Julie Young
President and Chief Executive Officer at Florida Virtual School

NextGenWeb and COSN recently hosted a webinar on virtual education that I had the privilege of taking part in. During the webinar, presenters discussed how the Internet is transforming the education experience for students and teachers. From Missouri to Louisiana and where I live in Florida, virtual education is expanding educational opportunities in new and exciting ways.

The effect of virtual education is very prevalent within the state of Florida. Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is working daily to create a new paradigm within education – we want to re-invent the classroom, not just replicate it. Through specific programs and classes that are tailored to individualized learning needs, we have been able to modernize and customize curriculum to meet the learning limits and strengths of each student – thus re-inventing the educational experience. FLVS now offers more than 95 courses online, and these courses are continually updated and expanded to reflect Florida’s Sunshine State Standards and National Standards, ensuring that students are offered not only up-to-date material, but an engaging virtual learning experience.

The internet is utilized for many other types of programs that are beneficial to school districts, like professional development programs, which are administered online, as well as virtual teacher mentorship programs that provide support to teachers in real time. Thanks to these types of online resources, students have access to a better education than they could have dreamed of only 10 years ago. Broadband is transforming K-12 education all across America, and we are happy to be involved in this positive movement toward helping our youth realize their full potential.

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