Previously published on August 26, 2021
Monday wasn’t only the start of school for in-person classes, but also virtual learning in the Sioux City school district.
The Virtual Institute for Brighter Education also known as VIBE is a virtual program taught by Sioux City teachers for students choosing to learn at home.
About 500 students ranging from kindergarten through high school are enrolled in the program which has 25 teachers.
“Our model of live instruction throughout the day is an improvement on the more asynchronous model which doesn’t always involve a real instructor. It’s more of a curriculum that the kids take on their own pace. This is actually live instruction where you get to talk to real teachers and you have real counselors,” said VIBE Academy Principal Dave Vickery.
Last year’s virtual learning experience taught many in the school district a lot heading into 2021.
“Last year was the learning year. It was the growing year. We had all of the problems at the beginning and we found solutions to those. This year when the problems appear, I am able to solve them or walk the kids through it,” said 4th-grade VIBE Academy teacher Barb Vail.