Somerset Virtual Program

To be successful as an online student, there are challenges that students will need to meet.  Self-motivation and time management are the biggest keys to success.  Unlike a traditional school day where students have set times to be in set classes, a student in the virtual program can pick and choose what to work on and when.  This can be a challenge for many adults, but more so with students.  As a parent/guardian, it puts more burden on you to be prepared for motivational and time management challenges that many not have been there during a traditional school day.  While their online teacher and the virtual learning coordinator will be there to push them to succeed, we are only there virtually and that is not always enough to achieve success.

Communication is another big factor for online learning success.  Students must be able to seek out help from their online teacher when they need it and be able to advocate for their own learning. I will always be a call or email away to answer questions. It is up to the student and parents to reach out with questions they may have.

Lastly, a proper environment for school work is important.  This should be a quiet place where the students are working on school work and are free from other distractions. The environment will have a huge impact on how focused they can be on their school work.  Even as adults we have different expectations and energy depending on the environment in which we are working. A good school work environment will go a long way to achieving success in online learning.

Virtual learning is a very student centered and student driven learning model.  Students are much more responsible for their own learning.  There are not live teachers guiding students through the lessons and assignments.  There are teachers overseeing each courses, answering questions, and grading assignments, but they are there for support.  This is much different than the face to face model where teachers are the guides.  Please be aware that students will not have live, one on one interactions with teachers on a regular basis.

A virtual learning program can be a great learning environment for some students.  For other students, it is not the right fit.  We need to acknowledge that even adults can struggle in a purely online learning environment, let alone 11 to 18 year old students.  We must make sure that we are doing what is best for our students' learning.  If a student is not thriving in the virtual environment, he/she may be asked to rejoin face to face instruction at the semester.

The virtual program is conducted exclusively online.  This means that students and parents need to have some basic technology skills to navigate through the virtual curriculum.  

The primary mode of communication will be through email for both parents and students. For younger students, the parents will be the primary contact, instead of the students.  

The platform that is being used is Image Edgenuity.  Some skills that are required to be successful are:

• Creating Google Docs and downloading them as PDFs or Word Documents to submit work

• Digital file navigation to submit the proper files when turning in assignments

• Basic understanding of different file types and understanding which the program is asking for

• Taking pictures with a phone or Chromebook and uploading them into Imagine Edgenuity

• Communicating with teachers through email