Michigan online learning requirement response

Next, create a blog post describing how your district is addressing the Michigan Online Learning Requirement for K-12 students (PDF) (such as Moodle, BlackBoard, MIVU, GenNet, TWICE fieldtrips, ePals, Read Across the Planet, etc.).

This is also a very difficult post to write/make.  Because I teach in the elementary level, my world is completely different than what happens in the middle/high school level. I often say that we need to have opportunities to have teachers rotate between buildings/levels to get a feel of each other are doing. Many high school teachers may think we still spend our time counting blocks and coloring pages. At the elementary level, we get frustrated because we study the comprehension strategies so hard in elementary, but then they go to middle school and just drop them. We do share at least one thing in common, we do realize that education is changing in the area of technology and how our teaching methods need to change because of that.

I know that our school offers online credit to earn towards college credit. I don't know too much more information about that, but it is offered.
When I went through the list, I could not write on what is offered or used at the middle school or high school, and the article on Michigan online learning talks about grades 6-12 for many of the areas, however, some of the areas that were mentioned are being used by the elementary teachers.

I have used webquests with my students to give them an online activity to help them learn a particular topic, such as topics in social studies or science. There are teachers who use educational blogs to communicate with either the parents or students in their class. Virtual fields and other types of simulations are also used to enhance the lessons/topics being taught in the classroom.
There was  section mentioned on educational gaming - and at the elementary level, we use some of our ipad time to have them play games that reinforce outcomes that need to be learned.
Teachers also use websites such as unitedstreaming and teachertube that allow them to search for small clips or videos that aide in that day's lesson/s.  With the increased focus on standardized testing, at the elementary level, there are tests that are also taken online and students can participate in test prep to allow them to become more familiar with the layout of the online testing before it occurs.

Technology is not going away and as teachers, we need to knit the technology into each day to help our students become prepared for middle and high school, as well as beyond as they will be dependent on technology use in their future.