I use this blog to help me centralize and share my ideas, thoughts, resources and artifacts. I’m looking forward to a dynamic contribution and distribution of knowledge and information about my two passions: educational technology and K-12 online learning. Posts might include personal accounts of my research activities, resources that I collect from various organizations, political or social commentary, and free form writing in order to play with ideas floating around in my head.
About Me
The potential of technology to change our lives has always been my passion. We began our relationship (technology and I) many years ago when I earned an Associate degree in data processing. Programming was my life! But when I decided to become a teacher, that relationship evolved into a lasting love affair. In a perfect world, I would be exactly where I am right now, working in an innovative field with similarly minded faculty in the Department of Educational Technology at Boise State University where I get to combine my passion for technology with my love of teaching (and learning).
Bio
Official: Kerry Rice is a 2012 and a 2015 Fulbright Scholar, Professor and past Chair of the Department of Educational Technology at Boise State University. She is a former middle school teacher and the author of Making the Move to K-12 Online Teaching: Research-Based Strategies and Practices (Second Edition) and The Blended Classroom: A Guide for Technology Supported Learning. Her research focuses on best practices in K-12 online and blended education and includes policy analysis, Delphi and mixed methods studies, and large-scale program evaluations using both traditional and emerging methods in data mining and deep learning analytics.
Less Official: As an advocate for reform in public education, my passion and scholarship center on policy, practice and research in the field of K-12 online education. I believe that online instruction offers a unique perspective from which to view, assess and ultimately transform traditional educational systems. Online instruction is not only transformative, it is also an equalizer for students who lack access to quality educational experiences. My scholarship seeks to define and identify best practices in online education and ultimately those qualities that can transform educational experiences for all learners.
As a researcher I am interested in what constitutes best practice in K-12 online teaching and thus the development of effective methods for assessing the quality of online teaching. As a teacher educator, I am inherently interested in the professional development of online teachers. Educational policy and school reform efforts round out my repertoire.
Although my very early experiences with teaching in public schools and at the university involved face-to-face instruction, during my academic career at Boise State, I have moved completely to online instruction. This shift in interface, as well as my increased exploration of the pedagogical aspects of effective instruction, has resulted in a philosophical shift in my thoughts about education in general. My philosophy of teaching reflects the belief that learners should be actively engaged with the content, with the instructor, and with peers in collaborative knowledge construction and inquiry. Continued advancement in emerging technologies has allowed me take advantage of collaborative Web 2.0 tools in my teaching and to experiment with strategies which allow learners more freedom and flexibility to explore authentic and meaningful learning experiences.
Kerry Rice, Ed. D. 
I’m a reporter for the Boston Globe. I’d like to talk with you about what can be done to improve online education. Are there new technologies like AR/VR, or new teaching techniques that might make online schools work better? I’d like to get your perspective on this. Please contact me ASAP. You can email me, or phone 617-233-9419. Thanks.