All Educations, Career Ready, Education, Technology, Teen Mental Disorders, teen moms |
Danielle Yanssens
Personalized Learning “refers to a diverse variety of educational programs, learning experiences, instructional approaches, and academic support strategies that are intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations, or cultural backgrounds of individual students”, according to The Glossary of Education Reform by Great Schools Partnership. How does Back on Track, offer personalized learning?
When a student submits an inquiry online or calls the Back on Track office, we are able to offer them several different options to acquire their high school diploma. For students who have previously dropped out of high school and are 21 or older, we enroll them into Clintondale Virtual School, a credit recovery program which, for a small fee, allows adults to achieve their high school diploma. This appeals to adults who had considered getting their GED in the past, which limits their options for post-secondary education.
For those students who have previously dropped out of high school and are between the ages of 18 and 20, we suggest our tuition-free Step Up program where students work on one class at a time and are required to complete a minimum of one class per month, with the ability to work year round. This gives students the opportunity to work on completing their high school education at a faster rate than if they attending a full time high school. We have also found that for this population, students are able to find more success when focusing on just one course at a time, rather than the full six class course load.
Many students who are between the ages of 16 and 20 choose to attend one of our brick and mortar alternative education schools. This student population includes students that are teenage parents, potential dropouts, have been expelled from their traditional school, or have been court-ordered by the juvenile detention systems. Our alternative education locations offer various skilled trade courses where students can graduate with a certificate of completion to help them obtain employment right out of high school. While there is increased security at these locations, they are also staffed with caring employees who encourage students to complete their education and get on a better path for their future.
Parents with students in grades 6 through 12 will often contact us requesting information about our virtual school, My Virtual Academy. MVA partners with school districts throughout the state of Michigan, offering a fully online option for students. This appeals to a wide variety of students, including those looking to graduate early, students who struggle with mental or physical illness, teenage parents, students who do not feel safe in their traditional school due to bullying or students who have to work full time in order to help support their family. We have students who are pursuing their passion, such as the theater or gymnastics, and choose online schooling to work around their schedules. Some parents even prefer their children attend a virtual school based on their cultural and religious beliefs.
In addition to the several different educational programs Back on Track offers to help meet the different learning needs of our students, we also offer a variety of learning experiences and instructional approaches. Our highly qualified, certified teachers ensure that the curriculum meets all Common Core Standards. Teachers have the ability to offer students different types of assessments based on their instructional needs, and offer in-person tutoring in addition to daily online tutoring. Students receive one-to-one instruction, with teachers contacting them a minimum of once per week, as well as participating in whole group activities in our weekly live sessions.
While there are some obvious limitations to virtual and alternative learning, the many benefits often make Back on Track the best option for many students.
All Educations, Books, Education, Technology |
The importance of reading has always been a great necessity since the beginning of time. Mankind originally created a means by which to communicate with one another in the form of print, most commonly known as Egyptian hieroglyphics.
In today’s society, children must be exposed to print in the earliest stages of life. Mothers read to their unborn children to set the precedence for the fundamental successes of educational development. Just think about the service we could provide to our children if everyone adapted to the idea of reading to their children even before they are born. It would be like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly!
We are very fond of Carl Sagan’s quote: “One of the greatest gifts adults can give – to their offspring and to their society – is to read to children.”
As educators, we understand the importance of reading to children of all ages. We believe that the more exposure a child has to reading at a young age, the more likely they are to enjoy it and become avid readers as adults. It’s become a new tradition for expecting parents to request that guests attending their baby shower bring a book instead of the traditional card to add to their baby’s bookshelf. We start to accumulate books even before our children are born. It’s never too early to start reading to our children and influence them to become readers themselves!
At My Virtual Academy, reading is integrated cross-curricular throughout our students’ online education. Both our online high school and middle school students are actively engaged in various reading activities within our clubs, weekly live lessons, monthly thematic units, and our daily virtual lessons. It is our goal to instill the value of reading into our students on a daily basis.
We encourage and challenge you to spread your wings and immerse yourself in the exciting world of literature!!
All Educations |
Hello from the My Virtual Academy English Department. Since March is reading month, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite books.
Mrs. Trost (English IA/B, English IVA/B)
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
This book stars a young pig, Wilbur, whose purpose on the farm is to become a meal on the table. With the help of his barnyard friend, Charlotte- a barn spider, Wilbur is portrayed to be an extraordinary pig. I loved reading this book when I was younger and enjoy reading it with my boys. This is a book that even entertains me as an adult. We all have to remember that we aren’t as simple as we sometimes seem.
Mrs. Schultz (English IIIA & IIIB)
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
This novel is a fast-paced suspenseful thriller dealing with the struggle between human intelligence and machine. The United States National Security Agency’s code-breaking supercomputer discovers a code so complex that not even it can crack it. The main character, Susan Fletcher, is called in to help break the code. What she discovers shocks her and could crush U.S. intelligence as we know it.
“Everything is possible. The impossible just takes longer.” ― Dan Brown, Digital Fortress
Mrs. Fisher (English IIA/B, Psychology)-
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Randy Pausch was a Professor at Carnage Melon University. He was diagnosed with cancer and did not have much time to live. This short book tells of his incredible final lecture given to students. His words of inspiration talk of following your dreams and not giving up! I have read this book a number of times. It always motivates me to aim high and have a positive outlook on life.
“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” —Randy Pausch
Mr. Ellis (English):
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
If you like action-packed love stories set in the Roaring Twenties, you’ll LOVE The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
This story has everything! Race-cars, gangsters, lavish parties at giant mansions, hopes, dreams, love, unrequited love, intrigue, dysfunctional relationships, symbolism, fights, old money, new money, people who are not who they say they are, people who aren’t sure who they want to be, liars, cheaters, twists, turns, and a bittersweet ending! WOW!!
This book is often read in high school (including here at My Virtual Academy) and is one I have both read and taught many times. I find something great about the book each time I read it!
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther… And one fine morning —
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
Ms. MacKinnon (English, Health):
Daemon by Daniel Suarez
The book I would recommend is “Daemon” by Daniel Suarez. A genius computer software company owner creates a computer program that takes over and runs the world after he dies. The program anticipates every possible move made by any person, company or government that tries to destroy it. It uses men’s fear, greed and desire for power against them. Something like this could never really happen…..could it?
Ms. Scarzo (English, Health, Music Appreciation)
Oh The Places You’ll Go By Dr. Seuss
This children’s book is a guide to the journey of life. It is a very inspirational book that is a reminder that you can be what you want to be with a little bit of hard work. Of course, things don’t always go as planned but the book encourages readers to go out and make things happen. I received this book from one of my teachers when I was a Senior in High School and I still have it and read it to my boys today.
