SIDES Distributed Learning — Staff — Professional Development for Staff

Top Fifteen Virtual Schooling Books - Michael Barbour

I got the inspiration for this feature from Dangerously Irrelevant – who about a month ago posted entries on Top 10 K12 Online 2008 podcasts for busy school administrators and Top 20 TED Talks podcasts for busy school administrators. Based upon this, and since it was kind of similar to the Top 5 Virtual Schooling Must Reads that I have done from time to time, I thought it might be nice to have a monthly “Top #” posting.

To begin on an easy note, I thought I would start with books related to virtual schooling…

Catherine Cavanaugh – Development and Management of Virtual Schools: Issues and Trends [2004] -> a collection of US and international authors discussing issues related to K-12 online learning in a variety of jurisdictions.
Cathy Cavanaugh & Robert Blomeyer – What Works in K-12 Online Learning [2007] – a collection of various issues related to K-12 online learning through the lens of individual subject/content areas.
Zane Berge & Tom Clark – Virtual Schools: Planning for Success [2005] -> an overview of the issues, along with case studies, of K-12 online learning in the United States.
Andrew Zucker & Robert Kozma – The Virtual High School: Teaching Generation V [ 2003] ->fifth year (i.e., after the final year of federal funding) evaluation report of the Virtual High School project by the Concord Consortium.
Roger Bruning, Christy Horn & Lisa PytlikZillig – Web-based Learning: What do we Know? Where do we Go? [2003] -> collected works based upon the University of Nebraska’s “Star School” grant (mostly K-12, but not exclusively).
Carol Klein – Virtual Charter Schools and Home Schooling [2006] -> essentially a published book of her dissertation study with cyber charter school students in California.
Bonie Elbaum, Cynthia McIntyre & Alese Smith – Essential Elements: Prepare, Design, and Teach your Online Course [2002] -> a real how to manual from some folks at the Concord Consortium based on lessons from the Virtual High School.
George Collison, Bonnie Elbaum, Sarah Haavind & Robert Tinker – Facilitating Online Learning: Effective Strategies for Moderators [2000] -> another how to manual from some folks at the Concord Consortium based on lessons from the Virtual High School.
Shawn Morris – Teaching and Learning Online: A Step-by-Step Guide for Designing an Online K-12 School Program [2002] -> yet another how to manual from an administrator of the Wichita eSchool.
Thomas Nixon – Complete Guide to Online High Schools [2007] ->a descriptive listing of various online high schools.
Connections Academy – Learning Without Boundaries: How to Make Virtual Schooling Work for You [2004] -> a how to book from one of the main cyber charter school providers.
Donovan Walling – Virtual Schooling: Issues in the Development of E-Learning Policy [2003] -> not completed related to K-12 online learning, but a substantial number of the chapters do focus on virtual and cyber schooling.
Gene Maeroff – A Classroom of One [2003] -> not strictly related to K-12 online learning, but has a lot of K-12 examples.
Glenn Jones – Cyber School: An Education Renaissance [1st ed. - 1996 / 2nd ed. 2000] -> largely focused on adult online learning, but does have some K-12 references (although they are few and far between).
Elizabeth Kanna, Lisa Gillis and Christina Culver – Virtual Schooling: A Guide to Optimizing Your Child’s Education [2009] -> can’t say much about this one yet, as I haven’t read it (according to the press release announcing it the book focuses on guiding parents when it comes to K-12 online learning opportunities).