Monday, July 27, 2009
It is great how we at Georgia Virtual School can provide education opportunities for so many students in a variety of situations. In the past year I was able to teach several hospital homebound students. One case in particular was that of twin girls. They had severe health problems and were not able to attend school or be around other people that much. However, with Georgia Virtual School they were able to take classes and still get an education. They often felt well for only a few hours at a time and would work at odd hours. Due to the flexibility of online classes and working with them, both were able to complete the course with good grades and a sense of accomplishment.
Hey! My name is Amanda Williamson and I am a Mathematics teacher and department chair for Ga. Virtual School. I taught Algebra II AB during our summer semester. I just want to say WOW!!! My students did an excellent job completing a year long course in either 5 or 6 weeks. The majority of my students spent hours studying and practicing algebra problems. In the end, 73% of my students passed and 53% had A's and B's in the class. This is amazing for the level of difficulty and the amount of material covered in such a short time. Let me tell you that I was impressed! The dedication to the course and material was amazing. I know that the summer flew by for both me and my students! I want to say thanks to my students for all of their hard work and to the parents for their support. The students that took this online class will not only take away the mathematical knowledge but will take away technology experience and time management skills as well.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Withdrawal Policy
Georgia Virtual has a policy for withdrawals, and it is important for everyone to know what this policy says:
Dropping/Withdrawing from Class
Students enrolled in FTE, state-funded seats (HS only), have up to 10 days from their session start dates to drop courses. A student’s session is considered to have started when he/she successfully completes the student orientation course.
Drops must be initiated and approved by students' facilitators through the registration helpdesk.
Students enrolled in tuition-funded seats can drop courses up to 5 days before the end of their course sessions. However, as with FTE-funded seats, these drops must be initiated and approved by students' facilitators through the registration helpdesk.
Also, students wishing a refund must request this in writing at the registration helpdesk within 72 hours of completing the student orientation course. Please note: this is NOT 72 business hours, but 72 actual clock hours. No refunds will be given after this time or after the last start date of the session. Refunds will be subject to a $25 administrative processing fee.
Students taking a middle school class have 72 hours from their first login to class to preview the course and request a refund. All requests must be made in writing, online at the registration helpdesk. No requests will be considered after the 72 hour period has passed. Students completing the Student Orientation Course after the last start date are no longer eligible for a refund. For middle school students taking their second nine weeks session in the same semester, refunds for the second nine weeks must be requested through the registration helpdesk within 72 hours of of the course start date.
Dropping/Withdrawing from Class
Students enrolled in FTE, state-funded seats (HS only), have up to 10 days from their session start dates to drop courses. A student’s session is considered to have started when he/she successfully completes the student orientation course.
Drops must be initiated and approved by students' facilitators through the registration helpdesk.
Students enrolled in tuition-funded seats can drop courses up to 5 days before the end of their course sessions. However, as with FTE-funded seats, these drops must be initiated and approved by students' facilitators through the registration helpdesk.
Also, students wishing a refund must request this in writing at the registration helpdesk within 72 hours of completing the student orientation course. Please note: this is NOT 72 business hours, but 72 actual clock hours. No refunds will be given after this time or after the last start date of the session. Refunds will be subject to a $25 administrative processing fee.
Students taking a middle school class have 72 hours from their first login to class to preview the course and request a refund. All requests must be made in writing, online at the registration helpdesk. No requests will be considered after the 72 hour period has passed. Students completing the Student Orientation Course after the last start date are no longer eligible for a refund. For middle school students taking their second nine weeks session in the same semester, refunds for the second nine weeks must be requested through the registration helpdesk within 72 hours of of the course start date.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Have you tried your course management system on a netbook yet? I just had to know if Georgia Virtual's registration system and courses in Desire to Learn would work on the very low end Asus 900A running Linux, currently selling for as little as $175 including shipping. So far I've been able to do all of my support team work and have even participated in an Elluminate conference using the netbook.
If you have access to a netbook, please try using it in your summer school course. Post a comment to let us know your results. This might just the thing for schools to check out for one period at a time in their media centers so Ga. Virtual students can work in a quiet corner during their assigned class periods.
If you have access to a netbook, please try using it in your summer school course. Post a comment to let us know your results. This might just the thing for schools to check out for one period at a time in their media centers so Ga. Virtual students can work in a quiet corner during their assigned class periods.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Student Testimonial
One of our Ga. Virtual students shared this wonderful testimonial with us. If you would like to share your story, please leave a comment to this post.
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Coming from a small school offering a narrow range of classes, I was desperate for a variety of challenging courses. Luckily, my counselor informed me of GAVS, which would allow me the opportunity to enroll in some courses not available at my school. Aside from the extensive list of course options, GAVS has several benefits. First, all of my instructors have been extremely helpful and responsive and offer online meetings to elaborate on the topics covered. Because of this, prospective students should not fear the lack of traditional instruction. Second, GAVS helps to develop organizational and scheduling skills. Assignments for each course are due weekly, and each student constructs his or her own weekly schedule to complete them on time. Finally, GAVS provides a network of other committed students in the state who want to make the most of their high school education.
GAVS has opened so many doors for me; most notably, it has given me the opportunity to take Advanced Placement courses to gain collegiate credit, thereby enabling me to remain on par with other top students in the state. After having taken three online courses, I am grateful to be able to say that, because of these classes, I feel highly prepared for college-level work. If you are someone who is self-motivated and responsible with at least basic computer skills, GAVS is right for you.
Lance White
Bacon County High School
April 30, 2009
********
Coming from a small school offering a narrow range of classes, I was desperate for a variety of challenging courses. Luckily, my counselor informed me of GAVS, which would allow me the opportunity to enroll in some courses not available at my school. Aside from the extensive list of course options, GAVS has several benefits. First, all of my instructors have been extremely helpful and responsive and offer online meetings to elaborate on the topics covered. Because of this, prospective students should not fear the lack of traditional instruction. Second, GAVS helps to develop organizational and scheduling skills. Assignments for each course are due weekly, and each student constructs his or her own weekly schedule to complete them on time. Finally, GAVS provides a network of other committed students in the state who want to make the most of their high school education.
GAVS has opened so many doors for me; most notably, it has given me the opportunity to take Advanced Placement courses to gain collegiate credit, thereby enabling me to remain on par with other top students in the state. After having taken three online courses, I am grateful to be able to say that, because of these classes, I feel highly prepared for college-level work. If you are someone who is self-motivated and responsible with at least basic computer skills, GAVS is right for you.
Lance White
Bacon County High School
April 30, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Online Testing
This is the time of year for state End of Course Tests and for course final exams. Some Georgia schools require students to take their Georgia Virtual course exams in a proctored setting, though the exams are designed to be taken online without any proctoring. Most schools do not require proctoring.
Here is the question. Do you think a good test requiring some higher order thinking can be designed to accurately reflect a student's mastery of the performance standards in an online class? Most Georgia Virtual exams rely on the time limitation to assure students actually know their material. Do you think this works?
The required state test in some subjects means a student not living in Georgia must come to Georgia on a particular day to take his Georgia End of Course Test. Since this is administered online, it seems to me the test could be taken anywhere there is a suitable proctor and an Internet connected computer. However, both the state and Pearson, the testing company, prohibit students from taking these tests outside of the state. If you are from another state, how does your state online program deal with this issue and other testing situations?
Here is the question. Do you think a good test requiring some higher order thinking can be designed to accurately reflect a student's mastery of the performance standards in an online class? Most Georgia Virtual exams rely on the time limitation to assure students actually know their material. Do you think this works?
The required state test in some subjects means a student not living in Georgia must come to Georgia on a particular day to take his Georgia End of Course Test. Since this is administered online, it seems to me the test could be taken anywhere there is a suitable proctor and an Internet connected computer. However, both the state and Pearson, the testing company, prohibit students from taking these tests outside of the state. If you are from another state, how does your state online program deal with this issue and other testing situations?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
EOCT Prep Exercises
Greetings!
My name is Jane O'Brien, and I am an English instructor and the English Department Chair at GAVS.
Each semester, students complete the EOCT in all ninth and eleventh AB and B courses. The EOCT, or End of Course Test, correlates to the GPS standards outlined in all GAVS English classes, and the score on the EOCT accounts for the final exam grade as well.
For both our Ninth Literature and Composition (AB and B) and our American Literature and Compositon (AB and B) courses, we have integrated EOCT preparatory exercises from USATestPrep. This online site is an outstanding resource for students in that it offers various levels of practice exercises, email reminders, questions of the day, and general review exercises for each strand of the exam. The site is user friendly and enables students to access 24 hours a day.
As we strive to continue to increase our scores and heighten general understanding and mastery of the GPS standards, USA TestPrep has proven to be an excellent resource with endless possibilities.
My name is Jane O'Brien, and I am an English instructor and the English Department Chair at GAVS.
Each semester, students complete the EOCT in all ninth and eleventh AB and B courses. The EOCT, or End of Course Test, correlates to the GPS standards outlined in all GAVS English classes, and the score on the EOCT accounts for the final exam grade as well.
For both our Ninth Literature and Composition (AB and B) and our American Literature and Compositon (AB and B) courses, we have integrated EOCT preparatory exercises from USATestPrep. This online site is an outstanding resource for students in that it offers various levels of practice exercises, email reminders, questions of the day, and general review exercises for each strand of the exam. The site is user friendly and enables students to access 24 hours a day.
As we strive to continue to increase our scores and heighten general understanding and mastery of the GPS standards, USA TestPrep has proven to be an excellent resource with endless possibilities.
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