Educator Edition
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
Celebrate National School Counseling Week
By Amy LaGrasta on February 4th, 2014
National School Counseling Week is February 3-7, 2014.
School counselors are certified school professionals who specialize in helping students make decisions about their personal and educational needs while providing information about colleges and other life choices. The school counseling profession started about 100 years ago with caring teachers that helped their students plan for the future. In the early 1900s, students began to have more educational and occupational options so school counseling became its own profession.
The role of the counselor has changed over the years, but the focus remains the same. School counselors help all students in the areas of academic achievement, personal/social development, and career development, ensuring today’s students become the productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow. Continue reading
Celebrate Digital Learning
By Guest Blogger on January 29th, 2014
I often take it for granted that we have arrived in the digital age. I think there may have been two years in the early 1990s when I didn’t have computers in my classroom for student use – and once we had computers, use them we did! And then this cool thing called the “Internet” came to our schools. Our capabilities to connect students to learning resources and the real world grew exponentially.
We are so fortunate in Florida to continue to have fabulous support for digital learning, from virtual schools to classroom support. Yet, there are still places in Florida, as well as the rest of the country, where going digital is a struggle for teachers and students.
FLVS is excited to join the nation in changing classrooms everywhere through digital learning by participating in the third annual Digital Learning Day. Continue reading
Finding Work Life Balance
By Guest Blogger on January 23rd, 2014
Almost a year into my career at FLVS, I would consider myself a work-life balance guru. That has not always been the case.
When I first came to FLVS in early 2013, I had no idea how important work-life balance would become. Coming from a brick-and-mortar school, I was used to working hard for eight hours a day and then walking away from my work once I left to get my daughter from daycare. Imagine my shock when I transitioned to virtual education where the work followed me everywhere.
The phone rang often, even after hours. My gradebook was never empty. At times, my VSA data and student numbers felt overwhelming. Sometimes I felt like the work was overtaking me and that it was overtaking every aspect of my life. And worse, I felt like I was not able to put the students’ needs first since I was so overwhelmed. Continue reading
Social Media, Malala, and Changing the World
By Darcey Addo on January 16th, 2014
If you haven’t read her book, you probably saw her in your Facebook feed. You may have even watched her capture the attention of the United Nations as she advocated for peace after being shot in the head. If not, possibly you watched Jon Stewart interview her on the “Daily Show” where she talked about her appreciation for education because of the way the Taliban “blasted schools” and “snatched education” from Pakistani children. When you read her book, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, you read of a girl who fervently loves school. As a teacher, there are few things more heartwarming. Along with her story of compassion and forgiveness comes a tremendous responsibility for educators.
I am captivated as I read her book, both by the story and the storytelling. I hope someday to have the eloquence and tenacity of this teenager. At just 16 years old, Malala was nominated for the Nobel peace prize. Continue reading
Know Before You Go: The Power of Formative Assessments
By Guest Blogger on January 14th, 2014
A few years ago, not long after I first learned to drive, a family friend allowed me the opportunity to borrow his car.
The rule of the road was “if it has two digits, it goes around the city in a circle and you can’t get lost, it’ll always bring you back.”
When I began driving with my friend, I noticed I was a bit lost, but was fortunate enough to see the I-95 sign. It had two digits, the 9 and 5, so that must have meant it would loop around and I’d be back in no time. An hour later, I pulled off at an exit to ask for directions, to find I was now an hour and a half away from home.
Efforts vs. Smarts
By Mary Mitchell on January 10th, 2014
In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dr. Carol Dweck explains the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and how this impacts our success in learning and in life. Dweck argues we aren’t just “born smart” or with certain abilities. We have the incredible capacity to learn and grow every day. We can actually expand our brains and intelligence with our effort.
In fact, Dweck claims that “praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals – personal and professional.”
The underlying basis of the two mindsets, “fixed” and “growth” is illustrated in the chart below. Continue reading
Skate to Where the Puck is Going to Be
By Guest Blogger on January 8th, 2014
After seeing promotions for the fast-approaching 2014 Winter Olympics, I was reminded of when I was watching a sea of icy blue and white at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. I was just in awe of the talent, determination, and tenacity all under one roof. If you really allow yourself a moment to take it all in, it is an overwhelming feeling that almost takes your breath away. As the famous Canadians carried the Olympic flag through the stadium, I wondered if they had ever dreamed they would be honored with that special task in this international tradition that seems to unite the world for a moment in time.
Ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was among the eight Olympic flag carriers and would go on to light the flame in downtown Vancouver to complete the tradition. I couldn’t help but think about the quote he was so famous for which turned out to be the first quote on my FLVS tagline… Continue reading
Revive and Realize Your Dreams
By Guest Blogger on December 20th, 2013
My wife and I absolutely love reality television, especially the singing competition ones. The best part is always the beginning during the auditions, because you see and hear people who are not cut out for the industry and are best left to late-night karaoke. There is always a look of shock from contestants when the judges have to let them down, because it’s crushing a dream.
Have you ever had someone crush your dream because of a lack of skill? I know I have. Does that mean we give up on our dreams? Absolutely not! Continue reading
The Power of Words
By Guest Blogger on December 17th, 2013
Earlier this year, our FLVS Teacher of the Year, Shawn Wigg, shared his thoughts on the power of negativity in a blog post for The Virtual Voice. His comments were inspired by a presentation given by Jon Acuff, one of the keynote speakers at the Florida Virtual School 2013 Professional Learning Conference.
Jon explored the five stages every life goes through on the path to awesome and looked at what it takes to punch fear in the face, escape average, and do work that matters. As you can imagine, Jon’s words resonated with FLVS employees on several levels. He spoke to us about our influence on others and how often people don’t realize how their actions and words affect those around them. Jon left us with an equation to consider: “1 Insult + 1,000 Compliments = 1 Insult.” Continue reading