Internet Learning Volume 7, Number 1 • 2018/2019 | Page 18

Internet Learning Journal • Volume 7, Number 1 • 2018/2019 Preparing Teachers for the 21 st Century Classroom Robyn Huss, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA, USA Abstract Traditional neighborhood and community schools have given way to home schooling, magnet, and charter schools, and more recently, virtual schools. Virtual schools that deliver coursework online have an important impact on education. To meet the needs of 21st century learners in online, face-to-face, and hybrid contexts, teachers should better leverage technological resources. Learning management systems (LMSs) provide platforms through which teachers can deliver all or parts of their curriculum and resources via the Internet. Integrating technology effectively has become a priority in teacher education; however, this does not always include instruction about the positive impact of utilizing online LMSs or video-based instruction in courses focused on subject-specific teaching methods. Preservice and inservice teachers must be equipped with a myriad of skills needed to effectively use LMSs and technologies to deliver online instruction. Within these newer responsibilities of teacher preparation programs, including a field experience with a virtual school is a unique and timely way to meet this challenge. This article presents the benefits of a successful partnership between a teacher education program and a public virtual school for secondary students. Keywords: educator preparation, online field experiences, online teaching, virtual school, preservice, inservice, flipped classroom Preparando a los maestros para el aula del siglo XXI Resumen Las escuelas tradicionales del vecindario y de la comunidad han dado paso a la educación en el hogar, a las escuelas magnet y charter, y más recientemente, a las escuelas virtuales. Las escuelas virtuales que imparten cursos en línea tienen un impacto importante en la educación. Para satisfacer las necesidades de los alumnos del siglo XXI en contextos en línea, cara a cara e híbridos, los maestros deberían aprovechar mejor los recursos tecnológicos. Los sistemas de gestión de aprendizaje (LMS) proporcionan plataformas a través 15 doi: 10.18278/il.7.1.3