Goals
Preparing for College: Start Early, Be Consistent, Finish Strong
By Amy LaGrasta on July 3rd, 2015
Many students fall into the trap of thinking college is something they need to start considering their senior year.
Students who wait until then, however, will be much more than a day late and a dollar short (more like four years too late and thousands of dollars short).
The fact is the time to start thinking about college is when you are selecting your freshman courses. It can be argued that it begins much earlier than this even – through the development of soft skills like time management, study habits, and a growth mindset for example, but that is a different post. 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!
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
FLVS Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week!
By Guest Blogger on May 1st, 2015
Teacher Appreciation week is the one week per year where the focus is on what an important role our teachers play in the lives of our students.
We hope you take time this week (and every week) to reflect on the awesome ways in which teachers influence the future. Our virtual teachers at FLVS may receive virtual flowers and gifts of thanks, but I hope all of our instructors know that their impact on lives is very real.
At FLVS, our instructors use instructional strategies to personalize learning every day of the week, all day long. From the first Welcome Call where teachers establish the important bond needed to motivate and inspire, to the final call where encouragement and the password are given for the last assessment, our teachers personalize learning for students. 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
The Right Stuff
By Guest Blogger on January 6th, 2015
I’ve recently been reading the Steve Jobs biography. It is no secret that Jobs was a creative marketing genius, and that he brought many incredible products to life that transformed entire industries. However, several times in his biography, it is mentioned that he shamelessly manipulated others, threw tantrums, screamed insults, and provoked controversy. He was challenged in his relationships, and it resulted in certain setbacks in his career.
The phrase Emotional Intelligence, or its casual shorthand EQ, is the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. Many researchers have claimed EQ is more important to leadership success than IQ, while others have claimed the exact opposite. I wonder if it is, perhaps, a combination of both. IQ provides the foundational skills of functional expertise and the ability to create new ideas. EQ pushes those foundational skills to the next level. EQ, simply put, is a different way of being smart. Continue reading
“Clash Man” Becomes a Leader
By Guest Blogger on December 2nd, 2014
I sometimes wonder if my three years in middle school were harder than my three years in a refugee camp.
On the fashion front, I wore the same shirt to school three times a week and earned the name “Clash Man.” In 8th grade, I got kicked off my basketball team and my family was forced to move into low-income housing. At my new school, I got my first D in math, and Cs in some of my other classes.
If you would have asked me if I was a leader, I would have laughed. I was trying to survive each day of school and hoping that life would get better.
Life did get better, but not because I got better housing or a new wardrobe. Continue reading
Premier Events Sponsored by The Foundation for FLVS
By Guest Blogger on November 12th, 2014
This fall, The Foundation for Florida Virtual School (The Foundation), the philanthropic organization of FLVS, “Unmasked the Future of Education” by hosting two premier events: the third annual Opening Doors to the World Awards Celebration and the inaugural users conference, Momentum: FLVS World Symposium. Both of these events shined a spotlight on education leaders who are helping to shape the future of online learning in the United States.
Momentum: FLVS World Symposium, presented by Mawi Learning, was a three-day users conference that provided more than 2,000 industry professionals the opportunity to network and collaborate with education experts, exhibitors, and innovators from all over the country. Conference keynotes featured the best of the best with Mawi Asgedom of Mawi Learning, Ian Jukes of 21st Century Project, and Dan Heath, New York Times Best Selling author. Continue reading
Momentum: FLVS World Symposium Recap
By Guest Blogger on October 28th, 2014
If you have ever wondered how much fun 2,000+ educators could have at once, just attend the annual Momentum: FLVS World Symposium held in Orlando each fall. Yes, there is a ton of learning going on, and educators find that pretty thrilling. It is in their DNA! One educator summarized day one of this year’s conference as follows: “Awesome conference so far. Only one day and I already feel equipped!”
Educators across the country came to learn, participate, present, and network at the conference in early October alongside Florida Virtual School staff. This collaborative learning experience benefited all who attended. As one FLVS staff member highlighted, “Love the idea of presenters outside of FLVS. Lets us know what is going on outside our world.” Continue reading