The Parent of Virtual Education

Are you new to the idea of online education for your student?  Or are you wondering what your role should be within the virtual classroom system?  It is important that parents, or guardians, are involved in the education of their student.  Here are some tips on how the parent can and should be involved in their child’s online education and what the school should do to encourage this involvement.

Parents should:

• Work closely with their children, guiding them through daily lessons and actively participate in their children's daily learning
• Record student academic progress to track their success
• Communicate with teachers on a regular basis to assess children's learning, academic achievement, etc.
•  Become actively involved in parent groups, workshops, school functions and events, and student activities

The School should:

• Keep open the lines of communication between the teachers & parents.
• Hold virtual meetings & webinars with parents & students alike to build rapport & put a face to the names
• Allow parents to be involved on field trips, class meetings, and as volunteers

Parent involvement is a key piece of student motivation and desire to grow and learn.  By acting as a role model for academic success, volunteer service, and dedication to the school, both parents and teachers can encourage our students to pursue and achieve their academic goals.

Sources:

http://www.k12.com/facts-about-k12-public-virtual-schools#.Uul6IKgSDbg

http://voices.yahoo.com/how-increase-parent-involvement-within-virtual-6320478.html

Hands-On Learning & MEWA Announcements

Mr. Barrentine is teaching students about crustaceans.  There are many opportunities for hands on activities at MEWA.

Last week’s blog talked about the importance of involvement in the education process.  This week, we take this concept one step further and discuss the importance of actively participating in one’s learning, known as hands-on learning.  Studies have shown hands-on learning increases the level of engagement and understanding of the student and the benefits of this are immense.  An article by Everest describes these benefits from the perspective of a student’s future.  First of all, the student exhibits a greater retention of course material through active engagement with the concepts being taught.  Additionally, critical thinking skills are easily developed in a stimulated environment.  This is due to the increased attention given to “in-the-moment” learning.  Finally, the personalized guidance a student receives from the instructor during the hands-on-learning process is much greater than in a lecture or classroom setting.

(Source: http://news.everest.edu/post/2010/01/top-5-benefits-of-a-hands-on-learning-environment/#.UmqmKFwSAps)

For students at MEWA, hands-on learning is still a big part of their education as we offer the stimulated environment needed to apply, discuss, and discover the concepts explained in coursework.  Our teachers work on-site and are host to drop-in labs in which students can visit, ask questions, and progress through their assignments.  Drop-in labs are encouraged so that students receive the hands-on application they sometimes need to better understand what is being learned.  We also invite students to participate in field-trips and clubs to interact with each other, their teachers, and the school on a more social level.  At MEWA, we want to stimulate the student’s mind and help them to achieve all of their future goals.

Important Announcements…

Don’t Forget!  Our incentive program is in full swing.  We will have a drawing on November 22, 2013 for a giveaway of two iPod Touch 16GB players.  To enter, students must login every school day, work at least 1 hour on coursework while logged in each school day, and complete 5 assignments per week that are submitted for grading.  We hope all MEWA and GED students continue to participate!

Let Us Help… We will begin an Open Support Class that will meet each Thursday from 1:00 to 3:00, beginning next week to assist in clearing up any issues students & parents are having with the new Genius/Brain Honey learning management system.

The Student Leadership Club is open to all students!  The focus of the club is to build leadership skills for those who join.  Ms. Norrander will be the staff sponsor with Mr. May-Varas and Dr. Gray assisting. The next meeting will be Thursday, October 31 @ 1:30PM at MEWA.

Our Parent Booster Group will have the next meeting November 20^th at 6:00 PM at MEWA.  Participation in this group is open to all MEWA parents, grandparents, guardians, and staff members.  The focus of this group is to organize and support activities that promote our school and provide enrichment and growth opportunities for students and staff.

MEWA Gold Card Program.  We have an exciting new incentive program for the drop-in laboratory. Each time you achieve your study goals that you've listed on a Gold Card, you'll be able to turn that card in for a weekly prize drawing. Currently, our weekly prize is a $10 Starbucks gift card. We look to add different prizes in the future. So, stay tuned, stay on task in the drop-in lab, and you too can win prizes.  If you'd like to know more about the details of how this program works, click on the following link: https://docs.google.com/a/gbwebacademy.org/presentation/d/1oeAGfNBaTgcmBAVkDjfmzjtg4qlgrvrrG51RZwSFmv8/edit?usp=sharing.

College Bound Students! Connect with your counselor to discuss the ACT, SAT, or the PSAT.  They have information and dates for registering for these tests.

Remember the ME in MEWA; at Metro East you come first.