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Coronavirus Learning: Sac State Launches 'Online Academy' To Help With Distance Learning

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento State University is helping people navigate the virtual education world by creating a website the offers learning tools for students.

Dean of the College of Education, Alexander "Sasha" Sidorkin, says the university saw a big need once area districts began closing.

It left educators like Miss Brittany Kissinger, a kindergarten teacher in Elk Grove, learning how to teach virtually while keeping students engaged.

"Their alphabet letters, sounds... there is like a list of 30 plus words that they should know before first grade," she explained.

It took time for many districts to adopt online instruction so to fill the time, Sac State began working on what can be viewed as an online academy. The website has online lessons that kids can access including activities and quizzes.

"Every lesson is created by the student, student-teacher," Sidorkin said.

Sidorkin says just on the first day of launching the website, 600 people began using it. He stresses it's a supplement to what districts and teachers are doing now and not a replacement.

"It's not meant to substitute regular instruction, but it's more of an enrichment opportunity, an additional thing for kids to learn," he explained.

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