Welcome to the InfoSci Platform
Reference Hub22
Virtually Unprepared: Examining the Preparation of K-12 Online Teachers

Virtually Unprepared: Examining the Preparation of K-12 Online Teachers

Michael K. Barbour, Jason Siko, Elizabeth Gross, Kecia Waddell
Copyright: © 2013 |Pages: 22
ISBN13: 9781466619067|ISBN10: 1466619066|EISBN13: 9781466619074
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-1906-7.ch004
Cite Chapter Cite Chapter

MLA

Barbour, Michael K., et al. "Virtually Unprepared: Examining the Preparation of K-12 Online Teachers." Teacher Education Programs and Online Learning Tools: Innovations in Teacher Preparation, edited by Richard Hartshorne, et al., IGI Global, 2013, pp. 60-81. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-1906-7.ch004

APA

Barbour, M. K., Siko, J., Gross, E., & Waddell, K. (2013). Virtually Unprepared: Examining the Preparation of K-12 Online Teachers. In R. Hartshorne, T. Heafner, & T. Petty (Eds.), Teacher Education Programs and Online Learning Tools: Innovations in Teacher Preparation (pp. 60-81). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-1906-7.ch004

Chicago

Barbour, Michael K., et al. "Virtually Unprepared: Examining the Preparation of K-12 Online Teachers." In Teacher Education Programs and Online Learning Tools: Innovations in Teacher Preparation, edited by Richard Hartshorne, Tina L. Heafner, and Teresa Petty, 60-81. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-1906-7.ch004

Export Reference

Mendeley
Favorite

Abstract

At present, there are very few examples of the preparation of teachers for the online environment in teacher education. Even more unfortunate is that less than 40% of all online teachers in the United States reported receiving any professional development before they began teaching online. While some virtual schools provide some training to their own teachers, in most instances, no such training is provided to the school-based personnel. This is unfortunate, as K-12 student success in online learning environments require support from both the online teacher and the local school-based teacher. Clearly, there is a need for teacher education programs to equip all teachers with initial training in how to design, deliver, and – in particular – support K-12 online learning. This chapter begins with an examination of the act of teaching online and how that differs from teaching in a face-to-face environment. Next, the chapter describes existing teacher education initiatives targeted to pre-service teachers (i.e., undergraduate students) and then in-service teachers (i.e., graduate students). This is followed by an evaluation of current state-based initiatives to formalize online teaching as an endorsement area. Finally, a summary of the unique aspects of teaching online and how some initiatives have attempted to address these unique skills, before outlining a course of action that all teacher education programs should consider adopting.

Request Access

You do not own this content. Please login to recommend this title to your institution's librarian or purchase it from the IGI Global bookstore.