Elizabeth Swoboda competes in alpine skiing with the Bridger Ski Foundation, so to free up her afternoons for training, she’s taking five morning classes at Bozeman High School and two online classes from the state’s new Montana Digital Academy.

“I like it because it’s really convenient. It’s easy if you’re on top of it,” said Swoboda, a 14-year-old freshman, who is taking German and digital photography online.

For the rest of the article, go to Online classes work for well-organized students, but others struggle

The Montana Digital Academy has begun its first school year and so far, over 1,500 students statewide are taking advantage of it.

The Digital Academy is an online school in which K through 12 students can take online classes. The classes are meant to provide learning opportunities to students who may not have access in their hometowns.

For the rest of the article, go to Montana Digital Academy’s enrollment is “higher than anticipated”

“In this electronic age, kids don’t’ talk face to face as much any more,” she said.

At this point, regardless of the reason for his anxiety, Deucker has to find a way to deal with it, especially if he wants his second shot at high school to stick.

There are programs that can help. A late-start program allows students to begin their school days later than the masses. The Montana Digital Academy allows students to take classes online. And there’s an alternative high school, a re-engagement program at the college and a GED program.

Jack Deucker Sr. said that sometimes school can be a chore, but acknowledged that it also can’t be an excuse.

“You can feel the way you want to feel, but the chore still has to get done,” he said.

For the rest of the article, go to Dropping back in

Because of Grinde’s hard work and diligence in the state Legislature, we are now able to expand high quality learning opportunities for Montana students in both rural and urban settings. As an academy board member and teacher, I applaud Grinde’s effort in the State Legislature to establish the Montana Digital Academy and am excited about the opportunities for learning it is providing to students.

For the rest of the article, go to Grinde great for education

The Montana Digital Academy this year will offer free Internet classes to help kids make up classes, get ahead or take courses not offered at some schools.

Butte High students under the policy can take one class per semester during their junior year and two per semester as seniors. The board will review the course offerings each year to approve them.

For the rest of the article, go to BRIEF: Trustees OK policy for online classes

Nation Garza used to make pancakes in the morning before school. He would wake up early, whip up some batter and relax with his breakfast before leaving the house.

Those days are over.

This year, the Polson High School senior wakes up at 5:45 a.m., takes a fast shower, eats a bowl of cereal and heads to school for his “Early Bird” math class. He then goes to seven more classes and works his way through the advanced placement biology course he’s taking online through the Montana Digital Academy.

“I’m trying to take as much science as I physically can to prepare myself for majoring in biology in college,” Garza said.

For the rest of the article, go to Online academy a ‘game changer’

MISSOULA — Somewhere in Montana on Sept. 7, a rural student will fire up a computer and start learning Chinese from a teacher he or she has never met.

That’s the day the Montana Digital Academy launches for the 500 students and 64 teachers who have signed on to meet in virtual classrooms.

“That’s what’s so cool,” said Missoula Education Association president Dave Severson. “We will see someone teaching half-time at a building, with the rest of the time teaching kids across the state.”

Severson was among a roomful of state education leaders who gathered Aug. 26 at the University of Montana to launch the academy, which keeps its home at UM. The Digital Academy is a state-funded online school they believe is a precursor to the future of education.

For the rest of the article, go to State-funded online school set to open Sept. 7