The Global Classroom

The physical classroom is just the start for places to learn and teach these days. E-Lecta’s Live Tutor is a virtual school that can meet anywhere from Seattle to Sarasota with a rich array of teaching tools available. The system is IP-based and provides one-on-one learning or virtual classrooms for up to 20 kids. On top of sharing an interactive whiteboard and running presentations so that all can see, E-Lecta provides break-out rooms for individual attention. The software can record any class for later distribution. Its annual subscription costs from $400 for one teacher and up to 5 students to $700 for up to 20 students. There’s a free trial so you can see if the system works for your school or district before spending.

Teaching the Teachers

Few schools and districts can stay on top of teacher and employee training when the prime concern is to instruct children. PublicSchoolWORKS can integrate a series of training courses into the development of employees by tracking who takes which of the 150 online courses available. The titles range from preventing bullying and conflict de-escalation to cyber safety and head lice; more are on the way.