The Online Classroom: Resources for Effective Middle Level Virtual Education

306 Pages·2018·20.956 MB·English

by  Brooke B. Eisenbach, Paula Greathouse (editors)

The Online Classroom
Resources for Effective Middle
Level Virtual Education
A Volume in Research in
The Handbook of Resources in Middle Level Education
Series Editors
Micki M. Caskey
Portland State University
Steven B. Mertens
Illinois State University
The Handbook of Resources in
Middle Level Education
Vincent A. Anfara, Jr. (founding editor),
Micki M. Caskey, and Steven B. Mertens, Editors
The Legacy of Middle School Leaders: In Their Own Words (2011)
edited by L. Tracy W. Smith and C. Kenneth McEwin
Clinical Preparation at the Middle Level: Practices and Possibilities (2015)
edited by Penny B. Howell, Jan Carpenter, and Jeanneine Jones
Encyclopedia of Middle Grades Education (2nd ed.) (2016)
edited by Steven B. Mertens, Micki M. Caskey, and Nancy Flowers
Imagine a Place: Stores from Middle Grades Educators (2017)
edited by Jan Carpenter, Amy Lutz, Linda Samek, Micki M. Caskey,
William L. Greene, Younghee M. Kim, Jay Casbon, and Maureen Musser
Literature Reviews in Support of the
Middle Level Education Research Agenda (2018)
edited by Steven B. Mertens & Micki M. Caskey
The Online Classroom: Resources for
Effective Middle Level Virtual Education (2018)
edited by Brooke B. Eisenbach and Paula Greathouse
The Online Classroom
Resources for Effective Middle
Level Virtual Education
Edited by
Brooke B. Eisenbach
Lesley University
Paula Greathouse
Tennessee Tech University
Middle Level Education Research
Special Interest Group
-
INFORMATION AGE PUBLISHING, INC.
Charlotte, NC • www.infoagepub.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
CIP record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov
ISBNs: 978-1-64113-459-0 (Paperback)
978-1-64113-460-6 (Hardcover)
978-1-64113-461-3 (ebook)
Copyright © 2018 Information Age Publishing Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written
permission from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
The Handbook of Research in Middle Level Educationis endorsed by the
Middle Level Education Research Special Interest Group, an affiliate of
the American Educational Research Association.
As stated in the organization’s Constitution, the purpose of MLER is to
improve, promote, and disseminate educational research reflecting early
adolescence and middle-level education.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments .....................................................................................ix
Introduction
Brooke B. Eisenbach and Paula Greathouse ..........................................xi
SECTION I: OVERVIEW
1. Characteristics of Virtual Middle School Students:
Who They Are and How We Support Their Success
Suzanne Wolfinger ..............................................................................3
2. The Effective Middle Level Virtual Teacher
Kerry Rice and Shannon Skelcher ......................................................23
SECTION II: PREPARATION
3. Preparing Teachers for the Virtual Middle Level Classroom
Shelly Furuness .................................................................................41
4. Professional Learning and Leading for Virtual Middle Level
Educators
Barbara Smith ...................................................................................61
5. Collaborating to Create Middle Level Blended Learning
Environments
Mark Stevens and Mary F. Rice .........................................................83
vii
viii CONTENTS
SECTION III: COMMUNITY
6. Fostering Community in the Middle Level Virtual Classroom
Jillian L. Wendt, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw,
and Kyleigh B. Harrell ......................................................................99
7. Creating a Community of Care in the Middle Level Virtual
Classroom
Brooke B. Eisenbach, Paula Greathouse, and Mary Kirk ....................121
8. Mentoring Virtual Middle Schoolers Through the Use of a
Guided Online Mentoring Loop
Natalie Duvall and Matthew Duvall .................................................137
SECTION IV: STRATEGIES
9. Making the Leap From Traditional to Virtual: Resources and
Strategies for Teaching Middle Level Learners Online
Jeremy Wendt and Jason Beach ..........................................................153
10. Motivating and Engaging Learners in the Middle Level
Online Environment
Eve Bernstein and Andrea Mosenson .................................................167
11. Employing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Middle Level
Blended and Virtual Classrooms
Ebony Terrell Shockley, Cachanda Orellana,
and Arquimen Chicas .......................................................................189
12. Organizing and Facilitating Online Teaching, Learning, and
Schooling Via Effective Classroom Assessments
Nancy P. Gallavan and Shannon R. Maiden ...................................205
SECTION V: DIVERSE POPULATIONS
13. Middle Level Virtual Classroom Development and Instruction
for Students With Disabilities
Sucari Epps .....................................................................................227
14. Creating Effective Inclusion Practices for Students With
Exceptionalities in the Virtual STEM Classroom
Jennifer Gallup and Cory A. Bennett ................................................247
Appendix ...............................................................................................267
About the Contributors ..........................................................................283
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to dedicate this volume to all of the middle level students
who participate in virtual education, and to all of the teachers, admin-
istrators, teacher educators, and researchers who seek to ensure virtual
education is accessible and purposeful in meeting the unique needs of
middle level learners.
We would like to thank all of the chapter contributors for their research,
focus, and attention to virtual middle level education. As this form of
education continues to grow, we appreciate the continued focus on ensuring
virtual learners receive a quality education that addresses their social,
emotional and academic needs.
We would like to give a special thanks to Micki Caskey and Steve Mertens
for their valued mentorship and support throughout the compilation,
editing, and review of this handbook, and to the AERA Middle Level
Education Research Special Interest Group for their research and support
of middle level learners and educators.
The Online Classroom:
Resources for Effective Middle Level Virtual Education, pp. ix–ix
Copyright © 2018 by Information Age Publishing
All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. ix