What does a model virtual classroom look like to you?

"I appreciate the benefits of structure with the freedom of choice that comes with distance learning and this is what honestly drew me to make a change to a Distance Learning Specialist. I like to set up my classrooms so that we may have a central place to come together and learn with mixed desk options to accommodate a variety of learning styles. With students learning from a home environment, incorporating breakout sessions for students of equal ability would be a great advantage and easy to accomplish. At times I would pair advanced students with struggling students, and the virtual model takes some of the potential stigma out of such an exercise because they are not in full view of the rest of the students. Student engagement is the final piece of my model virtual classroom. In a traditional classroom setting, getting students to engage was pretty easy compared to this new virtual world. With that said, designing lessons and coursework that require engagement in a group setting is very important to the overall student experience."