Education
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
Learning Forward – Part 4: Learning Design and Implementation
By Mary Mitchell on May 30th, 2013
Photo credit: http://www.learningforward.org/
In my previous posts, we unpacked the core elements of the first four Standards for Professional Learning released by Learning Forward — Learning Communities, Leadership, Resources, and Data. Now I would like to take a look at the next two standards: Learning Design and Implementation. 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).
FLVS Joins Forces with the University of Florida’s CAMP Gator
By Guest Blogger on May 2nd, 2013
Photo Credit: University of Florida
This year, Florida Virtual School (FLVS) is piloting a program in collaboration with the Collegiate Achievement Mentoring Program (CAMP Gator) at the University of Florida (UF). Students from UF serve as virtual leadership mentors to FLVS students enrolled in the Leadership & Skills Development course.
Each week, mentors and mentees meet online to complete activities and lessons related to leadership development, goal setting, and ways to achieve current and future successes. Continue reading
Education, Politics, and What Really Matters
By Guest Blogger on April 29th, 2013
Photo Credit: http://gov.cbia.com
For as long as I can remember I’ve had an opinion – a strong one – and a pervasive need to engage others in friendly debate, even for the purpose of persuasion. My parents taught me early that your greatest attributes can also be your Achilles’ heel if you do not harness the positive elements of your character. Passionate can be seen as obstinate if you are not careful, assertive can be aggressive, and confident can be arrogant – it is all a matter of perception. Knowing that, I take my strong opinions and attempt to portray myself as a passionate, assertive, confident woman who never crosses the line to obstinate, aggressive, or arrogant. That is my disclaimer. Continue reading
Home Education
By Guest Blogger on April 18th, 2013
The term “homeschooling” continues to raise the eyebrows or evoke comments of skepticism from the mainstream. Even though homeschooling has been in practice since the 18th century, for some it still feels novel and new.
As we look at the evolution of homeschooling, we find that some of our most accomplished athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders were homeschooled. The list may surprise you. Continue reading
Homework Hassles
By Guest Blogger on April 8th, 2013
My sister is conducting her own personal rally against homework. I don’t blame her one bit. Most of my working-parent friends pick up their children after 5:30 p.m. By the time they get home and eat dinner, they may have one-and-a-half hours of quality time left with their child. Then the homework monster rears its head, which often consists of the parent helping to clear up incorrect concepts. My niece did her share of complaining about homework too. I thought the United States was making headway in educational practices, but from her comments, it seems that rote practice is normal. Are we still in 1900? Continue reading
Learning Forward – Part 2: Learning Communities
By Mary Mitchell on March 28th, 2013
Photo credit: http://www.learningforward.org/
Professional learning programs provide the opportunity to improve educator practices in the classroom and positively impact student learning. As discussed in my previous post, Learning Forward has revised the Standards for Professional Learning by introducing seven standards that help to ensure that learning opportunities offered to teachers and support staff positively impact student achievement. The revised standards introduce a different paradigm, most notably, the change from a focus on instructor performance to a focus on student achievement – and results. Continue reading
One Size Fits No One
By Guest Blogger on March 26th, 2013
It’s legislative season in Tallahassee again. We know that March will come every year, yet every year it seems such a shock to us that FLVS must stand ready to defend its district against those who would cut first and consider later.
This battle is recursive—we do it over and over and over again. But, when you are a space-creator, you must also be a space-holder. Continue reading