🎥 K12 Classroom Showcase

Our Classroom Showcase is evolving! We’re looking for teachers who already have a classroom zone and are open to collaborating with us in a more flexible, supportive way.

Instead of a one-time walkthrough, selected teachers will partner with our team as we highlight real examples of classroom zones in action. This may include short recordings, examples of activities, or quick shares that help other teachers see what’s possible.

If selected, you’ll receive a $25 gift card as a thank-you for your time and willingness to support other educators.

Ali Snyder and Kim Lunsford use the K12 Zone to create engaging, curriculum-based worlds that bring learning to life for students. Their interactive spaces include science labs, historical simulations, virtual field trips, escape rooms, graphic novel experiences, and project-based learning activities across multiple subject areas. Rather than simply presenting content, they design experiences that encourage students to explore, investigate, solve problems, and actively engage with learning. Their work showcases the power of the K12 Zone to transform virtual instruction into an interactive and memorable educational experience.

Rachel Jinks (7th–8th Grade ELA and Book Club, Virginia Virtual Academy) uses her K12 Zone to create an engaging virtual book club environment where students can connect through reading, discussion, and games. Her zone serves as a welcoming meeting space where students share what they are currently reading, participate in activities connected to favorite books, and discuss the group’s current book of the month. Designed to encourage conversation and student interaction, the space helps build community while making reading feel social and fun. Ms. Jinks’ classroom zone is a great example of how the K12 Zone can support student connection, literacy engagement, and meaningful peer interaction in a virtual setting.

Roberta Escobar (3rd Grade ELA and Math, Indiana Digital Learning School) created an exciting Jurassic World-themed K12 Zone that was used as a weekly reward space for students who completed their Boost Reading Minutes goals. Designed as a high-energy incentive and celebration space, the zone gave students the opportunity to explore, interact, and have fun together after meeting their reading goals. The themed environment helped motivate participation while creating a memorable shared experience for students across the entire 3rd grade program. At its peak, an incredible 93 students were exploring the zone at the same time. Ms. Escobar’s project is a fantastic example of how the K12 Zone can be used to boost student motivation, celebrate achievement, and build large-scale student engagement in a virtual environment.

Alyssa Madueno (1st Grade, CAVA Sutter) created a fun and colorful Candyland-themed K12 Zone where students move through the space discovering interactive learning activities, art projects, and brain breaks along the way. Designed specifically for young learners, her zone transforms the classroom experience into an engaging adventure that encourages movement, exploration, and participation. Students travel through different themed areas to complete activities and interact with content in a playful and exciting environment. Ms. Madueno’s classroom zone is a wonderful example of how creativity and imagination can be used to make virtual learning feel active, welcoming, and memorable for elementary students.

Anna Canales (6th–8th Grade Compass Engagement Coach, California Virtual Academies) uses her K12 Zone to create a relationship-centered environment where middle school students can connect, socialize, and build engagement in meaningful ways. Originally designed as an optional weekly space for students seeking additional connection and community, her Zone quickly became a favorite place for students to relax, interact with peers, learn new games, and take mental breaks at the end of the week. After seeing a strong connection between Zone participation and overall student engagement, Mrs. Canales transitioned to using the K12 Zone as the primary classroom environment for her Compass sessions.

Her classroom setup blends SEL support, student collaboration, and structured engagement into one flexible virtual space. Students actively participate through conversation, games, avatar customization, and interactive activities while Mrs. Canales circulates throughout the room providing support and guidance. She also empowers students to help shape the environment by allowing them to suggest games and features they would like included in the Zone. Her walkthrough demonstrates how the K12 Zone can foster authentic student relationships, increase participation, and create a more welcoming and connected virtual learning experience for middle school students.

Jennifer Ratzloff (Grades 3–5, Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy) uses her K12 Zone as the primary space for teaching math in an engaging and highly interactive way. Her classroom zone changes monthly to match current lessons and themes, keeping the experience fresh and exciting for students. In this featured setup, Ms. Ratzloff customized an island-themed scene from the Marketplace and incorporated a multiplication facts Quiz Race that had students actively moving, competing, and learning together. Her zone blends small-group instruction, movement, games, and visual learning into one dynamic environment that keeps students motivated and excited about math. Ms. Ratzloff’s enthusiasm for teaching in the Zone shines through and demonstrates how powerful virtual learning can be when creativity and student engagement come first.

Mouna Chahbi (12th Grade Credit Recovery, Indiana Digital Learning School) uses her K12 Zone to create a structured and supportive environment where students can receive individualized help while working through their coursework. Each class begins with a mini-lesson in the main classroom space before students move into private breakout-style rooms to log into their courses and share their screens. Ms. Chahbi then rotates between rooms to provide one-on-one support, answer questions, and monitor student progress in real time. Her setup demonstrates how the K12 Zone can effectively combine whole-group instruction, independent work time, and personalized intervention to support students working toward graduation success.

Amanda Glantz (Middle School / 6th Grade ELA, Arizona Virtual Academy) transformed her K12 Zone into an interactive virtual talent show experience where students could showcase and celebrate their talents in a fun and accessible way. Her zone featured uploaded student videos and images that visitors could explore at their own pace, creating a flexible event space that encouraged participation and creativity. To help students navigate the experience independently, Ms. Glantz also created a welcome video and set up a Help Desk area for support and questions. Her project demonstrates how the K12 Zone can be used to host engaging schoolwide events that build community, celebrate student voice, and create memorable virtual experiences for students and families.

Cindy Bracy (6–8 Science and High School Biology, Marian University Preparatory School) uses her K12 Zone as both a classroom meeting space and a hub for collaborative engineering projects. Her zone includes interactive project areas, science resources, and creative spaces where students can explore, build, and work together throughout the year. Ms. Bracy especially uses the zone to support engaging end-of-year choice projects that encourage creativity, problem-solving, and student ownership of learning. In her walkthrough, she shares how the K12 Zone helped transform student engagement and created excitement around science learning. Her classroom zone is a great example of how virtual spaces can support hands-on, project-based learning in meaningful and interactive ways.

Mallory Smith (Algebra 2, Indiana Digital Learning School) uses her K12 Zone to create a flexible and interactive math environment where students can practice skills, receive support, and work independently. Her zone includes practice stations, help stations, Quiz Race activities, silent work areas, and large visual organizers and graphs that students can literally walk on and explore throughout the space. By combining movement, visuals, and interactive learning tools, Ms. Smith transforms Algebra 2 into a more engaging and approachable experience for students. Her classroom zone demonstrates how the K12 Zone can support both independent learning and real-time teacher support in a dynamic virtual setting.

Cassandra French (Biology, 9th–10th Grade, Texas Virtual Academy of Hallsville) uses her K12 Zone to create interactive virtual lab experiences that make science more accessible and engaging for students. In this featured DNA modeling lab, students move through a series of stations, uncover information, and use what they learn to complete their Canvas lab assignment. Designed with Resource Biology students in mind, Ms. French intentionally kept the layout simple, organized, and easy to navigate so students could focus on the content without becoming overwhelmed. Her zone demonstrates how the K12 Zone can transform virtual labs into a more supportive, hands-on learning experience for special education students while still keeping science interactive and fun.

Hayley Miller (Kindergarten, Indiana Gateway Digital Academy) uses her K12 Zone to host interactive Kindergarten Story Time sessions twice a week as both an enrichment opportunity and a social experience for students. Her welcoming space includes read-aloud areas, themed decorations, interactive activities, and playful exploration spaces designed specifically for young learners. During Story Time, students can listen to stories together, participate in activities, and build friendships in a fun and engaging virtual environment. Ms. Miller’s zone shows how the K12 Zone can create meaningful social connection and joyful learning experiences for even the youngest virtual students.

Erica Rich (Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences, Indiana Digital Learning School) uses her K12 Zone as an interactive extension of her live class sessions. Her classroom space evolves throughout the year to match the topics students are currently studying, helping create an engaging and immersive learning environment. In her walkthrough, Ms. Rich showcases themed learning areas, interactive resources, and creative classroom setups that keep students connected to the content in a fun and visual way. By regularly updating her Zone to reflect new units and activities, she transforms her virtual classroom into a dynamic space that keeps students curious, engaged, and excited to learn.

Samantha Wendrow (K–2 Math, Highpoint Virtual Academy) uses her classroom zone to create a welcoming morning hangout space where students can connect, chat, and start their day together. From Monday through Thursday, students join the Zone from 8:00–8:30 AM to socialize, explore, and play games before class. The Zone also remains open in Silent Mode so students can continue exploring independently throughout the day. In her walkthrough, Ms. Wendrow showcases themed activity areas, interactive games, calming spaces, and a welcome video that students see when they first enter the Zone. Built as a true labor of love, her classroom zone blends community-building, creativity, and student choice into one engaging virtual space.

Janet Reid (8th Grade Science, Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy) uses her K12 Zone to help students review Earth and Space Science concepts in an engaging, interactive way. After an Engageli lesson on the planets, students spend the last 15 minutes in the Zone exploring planet stations, clicking on each one to learn key facts. They can also visit kiosks to play practice Blookets for upcoming quizzes or relax in the movie theater to watch videos about the solar system. The Zone gives students multiple pathways to review for their final exam, make up missing work, and reinforce science content in a fun, self-paced environment.

Roger Gluckin (11th–12th Grade, Ohio Virtual Academy) created a weekly “Lunch with Mr. G” Zone experience designed to be simple for him to run—but incredibly rich for students to explore. Drawing on his background in TV and video production, he built an interactive world focused entirely on student experience. His Zone includes a scientist museum inspired by Futurama’s “Heads” exhibit, a sci-fi theater lobby with film clips, a telescope park with live space-telescope feeds, a performance area for music and poetry, discussion spaces, resource centers, and even Star Trek-style transporters. Students help shape the Zone through surveys, while Mr. Gluckin designs custom assets and a star-filled background to bring everything to life. The result is a creative, curiosity-driven space where students can relax, explore, and connect during lunch each week.

Andrea Holmes (10th Grade Biology, Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy) transformed her K12 Zone into an interactive lab experience designed for reteaching and hands-on practice. Her space includes a main classroom area with textbook links and familiar classroom touches, a game zone with puzzles and science simulations, and a full lab-stations area featuring eight unique stations. Each station contains clear instructions and embedded resources so students can complete their handout without leaving the Zone. Ms. Holmes created a true one-stop shop for virtual labs—making it easy for students to rotate, explore, and engage with biology concepts in a structured, immersive way.

Anastasia Rodgers (Kindergarten, Ohio Virtual Academy) uses her classroom zone each week for a joyful Lunch Bunch focused on social-emotional connections and community building. Students can come and go freely as they explore activities, chat with classmates, and enjoy unstructured recess-style time together. One of their favorite traditions is playing arcade games—especially Snake—as a group. The Zone turns lunchtime into a fun, social experience where conversations flow, friendships grow, and sometimes everyone forgets to eat because they’re having such a great time!

Erin Brady (4th Grade, Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy) designed her classroom zone to nurture both learning and relationships. The space includes areas for small-group ELA and math practice, collaborative activities, and a special section showcasing 4th grade reading materials. Students look forward to this time together—it’s a place to connect, interact, and have fun while reinforcing what they’re learning in class. Ms. Brady’s zone turns virtual time into community time, strengthening bonds and bringing joy to her students’ day.

Heather McClellan (High School Modified Math, Ohio Virtual Academy) uses her K12 Zone to host weekly “Math Game Days” that turn practice into play. Each Thursday, students enter her Zone to explore multiple gamified math programs—such as IXL, Extra Math, Freckle, and Prodigy—each linked and organized in themed rooms. The Zone lets students work mostly independently at their own pace while Ms. McClellan tracks progress, assists with logins, and conferences with students who need extra support. Her setup makes math feel fresh, social, and fun—blending structure, choice, and motivation in one virtual space.

Jessica Cutlip (8th Grade Special Education Math Foundations, West Virginia Virtual Academy) uses her K12 Zone to meet the needs of diverse learners through fully differentiated lessons built in TeacherMade and Nearpod. Students work at their own pace while receiving one-on-one and small-group instruction in a supportive virtual environment. Ms. Cutlip’s classroom zone makes it possible for every student—no matter their level—to engage, grow, and feel successful. Each class ends with 5–10 minutes in the Recess Zone, a favorite reward that keeps motivation high and learning joyful.

Ms. Ratzloff (Math, OVCA) brings her students into the K12 Zone classroom with clear expectations, engaging lessons, and plenty of energy. Her math class includes interactive practice, group problem-solving, and even avatar races and dances to celebrate learning. The playful mix of academics and movement shows how the Zone can keep students focused, connected, and having fun.

Stephanie Huffman (2nd grade, Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy) gives a walkthrough of her classroom zone inspired by Oklahoma’s state symbols and landmarks. Her zone features themed areas like a music lab, art room, reading tents, and an outdoor theater — all with interactive games, audio, and videos. Students can even explore a scavenger hunt of Oklahoma landmarks, making the space both fun and educational.

• Must have an existing classroom zone
• Be willing to allow a short virtual walkthrough/filming session