Schools

La Mesa Teacher Gets Scholarship to Enhance Online Learning

Eli Armstrong, a teacher at the Charter School of San Diego, has been awarded a prestigious Bridgepoint Fellowship.

Submitted by San Diego County Office of Education

La Mesan Eli Armstrong, who teaches at the Charter School of San Diego, has been awarded a prestigious Bridgepoint Fellowship, allowing him to participate in the Leading Edge Certification program through the San Diego County Office of Education. 

Bridgepoint Fellows receive a scholarship to participate in the Leading Edge Certification, a national program to prepare instructional leaders for online and blended learning. Launched in 2011, the certification guides educators through rigorous and engaging curriculum based on the national standards for online teaching. 

“In most school districts, budgets for professional development opportunities have been cut significantly, and many teachers are faced with the dilemma of spending personal funds on professional development or simply going without,” said County Superintendent of Schools Randy Ward. 

“The Bridgepoint Fellowships remove the major funding obstacles for teachers and districts, and we’re very grateful to that organization for stepping up.” 

The timing of the program couldn’t be better.  Education has experienced a proliferation of online (instruction and content are delivered primarily over the Internet) and blended (in part through online delivery of content, with some student control of time, place, path and/or pace) learning programs over the last five years. 

In California, Governor Jerry Brown recently signed landmark legislation that will encourage online learning by allowing school districts and county offices of education to claim funding for students attending some online courses.  

“Online programs will be a key component of education moving forward and it’s vital for teachers to be fluent in the online modality,” said Dr. Jane McAuliffe, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Bridgepoint Education.

“With the Bridgepoint Fellowship, we are helping teachers to understand the technology that is available to them. We all benefit when teachers are given the proper tools to educate students.”  

In San Diego County, almost every school district is working to incorporate online and blended learning into their programs.  School leaders are recognizing that education, like business, is not limited by location, but can be enhanced by the Internet and online programs.  As school districts transition a portion of their curriculum delivery from the traditional school model to 24/7 online and blended models, the need for professional development becomes critical. The Leading Edge Certification aims to fill this gap. 

This certification was developed by the San Diego County Office of Education in collaboration with leading technology professional organizations such as the International Association for Technology in Education (ISTE), International Association for K-12 online Learning (iNACOL), and Computer Using Educators (CUE). With the generous support of Bridgepoint Education, even more San Diego County teachers will be able to learn methods and strategies to effectively leverage technology and engage today’s digital learners. 


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