Virtual classroom puts future teachers to the test by Luis Zaragoza

Virtual students teach, teachers

The troublemaker is one of five computer-generated students inhabiting a high-tech virtual classroom under development at the University of Central Florida's College of Education are helping teachers-in-training learn to deal with unruly students and other classroom challenges, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Using simulation technology developed for military training, the virtual classroom gives future teachers a chance to practice important class-control and teaching skills by using realistic classroom scenarios.
Teachers typically learn the real ins and outs of managing a classroom on the job, which can be nerve-racking, said Lisa Dieker, a professor in the College of Education and one of the simulation program's originators.
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Source: OrlandoSentinel.com