mvacql, Author at My Virtual Academy

Benefits Of Being A Virtual Learner

For many students, the traditional classroom simply isn’t the right fit. Perhaps they need a bit longer to grasp the material, compared to most in their classroom. Maybe they are bullied and dread going to school each day. Others may have encountered a health crisis either with them or a close family member and it makes it hard to make it to school on a regular basis. Whatever the situation is, when your 5-12^th grader is having difficulties, please know there are other options out there when it comes to completing their schooling.

My Virtual Academy is a tuition-free school that allows your student to learn virtually, in the comfort of their own home. Many students benefit from being a virtual learner because they can learn at their own pace, whether that be fast or slow. Also, our programs are flexible and tailored to each student’s individual needs. Students love that they have more control over their education and do really well in this type of school, when they may have struggled in the past.

Online schools benefit many different types of students such as teen moms, those who travel due to sports, modeling, etc., advanced learners, and those who learn at a slower pace. With technology at everyone’s fingertips these days, being a virtual learner has never been easier! If your student doesn’t have the tools needed to learn at home, don’t fret – we provide it for them while they are enrolled!

Take a look at some of the benefits of virtual learning:

Customized Learning

We don’t make everyone follow the same coursework, regardless of their learning needs. This is not a “one size fits all” approach because that methodology doesn’t work for all students. Our curriculum takes into account each student’s learning needs and objectives. The customization allows students to excel versus feeling overwhelmed and defeated.

Flexibility

Does your student learn at a rapid pace and feel that traditional schools aren’t challenging enough? We’ve got them covered! Does your child get anxious and stumble through things because they need more time, but are rushed to keep up with the rest of the class? We’ve got them covered too! Regardless how your student learns, we will work at their pace to ensure that they succeed. Having the freedom to learn at their own pace gives students the confidence they need to dive in and do their best work.

Early Completion

Is your student looking to graduate ahead of schedule? You’ve come to the right place! Since students learn at their own pace, early graduation is certainly possible for some individuals. Our staff can go over all of the options for your child, if this is something that is of interest to you.

Proficiency in Technology

Students will use a variety of online resources to complete their education, communicate with instructors, as well as with other students. As a result, virtual learners tend to be more technologically fluent and efficient than others their age in traditional schools.

Certified Staff and Amazing Mentors

When people say “it takes a village” to raise a child, that also rings true when it comes to their schooling. Not only will the parent(s) be a strong influence in their everyday schooling, but they will have weekly interaction with their certified teachers and will also be connected with a mentor that will help them and check in to see if they are staying on track.

Work Where Comfortable

Some students cannot attend a traditional school regularly due to a variety of life situations. When you are a virtual learner, you can learn anywhere that has an internet connection! This freedom is priceless for many students, such as those who travel a lot for extracurricular activities or who may be in the hospital.

The Pressure is off

Students often feel immense pressure when they are in a traditional classroom. Will they be called upon to read in front of the class? Will they be asked to solve a math problem on the board? For those with anxiety issues or for those who have learning difficulties, day-to-day classroom activities can make for an anxious seven hour school day. Being a virtual learner removes those stressors and allows the student to learn at ease. Students typically exceed expectations when they are learning in a comfortable environment, at their own pace.

See If My Virtual Academy is Right for Your Child

My Virtual Academy is for students in grades 5-12. Our friendly staff would love to talk to you and see if virtual learning would be the perfect fit for your child. Imagine a learning environment where your student is free to be themselves and can learn without the pressures that typically face them at a traditional school. Becoming a virtual learner could be the perfect move for your student! You can browse our website by clicking here, take a stroll on our Facebook page, or call us at 800-297-2119 for additional information and to talk to our staff. We look forward to discussing how MVA could fit your needs.

“MVA gave me the opportunity that traditional school couldn’t.”

My Virtual Success Stories | 0 comments

Mikayla A. tried her hardest to attend her traditional high school but when illness got in the way, absences took a real toll on her academic performance. Before she knew it, she was behind in credits and was struggling to keep up. That’s where My Virtual Academy came in…

She stated, “MVA has brought me in the right direction of success because it gave me an opportunity public schools couldn’t. Absences weren’t able to effect the hard work I put into my grades.” There are a lot of students who encounter illnesses with themselves or a family member. It makes it hard to attend regular classes that have set times/days of the week. Virtual school can be a lifesaver for students who face this scenario.

When a student learns virtually, they are working on a customized program, from the comfort of their own home (or anywhere else with internet access). They have the flexibility to complete their assignments on their own time. If they need to work ahead because they have upcoming appointments or surgeries, they can do so. If they need extra time to complete their coursework due to unexpected life events, they can have that too, without the worry they will be in trouble or are falling behind.

Mikayla went on to say, “I was able to finish my classes at my own pace, and have the opportunity to get grades which were up to my standard by retaking quizzes and having help from a mentor.” Having pride in the grades they receive and their studies boosts teen’s confidence and gives them the extra drive to push harder and excel. Mikayla is a prime example of that.

“My favorite thing about MVA is being able to work on my school at my own pace and whether I am sitting in a classroom all day, my hard work still pays off without losing it over absences. I don’t have to sit through a lecture on things I already know, and if I’m having trouble understanding a topic, I have a mentor to guide me through it. I also have the opportunity to go back and fix my grades until they are up to my standard.”

Mikayla is a prime example of a great student success story when someone completes their schooling with My Virtual Academy. We aim to help students get closer to graduation every day. It’s our goal and we take great strides to meet it.

If you think virtual learning might benefit your student, reach out to us. Visit our website at www.myvirtualacademy.com or give us a call at 800-297-2119 and one of our staff members would be happy to discuss all of the educational options that await your student at MVA. We hope to hear from you soon!

Will Your Middle Schooler Benefit From Virtual Learning?

Education, Middle School, Teenagers, Virtual School | 0 comments

For many students, the traditional classroom simply isn’t working and delivering positive results. Your middle schooler might be struggling with peer pressure, bullying, or learning disabilities that make it hard to keep up with the rest of the students. Think about how different each student is in a classroom. How realistic is it to expect every student to learn in the same way and at the same pace? It’s no wonder some kids get left in the dust or beat themselves up for not being able to keep up.

School doesn’t need to be a struggle. There are options out there besides traditional schooling and one of those options is virtual learning. My Virtual Academy is a tuition-free school that allows your student to learn virtually, in the comfort of their own home. Many students benefit from learning this way because they can learn at their own pace. Also, our programs are flexible and tailored to each student’s individual needs. Students love that they have more control over their education and do really well in this type of school, when they may have struggled in the past.

As if those reasons weren’t enticing enough, My Virtual Academy stands out above the rest because we:

Have accreditation by Cognia.
Ensure that our teachers, success coaches, and mentors make personal contact to direct each student at least twice each week. Tutoring assistance is always available.
Use the Edmentum™ software and have customized its Plato® classes for middle school student success. A team of middle school teachers and curriculum specialists have created our own customized Back On Track courses.
Have added a new two-pronged approach to learning to diagnose strengths and needs and deliver targeted instruction to help learners achieve growth and proficiency:
- Reading, Language Arts, and Math – Exact Path individualizes learning to ensure students work at their appropriate grade level. Adaptive diagnostic assessments provide reliable growth measures while metrics from adaptive learning progress tacks the student’s progress.
- Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies – Study Island® promotes proficiency with over 600,000 practice and assessments built to state standards. Data from flexible practice sessions and customized classroom assessments track progress toward standards mastery.
Have curriculum that is interactive and media-rich with activities and learning tools to really engage students.
- Reading tools include dictionary, slide narration, and click-to-speak
- Highlighter tool for note-taking
- Computerized note taking section
- Translation tools especially helpful for ESL students
- Scoring rubrics focused on learning and retention
- Ability to replay and repeat lesson until mastery is achieved
Employ teachers that are State certified and monitor each student’s progress and track activity daily.
Keep parents informed and try to involve them in their child’s education.
Ensure our curriculum is aligned with State standards and can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week on any device.

Let’s not leave your child in a classroom that simply isn’t meeting their needs. Taking the first step to make the change is the hardest, but it will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made in regards to your child’s schooling.

Our friendly staff would love to talk to you and see if virtual learning would be the perfect fit for your adolescent. Imagine a learning environment where your student is free to be themselves and can learn without the pressures that typically face them at a traditional school. You can browse our website by clicking here or call us at 800-297-2119 for additional information and to talk to our staff. We look forward to discussing how My Virtual Academy could fit your needs.

What To Do During All Of These Snow Days?

Activities, Family Fun | 0 comments

A lot of the northern states have been hit by an arctic blast and tons of snow has fallen – all conditions that leave you wondering what could be done to occupy kids and adults alike. The short, cold days of the winter months can leave you cooped up indoors wondering what to do so we compiled a list that is sure to keep people of all ages busy during snow days.

Fun things to do outside:

Build a snow fort
Make a snowman
Go cross-country skiing
Find a big sledding hill and go sledding
Go ice skating
Hike a nature trail and enjoy the winter scenery
Have a good old fashioned snowball fight
Learn how to ice fish
Go snow tubing
Try your hand at photographing the beauty of winter
Shovel for those in need in your neighborhood
If the weather isn’t too frigid, go camping or stay in a cabin

Fun indoor activities:

Sometimes it’s too cold to enjoy outdoor activities but instead of having everyone camped out in front of the TV or their phones, take a turn at these fun indoor activities that are sure to keep everyone entertained, mentally engaged, and physically fit.

Have an overnight stay at an indoor waterpark hotel
Encourage everyone to pick a new recipe to try for dinner and cook as a family
Try a new workout to get the blood pumping. The internet is a great place to go for new videos.
Start a book club within your family and read the book together.
Look up fun, tropical locations and plan your next family vacation
Learn a new card game and hold competitions amongst your family
Make a new craft to decorate this spring or valentine’s day
Take this time indoors to sort through your closets and compile stuff that can be donated
Sign up for an art class or drop in to a local pottery painting studio
Visit a local museum or library
Join a gym
Go to a local senior center and volunteer your time
Invite your teens friends over for a slumber party
Start filling out college and scholarship applications
Take the time indoors to study and prepare for upcoming tests

You may meet some resistance when you try to encourage your tweens and teens to unplug and get active but once they are, they’ll be all into the family activity. For your virtual learners, they can take the time to review their coursework and catch up on any work they are behind on.

How do you keep your family occupied on snow days? Head to our Facebook page and let us know! Others in the My Virtual Academy community would love to hear your ideas too.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our program our staff is eager to talk to you so please, give us a call at 800-297-2119.

Ready…Set…Prep… The SAT Is Right Around The Corner!

Advice, College Prep, Education, High School, Test Preperation | 2 comments

It’s the start of the New Year and spring will be here before we know it. For high school students, spring means one thing: time to take the SAT! This is a big test that carries a lot of weight, so don’t procrastinate studying or assume that 4, 5, or even 6 weeks will be enough prep time for your high school student. The earlier you can start, the better so let’s make a plan of attack and figure out the best way to get your student motivated and ready to knock this test out of the park!

The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is traditionally taken by high school students in the spring of their junior year, but can be repeated in the fall as a senior. The test assesses students’ knowledge in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics and is considered the nation’s most widely used admissions test among colleges and universities. As we mentioned, it’s a big deal so it’s crucial that your student is as prepared as they can be before taking the test.

Here are some easy-to-follow guidelines on how to begin preparing your student for this important test:

Get to Know “The Beast”

There’s no way to know exactly what questions will be asked on the SAT, but you can get a good idea of the type of questions by taking a pre-SAT test. The pre-SAT tests can be found on various websites and often times are offered through various local schools as well. These are usually given free of charge and have been composed in conjunction with the folks who actually create the SAT every year.

This pretest is great because it allows your student to see what their strong points are and what areas need additional time and attention. The pretest also gives you a glimpse into the potential wording of problems and the types of things covered on the test. These pre-SAT tests are highly beneficial and we strongly urge your student to take at least one.

Set Goals and Expectations

It won’t be realistic to think that your student can master all they need to know in a short amount of time. Nor will it be realistic to think that they won’t have to come back and revisit the material they learned in the first week of test preparation. Setting realistic goals of what you want to achieve and detailing out how you expect your student to achieve those goals will be very beneficial. These goals should be broken down into manageable, weekly mini-goals.

When goals are setup in this manner, the student feels the burden has been lifted somewhat because they know the expectations are realistic and (hopefully) they had a hand in setting the goals. If they are hit from the get-go with unrealistic expectations, they will feel defeated before they even start. When making the goals, try to not focus too much on your student obtaining a certain score on their SAT. Focusing on a particular number can add to the pressure your student is already facing with such a big test on the horizon.

Break Out the Books and Study!

You know your teen needs to study, but where do you start? As we mentioned, the pre-SAT is going to be of huge help in this regard. If your teen has taken the pretest, review how they did. See what areas need improvement and start there. Jot down the topics/areas that were their weak points and delve into them. Keep in mind that the areas where they excelled shouldn’t be forgotten. Once your teen has become proficient in the areas they struggled in, have them circle around and revisit the areas where they excelled. You would be surprised what material can be forgotten in a short period of time. By revisiting all of the areas frequently, the information will stay fresh in your student’s mind.

Seek Out Help

Preparing for the SAT can be overwhelming. Don’t be afraid to admit if you aren’t able to help your teen understand a particular math equation or decipher literature. There are tutors dedicated to helping students with this particular test prep. The tutors will not only help your teen improve their test score, they will help drill home the methods behind the madness and strengthen your student’s core knowledge. The benefits to obtaining a SAT tutor are endless and are highly recommended.

Stay Focused and Determined

It’s perfectly normal to be overwhelmed or even get discouraged at some point along your preparation journey, but have no fear because in the near distant future, this test will be behind your teen and you will have a student on their way to college! Preparing for such a big test can take a long, long time but, like all good things, success comes to those who put in the effort. If your teen seems overwhelmed or like they need a break, offer them one. Test preparation time doesn’t need to be run like you are a drill sergeant, but you should help them stay focused and working toward their weekly goals.

In Summary…

This is a big test for your teen. They already know the pressure is on when it comes to preparation and taking the test so make life more manageable for them by sitting down together and creating weekly study goals. Enroll them in the pre-SAT so they can see where their strengths and weaknesses are. If they just aren’t catching on to a subject area and you are unsure of how to explain it to them, reach out and get a tutor. Lots of parents do it, especially for SAT preparation, because it’s a lot of material to study and can be overwhelming at times. Should you do everything in your power and your student still doesn’t quite make the grade, don’t fret. They can always retake the test the following year, giving them a chance to raise their grade.

We are so happy that your student is at My Virtual Academy and we feel that they have the skills needed to succeed at the SAT and upon graduation. Should you have any questions or need additional help preparing your student for the SAT, contact us by calling 800-297-2119 or reaching out to us on our website. Happy studying!

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