About Virtual NorthStar
Dr. Jane M. McManus
As classroom teaching moves to the online space during the pandemic, many teachers and educational leaders have asked me for guidance. From someone who took a leap into virtual education 12 years ago, I remember how lost I felt when making the transition. I survived and even thrived, and I created Virtual NorthStar to help others do the same.
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My virtual teaching journey began in 2008. I left my traditional classroom and over the next seven years wore several different hats in the online education space. I became an online teacher at the secondary level with live, synchronous virtual classes held via videoconferencing platforms and created asynchronous lessons for students in a variety of learning management systems. As Department Head, I observed and evaluated online teachers’ virtual instruction practices. I was also chosen to be a National Subject Matter Expert and designed and created new curricula for national online courses aligning with state and national standards. In addition, I was selected as National Professional Development Facilitator for online schools. In that role, I designed and led interactive virtual sessions for hundreds of teachers and administrators relating to effective online instructional strategies, curriculum design, cross-curricular technology integration, and digital classrooms. These experiences sparked a passion for bringing people together through new technologies.
I completed my doctorate in education at the University of Kansas, focusing my dissertation on technology infusion in curriculum and instruction. In 2015, I became a graduate faculty member at KU where I created an online graduate course and taught teachers and educational professionals in the online master's program. In 2017, I designed and created the KU Virtual Learning Network (KU VLN) and continue to lead this innovative initiative as Director, KU VLN for the School of Education.
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Utilizing my real world experiences and research, I have conducted workshops (both in-person and online) and presented on new trends in online education to teachers and educational leaders at the local, regional, and national levels. I have also been a panelist on podcasts exploring challenges and opportunities with personalized learning, 21st century classrooms, online pedagogy, and virtual instructional strategies. In addition, I have experience in healthcare technology training and digital platform instruction.
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