The North Carolina Symphony has announced the launch of an online classroom available to any and all music educators in the state.

For the first time, teachers and administrators who could not attend the symphony's workshops in person will be able to view presentations from this year's Education Concert Workshop. Needing only Internet access, they can peruse presentation materials, download the Symphony's teacher and student workbooks, get answers and converse with other North Carolina music educators via an online forum and more.

"With this exciting new initiative, we're exploring new opportunities in educational outreach and professional development," says Jessica Nalbone, the Symphony's director of education.

More than 100 teachers attended the 2011 edition of the Symphony's Education Concert Workshop, held in Raleigh's Meymandi Concert Hall on Aug. 16. The annual workshop prepares teachers for the Symphony's upcoming season of free education concerts, presented at its home in Raleigh and in more than 25 North Carolina counties as the core of the most extensive education program of any U.S. orchestra; a UNC-TV segment by John Dancy on the symphony's education concerts can be seen online.

The online classroom, supported by Moodle.org, expands the Education Concert Workshop statewide. Access is $30 per person and includes one hard copy each of the student and teacher books, as well as a CD of the music to be performed at this year's education concerts. Workshop attendees may purchase access to the online workshop for $15, not including the additional materials.

Registration for username and password access to the Symphony's Moodle classroom can be found at the Workshops and Professional Development page, under Elementary Education, at www.ncsymphony.org/education. For additional information, call (919) 789-5461.