Doors Continue to Open in Online Learning
By Guest Blogger on November 21st, 2013
The annual “Opening Doors to the World” awards celebration was created by The Foundation for Florida Virtual School (The Foundation) to honor champions, pioneers, and distinguished individuals who have been instrumental in paving the way for innovative education.
Without steadfast supporters, The Foundation would not have the opportunity to create new innovative programs for our students. The support that continually opens new doors allows for a brighter future in education and online learning. To those who donated time, talent, dollars, or connections to our September 2013 event, thank you! Continue reading
A Good, Firm Handshake in a Virtual World
By Guest Blogger on November 15th, 2013
We live in an ever-changing digital age where our interactions have become increasingly more “virtual” than face-to-face.
Today, most companies are turning to phone conference or webcam interviews to save time and money for incessantly busy Hiring Managers. Job candidates are expected to answer complicated behavior based interview questions, supplying well-thought-out responses, all while making it perfectly clear why he/she is the right person for the job, often in 30 minutes or less. So, how do you leave a lasting impression at the end of a phone interview? You develop a good, firm virtual handshake. Continue reading
Virtual Schools are Changing Education
By Guest Blogger on November 12th, 2013
Recently, under the headline “Cyber Schools Flunk, but the Money Keeps Flowing,” Politico — a nonpartisan, Washington-based political journalism organization that features in-depth coverage of politics and policy — reported on the poor performance of students taking online courses from various providers in a variety of states.
I am concerned that stories like this create a negative image for all online providers by painting with a broad brush. Virtual schools are as varied in their approach and their results as are traditional schools.
What Five-Year-Olds and Teenagers Have in Common
By Guest Blogger on November 7th, 2013
Twenty. Nineteen. Eighteen…
Every morning, my son Sawyer reminds the whole family how many days are left before he turns five. Yesterday, on day 15, Sawyer flashed his best 1,000 Kilowatt smile and announced what he wanted for his birthday: one Lightning McQueen race car, four other race cars from the Cars franchise, and one tank.
Sawyer couldn’t know it, but his request was actually pretty modest; I could buy all those toys for under $30. But I looked around the living room and saw the hundreds of toys that Sawyer already had – toys he never played with. So I made a reasonable request: we would buy him his birthday toys, but we had to give away some of his old toys. Continue reading
FLVS Student Wins the US Open Boys’ Doubles
By Guest Blogger on November 5th, 2013
FLVS Full Time student Martin Redlicki practiced tirelessly to win the US Open boys’ doubles on Saturday, September 7th.
As if that wasn’t enough, he also is taking senior level courses, with two of those courses being Honors, here at FLVS.
Martin certainly had a unique experience at the tournament. Continue reading
Multitasking: Technically Impossible
By Guest Blogger on November 1st, 2013
These days it seems like everyone is always trying to multitask.
It’s certainly possible to fold laundry while talking on the phone, or ride a bike while listening to music, but it just doesn’t work well to attempt two tasks that involve brain power at once.
Why? Our brains can hold only five to nine things in their short-term memories, so when someone’s trying to accomplish two dissimilar tasks that both require some level of thought and attention, that’s where the “multitasking” ends and the switching from one task to another begins. And when information doesn’t make it into the short-term memory, it can’t make it into long-term memory to be recalled later. Continue reading
Lights, Cameras, Lesson Plans
By Guest Blogger on October 30th, 2013
What it’s like to be a Florida District Teacher of the Year
I’ve had a lot of questions about what it is like to be a district-level teacher of the year in Florida. There are so many adjectives I could use to describe this wonderful experience, but the one that sticks out to me the most is “unforgettable.”
The day it was announced that I was the FLVS Teacher of the Year was one of the most exciting days of my life. Emails and phone calls poured in with congratulations and well-wishes from people I know and people I have never really met. It felt like I was a celebrity, which can make a person feel a little uncomfortable at first – being rushed to the front and into the spotlight. Continue reading
Developing Digital Citizens
By Guest Blogger on October 23rd, 2013
Photo credit: Common Sense Media
We beat stupidity celebration cones. #zimmerman #defense #dadkilledit
Over the summer, George Zimmerman’s defense attorney Don West had to apologize to the media for his daughter’s immature and insensitive Instagram post in the middle of a very heated George Zimmerman trial. After receiving national media attention, the photo of the lawyer enjoying ice cream cones with his daughters instantly went viral, and Molly West’s Instagram account had to be shut down the following day.
#whatwasmollythinking
How do we help teach kids that something they do online today could potentially affect the future in ways they can’t even imagine? We need to help them understand the power of their digital footprint. Everything they post, share, or like is a direct reflection of themselves and their values. And it’s potentially out there for the world to see forever. Just ask Molly. Continue reading
Field Trips with FLVS Full Time
By Guest Blogger on October 10th, 2013
The Florida Virtual School Full Time program has experienced epic growth throughout the years, doubling in size for two years in a row. This year we continue to expand our reach and will be serving over 7500 students.
As we grow, so does our dedication to overall student success by creating a unique schooling community in which students not only grow academically, but socially as well. Continue reading
The Power of Negativity
By Guest Blogger on September 30th, 2013
Remember the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” I have to say, that through life experiences, I’ve come to realize that this statement is completely false. The bruises that are caused by sticks and stones may last for a period of time, but the scars words leave can last a lifetime. Continue reading