the GST BOCES E-Learning Service - Homepage

!! Announcements !!

  • Service Changes:
    • The GST BOCES E-Learning Service is making some dramatic changes this summer.
      • Zoom will be supported by the GST RIC Service Desk. Stephanie Kendall and Valerie Bond will be the GST Contacts for Zoom purchasing, support, and user information.
      • the Buzz LMS will be supported by the GST BOCES Instructional Support team.
      • Virtual Learning and Video-based Distance Learning programs will be overseen by Mary Ann Munroe. Sally Deane-Moshier will work with students, teachers, and districts to provide curriculum support while Mary Ann takes care of the purchasing and management of content licenses. Mary Ann will also oversee the GST Virtual Teachers.
      • There is no current plan to oversee Distance Learning room design, hardware support, or device management.
      • With the changes coming to Buzz, districts using Pointful Education or eDynamic Learning classes may need to purchase differently. Pointful Ed classes can be obtained through the Apex Learning platform while eDynamic Learning courses can be accessed on their own Buzz-based domain.
  • Virtual Academy Options:
    • Although we have decided not to pursue a fully-online Virtual Academy, there are others in the state who are accepting certain enrollments from school administrators across the state. The NYS BOCES page will have those 2022-2023 Virtual Academies highlighted in blue.
    • Please contact the E-Learning Coordinator for specific information about these academies.
    • note: not all school districts choose to utilize these options, and oftentimes there are many specific requirements to be enrolled in a virtual academy program.
  • E-Learning Website Updates:
    • Credit Recovery Practices: A lot of questions have been asked about how schools can provide opportunities for their students to use an online course for the purpose of credit recovery. There are a lot of variables to this, and we've created a new section on the Online & Blended Learning page to address this.

    • Buzz User Training is now available via a series of videos (soon to be embedded into an actual Buzz course.) This Buzz training page is available from the bottom of the Online & Blended Learning page.

      The courses offered as part of the ACA+ Grant are being placed into Buzz, which is GST BOCES' choice for a regional Learning Management System.

    • iTutor is now available to be purchased through the E-Learning Service! Please see our Virtual Tutoring page for more information.
  • Planning for 2022-2023 Distance Learning Courses is ongoing.
    • Have a need for 2022-2023? Please let us know!
    • Do you want to offer electives with very low registration numbers? Distance Learning can help!
    • NEW for 2022 -- We're working on implementing a new procedure that would provide a financial incentive to a district who shares a teacher for a regional course.