Programming

Bringing Learning to Life with Practical Experience

By on December 4th, 2017

We know students learn best through experience, but how can they get hands-on in a virtual learning environment?

Say hello to Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs). These professional student organizations are integrated into the FLVS Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum. Why? Because they give students tons of personal growth swag. Continue reading


New Course and Certification Opportunities

By on August 9th, 2017

Many don’t like to see stores stocking back-to-school supplies as early as mid-July.

I personally love it! As a parent and educator, I believe it’s a fresh start for students and teachers. Here at Florida Virtual School, we have students who take classes year round in our Flex program, but we also have students who follow a more traditional calendar with our Full Time program. Full Time students will be returning to school this month, and I want to share some of the exciting things happening this school year.

I’m particularly thrilled for FLVS Full Time students to come back this fall. If you’re attending FLVS Full Time this year, find resources to help you start the year off here! Continue reading


Aliens and Explosions

By on March 30th, 2017

This post was written by FLVS student Sarah Weyand about her award-winning research in astrophysics.

Studying ExoplanetsMy science fair journey began about a year ago.

I was approached by a Harvard graduate who wanted to mentor a high school senior in an astrophysics and computer science research project.

I knew nothing about astronomy and I didn’t know a single programming language, but I love space and I plan to major in computer science in college. Naturally, I said yes. This project has taken me to the Science Talent Search, the Indian River Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and, now, the State Science Fair.

My project is titled Aliens and Explosions: How Supernovae Affect the Habitable Zones of Exoplanets.

The purpose of the project is to calculate the percentage of exoplanets, a planet that does not orbit our Sun, that would no longer be in the habitable zone of their host star due to a supernova, the explosive death of a massive star. Continue reading


The Impact of Professional Development in CTE

By on February 3rd, 2017

ACTE Career Tech Conference 2016I recently attended the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) conference, and I can tell you that it did not disappoint!

Having only been to the FLVS In-Service Training Days, I was not entirely sure what to expect. After sitting through the first general session, I knew what I was going to get: several days of highly-informative exhibits and sessions presented by enthusiastic Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructors.

The conference had plenty of specialized vendor exhibits and interesting conference speakers. And the sessions – there were so many from which to choose!

I had my pick of a number of high-interest topics dealing with general CTE classroom strategies, resources that were specific to computer and tech courses, and sessions on policies affecting the future of CTE education. It was quite overwhelming – it took me a while to sort through all the options to find the perfect ones to attend. Continue reading