*This story was originally published on Daily Independent | Your Valley*
As the nation approaches the 1-year mark of the global COVID-19 pandemic few groups have been more affected by the pandemic than public school teachers.
Last spring, when classes suddenly went remote and playgrounds across the nation went quiet, ASU Prep Digital gathered a group of education leaders together to understand how best to support teachers navigating this uncertain future, according to a press release.
From this meeting, the Arizona Virtual Teacher Institute was born, officials there say.
The free training offered through AZVTI was designed to help Arizona teachers not only survive but thrive in adopting new digital, blended, hybrid, and tech-rich instructional practices. The training is provided at no cost to schools or teachers through the generous investment of the Arizona Department of Education, the Governor’s Office, Helios Education Foundation, and Arizona State University.
During the two weeks of Arizona’s spring break, March 9-11 and March 16-18, AZVTI will be conducting two professional development boot camps for educators focused on blended learning models and educational technology.
Additional boot camps will be available during Summer 2021 and training continue to be available to all interested teachers at the times that work best for them.
