Giving Yourself a Helping Hand
By Guest Blogger on March 17th, 2014
I’m not really good at math. Once I understand the general concept, I’m completely fine, but whew…sometimes it takes me a little while to get there. This is definitely an area in my life where I continually have to battle problems and find solutions (literally). At times I find that I really don’t “get” something, so I keep re-reading the same information. Then I go over it again and again. Sometimes I just find that the explanation still doesn’t click with me or with my learning style. At times like these, I find that I essentially have two options: I can keep going over the information in the hopes that it finally clicks, or I can ask for a little help.
As a teenager, my first reaction to asking someone for help is often “Nah, I’ll take care of it.” Sometimes, that’s fine; we shouldn’t depend on others to solve our problems for us all the time (plus, it’s human to fail; we can’t overreact every time an obstacle pops up and blocks our path). Continue reading
To Certify or Not to Certify
By Guest Blogger on March 14th, 2014
Since so much emphasis is being placed on kids to accelerate in school, earn college credit while still in high school, and learn more and more, earlier and earlier…one might ask, “Why should I consider getting an industry certification?”
The answer is quite simple: college and career readiness.
Had I been given opportunities to earn a drafting certification during my drafting years back in school (I know this is starting to sound like “I walked to school five miles, uphill both ways…”), my career may very well have taken a different road. I might have become a full-fledged mechanical engineer, instead of the only one in the shop who knew how to operate CAD software and earning the title by default. Continue reading
Secret Sauce to Online Schoolwork Motivation
By Guest Blogger on March 10th, 2014
So, have you figured out all the perks of going to school online yet? Obviously, you can do your school work any time of the day that suits you, but it is the “anywhere” perk that I find awesome. My first two years of college I spent at a physical college campus. The second two years I went to college online. This allowed me to work full-time during the day (much like some of you go to school during the day) and then complete my college work at night and on weekends.
Maybe this isn’t something an FLVS staff member should admit, but hey, I’ll be honest – most Saturdays, the very last thing I wanted to do was schoolwork. Can you relate? Continue reading
Communication is Critical
By Guest Blogger on March 7th, 2014
The Importance of Effective Communication between Teachers and Parents
I have been teaching for almost nine years, most of that time being in the traditional classroom. When I came to FLVS last year, I was seriously impressed with the level of care and importance that is placed on effective parent communication.
Regular communication, however, does not necessarily equal effective communication. Whether meeting face-to-face, virtually, or by phone, misunderstandings can happen. I wanted to share with you some insights and tips I have found useful as a teacher to keep communication with parents effective: Continue reading
How Are You Celebrating Read Across America Day?
By Guest Blogger on March 3rd, 2014
“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child.” – Dr. Seuss
Did you know that this year marks the 17th anniversary of the National Education Association’s annual Read Across America Day event? This event was created to promote excitement about literacy in schools across the country and dedicated on Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2nd.
As we know, research has proven that students who are motivated to read do better in school.
So, get ready to grab your red and white striped hat and read along with the Cat in the Hat for the 17th annual Read Across America Day! Continue reading
Stop, Collaborate, and Listen
By Guest Blogger on February 26th, 2014
Doing Virtual Doesn’t Mean Doing it Alone!
When people think virtual, what do you think comes to mind? Prior to my experience at FLVS, I thought of sitting alone in front of the computer, reading lessons, responding to discussion boards, and checking email. The common denominator behind all of my thoughts was that you do it alone. While virtual education primarily places responsibility on the learner, there is a debatably larger need to collaborate to be successful.
At FLVS, students are required to collaborate with one another at least one time within each segment/semester. Many families, at first glance, think this is a demanding request or an off-the-wall requirement, because of their initial thoughts about virtual education. What they find is that they wonder why they didn’t start collaborating sooner. Continue reading
Meet Zoe, Pageant Queen and Non-Profit Founder
By Guest Blogger on February 21st, 2014
Zoe Mignone, a FLVS Full Time senior, has accomplished quite a bit in her 17 years. She has been a mentor, triathlon participant, advocate, pageant queen, and has even started her own non-profit organization! Oh, and, in case you couldn’t guess – she’s also a very active student with FLVS Full Time.
In 7th grade, Zoe became a mentor for an organization called Girls on the Run and helped advocate for children in Teen Court. At the age of 12, she started doing triathlons and quickly realized that triathlons were very expensive to train for and to participate in. That was when her idea was sparked – working with her friends and her mother, she put together the foundation for her own non-profit organization called Setting an Example. Describing her efforts, Zoe states, “My vision for it is all my own. I’ve always had a distinct vision.” Continue reading
Finding Connection in a Virtual World
By Guest Blogger on February 19th, 2014
As published in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Students, like all people, want to feel valued and cared about. They crave connection, understanding, and desire relationships that make them feel positive about themselves. Finding acceptance and encouragement at school can often be difficult, but at Flexpoint Virtual School, students have the opportunity to not only navigate their education, but to establish great connections as well.
FlexPoint Virtual School is an established leader in developing and providing online and blended education solutions to students in grades 6-12 worldwide. It was created during the 2000 Florida State Legislative session as the national and international arm of Florida Virtual School, the first statewide, Internet-based public high school in the United States. Continue reading
What Is CTE and Why Should I Care?
By Guest Blogger on February 11th, 2014
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings at FLVS includes a series of courses aligned to a specific occupational pathway.
CTE courses provide students with the skills, abilities, and attitudes necessary for success in college and careers.
These pathways range from Aquaculture to Web Design and everything in between. Most require multiple courses in sequence for students to develop skills needed for that occupation, but these skills are also valuable for students who continue their education beyond high school because the skills focus on work readiness, collaboration, problem solving, as well as technical experience. CTE, however, doesn’t start or end in high school. Career exploration begins early in elementary school through various career days, selective reading and instructional materials, and through informal education at home and in the community. Middle school often brings students opportunities to develop some technical skills that help further refine career interests. High school allows students to focus on coursework in a given pathway that can lead directly into college programs and/or the workplace. Continue reading
Everyone Needs a Coach
By Guest Blogger on February 6th, 2014
I’m a Georgia Bulldog fan…I’ll just go ahead and say that. I’m not a huge football fan where I am glued to the TV on the weekends, but I do enjoy a good game and I certainly enjoy watching my team play. I am always fascinated by the week-to-week changes in a team.
Some weeks I think my team will make it to the National Championship game, and other weeks I wonder if this is their first game. And if anything has made it clear that you can never know what to expect from a team, it was last Sunday’s Super Bowl game!
But regardless of how the team performs, there is ultimately one person who is held accountable for the outcome: the coach. Continue reading