Education students might be asked to help with the new Montana Digital Academy after courses start this fall.
“One thing I’m very interested in is having graduate or undergraduate students fill the role of tutor in online courses,” academy director Bob Currie said.
Currie said the academy has no specific plans for tutors yet, but it will continue to work on the idea after courses start this fall.
The 2009 state legislature appropriated $2 million for the development of a statewide online school, which led to the creation of the Montana Digital Academy.
Superintendents and other educators in Montana lobbied for the creation of the state-funded academy after a similar program turned out to be unsustainable but in high demand. The Montana State E-Learning Consortium, opened in 2005, was supported by fees paid by participating schools and closed in early 2009.
“Right at the end of its functionality, we talked to (School of Education Dean) Bobbie Evans at UM to discuss the possibility of the school hosting it,” said Bruce Messinger, superintendant of Helena Schools. He served on the governing board of the consortium and now serves on the board for the new academy.
The academy will provide both remedial and advanced courses for any Montana high school student at no cost to the student or his or her hometown school district. All teachers and course developers will be licensed Montana educators.
“It will be nice for small schools that can’t offer pre-calculus or third-year French,” said Sylvia Moore, Montana deputy commissioner of academic and student affairs.
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Written by Jayme Fraser.
