Homeschool Edition
Connecting through Creative Writing Club
By Guest Blogger on May 13th, 2019
This post was written by Lia, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.
The Creative Writing Club is a place where students of Florida Virtual School (FLVS) can come together and appreciate the joys of writing. Being in virtual school, it can be hard to connect with other students, let alone find anyone who is interested in the same things as yourself.
This is where clubs have a huge role. They allow for students to connect in ways that would have been impossible on their own. The Creative Writing Club is only one of the FLVS clubs that do this. With more than 300 students, the Creative Writing Club is a popular choice for many students looking for a club. Continue reading
5 Lessons Learned from Elementary Career Day
By Allison Voltaire on May 2nd, 2019
How many kids dream of becoming an astronaut as a child?
At this year’s FLVS Flex Elementary Career Day, NASA Astronaut Dr. Anna Fisher shared a story that was out-of-this-world and inspired kids to never give up on their dreams. Dr. Fisher served as a Mission Specialist on the STS-51A Discovery in 1984. She was just one of our special guests who recently came to visit the virtual classrooms of our elementary students.
Here are just a few of the lessons our students learned at Career Day! Continue reading
8 Simple Rules for Homeschooling
By Anne Flenner on April 30th, 2019
Being a parent can be tough! However, being a student’s principal, school counselor, teacher, custodian, cafeteria worker, and bus driver can be just as tough. When you choose to homeschool your child in the state of Florida, you are taking on many additional hats and full control of your child’s education.
Do you know the “8 simple rules” of homeschooling in Florida? Continue reading
Brain Breaks for Online Elementary Students
By Cara Piper on April 11th, 2019
Brain breaks are a BIG part of most elementary classrooms that you will see today. These mental breaks help students refocus, get some wiggles out, and most importantly – have fun!
Setting aside time for brain breaks is important in every classroom, especially in the virtual world where a lot of time is spent on the computer. We are always looking for ways to get our kids UP and MOVING! Continue reading
Keeping the Student at the Center
By The Virtual Voice on April 10th, 2019
The 2017-18 school year marked the 20th anniversary of Florida Virtual School (FLVS). The 20-year anniversary of FLVS was not only a historic occasion for the first statewide Internet-based school in the United States, but also a significant and positive milestone for virtual education.
When founded in 1997, FLVS consisted of six teachers, four support staff, 77 enrollments, and six courses. The use of online education tools was still new for the high schoolers of 1997. Continue reading
10 Ways FLVS Benefits Homeschool Families
By Anne Flenner on April 5th, 2019
When families choose home education, it is often for the flexibility and ability to be in control of their child’s education. Florida Virtual School courses can serve as a complete curriculum or the perfect mix-and-match solution for home education families.
Below you’ll find just a few reasons why Homeschool + FLVS = the Perfect Equation!
FLVS Corkboard: Spring Edition
By The Virtual Voice on March 13th, 2019
Hey FLVSers! As we spring forward and March onward, we want to highlight some student activities in full bloom. (Don’t you just love puns!?) Continue reading
Helping Our Captains Succeed with FLVS Elementary
By Guest Blogger on March 12th, 2019
Learn more about one home educator’s FLVS Flex Elementary experience with her young student filmmakers and ambassadors dubbed “The Captains.” Whether your child has been enrolled for a few years or you’re new to FLVS, these tips can help your elementary student succeed!
As a mother and grandmother, the responsibility of educating our 8-year-old son, Captain A, and 7-year-old grandson, Captain SySy, weighs heavy on my heart and mind as their home educator. The world is not always a perfect place and people can be unkind, so our family strives every day to help our Captains be the best human beings they can be!
I am beyond grateful for our partnership with FLVS on our Captains’ education. The FLVS Flex Elementary team not only cares about making a difference and helping them to succeed in their educational lives, but also about their personal successes as future leaders. They have been a huge network of support in our Captains’ volunteering world.
The truth is, it isn’t always easy being a homeschool educator! Continue reading
Top 5 Myths About Online Learning
By Anne Flenner on February 28th, 2019
As a child, did you ever play the game telephone? It starts when one person whispers something into another person’s ear and then the message is passed down from person to person. At the end, the message is completely different from what was first whispered. We see this a lot in real life. Unless a person experiences something for themselves, they really don’t know what their message will be!
Online learning has been around for more than 20 years now, but there are still some messages that have been passed down throughout the years that aren’t exactly the “real” message.
Celebrating College & Career-Ready Students
By Marissa Draeger on February 26th, 2019
From contests to clubs, FLVS offers a variety of ways to learn about coding and computer science, including online technology courses that develop the skills students need for the careers of tomorrow.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses combine academics and the real world, providing hands-on learning that puts students at the center of the action. CTE also helps develop critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills, which means students are better prepared for college and career life.
As we wrap up CTE Month at the end of February, we want to celebrate several student participants who wowed us with their entries in our recent #FLVSCodes contest. Continue reading