Canadian eLearning Network Chief Innovation Officer Awarded iNACOL Innovative Blended and Online Learning Practice 2013 Individual Achievement Award

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Nov. 18, 2013) - Winners of the 2013 iNACOL Innovator Awards were announced recently at the iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium in Orlando, FL. The iNACOL Innovative Blended and Online Learning Practice Award was presented to Canadian eLearning Network (CANeLearn) Chief Innovation Officer, Verena Roberts, for her work with emerging educational projects including the first k12 MOOC for High School students, open courses for educators, immersive environments with indigenous youth, and student facilitated open courses including the OC@ADLC (Alberta Distance Learning Centre), an open course for K12 students.

Susan Patrick, President and CEO of iNACOL, said, "The peer-nominated winners of this year's iNACOL Innovator Awards are selfless leaders dedicated to pushing the field of blended and online learning to maximize its potential to personalize learning for all kids. Individually, their work inspires and enables countless others to transform education to student-centered learning. Collectively, they represent the best of the field, and it is fitting that they are being recognized by their peers through these awards."

Michael Canuel, President of CANeLearn, who was pleased to be at the event: "Our team of CANeLearn representatives attending this year's iNACOL conference were proud to witness for the second year in a row one of our own in this newly formed Canadian network be honoured by iNACOL in this category." In 2012 Peggy Drolet and Audrey McGoldrick of LEARN were recognized with this same award by iNACOL. "Recognition such as this is a testament to the innovative work here in Canada, and one of the reasons for the foundation of our new national organization - CANeLearn", Canuel added.

For more information about the iNACOL and the Innovator Awards, please visit http://inacol.org or see http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2013-inacol-innovator-awards-highlight-leaders-in-blended-and-online-learning-229582061.html. For more information about CANeLearn please visit http://canelearn.net.

About CANeLearn

The Canadian e-Learning Network (CANeLearn) is a Canadian registered not-for-profit society who's mission is to provide leadership that champions student success in online and blended learning by providing members with networking, collaboration, and research opportunities. http://canelearn.net

About LEARN

LEARN is a Quebec-based non-profit foundation providing access to quality learning material, educational technology, and e-learning resources in a timely, responsive manner to the Québec English Education Community. http://www.learnquebec.ca/en/about/

About iNACOL

The International Association for K-12 Online Learning is a non-profit organization focused on research; developing policy for student-centered education to ensure equity and access; developing quality standards for emerging learning models using online, blended, and competency-based education; and supporting the ongoing professional development of classroom, school, district and state leaders for new learning models. http://inacol.org

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the iNACOL Innovative Online Learning Practice Award is to recognize a person, school/program or organization whose innovative practices and policies serve as a model for K-12 online learning and can be replicated by other practitioners. The innovative practice or policy resulted in improving the overall effectiveness, efficiency and success of blended/online learning, ultimately leading to improved student achievement. The innovation results in a "break the mold" practice or policy that has not been routinely implemented across the K-12 blended or online learning industry and serves as a model for other educators and programs. Nominations will be accepted for individuals, teams, schools/programs, or organizations. This award is targeted to blended or online learning practitioners, not organizations who deliver technology products utilized within the digital learning community.

For more information on the OC@ADLC developed by Verena Roberts please see:
http://www.openclassroomonline.com/the-truth-about-being-an-innovator-inacol-innovative-blended-and-online-practice-award-2013/