Student Success
Instructional Coaching the FLVS Way
By Mary Mitchell on April 1st, 2014
How does instructional coaching work in a virtual world? Have you heard about the Vir-structional coaching program at FLVS?
The Vir-structional program is designed to help those using a virtual platform to train, teach, and inform participants. The goal of the Coaching Program is to deliver high quality technology-based education by increasing customer/student learning through engaging and interactive live lessons.
Instructional coaching provides a venue for instructors to share teaching ideas and strategies with each other. The coach is someone who has expertise and knowledge in developing highly effective and engaging lessons that will lead to increased participant learning. The coachee is someone who would benefit from a coaching relationship by being open and receptive to learning new tools, techniques, and strategies to increase participants’ attendance and understanding. Continue reading
Standards, Grittiness, and the Underdog
By Guest Blogger on March 27th, 2014
In his book, “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants,” Malcolm Gladwell argues that the people we traditionally considered to be underdogs might actually have unique advantages created by the very adversity they had to overcome. Gladwell uses the allegory of David and Goliath to dramatize how David’s victory may not have been as unlikely or extraordinary as we are led to believe. Perhaps, David relied simply on an unconventional approach and his own audacity to blindside Goliath. His experience as an underdog forced him to view the situation differently and discover a creative solution to his problem. David didn’t view Goliath simply as an indestructible giant. Rather, he saw a slow opponent, dragged down by his armor, and unprepared to battle a swifter, more prepared adversary.
Gladwell continues his theory by describing a seeming disadvantage, dyslexia, as a “desirable difficulty.” Continue reading
Giving Yourself a Helping Hand
By Guest Blogger on March 17th, 2014
I’m not really good at math. Once I understand the general concept, I’m completely fine, but whew…sometimes it takes me a little while to get there. This is definitely an area in my life where I continually have to battle problems and find solutions (literally). At times I find that I really don’t “get” something, so I keep re-reading the same information. Then I go over it again and again. Sometimes I just find that the explanation still doesn’t click with me or with my learning style. At times like these, I find that I essentially have two options: I can keep going over the information in the hopes that it finally clicks, or I can ask for a little help.
As a teenager, my first reaction to asking someone for help is often “Nah, I’ll take care of it.” Sometimes, that’s fine; we shouldn’t depend on others to solve our problems for us all the time (plus, it’s human to fail; we can’t overreact every time an obstacle pops up and blocks our path). Continue reading
Secret Sauce to Online Schoolwork Motivation
By Guest Blogger on March 10th, 2014
So, have you figured out all the perks of going to school online yet? Obviously, you can do your school work any time of the day that suits you, but it is the “anywhere” perk that I find awesome. My first two years of college I spent at a physical college campus. The second two years I went to college online. This allowed me to work full-time during the day (much like some of you go to school during the day) and then complete my college work at night and on weekends.
Maybe this isn’t something an FLVS staff member should admit, but hey, I’ll be honest – most Saturdays, the very last thing I wanted to do was schoolwork. Can you relate? Continue reading
Communication is Critical
By Guest Blogger on March 7th, 2014
The Importance of Effective Communication between Teachers and Parents
I have been teaching for almost nine years, most of that time being in the traditional classroom. When I came to FLVS last year, I was seriously impressed with the level of care and importance that is placed on effective parent communication.
Regular communication, however, does not necessarily equal effective communication. Whether meeting face-to-face, virtually, or by phone, misunderstandings can happen. I wanted to share with you some insights and tips I have found useful as a teacher to keep communication with parents effective: Continue reading
Meet Zoe, Pageant Queen and Non-Profit Founder
By Guest Blogger on February 21st, 2014
Zoe Mignone, a FLVS Full Time senior, has accomplished quite a bit in her 17 years. She has been a mentor, triathlon participant, advocate, pageant queen, and has even started her own non-profit organization! Oh, and, in case you couldn’t guess – she’s also a very active student with FLVS Full Time.
In 7th grade, Zoe became a mentor for an organization called Girls on the Run and helped advocate for children in Teen Court. At the age of 12, she started doing triathlons and quickly realized that triathlons were very expensive to train for and to participate in. That was when her idea was sparked – working with her friends and her mother, she put together the foundation for her own non-profit organization called Setting an Example. Describing her efforts, Zoe states, “My vision for it is all my own. I’ve always had a distinct vision.” Continue reading
Ode to the Unabridged Dictionary in a Digital World
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on February 13th, 2014
Do you remember what it was like before we had computers? No?
Well, I do. It was tough, real tough…especially if you needed to spell a word.
I remember from a young age asking my parents how to spell a word and they would tell me to prepare to write. I would grab my fancy yellow pencil and lean into my paper awaiting their wisdom. They always spelled the same exact word no matter what. Really! They would spell the same exact word for years and years. I would ask them how to spell government, and they would be all smiles as they carefully spelled out the word d-i-c-t-i-o-n-a-r-y. It was the same every time and became a silly game growing up. I knew very well they would never spell a word for my older brother or me if we could grab our unabridged Webster’s dictionary and learn how to spell the word on our own. To this day, when my daughters ask me how to spell a word I will always spell “dictionary.” Continue reading
Everyone Needs a Coach
By Guest Blogger on February 6th, 2014
I’m a Georgia Bulldog fan…I’ll just go ahead and say that. I’m not a huge football fan where I am glued to the TV on the weekends, but I do enjoy a good game and I certainly enjoy watching my team play. I am always fascinated by the week-to-week changes in a team.
Some weeks I think my team will make it to the National Championship game, and other weeks I wonder if this is their first game. And if anything has made it clear that you can never know what to expect from a team, it was last Sunday’s Super Bowl game!
But regardless of how the team performs, there is ultimately one person who is held accountable for the outcome: the coach. Continue reading
Celebrate National School Counseling Week
By Amy LaGrasta on February 4th, 2014
National School Counseling Week is February 3-7, 2014.
School counselors are certified school professionals who specialize in helping students make decisions about their personal and educational needs while providing information about colleges and other life choices. The school counseling profession started about 100 years ago with caring teachers that helped their students plan for the future. In the early 1900s, students began to have more educational and occupational options so school counseling became its own profession.
The role of the counselor has changed over the years, but the focus remains the same. School counselors help all students in the areas of academic achievement, personal/social development, and career development, ensuring today’s students become the productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow. Continue reading
Celebrate Digital Learning
By Guest Blogger on January 29th, 2014
I often take it for granted that we have arrived in the digital age. I think there may have been two years in the early 1990s when I didn’t have computers in my classroom for student use – and once we had computers, use them we did! And then this cool thing called the “Internet” came to our schools. Our capabilities to connect students to learning resources and the real world grew exponentially.
We are so fortunate in Florida to continue to have fabulous support for digital learning, from virtual schools to classroom support. Yet, there are still places in Florida, as well as the rest of the country, where going digital is a struggle for teachers and students.
FLVS is excited to join the nation in changing classrooms everywhere through digital learning by participating in the third annual Digital Learning Day. Continue reading