Aim/PurposeThe goal of this project was to determine what effects exposure to online K-12 teaching and learning activities had on teacher candidates' perceptions of K-12 online learning, how the exposure allowed teacher candidates to reach greater understanding of online pedagogy, and what effect such exposure had on teacher candidates' aspirations to complete virtual field experiences. BackgroundWith an increasing number of K-12 students learning online within full-time online schools and in blended learning environments, universities must prepare future educators to teach in virtual environments including clinical practice. Before engaging in online field placement, preservice teachers must be oriented to online K-12 teaching and learning. Methodology Using a design-based, mixed-method research methodology, this study drew samples from four sections of a hybrid technology integration course. Preservice teachers' papers detailing their perceptions, focus groups, and surveys were used to gauge changes in perceptions of online learning after participating in online teaching and learning activities. ContributionThe study demonstrated that an exposure to online K-12 classrooms stimulated preservice teachers' interest in online teaching as they began to feel that online education could be equivalent to traditional education. Findings Students' perceptions positively improved the equivalency of online learning to traditional schooling, the possibility of positive relationships between teachers and students, and the ability to create interactive learning. Students also reported being more knowledgeable and showed increased interest in participating in virtual field experiences.

School libraries serve an important role; however, elementary students who attend schools online typically do not have a school library. This study followed an online school's inaugural year in instituting a library. A mixed methods approach examined data from focus groups, interviews, surveys, library-use records and oral reading fluency scores. Stakeholders had various goals from "to get books into the hands of the students" to teachers requesting that Library be a special class to encourage reluctant readers to access the resources. It was found that students who accessed the libraries most were those who were already motivated readers. The findings suggest that access to libraries alone was not enough to motivate students to use the resources. Rather, to empower students to access libraries, a librarian is needed to serve as an instructional partner, an information specialist, a teacher and a program administrator.

This article presents a synthesis of personalization of learning strategies as extracted from 16 school district proposals funded in the 2012 Race to the Top (RTT-D) federal grant program. Personalization of learning strategies fell into six overall themes: digital learning materials and courses, data and data systems, curriculum and teaching, repurposed learning facilities, human capital, and professional development. For each theme, the article offers a summary, exemplars from the district proposals, and additional recommended resources.