Parent Edition
A Simple Way to Become a Better Teacher
By Guest Blogger on May 18th, 2015
Some years ago, as a middle school teacher, I attended a national conference where I heard Jane Goodall speak chimpanzee. I returned to my classroom and enthusiastically shared this memorable experience with my students. They were fascinated that a woman could speak like a chimp, and I was able to model for my students the joys of being a life-long learner.
Effective teachers are learners. And one of the best ways for teachers to learn is through attending conferences focused on their content area.
A group of FLVS staff and teachers recently attended the National Council for History Education (NCHE) annual conference in St. Augustine, Florida. The NCHE conference included prominent keynote speakers, historical excursions, and sessions presented by history educators from around the country. Continue reading
Social Media Use Could Come With A Price!
By Amy LaGrasta on May 15th, 2015
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, Instagram, and Pinterest are all ways teens stay connected.
Social media allows us to connect with those near and far and opens doors to a variety of opportunities. According to the Pew Research Internet Project, 73 percent of Americans use social networking sites as of September 2013. Pew Research also shows that 95 percent of all teens ages 12-17 are now online.
While connecting and expressing one’s self on a global scale may be something we’re all entitled to, exercise caution. Posting inappropriate, vulgar, or disrespectful content comes with a price. Not only can you lose your admission to college and/or your scholarship, but you could also lose your job. Continue reading
Innovative Math Instruction
By Guest Blogger on May 8th, 2015
More than ever before, middle school math students are being asked to perform at a higher rate in class and on assessments.
Students are learning higher-level standards and being evaluated in new ways with computer-based testing and interactive tools.
New standards expect students to be able to: make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, reason abstractly and quantitatively, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, model with mathematics, use appropriate tools strategically, look for and make use of structure, and look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Continue reading
Blended School Receives Teens for Jeans Grant
By Guest Blogger on May 6th, 2015
Western Eagle Bilingual School is a private blended school in Mayagüez, PR that has been using FlexPoint Education Cloud curriculum since 2010. They recently participated in a national campaign to collect jeans for homeless teenagers sponsored by Aeropostale and DoSomething.org called Teens for Jeans. Read their story here:
As I was reading “Leadership for Students,” published by the National Association of Secondary School Principals for NJHS and NHS Members, I came across a short article about a school in the United States that participated in DoSomething.org’s Teen for Jeans campaign by donating 500 jeans. I thought to myself, we can collect even more than that at our school!
The challenge was on. Continue reading
Creating Global Citizens One Country at a Time
By Guest Blogger on May 4th, 2015
This is the first post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.
Do you ever dream of traveling the world with your family?
Have you wondered what it would be like to sell or donate all your stuff to become 21st century nomads?
Have you ever considered the benefits of giving students a hands-on, immersive education to complement and enhance a traditional classroom experience?
A series of stories over the next several months by members of the Cooney family (including three FLVS alumni) will answer these and many other questions about what it’s like to travel the world as a family. Continue reading
What It Was Like To Break A World Record
By Guest Blogger on April 28th, 2015
As published on HerAgenda.com
17-year-old journalist Pavlina Osta set a new Guinness World Record for most radio interviews in 24 hours. Here’s how she did it.
Throughout elementary school I remember going to the library and checking out American Girl books, but on the way to the check out counter, I’d always pass the open book in the reference center of Guinness World Records.
It wasn’t possible for me to even think of myself someday being in the book. I mean, a World Record? Me? Doing what? What could I do better than anyone else in the world?
I wasn’t thinking negatively – just realistically. Continue reading
FLVS Attends SpaceX CRS-6 Cargo Launch Mission
By Guest Blogger on April 23rd, 2015
On April 12-13, 2015, FLVS had the privilege of going on a behind-the-scenes tour at Kennedy Space Center and sharing the experience with our students.
During the virtual field trip, followers of our FLVS Twitter account were able to tune in live for video streaming made possible with the new social app, Periscope.
While anyone can watch streams broadcasted via Twitter on their desktop or mobile device, users with the mobile Periscope app were also able to post questions in real time. We were honored to have viewers from around the world engage with us throughout the event! Continue reading
Cash in on this Advice!
By Guest Blogger on April 21st, 2015
When I was a teen, my parents didn’t talk about finances with me, my twin sister, or older brother.
While my parents instilled values that prepared us for life after high school, financially we weren’t prepared. I had no clue how much electricity, water, food, and basic living expenses were. I made a car payment every month and paid my insurance, so I had that down. The rest was lost on me.
I’m no financial planner. Parents, you don’t have to be either to share financial knowledge with your student.
Students, your parents have a lot of experiential advice to offer.
Flexibility and FLVS
By Guest Blogger on April 17th, 2015
I love Google Alerts.
I’ve got one set up that notifies me any time Florida Virtual School is mentioned on a forum or in an article. I usually start my day sorting through two or three of them, and continue to receive notifications from Google throughout the day.
Some of my favorite alerts are generated by prospective students. It’s interesting to me to see how different each student plans to use FLVS as a part of his/her education. For example, yesterday I received one from a high school student posting on a forum asking if he can take four classes at his traditional school, but then two classes through FLVS. I read it and nodded my head, thinking, “Yes, you can!” Continue reading
10 Tried and True Test Taking Tips
By Amy LaGrasta on April 15th, 2015
Number two pencils are not the only thing you need for test day!
Reporting to a test prepared both physically and mentally can help you succeed on test day. Whether you’re taking a simple quiz, an EOC exam, or a standardized test like the SAT or ACT, here are 10 things to remember about test day!
Looking for more tips and study skills?
Be sure to join an upcoming test-taking webinar or watch one of our recordings here. Continue reading