Student Edition
Service Learning
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on June 24th, 2015
“Volunteers are not paid—not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.”
Do you volunteer or did you when you were young?
Do you remember who Candy Stripers were? They were hospital volunteers. Working as a Candy Striper was my first experience volunteering and it taught me real-world experiences that helped shape my future.
I volunteered each Sunday from 12 – 4 p.m. at Pembroke Pines Hospital in South Florida. There were many rules and the expectations for the teen volunteers were high, dauntingly so. We received intensive training that resembled that of a NASA Astronaut. Continue reading
Join the FLVS Summer Brain Challenge!
By Guest Blogger on June 12th, 2015
Did you know your brain is constantly forming new neural connections?
Scientists have made amazing discoveries about the way our brain cells grow and form new circuits – even into adulthood. The trick to that growth is keeping them engaged by exploring new challenges and concepts.
This summer, we are challenging all of our students and their family and friends to show us what new connections your brain can make!
We’re hosting a video contest on social media asking you to show us your skills. All you have to do is share a short video of you learning something crazy and cool like this. Continue reading
Vote for Your Favorite FLVS Lip Sync Video!
By Guest Blogger on June 10th, 2015
It’s time to vote for your favorite Spanish Lip Sync video!
Over the last several weeks, our Spanish students and Spanish Nuts at Play (SNAP) Club members have shared some amazing videos for Señora Miller’s Lip Sync Challenge.
All of our participants were asked to post a lip sync video of a Spanish song on social media – and now we need your help choosing the best submissions!
We’ve narrowed it down to our top 10, but YOU get to choose our final winner!
Simply click “like” below your favorite video below to vote.
Got Balance?
By Amy LaGrasta on June 8th, 2015
Do you ever stop and think about how much you juggle to find balance on a daily basis?
First, there’s the never-ending work or school/life balance. Then, there’s the healthy/non-healthy balance. How much and what we eat needs to be considered along with and how much we sleep and exercise. The balance between saving and spending is also part of that struggle. Balancing family, friends, and personal time can also be a battle. You name it, we’re trying to balance it!
Finding our balance might seem like a small thing, but it has a profound impact on our daily function. Finding and maintaining balance is something we usually don’t think about, until we lose it. Continue reading
Traveling the World with Family: A Mom’s Perspective
By Guest Blogger on June 5th, 2015
This is the second post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.
When Mike and I decided to take off for a year to travel the world with our three teenage sons, the decision was the easy part.
Walking away from the life we currently knew was the difficult part. After we made the decision in 2005, we went into planning mode. We all had our respective roles.
In between running an online business, homeschooling our three sons through Florida Virtual School, and carting them to various activities, I spent copious hours researching travel websites and books, creating a budget, and finding places where we could immerse ourselves in the culture. What we all discovered is that planning is definitely necessary, however, it is also equally important to have a plan B, C, or D. An even better option is to learn to go with the flow! Continue reading
Don’t Procrastinate, Motivate!
By Amy LaGrasta on May 26th, 2015
Motivation is literally a desire to do things.
It is crucial to attaining goals.
Motivation is the difference between getting up and doing something or being a couch potato all day.
Whether you want to motivate yourself, colleagues, classmates, or children…here are some proven methods to improve your motivation and to motivate those around you. From setting goals to persevering through difficult challenges, these tips will help you accomplish all kinds of great things!
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
By Guest Blogger on May 20th, 2015
FLVS Physical Education students may be who you think will be playing hard this month, but this is a call to action for all students, friends, and families.
As you’ll quickly see, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is not just for PE students, it’s for everyone!
Read on…
But don’t expect to be here too long because soon it will be time to get going and leave your screen behind. 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
Networking 3: Infrastructure
By Guest Blogger on May 12th, 2015
Certification Preparation for uCertify
Ever wanted to know what those Networking courses are all about? Prior to enrollment in our Networking 3, Infrastructure certification test prep course, students should display proficient knowledge about installing, configuring, operating, and troubleshooting medium-sized routed and switched networks. Students must also have successfully completed the Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician certification, available through our Networking 2, Infrastructure course.
The purpose of this course is to prepare students for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) industry certification exam. Students demonstrating successful mastery of the coursework will be provided voucher codes to take the industry certification exam. Continue reading
Getting Past the Fear of DBAs
By Guest Blogger on March 19th, 2015
This article is based on student work published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.
If discussion-based assessments make you nervous, these tips from FLVS students may help!
DBAs are verbal assessments and are often the most dreaded assignments for FLVS students. Instead of comfortably typing essays and worksheets on their laptops, students communicate with an instructor one-on-one over the phone.
But why is this so terrifying? Surely the verbal component of the DBA is not intimidating, especially when the assignments are approached by the instructor as a conversation instead of an oral exam.
TIP: Did you know that DBAs can be completed in a live lesson setting or over a video call? Ask your teacher about this option! Learn more in this post about mastering the DBA.
However, if you compare talking on the phone for twenty minutes to being the only student called on to answer random questions for 20 minutes in a classroom, you can see why students are reluctant to dial their instructors’ numbers. Continue reading