Project TAM
By Guest Blogger on July 15th, 2013
Photo credit: haroldito via Flickr.com
Friday found me crying at the copy machine. As I prepared prereading for my trip to San Francisco, the drear of monotonous copies and collating and stapling proved to be an overwhelming prospect for my mind, stuffed full of words like “untethered” and “ideate” and “platforms.” I wondered how this boded for my week — overcome by a copy machine. And, what does “collate” mean for copies anyway?
Sunday arrived not with a roar but a whisper, and by some miracle of heaven Pam and I both arrived at the airport early. I can giggle a little now at us — two travelers traveling together with a common goal, the mutuality of dreams. Dreams which almost prevented these two preoccupied travelers from boarding the plane, so dense were the clouds. Continue reading
The Promise of Prescription in Education
By Guest Blogger on July 8th, 2013
I see many requests from school districts looking to find the magic pill to make learning tailored to the student. Prescription of learning tends to be a common first step that schools are willing to make into the world of personalized learning environments. In prescriptive learning, a path through the learning content is prescribed for each learner based on a criterion-reference pre-test, and sometimes performance on a post-test. This is a common answer to remediating students who need to make up credits, exempting items they know and remediating on items where mastery has not been gained. Continue reading
The Call Center Classroom
By Guest Blogger on July 2nd, 2013
Have you ever been inside a call center where sales are involved? It is one of the most energetic, exciting, goal-driven environments I have ever experienced. One of my first jobs was selling telephone products over the phone and it was an experience that has shaped who I am and how I view the world.
In a call center, you often have what are called “clappers.” Every time you make a sale, people run up and down the aisle clapping devices to celebrate your success. If you continued to sell, you not only got the noisemakers, but also streamers, balloons, cupcakes, and enough attention to make a billboard blush. Continue reading
Road Trip to the Next Exit!
By Guest Blogger on June 24th, 2013
Photo Credit: Next Exit History App
About four years ago, Apple launched the iTunes App Store and a little word that never existed in the Dictionary is something you now hear people of many generations saying…“there’s an app for that.”
If your family is like mine, your children are using the iPad (or a similar tablet) more and more each day. My now 5-year-old son was about 3 years old when he first picked up the iPad; it amazed me how he could not read, but could figure out how to play. I am always looking for fun apps that help my children learn without them realizing that they are learning. If you are like me, you are going to love this new app! Continue reading
FLVS Teacher Wins ISTE “Learning on the Go” Contest
By Guest Blogger on June 20th, 2013
Congratulations to Dr. Joshua Strate, FlexPoint Virtual School Science teacher.
Dr. Strate had one of his lessons selected by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) for their Learning on the Go contest.This resource was only one of 15 lessons included in ISTE’s electronic collection of mobile learning lesson plans, which is shared in both an iBook and interactive PDF to educators around the world. Continue reading
I’ve Got the Magic in Me
By Guest Blogger on June 13th, 2013
Photo Credit: Walt Disney Corp.
We could all use a little more pixie dust in our lives, right? Have you ever had someone go the extra mile to make your day a million times better than it was before? If not, take a trip down to the most magical place on Earth…Walt Disney World. Employees, known as “cast members,” are trained to do nothing but make your experience one you will never forget. When you arrive at their hotels, you are greeted with “Welcome Home” because they want you to feel comfortable in your environment. Everyone seems to say hello with a smile on their face and if you need something, then they will take care of it…even before you ask. Continue reading
Florida Virtual School’s Inaugural Graduation Ceremony: FLVS Full Time, Class of 2013
By Guest Blogger on June 10th, 2013
FLVS Full Time Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2013
I’ve been asked a lot of questions about Full Time Virtual Schooling, especially as a senior. I feel now is a good time to let the world know the answers since I have completed high school and graduated from FLVS Full Time (FT).
One misconception is that people think I wouldn’t know my teachers or have much contact with them. Continue reading
The Foundation for Florida Virtual School 2013 Outstanding Scholars
By Guest Blogger on June 6th, 2013
Foundation for FLVS volunteers at 2012 Golf Fore! Virtual Learning Tournament held to raise money for scholarships and other student programs
Congratulations to The Foundation for Florida Virtual School 2013 Outstanding Scholars! This year’s $1,000 scholarship recipients are Ariana Beyer (FLVS Part Time and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts), Leah Colucci (FLVS Part Time and Fort Myers High School), Karina Bodnieks (FLVS Full Time), Amber Bingle (Homeschool), and Marisa Kastner (Homeschool).
The Foundation scholarships were established to recognize outstanding students enrolled in Florida Virtual School (FLVS) who have achieved positive academic records and have gone above and beyond the expectations of a high school student. Continue reading
Celebrate National Internet Safety Month
By Guest Blogger on June 3rd, 2013
Get ready to post your party photos on Instagram because The National Cyber Security Alliance is recognizing June as National Internet Safety month.
This is no big deal for teachers and students living in the virtual school world because they celebrate Internet safety every day. However, for the rest of you, I offer up a few helpful tips to keep you safe online (tips courtesy of the new Social Media course offered by Florida Virtual School). Continue reading
Integrity
By Guest Blogger on May 20th, 2013
I was in a fender-bender last week. A young driver with obviously little experience put his car in reverse without thinking and backed up right into my car – doing a small amount of damage. He pulled over, got out, and apologized. He was shaken, and I calmed him down using my best teacher tactics. We exchanged information and we were on our way.
Well, now he is being dishonest and telling everyone I hit him. Of course that is to be expected – he was in another accident just two weeks earlier, and mentioned his mother would be very upset (not exactly his words).