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