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

Getting the Most from Your Online Education

As we begin the second half of our 2013-2014 academic year, it’s important to remember why we are here in the first place: to learn.  How do you get the most out of your learning experience at Metro East Web Academy?  Here are a couple tips for you to consider to help finish out the year strong.

1. Visit our “Tips for Successful Online Learning” Web Page.  This page has a number of different tips on how to be successful as an online student.  Read them and see if there is anything you need to add to your approach as we begin the next term. 
2.  Meet with your teachers at least once per week.  Your teachers are here to help you succeed and they want to see you grow.  Make sure to talk with them if you are stuck on an assignment or lesson.  Often two heads are better than one and conversing with a teacher will help both of you understand each other better in the future.
3. Keep notebooks, or computer folders, with notes for each class.  Taking notes is always a good idea and keeping these notes organized will save you time when studying for a test.  You can also use these notebooks for writing questions and answers as you go through your lessons.  Some classes require the use of a spiral notebook, but they are a handy tool for any class.
4. Turn in your homework assignments on time.  The sooner you can get an assignment turned in, the quicker you can get feedback from the teacher on your work.  Doing the assignments early will also allow you more time to ask questions for clarification, if needed.
5. Stop in the Drop-In Labs each week.  Coming in to the drop-in labs regularly will help organize your day, give you time to talk with teachers and counselors, and allow you to socialize with fellow classmates.  Collaboration produces some of the best creative results on projects and stopping by the drop-in labs will help feed your creative process.
6. Visit our online social communities to connect & engage with other students & your teachers.  Our online social sites not only provide students and teachers with helpful tips and inspirations, but they are places for parents to collaborate as well.  We want to keep our MEWA community strong, both in and outside of, the school.  We hope all our students, teachers, and parents will contribute to our Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest pages regularly to engage in meaningful conversations and stay up to date on what’s happening at MEWA.

    How do you get the most out of your MEWA education?

Making Those New Year’s Resolutions Stick

It’s the time of year when we are all supposed to reflect on the past 12 months, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Then we are supposed to pick up a pen and write down what we will do differently in the next 12 months.  For many, health is a top priority, for others, finding new success or making a big change in their life will be the new goal.  Unfortunately, we oftentimes lose sight of our goals after a few weeks, falling back into old habits, or just not feeling motivated to make the changes we were so excited about at the beginning of the year.  So how do we make New Year’s Resolutions stick?  How do we write a goal that will last until it is achieved?  Most importantly, how do we find the motivation to work harder to make the desired changes a reality?

Writing a resolution, or a goal, takes quite a bit of thought.  It’s not something one can sit down and scribble down in 10 minutes.  In fact, a New Year’s Resolution may not be perfected in time for the New Year.  To start, reflect on the past year in a quiet, comfortable spot.  Try to start with January 2013 and go through the major events of each month until you end at December.  Sometimes it helps to look back through Facebook or Instagram to find pictures of the things that were important enough to post on your Timeline.  Then, decide what you want to change, or do differently in 2014.  Are there any goals that were not quite achieved in 2013?  Modify these to be more realistic for the changes you have made personally in the past year.  After thinking about this for a day or two, write the changes and goals down!  Make sure they fit the S.M.A.R.T. criteria (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely), and that they are actually something you believe you can accomplish in one year.  Make sure to tell someone about your Resolutions, like a family member, teacher, or a friend, someone who will support you through the trials of the coming year.  Remember to thank them for always having your back and for helping you to stay on track with your goals.  Finally, post your Resolutions somewhere obvious, where they can be seen by you every day.  Don’t let them fall into some obscure corner of your room, or under the bed collecting dust.  Hang them up at eye level, so that even when you feel discouraged your Resolutions are there to remind you what the end goal really is.

So let’s welcome in 2014 and look forward to a year of growth and change.  Let’s make it a year of new achievements and success, of new friends and talents.  We hope all of you stick to your New Year’s Resolutions and become the student and individual you want to be in 2014!

Tips for Future Success

Succeeding academically can be challenging at times and breeze at others.  Studying, attending class regularly, and completing assignments on-time are all important in academic success and gaining the most from your education.  We wanted to give you some tips that may help as our students develop their study habits into skills that will help them as they pursue their life goals.

1. Focus. This is a hard skill for many individuals, but the ability to focus on one task at a time and see it through to completion is a great skill to have.  One way to develop this is to make sure your workspace is free from distractions.  Set mini goals to complete assignments more effectively.  For example, when writing a paper, tell yourself you will write at least one full page before taking a snack break or checking Facebook.
2. Note Taking. Making sure to take good notes and use them is important.  Practice writing only the important information by taking notes during your favorite TV show, or movie.  Find a way of organizing your notes that works best for you.  For instance, some use bullet points, while others draw boxes on the page.  Review your notes before and after a test to validate your responses. Don’t simply memorize your notes, but find ways to actively engage with them.  This way, you are more likely to remember the concepts in the future, rather than only specific details.
3. Clarification. If you are confused on a concept being learned, be sure to ask questions.  Your teachers are there to help you develop and understand the material being learned.  The only silly question is the one that never gets asked.
4. Organization.  Make sure your workspace stays organized so you always have the materials you need at your fingertips.  This will help you accomplish assignments faster and will eliminate wasting time digging through a pile to look for “that one paper” with important notes.
5. Time Management.  Invest in a day planner and write down all important assignment due dates, school holidays, and activities.  Use the planner to schedule your day from class, to homework, to social time so that you never miss or forget anything important.  It’s important to balance work and social in your life, so make sure you have time for both!
6. Collaboration.  Sometimes all you need for motivation is someone to bounce ideas off of, get feedback from, and talk problems through.  Whether you collaborate with a fellow classmate, teacher, parent, or counselor, working with someone else can be very beneficial in helping you to better understand a concept. 

Which of these skills do you feel you need to improve?  Have you mastered any?  Just remember, each skill you develop while in school, will help you become more successful in your future education, career, and life in general.  Wherever you are a heading, take what you learn in school with you. 

Remember the ME in MEWA; at Metro East, it’s all about you.