iNACOL Announces Online Learning Innovator Awards

Glendale, AZ, November 14, 2010 – The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual iNACOL Online Innovator Awards. The iNACOL Online Learning Innovator Awards recognize innovative learning practices, new research and individual achievements in the field.
The five Online Innovator Awards recognize: 1) Outstanding/Innovative Online Learning Practice for an Individual/Team/Program for a Practitioner, 2) Outstanding/Innovative Online Learning Practice for a Non-Profit or For-Profit Individual or Team 3) Important Research by an Individual, Team or Organization, 4) Important Research by a Student, Team or Educational Institution, and 5) Outstanding Individual Contribution to K-12 Online Learning.
Susan Patrick, President and CEO of iNACOL, said, “We are grateful for the efforts of all of the pioneers in the field of online and blended learning.  The innovators recognized today are building new school models in K-12 education with tremendous promise for transforming education for students.”
The winner of the Outstanding/Innovative Online Learning Practice for an Individual/Team/Program for a Practitioner award is Broward Virtual School, which developed an online remedial reading course to offer high school students the ability to extend learning opportunities beyond the school day using distance learning technologies.
The winner of the Outstanding/Innovative Online Learning Practice for a Non-Profit or For-Profit Individual or Team award is Ed Tech Leaders Online (ETLO), a division of Education Development Center (EDC), a project that has “broken the mold” for instructional and professional development planning and delivery. Though the e-Learning for Educators program, ETLO has helped states and stations work together to build sustainable capacity to provide effective online professional development for K-12 teachers.
The winner of the Important Research by an Individual, Team or Organization award is the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Arizona State University Study called “Examining the Use of Laboratory Activities in Teaching Science in an Online Environment” by Leanna Archambault, Kent Crippen, and Cynthia Kern.
The winner of the Important Research by a Student, Team or Educational Institution award is Kathryn Kennedy for her dissertation titled “The Essence of the Virtual School Practicum: A phenomenological study of pre-service teachers’ experiences in a virtual school.”
And the winner of the Outstanding Individual Contribution to K-12 Online Learning award is Allan Jordan. Dr. Jordan has made many contributions to K†12 online learning that have significantly impacted many students, educators, and institutions. Dr. Jordan pioneered the development of the Web Academy in Cumberland County school system in Fayetteville, North Carolina, which is now the North Carolina Virtual Public School. Additionally, he was a founding member of NACOL and the first Chairman of the Board. His visionary leadership has led to Granville County Schools launching an online school in 2010.