Motivation
FLVS Student Studies Sea Turtle Hatchlings
By Guest Blogger on July 22nd, 2015
It’s 11:00 pm and the moon is shining brightly in the nighttime sky over the south Florida coastline.
A large sea turtle races against time as she climbs the beach’s slopes to find the perfect nesting site. After an hour, she finds it and begins to dig a deep nest and lay her eggs. In the end, only one sea turtle out of a thousand hatchlings will survive to adulthood.
Loggerhead sea turtles are an endangered species threatened by predators, pollution, poaching, and habitat degradation. Last year, I decided to look at sea turtle hatches because of their importance in the marine life cycle. A factor that negatively affects the sea turtle’s nesting habitat is beach erosion. Continue reading
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
Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Learning
By Guest Blogger on June 3rd, 2015
I recently read an article entitled “Strengths & Weaknesses of Online Learning.” The article mentioned the following advantages to online learning:
Flexibility in time and place…Synergy…Student Centered…Access to Resources…High Quality Dialogue…Level Playing Field…Creative Teaching…
I found this interesting, but the weaknesses really caught my attention. 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
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
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
Happiness Starts with YOU!
By Amy LaGrasta on February 4th, 2015
Attitude is Everything.
Have you ever thought about it? It’s true. In 2014, I read The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. You should read it too! It has really helped to change my mood and shape a new way of positive thinking. In the book, Achor posits that daily affirmation of three happy or good things, no matter how big or small, will help your mind re-focus on the positive.
I have really worked hard to exercise the “three good things daily” practice. My team also shares positive things in their world regularly, creating a positive team and work environment (And if you know anything about counselors, we deal with some pretty tough stuff!) Overall, this daily habit creates a mindset focused on being grateful. It has positively affected my attitude at home with my family and at work with customers and colleagues. Continue reading
Meet FLVS Student Samantha Morris
By Guest Blogger on December 5th, 2014
FLVS students are quite amazing, as we all know, but some of them absolutely excel in multiple areas. Samantha Morris, FLVS veteran, is a superstar journalist, scientist, researcher, and leader.
Looking at Samantha’s impressive resume will easily exhaust anyone. She has achieved awards for her academic talents, writing, and interest in science. Samantha was recently named an AP Scholar with Distinction by the College Board and was named a National Gold Key Winner by the Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society for her opinion writing.
At FLVS, she was named “2013 Student of the Year” and “2014 Shining Star.” Continue reading