Pickens educator named online teacher of the year

Dr. Tasha Christmas, a teacher with the South Carolina Virtual School Program, has been named the state’s High-Quality Online Teacher of the Year.

The award, given by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), recognizes school leaders who exemplify high quality online instruction and are committed to online learning.

“Working with students in an online environment is challenging and fast-paced,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex. “Dr. Christmas is a teacher leader whose expertise is recognized by her peers and whose skills and dedication have won her the respect of her students. I applaud her efforts.”

Christmas, who is from Pickens County, is the instructional team leader for all online teachers with the South Carolina Virtual Schools program. With more than 12 years of experience in the classroom and seven years as an online educator, she teaches college prep Honors English, SAT critical reading and SAT math.

David Spence of SREB said, “We recognize how difficult it is to be a digital pioneer. As an online teacher, Dr. Christmas is at the forefront of a new and rapidly growing way of providing quality instruction to students across South Carolina. We commend her hard work and commitment.”

The South Carolina Virtual Schools Program offers online courses in collaboration with local school districts for high school credit. Instruction is given online with the teacher separated from the student by time and/ or distance. The teacher communicates with students online via telephone, e-mail, instant messaging or through real-time web conferencing software. Courses are interactive and provide a wide variety of activities, assignments and assessments. All final exams are proctored by the local school district.

Ideally, a student taking an online course will be a part of a learning team that includes an online teacher/instructor, a virtual school sponsor, a school-based mentor and a parent (s) or guardian (s).

In South Carolina, virtual schools:

· Expand the range of courses and opportunities offered to students;
· Provide additional support and extended time to students who might benefit from this added support;
· Allow juniors or seniors who need a course to be able to graduate within the four-year period to make up that course;
· Present high quality instruction to students in special education, alternative education settings, or home and hospital instruction;
· Offer courses for students when no qualified teachers are available to teach the courses of their regular school;
· Allow students to take a course when there are too few students who need a certain course to be able to assign a teacher to teach that course; and
· Provide courses for students who have schedules that prevent them from taking a course when it is offered.

Christmas will be recognized by the State Board of Education at its April monthly meeting.