Professional Development
Passion is Developed, Not Discovered
By Guest Blogger on October 18th, 2018
Author Angela Duckworth shares that passion isn’t discovered, it’s really developed.
What’s the difference?
If passion is just sitting in the wings waiting to be discovered, we don’t have much control over it. It’s there, we just have to find it somehow. But what if real passion, the kind that lasts, the kind that you build a life’s work on – what if that kind of passion isn’t discovered, it’s developed? Continue reading
Growth Knows No Limits
By Guest Blogger on April 26th, 2018
Continuous improvement isn’t just for those who need to work on specific skills.
Continuous improvement is for every professional, every teacher, every student, every person. At Florida Virtual School, we engage in professional learning because we never want to stop growing, expanding our “good enough” to our greatest potential. Continue reading
Celebrating Digital Learning at FLVS
By Florida Virtual School on February 22nd, 2018
Every year, FLVS faculty and staff attend In-Service Training Days in Orlando. It’s always a great opportunity to discuss educational advancements and explore new technologies. This year’s training was held in November and I truly think it’s one of the best times of the year for FLVS teachers.
Our annual In-Service Training Days give us a chance to “sharpen the saw,” collaborate, and network with other colleagues. (It’s kind of like a very productive high school reunion where you get to see your teammates face to face.) Once you get over how great your team leader looks with her new hair color, you can start brainstorming ways to make your live lessons more engaging next semester! Continue reading
FLVS…How Does Your Garden Grow?
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on June 13th, 2017
Have you ever stopped to think just how FLVS finds such incredible leaders to drive instruction and promote online education? These talented individuals do not always just appear. Many are educated through carefully developed professional opportunities.
In April 2017, a new professional development program was launched by the executive team to provide faculty and staff the chance to engage in hands-on leadership experiences.
The Aspiring Leaders Program is an intensive, 10-month cohort-based institute that will take state-certified educational leaders from within FLVS and provide in-depth exposure throughout the many departments across the organization. Participants will learn alongside mentors in the areas of human resources, finance, curriculum, and more!
FLVS Instructional Leader Gisela Delgado is a very strong advocate for empowering her team of more than 50 instructors in her schoolhouse. Continue reading
Professional Learning at FLVS in 2017
By Mary Mitchell on April 19th, 2017
At FLVS, our growing and learning continues daily! Learning isn’t just something our students do each and every day – our teachers do too.
Our professional learning team is an incredible group of educators who work tirelessly to help our teachers grow and learn so they can all reach their students effectively.
There are all kinds of exciting initiatives rooted in the Professional Learning team that we’re focused on in 2017.
We have amazing team members who benefit our teachers and staff with their commitment to providing stellar professional learning opportunities across our district.
Here are a few of the exciting learning opportunities we have for our teachers and staff to keep growing and learning: Continue reading
Why Every Teacher Should Go See “Hidden Figures”
By Guest Blogger on March 1st, 2017
Last month I saw the movie “Hidden Figures” and I was so incredibly inspired.
I am a former English teacher, so my love is words and writing and reading. But I ventured to see this movie because it empowers women and sheds light on some pretty amazing mathematicians who had the power to make this word-loving English teacher a fan of math. I mean, as a teacher I’ve always loved data, but for me, seeing this movie reinforced why numbers are just as important as words.
We look at data a lot in education, but most of the time I believe we are just looking at numbers and not really grasping the full story data can tell us.
Data does tell a story.
Sometimes it’s a story we don’t want to hear; sometimes it’s a story we already know and we’re just validated. Sometimes it’s a story we never gave any thought and a whole new path is opened for us. If the data you look at regularly is just numbers on a screen and it’s not telling you a story, maybe some insights from “Hidden Figures” will help. Continue reading
FLVS Attending SXSWedu Conference
By Florida Virtual School on February 27th, 2017
On March 6-9, 2017, Dr. Jodi Marshall, the Executive Vice President of Business and School Solutions at Florida Virtual School, and Mawi Asgedom, CEO of Mawi Learning, will be speaking at the 2017 SXSWedu Conference & Festival in Austin, Texas.
Together, the presenters will share how students set themselves up for success with a suite of powerful leadership courses offered by FLVS and Mawi Learning.
Presenting on How to Create Leaders in an Online World, Jodi and Mawi will explain how to virtually prepare students for leadership roles now and in the future. Continue reading
The Impact of Professional Development in CTE
By Guest Blogger on February 3rd, 2017
I recently attended the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) conference, and I can tell you that it did not disappoint!
Having only been to the FLVS In-Service Training Days, I was not entirely sure what to expect. After sitting through the first general session, I knew what I was going to get: several days of highly-informative exhibits and sessions presented by enthusiastic Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructors.
The conference had plenty of specialized vendor exhibits and interesting conference speakers. And the sessions – there were so many from which to choose!
I had my pick of a number of high-interest topics dealing with general CTE classroom strategies, resources that were specific to computer and tech courses, and sessions on policies affecting the future of CTE education. It was quite overwhelming – it took me a while to sort through all the options to find the perfect ones to attend. Continue reading
Meet the Team Blog Series
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on December 28th, 2016
Have you ever thought about becoming an FLVS instructor? Or wondered what it’s like to be a lead teacher or principal at a virtual school?
Maybe you want to know more about the different staff members that support our instructional team. From counselors to learning coaches to curriculum specialists, our team has some amazing talent!
To celebrate the 2016-17 school year, we have been sharing posts all semester long featuring FLVS faculty and staff. Everyone on our team is passionate about delivering a high-quality, technology-based education that provides the skills and knowledge students need for success. Want to learn more? Browse the following posts to meet the creative and dedicated individuals who make every day a great day at FLVS.
Let us know who else you would like to see featured in the comments below! Continue reading
Meet our College Recruiting and Diversity Staffing Specialist
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on November 29th, 2016
We are celebrating the 2016-17 school year with a blog series featuring FLVS faculty and staff. Meet the creative and dedicated individuals who make every day a great day at FLVS!
Did you know that FLVS has a college internship program that draws in students from all over the state of Florida who are looking to become virtual educators? Well, we do!
The College Recruiting and Diversity Staffing Coordinator serves as the guru for the FLVS Intern program, all college recruiting, and assists with diversity recruiting efforts. The Coordinator identifies and targets colleges and their teacher-prep programs, and organizations to improve the diversity of FLVS recruiting pipeline. The Coordinator also develops and leads a strategic instructional internship program designed to grow FLVS talent into the digital future.
The FLVS guru who leads this program has made a name for herself over the years. Dawn Towle is known for her rapier wit and brilliant smile. In past years, she has performed at the FLVS Talent Show demonstrating her penchant for stand-up comedy that is inspired by her love of education.
It is my honor to introduce you Dawn Towle, College Recruiting and Diversity Staffing Specialist. Continue reading