Sevenstar News Brief

Since there are no K-12 online learning sessions at the AERA 2010 conference today, I’m going to do a bit of touristing with my wife. As such, I’ve got a day full of entries planned for here that should keep the flow of information going and I’ll be back with AERA content tomorrow.

Sevenstar News Brief Online Education Email News www.sevenstaracademy.org April 27, 2010 Issue 4, No. 4 Sevenstar Academy News The Online Christian Curriculum A Brief from Bob: “When the idea of offering Summer School is raised at your academic planning meetings, which direction does the discussion go? Does it head down the well-worn path of avoidance-at-all-cost because of its complexity? Is the idea quickly dismissed due to a lack of students, staffing, or facilities?  Is there an uneasy tension between all the reasons not to offer it and all the reasons to offer it? Many Christian schools have avoided offering their own Summer School program. In lieu of doing so, they often send families to public or other private non-Christian schools to recover credit or advance academically over the summer. Using this strategy typically does result in credits being recovered or gained; however, this strategy may leave school leaders with an uneasy sense of being “off-mission” because they are neither providing Christian education nor academic oversight during the summer months. One cannot argue with the limiting factors and circumstances that have led to Christian schools choosing not to take on Summer School. However, with the emergence of online Christian curriculum, schools may find that many of the traditional roadblocks to hosting Summer School are removed. In fact, many Christian schools have quickly assembled a robust Summer School program that pays for itself by offering online courses for remediation and advancement?  In reality, many schools have set-up an online Summer School in just a few weeks time, and were able to offer remediation for any subject as well as over 100 courses for advancement. Think about trying to pull that off in a traditional fashion?” We at Sevenstar are in prayer continually regarding the health and well being of Christian schools worldwide. Our mission is tied to the very essence of Christian schools – to provide outstanding online education to instruct the heart and mind of each student. Summer School can be a part of that by leveraging technology and experiencing an expansion of your ministry, raising the academic standard, and connecting with new students. Bob Kraft, Vice President (see below for a white paper on Summer School)

New School Partnerships We are excited for the possibilities these new partner schools will discover as they grow their online learning curriculum. We look forward to serving them in fulfilling their ministry in education. West-side Christian School , Eldarado, AZ Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Cuyahoga Falls, OH Foundations Academy, Winter Garden, FL Monte Vista Christian School, Watsonville, CA Lehigh Valley Christian High School, Catasaugua, PA Berean Christian School, Knoxville, TN Western Christian High School, Claremont, CA Grace Christian School, Anchorage, AK Rosehill Christian School, Tomball, TX Payson Community Christian School, Payson, AZ Logos Preparatory Academy, Sugarland, TX Medina Christian Academy, Medina, OH Seaside Christian Academy, Ocean City, MD Bible Center School, Charleston, WV Victory Christian Academy, Valparaiso, IN What About Summer School This Year? Have you attempted a summer school program and found it difficult? We offer solutions for a dynamic revenue generating summer school. Have you not been able to offer summer school due to time and resources? Our turn-key summer school program offers over 70 courses with no minimum students. Learn from Christian schools offering Summer School - Online- Click below to request our white paper Summer School Online A Guide to Expanding Your School’s Ministry Join one of our upcoming Summer School Webinars Dual Credit Courses Continue To  Grow As one of our providers for Dual Credit college courses, Davis College has recently announced its’ start dates for the upcoming summer period.  Remember that dual credit courses not only provide the experience of what college courses are like, but they also offer an opportunity to save on college tuition. Summer 2010 Offering Periods Registration MAY 10: class begins 5/13 and ends 7/23 Registration JUN 10: class begins 6/1 and ends 9/1 Registration JUL 10: class begins 6/17 and ends 9/9 Registration JUL 10: class begins 7/20 and ends 9/28 ACSI/Sevenstar Scholarship Program Ending During this past school year, ACSI and Sevenstar have been very pleased to offer a member benefit Scholarship program, exclusive to ACSI Member schools. For a limited time ACSI member schools have been able to consider a special “start-up scholarship for partnering with Sevenstar to increase your curriculum options. The time to take advantage of this opportunity is coming to a close.  As of June 30, this program will end, so we want to encourage any administrator who believes online learning can make a difference in their school to Click Here and mention “ACSI Scholarship” in the “reason for contact” box. You will be offered a Complimentary Online Webinar.  In addition, one person that asks for more information will possibly win an iPhone or Netbook on June 1, 2010. 40th International Institute for Christian School Educators ACSI will co-sponsor along with The Lowrie Center at Columbia International University the 40th International Institute for Christian School Educators July 11-15, 2010.  The keynote speaker Dr. Kevin Washburn, Executive Director Clerestory Learning and the convocation speaker Dr. Brian Simmons, President of ACSI will be highlights of this year’s event, along with two new offerings: Advanced Ed Training and The Truth Project Training-for facilitators. The program will offer a wide range of choices that can be as intense or as relaxed as delegates wish.  Great networking and fellowship opportunities will also be part of the daily activities.   Please visit www.acsi.org/kwiicseducators for additional information and to register. ACSI Continues to Provide Opportunities to Improve School Operations Go to the following link and view the happenings at the recent ACSI Economic Summit held in Lancaster, PA. CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ECONOMIC SUMMIT Available “ON-DEMAND” to Christian schools throughout the United States! Good Things Continue To Happen Through Online Christian Education From a student who selected our Chinese language course: “I am having a lot of fun in this Chinese class. One thing that was hard for me was when I got further into the lessons there was no more Pinyin telling you how to pronounce the Chinese words. Thanks to Mrs. McCrea she has helped me learn how to pronounce the Chinese words correctly and that Pinyin letters can have more than one characteristic. I am very glad that Sevenstar offers Chinese as a language class!” Another student stated their case very simply - “I’m taking on-line courses because it’s the way of the future!!! We continue to pray for your Online education efforts and the bearing of fruit. Online Learning on the Rise Industry Articles and Links: (Ctrl and Click to connect) *High schools upgrade online-learning options More high schools are taking advantage of technology to incorporate online learning into their curricula. In the San Diego school district, the iHigh Virtual Academy pilot program offers flexibility for its 555 students, some of whom have disabilities or travel often as part of a military family. Other nearby districts offer online courses or create class Web sites for their teachers to use to interact with students. San Diego Business Journal (3/22) *Traditional schools aren’t working. Let’s move learning online. Washington Post Seventeen percent of high school students nationwide took an online course for school last year; another 12 percent took a class for self-study. … *http://www.vindy.com/news/2010/apr/04/austintown-to-study-online-courses-to-ho/ “Specialized online courses could be an incentive for former Austintown students to return to the school district and for current students to stay put, administrators say.” Could this apply to your school and could Sevenstar help? *Blended Teaching and Learning by LIZ PAPE – Developing courses that combine face-to-face and virtual instruction in pursuit of 21st-century skills in classrooms. The author, CEO of the Virtual High School Global Consortium, identifies the approaches and the benefits of blended instruction.  http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=12924 Sevenstar supports Blended Learning.   Similar Reading: David Haglund: Riverside’s connections and Tracy Sheehan: Going hybrid? [ read more ] *iNACOL Virtual School Symposium Nov 14-16, 2010: Registration Now Open And Soliciting Session Presentations The (iNACOL) Program Committee is seeking presentations for sessions at the Virtual School Symposium (VSS) and the Request for Presentation Proposals (RFP) is now available on the website. To access and submit the RFP, please visit: http://rfp.virtualschoolsymposium.org. Education leaders seeking new, cost-effective solutions through online [...] [This is an event Sevenstar helps make happen and would be worthwhile for anyone interested in this field] *iNACOL  announces 4 New Special Interest Groups (SIGs) The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) is pleased to announce the creation of four new Special Interest Groups (SIGs). These groups plan to meet monthly to discuss and work on specific topics within the field of K-12 online learning. Brian Crouse, our Southwest Partner Representative has coordinated the application process and is getting the following group off the ground: Online Christian Education SIG – Brian Crouse, bhcrouse@comcast.net;   A website  for  the group can be found at http://ocea.squarespace.com/ Note:  iNACOL is a terrific partner of Sevenstars’.  They have aggregated resources that will inform your work and assist your efforts.   http://www.inacol.org/research/ * 6 Technologies That Will Shape Education http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2010-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf.  Page 4 and 5 mention online learning more than other pages *Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/study-finds-that-online-education-beats-the-classroom/ We don’t feel it needs to one or the other (online or traditional).  You will be hearing more about Hybrid and Blended products from us. Educators respond to national ed-tech plan While many school stakeholders say there’s a lot to like in the new National Education Technology Plan, others are concerned about what they see as a fundamental conflict between the plan’s call for innovation on the one hand and the Obama administration’s continued focus on testing and accountability on the other. [ Read More] Technology is essential for customizing instruction Harvard University professor and author Paul E. Peterson advocates technology as a tool for teachers to reach each student’s individual “price point,” or the difficulty of material they are ready to learn. Peterson makes his case in this opinion article for customizing instruction through more online courses and other adaptive and interactive technology. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) Monthly Webinars If you need more information about partnering with Sevenstar, join us during our upcoming Webinar for schools. Register by clicking the link below: *Tuesday, May 4, 4:00-4:45 PM EST* – https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/187368858* Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar. System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista Macintosh®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer For all webinars, please log on 10 minutes early.  Two reasons—you may need some software downloaded (quick, safe, and easy) and we are limited to 10 participants. Provide enough time to dial in on your phone so you can listen and ask questions.  Join us and find out how we can help you provide your students a Christian online curriculum. Have you taken time to examine what the Chaplin’s Group has to offer? Sevenstar recently received the following from a student regarding their experience. “The Chaplains Group helped me grow spiritually; there were a lot of serious questions about life.  I enjoy the prayer requests because I like to help people to recover from a sad situation.” Student Take a few minutes to soak in the message and remember that the Chaplin is there for you. The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs to it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10 ESV There is security in God’s name. Our text says it is a “strong tower.” This is like saying, “He is my rock.” His name reflects his character; God is a source of strength. Paul B. Alexander, Teacher/Chaplain Sevenstar Selects Adobe Connect Pro Due to the need for new and improved communication tools, and the success of past Webinar presentations to schools and interested organizations, Sevenstar recently selected Adobe Connect Pro as its future Web meeting and event software solution.  There are many options to choose from, and all have their good points, but each organization needs to determine their most important needs and identify with that one solution that they believe will answer those needs. Sevenstar believes Adobe Connect Pro will improve our means of communicating with schools, administrators and parents regarding their interest in online learning for their children. If you have any questions regarding the Webinars Sevenstar hosts through Adobe Connect Pro please contact us at www.sevenstaracademy.org, or call 513-612-1029. Your Sevenstar Newsletter Subscription To view and print past newsletters, please visit the News Page on our website.