肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 30, 2022

肉肉传媒 alumna Ashley Beasley says the virtual option is meeting the needs of some learners, and as director of elementary school virtual programs, she will help Cobb County teachers be ready to meet those needs and lead digital learning.

Beasley is a four-time graduate of KSU鈥檚 , and recently assumed responsibility for online learning for elementary students in the . She holds an early childhood education bachelor鈥檚 degree and a master鈥檚 degree in , as well as a specialist and doctorate in 鈥� all from 肉肉传媒 State.

The skills she learned in her programs at 肉肉传媒 State are more important now than they鈥檝e ever been, and they prepared her for the acceleration of technology use in the classroom, Beasley said.

鈥淢y degrees from KSU really put me in a spot to be a good candidate for this position,鈥� she said. 鈥淓verything in education continually changes, so we must adapt. The increased use of technology in the classroom is not going away, and we are helping teachers figure out ways to make that work in their setting, whether they鈥檙e in a face-to-face classroom or virtual.鈥�

Beasley said families choose virtual school for a variety of reasons, from a child鈥檚 severe illness to social anxiety or even the convenience. The coronavirus pandemic opened the door to virtual programs when it forced schools to shift temporarily to an all-online format in March 2020, and Cobb Schools has recognized parents will continue to seek the option, she said.

No two days are the same, but this year - the program鈥檚 first - was spent organizing schedules and curriculum to ensure online students received a comparable education to students in face-to-face settings, Beasley said. She traveled frequently to the 39 locations where Cobb teachers were instructing virtual students, helped to troubleshoot issues that might arise teaching elementary students from a screen and planned to address problems that hadn鈥檛 yet come up, or that could be addressed in teacher training.

The new virtual program enrolled more than 700 students in the 2021-22 school year, and there is still a need for the virtual option in the upcoming school year. In the fall, online program teachers will also be consolidated to three buildings.

鈥淎shley is a wonderful example of the caliber of Bagwell College alumni. Her expertise in the instructional technology discipline was enhanced by her experiences within 肉肉传媒 State, and our programs were enhanced by her presence as well,鈥� said Adrian Epps, dean of the Bagwell College. 鈥淲e celebrate her appointment to lead within the organizational structures of Cobb County School District, a very important partner for the Bagwell College and 肉肉传媒.鈥�

Traci Redish, Bagwell鈥檚 interim associate dean for strategic partnerships and priorities, said Beasley will be an important leader in the Cobb County School District, as the pandemic has highlighted the ongoing need for instructional technology knowledge and skills for all educators.

鈥淭he ability to deliver instruction in all modalities 鈥� face-to-face, blended and online 鈥� has become, and will continue to be, mission critical for K-12 schools moving forward,鈥� Redish said. 鈥淒r. Beasley鈥檚 expertise in Instructional Technology will be vitally important as she leads her team to accelerate digital learning in Cobb.鈥�

鈥� By Thomas Hartwell
Photos by Matt Yung

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.