionally accredited online schools. It describes the wide variation in program types and compares the funding, tuition, curriculum, technology, staffing, and types of students served. A good starting point for understanding the kinds of programs currently offered.

On the Web

Digital Bridges: Connections for K-12 Teaching and Learning Over Distance (Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Northwest Educational Technology Consortium). Available online at: www.netc.org/digitalbridges/
A great source of information on both interactive videoconferencing and Web-based learning. Easy to navigate and very practical for both teachers and administrators.

"Virtual Schools & Distance Learning" (State Educational Technology Directors Association, National Leadership Institute 2003 Toolkit). Available online at: www.setda.org
State policymakers will find this resource worth excavating. Follow this trail: About SETDA, Initiatives, SETDA's NLI Toolkit, NLI 2003 Toolkit. The 2004 Toolkit, due out in April, will focus entirely on online learning.

K12 Online Resources & State-Level Virtual Schools (Hoboken, NJ: eLearners.com). Available online at: www.elearners. com/resources/k12-online.asp.
A good general site on distance learning, with a comprehensive list of statewide online learning programs. A good starting point for policymakers who want to see how other states have developed centralized online learning programs.