Come this fall, 100 students from across Virginia will have the chance to participate in the commonwealth's first fully online high school through a pilot program recently announced by state officials. And if the program comes to full fruition after the pilot, it would be the first of its kind in Virginia, and only the second of its kind in the country.
Students in Virginia currently have no option for a full-time online program. While more than two dozen states, including Virginia, offer part-time or supplemental courses through virtual schools run by the government or outside providers, the commonwealth and Florida would be the only states with state-run, full-time online programs.
The pilot grew out of the Virtual Virginia program, which launched in 2002 as a way to help students in rural parts of the state – such as Highland County, where there are fewer than 300 students in the district – gain access to Advanced Placement courses and world languages not available in their schools.
T hose opportunities were somewhat limited in our more rural, remote school divisions because of challenges in recruiting teachers to present the content, and also challenges in terms of forming classes with enough students to justify a teacher," says Charles Pyle, communications director for the Virginia Department of Education. "[Virtual Virginia] has opened doors for students that otherwise wouldn't just be closed, they just wouldn't exist."
The students, who will be chosen on a first-come, first-serve basis, will be officially enrolled in their local public schools but take all of their core academic courses and electives necessary to earn a diploma online, with instruction provided by teachers with official certification from the commonwealth.
The boom around virtual education at the K-12 level started a little more than 10 years ago, says Susan Patrick, president and chief executive officer of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, also known as iNACOL.
By 2002, just a handful of states were starting the early versions of their state virtual schools, says Patrick, who previously served as the Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. But now, 27 states have their own virtual schools offering part-time or supplemental courses. Thirty-eight states allow for full-time online programs to exist through charter schools or individual or multiple school districts.
Though there have been successes with fully online high school programs, Patrick says the model isn't the best choice for all students.
"There have been times when students struggle with their traditional high school environment, might be far behind and mid-year switch to a fully online high school program and think it's going to be easier, when in fact it's quite rigorous," Patrick says. "So s tudents need to make sure that they can identify where they are in their academics and identify that the online school has the services, has the direct support from teachers and regular interactions.
Some online programs, such as those offered through universities, cater to gifted and talented high school students.
Kathlyn Gray, director of the Stanford Online High School, says the program was created in 2006 to meet the needs of "intellectually talented and academically motivated" students in seventh through 12th grade who have not been able to find the courses they need at their local schools.
But one of the challenges with an online school, unsurprisingly, is maintaining student interaction, Gray says. A climate survey revealed that many students in the online program spend their free time on another digital platform – Skype. The school, which serves about 600 students from 20 different countries, has made a concerted effort to create "the essence of a brick-and-mortar school," according to Gray. School officials have tried to create opportunities for students to socialize outside of class by encouraging parents to organize meet-ups with peers nearby and by forming clubs and holding school assemblies.
Additionally, Gray says every class – whether the student is taking classes full-time or part-time online – meets twice a week in a mandatory video conferencing system for 70 minutes.
"We have learned that for high school kids, they really need time together," Gray says. "Learning happens in relationships – with their instructors, as well as with their peers."
Funding is also a factor. Patrick says sometimes the funding is the same as what a traditional school or charter school would receive, and other times it may be as low as 60 percent of a traditional school's."If they don't get the full funding, they have a hard time offering the support," Patrick says.
Through summer online courses, high schoolers can tackle advanced subjects, prepare for college entrance exams and retake classes.
Students looking for online help preparing for the SAT and ACT can use free online practice exams and video tutorials whenever their summer schedule allows.
Kim Davie remembers her reaction when her mom suggested she and twin sister Shayla enroll in a summer online course after their freshman year.
"I wasn't all for it," she says sheepishly.
A year later, though, both Houston-area high schoolers are willingly returning for another summer with the International Connections Academy to get a head start on next fall's course material. Shayla will take statistics after enrolling in Algebra 2 a year ago. Kimberly will study physics after last year's geometry course. Both expect a similar summer as last year, when they still had time for cheerleading camp, fitness camp and a vacation to Mexico.
"You could still work the class into your schedule," Kim says. "Any free time you had, you could use it."
Whether the goal is getting a head start like the Davie sisters, tackling advanced subjects, preparing for college entrance exams or even retaking difficult classes, summer provides an unique opportunity forcollege-bound high schoolers to use online learning options.
"You might be traveling or you might be doing a summer enrichment program, things like that," says Michael Boothroyd, Kaplan Test Prep's executive director of SAT and ACT programs. "So online programs obviously travel with you."
And students have plenty of choices. Of the 75 percent of school districts nationwide which offer some sort of online or blended courses, the vast majority do so during the summer months, says Susan Patrick, president and CEO of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Then there are more than two dozen states with statewide virtual schools, programs run by private companies like Connections, and a stable of traditional college test-prep companies like Kaplan that have moved their services online.
"I think it's really important for students to determine the goal of why they want to enroll in a summer school class," Patrick says. Students considering an online course should also find out what the cost may be – even some public school systems charge a fee – as well as the format of a given course and an instructor's involvement, she says.
Class format can vary quite widely, and in some cases could conflict with other summer plans.
With the International Connections Academy, the Davies sisters estimate they spend two hours a day studying. But at programs designed specifically for high-performing or gifted students, like theAccelerated Summer Option through Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development, students can spend as much as six hours a day on compact nine-week honors and Advanced Placement courses.
[Discover the keys to success in advanced placement courses.]
Eric Calvert, the Center for Talent Development's associate director, says the program generally isn't a good fit for students looking to wedge summer learning into the margins of a busy schedule that may include vacations, camps or other enrichment opportunities. That's not often an issue, though, because such programs typically draw enthused students who have prioritized the program, Calvert says.
Conversely, students looking for online help preparing for the SAT and ACT may not even choose to enroll in a class, but rather use free online practice exams and video tutorials at their disposal whenever their summer schedule allows. taken by/usnews.com
By forming online learning institutes and collecting data about student progress, programs hope to improve virtual learning.
The University of Phoenix and DeVry University have implemented systems that run an analysis to look for troubling patterns in a student's progress.
For many online students, the flexibility of an online degree or certification program outweighs the possibility of a less immersive student experience.
But without having to physically walk into a classroom, an adviser’s office or a study session, experts say students who are struggling to keep up or stay interested in course work are sometimes more difficult to recognize and easier to ignore.
As a result, some programs are using innovative methods to foster an online educational experience that is more supportive, engaging, and responsive to student demands.
Among those tactics are the use of big, integrated data and analytics to help identify and supportstruggling students, the creation of research bodies devoted to studying online learning methods, and the development of collaborative relationships with virtual student clubs and associations.
[Learn about the debate over graduation rates for online students.]
Big Data
In an online environment, a professor may not know if a student is dropping out of courses, turning her assignments in at the last possible moment or not engaging directly with online course materials.
At the University of Phoenix and DeVry University, that's where integrated data systems come in.
Within the last two years, both for-profit institutions have implemented systems that unify data from all points across a student's online experience, run an analysis to look for troubling patterns in that student's progress and potentially alert an academic adviser if danger signs are seen.
"The system looks at everything," says Constance St. Germain, the executive dean of the University of Phoenix's colleges of humanities and sciences and social sciences. "It looks at what they're accessing in terms of textbooks. Are they posting in the classroom? How are they responding to fellow peers? Are they submitting assignments late?"
The University of Phoenix implemented its integrated data system about 18 months ago, officials said. DeVry University piloted its system last summer, and then applied it across the institution's online division this March, says vice president of operations Earl Frischkorn.
"It's data that we have naturally in the course of working with the students inside the institution," says Frischkorn, whose school is also in a data research partnership with Stanford University. "It's just that we're putting it together, and we have a little better sense of the student's situation."
[Video: Find out if your online program is legit.]
Frischkorn says it will take at least a few academic cycles before any judgments can be made on current systems' effectiveness, noting that it's one thing to identify whether a student is at risk, and another entirely to identify why, let alone solve the problem.
Further, just because a student is identified doesn't mean he or she will welcome assistance.
"You can't force anybody to get help that they don't want," St. Germain says. "The only thing you can do is make sure to reach out, to show that you care. Believe it or not, a lot of times, students just want the question, 'Is everything OK?'"
Research Centers
The University of Florida's Online Learning Institute may be in the nascent stages of its development, but its research interests show a strong focus on issues surrounding student engagement. taken by/usnews.com
The new entrants admitted to nearly all ranked programs are predominantly adults aged 25 and older who have some credit already applied toward their degrees. Consequently, the factors U.S. News selected to make comparisons between programs were not measures like high school class rank or standardized test scores. Instead, U.S. News chose factors that weigh how these programs are being delivered and their effectiveness at awarding affordable degrees in a reasonable amount of time.
U.S. News assessed schools based on four general categories. Here is a look at each category and its weight in the current rankings formula. All are unchanged from 2014.
• Student engagement (40 percent): Quality bachelor's degree programs promote participation in courses, allowing students opportunities to readily interact with their instructors and classmates, as is possible in a campus-based setting. In turn, instructors not only are accessible and responsive, but they also are tasked with helping to create an experience rewarding enough that students stay enrolled and complete their degrees in a reasonable amount of time.
• Faculty credentials and training (20 percent): Strong online programs employ instructors with academic credentials that mirror those of instructors for campus-based programs, and they have the resources to train these instructors on how to teach distance learners.
• Peer reputation (20 percent): A survey of high-ranking academic officials helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that are not captured by statistics. Also, degrees from programs that are well respected by academics may be held in higher regard among employers.
• Student services and technology (20 percent): Programs that incorporate diverse online learning technologies allow greater flexibility for students to take classes from a distance. Outside of classes, strong support structures provide learning assistance, career guidance and financial aid resources commensurate with quality campus-based programs.
How the Rankings Were Calculated
U.S. News selects factors, known as ranking indicators, to assess each program in the categories outlined above. A program's score for each ranking indicator is calculated using data that the program reported to U.S. News in a statistical survey. The value for each ranking indicator is standardized about its mean to account for statistical variance.
U.S. News multiplies these standardized values by weights it has selected for the ranking indicators and then sums these values to compute the five separate category scores. Each of these category scores is rescaled for display purposes on usnews.com so that the top-scoring school receives a display score of 100 and the bottom-scoring school receives a display score of zero.
To produce the overall scores, U.S. News takes the raw category scores before they have been rescaled and multiplies them by the category weights detailed above. The resulting scores are then rescaled from zero to 100.
Numerical rankings are assigned to programs in descending order of their overall scores, with the highest-scoring program ranked No. 1. Schools with tied scores are tied in the rankings.
Programs whose overall scores are in the bottom 25 percent are categorized as Rank Not Published. U.S. News calculates numerical ranks for these schools but does not publish them.
For the 2015 rankings, 10 schools are designated as unranked because they reported having fewer than 10 students enrolled or because their programs were less than a year old at the time of data collection. U.S. News did not calculate a numerical rank for these schools.
All unranked and Rank Not Published programs are still listed in the searchable directory.
Data Collection
Gathering the information necessary to create the 2015 Best Online Bachelor's Programs rankings required two steps. Step one was compiling a list of schools offering bachelor's degree programs online. Step two was collecting data from these schools.
To complete step one, U.S. News sent statistical questionnaires to regionally accredited public, private and for-profit institutions granting bachelor's degrees. Respondents were asked if they would be offering a bachelor's degree program through Internet-based distance education courses in the 2014-2015 academic year.
U.S. News defines a distance education program as follows (along the same lines as the U.S. Department of Education's definition):
A program for which all the required course work for program completion is able to be completed via distance education courses that incorporate Internet-based learning technologies. Distance education courses are courses that deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and support regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor synchronously or asynchronously. Note: Requirements for coming to campus for orientation, testing or academic support services do not exclude a program from being classified as an online bachelor's degree program.
Between the start of data collection in July 2014 and the September 2014 closing date, 296 schools, or 17 percent of schools surveyed, said they would be offering online bachelor's degree programs in accordance with the definition, while the rest either said they would not or chose not to respond. This count is up from 283 the previous year.
To complete step two, U.S. News used the same questionnaire to collect additional statistical information from the 296 schools with online programs. This information was scored as outlined in the table below. (Note: All student and faculty statistical data are for the July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014, cohorts, while the remaining data reflect policies, services and technologies in place at the time of the questionnaire completion in summer 2014.) taken by/usnews.com
LG ka njoftuar se është duke e filluar lansimin global të modelit të saj të ri të telefonit të quajtur LG Zero, i cili zbarkoi në Evropë në fillim të këtij muaji.
LG Zero vjen me ekranin prej 5 inç në HD i cili përmban një rezolucion prej 1280 x 720 pikselëve, ndërsa pajisja vjen edhe me procesorin quad core në 1.2GHz.
“LG do të fillojë lansimin global të telefonit të saj me trup metalik, LG Zero¹, duke filluar nga kjo javë. LG Zero ofron teknologji të avancuar të kamerës dhe karakteristika ekskluzive të ndërfaqes së LG G Series dhe paraqet një trup të plotë metalik për një përvojë më të avancuar dhe modern, thuhet në njoftimin e LG.
Karakteristikat tjera të telefonit përfshijnë edhe 1.5GB RAM dhe 16GB memorie, baterinë me 2050 mAh, si dhe kamerat në të dyja anët e pajisjes, njërën me 13MP, ndërsa kamera e përparme sjell 8MP për video dhe selfie
Women are delicate by nature, which is why many of us tend to take everything personally. It’s hard not to take things personally, but if you don’t break this habit, then you’re going to live a miserable life full of worries and health issues. Most of the stuff we hear about ourselves is exaggerated and taken personally while it`s only the waste of our precious time and limited energy that can be spend on something really important. Here are things you should never take personally in order to live a more peaceful life:
1. Someone pushing in front of you in a queue
If someone pushes in front of you in a queue, it really annoys but you still shouldn`t take it personally. It`s not the reason to get nervous and start screaming like a child. That person is just intolerant and ill-mannered. Be wiser and act like a grown-up woman. There’s no sense in fighting with someone you don’t know and hopefully never meet again.
2. Traffic jams
Almost all people lose their temper because of traffic jams when they have a lack of time or are simply tired of waiting. Well, it’s frustrating and annoying but worrying about it is senseless. Do you really think that the traffic jam has been arranged to cause you troubles? Stay calm and find some activities to do instead of worrying. Turn on your favorite music, listen to some inspiring and positive podcasts, or learn a foreign language, it always helps me to relax when I`m stuck on the road.
3. Negative online comments
If you spend a lot of time online, you probably know how it’s difficult to deal with negative comments. Why should you worry about the opinion of someone you don`t even know? Don’t feel down when you suddenly find out that someone doesn`t agree with you. Everyone has their own point of view so taking it personally is a quick way to go mad. Let others think what they want, and keep following your own thoughts.
4. Your meal isn`t appreciated
If you cook for someone, you expect to be praised for your creation. When it doesn`t happen you may feel bad about it but you don`t need to take it personally. Remember that tastes differ and so it’s okay when your partner tells you that he doesn’t like your dessert, for example. Ask him to cook for you instead – just be honest if his dessert will be tastier than yours.
5. Someone looks at you
If someone stares at you, it doesn’t mean that something’s wrong with you. I used to pay attention to those looks and I always thought that people laughed at my appearance or strange behavior. It lasted until I once noticed that the guy I looked at started to get nervous. I was smiling because of my high spirit and unintentionally I touched him with my look. Then I realized that he might have thought I was laughing at him. Taking someone`s stares personally is silly and even selfish. Why do you think you deserve their attention at all? Those people may be looking at something behind you or simply laughing at the subject of their talk.
6. Customers` rage
If your job requires you to deal with customers, oftentimes you can face dissatisfied ones. Keep in mind that if they get angry and even scream at you, they`re not contented with your company but not with you. You should better try to smooth the conflict instead of taking those arguments personally . Let your work stay at work and never bring that stress to your home.
7. You didn`t get the job
It`s a tough challenge, of course, and it`s often hard to move on after you haven`t got the job you want. But it happens because the employers have to make a difficult choice. They must choose only one person and if you don`t get the job it doesn`t mean you`re bad. It`s life and you should be able to accept the challenges it gives you. It may be beneficial for you as you can find even a better job in future.
Taking everything personally is surely a terrible habit that takes our time and sometimes even causes a long-term depression. In fact we often misunderstand something and suppose that someone wants to hurt us when it`s not so indeed. My advice for you is to ignore everything that prevents you from reaching your goals. When you stop caring about those trifles, it`ll be easier to think clearly and you`ll keep being positive in all your actions and thoughts. What things do you usually take personally?