LEARN News | JUNE 2018 – School’s Out For Summer!

A newsletter from a Canadian e-learning program.

JUNE 2018 View Online SUMMER SHINE! Dr. Michael J. Canuel CEO, LEARN Teach. Learn. Help. SPOTLIGHT: VIRTUAL SUMMER SCHOOL CLASSES ONLINE 2018 LEARN + English Educational Community of Quebec From the comfort of home or wherever there is an internet connection, the student can follow the class online in real-time; – All classes are facilitated by a certified and qualified subject teacher – Highly interactive classroom – Provides flexibility and freedom to learn from anywhere – Convenient, effective and aligned with the way students learn today ONLINE SUMMER SCHOOL IS COOL – REGISTER Special Feature: CBC Partnership BRING MORE INDIGENOUS LITERATURE INTO QUEBEC HIGH SCHOOLS Turtle Island Reads Attention teachers: LEARN has partnered with CBC Montreal to help bring more Indigenous literature into Quebec high schools through Turtle Island Reads. CBC is looking for teachers interested in putting a novel or graphic novel by an Indigenous Canadian author on their class reading list for the 2018/2019 school year. In addition, CBC will select three classes in Secondary IV or V to work closely with them during the upcoming school year as Turtle Island Reads champions. Please fill out the survey before June 29, 2018 Teach Indigenous Literature TEACHING TOOLS OPEN SPACE DAYS 2018 – 2019 Starting September 14th, 2018 LEARN’s first OCS Days for the next school year are September 14 and October 12. Register today! LEARN’s ‘Learn By Doing’ Open Creative Space/STEAM initiative helps educators foster student engagement through active learning with high and low tech materials. Take a look back at the OCS Days this past school year. Attend LEARNshops OCS PRESENTS BLOCK PROGRAMMING: SEPTEMBER 28TH  Block Programming for Classrooms Curious about coding and programming and its application in your classroom? New to block programming? During this hands-on day, you will be introduced to a variety of block programming applications that can be used across subject areas, at all levels including Scratch 3.0, MakeCode, Sphero Edu, Tickle, and Turtle Art. For those who are more advanced (or adventurous), you will have the opportunity to explore how to use block programming to create games in Scratch, program robots (such as the Lego WeDO, and MBot), connect to microcontrollers (such as the Micro:bit, Makey-Makey, and Arduino), control motors and sensors, and produce a paper version of your artwork using a cutting tool. Attend LEARNshop VOICES, ENGAGEMENT & STUDENTS AS ACTIVE CITIZENS Think Global, Act Local – Service Learning Camp October 5th On October 5th from 9:30-3:30 pm, participate in a hands-on Community Service Learning day with teachers, educators and community partners who have been inspired to develop learning experiences that empower students of all ages to address authentic needs in their community. You will leave with the tools, connections and inspiration to develop a project in your school that will engage students in areas such as: · celebrating seniors · celebrating local history and heritage · thinking global, acting local · healthy minds, healthy bodies For more information contact Ben at bloomer@learnquebec.ca Register for Think Global, Act Local – Service Learning Camp NEXTSCHOOL BLOG Messy… & Exhilerating! Over a three-week period, the InnoPod groups worked enthusiastically over two sessions with some in-between reflection time to iterate and iterate their STARC-based prototypes. The Invigorate session on April 27 took place at District 3 at Concordia University where the collaborative setting inspired innovation and the energy in the room was palpable. Some of the previous prototypes changed dramatically and others were tweaked slightly when thoughtful feedback from everyone in the room helped evolve ideas toward concrete and actionable prototypes. Find Out What’s NEXT ONLINE RESOURCES LEARNING LANDSCAPES JOURNAL Reflections on Dangers to Childhood Creativity “From his many years of studying creativity, Dr. Csikszentmihalyi has observed that the most creative people share a common experience in childhood: that of being left alone, often in a barren environment, and of being bored.” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a renowned psychologist, writes about loneliness, boredom and creativity. Read On VIRTUAL CAMPUS STUDENT SUPPORT LEARN TUTORING ONGOING THROUGH JUNE 18TH Secondary Tutoring With classes wrapping up, exams being written, and end of year activities happening at schools across Quebec, please note LEARN is offering Secondary Tutoring available (Math, History, Science) until final exams are written in each subject, June 11-18th. Thank you to the 1200-plus students, and their families, who put their trust in us to help them achieve their academic goals. LEARN Tutoring will be back to support students again in October 2018! LEARN about Online Tutoring 2018-2019 REAL-TIME & SELF-PACED ONLINE COURSES LEARNing Online LEARN’s Needs Assessment Survey was sent to all secondary schools in April and plans are underway for scheduling our 2018-2019 online courses, both Real-Time and Self-Paced. Want to learn a bit more about what the experience of our online students and teachers is really like? Enjoy our series of blog posts by Online Teacher, Audrey McLaren, and Co-ordinator of Online Learning, Kristine Thibeault. Read about LEARNing Online TESTIMONIAL Virtual Campus Success Stories Read More Success Stories Community Schools Network Stories COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENTS The Results Are In! A few months ago, LEARN’s Provincial Resource Team (PRT) engaged in a collaboration with the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN) to make a grant available to Community Learning Centres (CLC) to support the implementation of activities, projects and programs that address school-based mental health and wellbeing promotion initiatives. Learn about the Wellness Programs in Schools UPCOMING EVENTS  LEARN PROUD PARTNER OF ROBOCUP 2018 Robotics, Coding & Artificial Intelligence LEARN is proud to be a partner of the 22nd RoboCup International Competition and Symposium 2018 which will be held in Montreal from June 17 – 22, 2018 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. We are honored to work with Sara Iatauro, EMSB ETS Robotics Consultant, and the acting General Chair for RoboCup 2018 and Dr. Changjiu Zhou, Vice-President and Trustee of the RoboCup Federation. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the world’s largest International competition for intelligent and autonomous robots. Schools can plan a visit and register for the workshops at the Innovation Summit. The Innovation Summit offers a unique variety of workshops for teachers, students and passionate makers as well as curious individuals at all levels to learn about the world of robotics and AI. Open to visiting & interested schools: June 18 – June 22, 2018 in concurrence with the RoboCup International 2018 Montréal Canada Competition & Symposium Register for RoboCup 2018  COMPASSION IN ACTION CONTEST RETURNS AUGUST 2018 Empowerment! Compassion In Action  Student Contest will be back for the new school year ready to inspire/empower more students. Full contest details will be posted by August 20th. Come back and visit our web site in August to participate! In the meantime, listen and read what students who participated last year had to say about their experience and “life-changing adventure”! Testimonial by Misha Fotovati Meet More Winners Have a Safe and Happy Summer Break! NEXT NEWSLETTER ISSUE: AUGUST 2018 SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER Share Tweet Forward

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Emily Pulham, An Author That Cites Research In Your Project, Published A New Article

Another item from one of my open scholarship networks.

Emily Pulham published a new article: Comparing K-12 online and blended teaching competencies: a…       View publication

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Academia.edu Reading History — “Integrative Versus Instrumental Orientation Among Online Language Learners…”

From one of my open scholarship networks.

Here are some recent papers from your reading history Integrative versus Instrumental Orientation among Online Language Learners Orientação Integrativa versus Instrumental entre aprendizes on-line de língua by Chin-Hsi Lin  |  Downloaded 9 hours ago RECOMMEND Participation, Interaction, and Academic Achievement in an Online Discussion Environment by Binbin Zheng  |  Downloaded 9 hours ago RECOMMEND The adolescent community of engagement framework: A lens for research on K-12 online learning. by Charles R. Graham  |  Viewed 6 days ago RECOMMEND VIEW READING HISTORY Academia, 251 Kearny St., Suite 520, San Francisco, CA, 94108 Privacy Policy   Terms of Service   © 2018 Academia

Report On Career And Technical Education Presents Strong Empirical Analysis

Another report review from the National Education Policy Center.

Recent AEI report is mostly successful in illuminating how students in CTE programs demonstrate better outcomes than students with similar test scores in academic programs. View this email in your browser Thursday, June 14, 2018 Publication Announcement KEY TAKEAWAY: Recent AEI report is mostly successful in illuminating how students in CTE programs demonstrate better outcomes than students with similar test scores in academic programs. NEPC Review -> Document Reviewed -> NEPC Resources on Education and the Workplace -> CONTACT: William J. Mathis: (802) 383-0058 wmathis@sover.net James Rosenbaum: (847) 491-3795 j-rosenbaum@northwestern.edu BOULDER, CO (June 14, 2018) – Research has shown that, after controlling for the lower test scores on average of students who take Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, high school CTE programs are associated with higher high school graduation rates, overall educational attainment, and earnings than students in academic programs whose previous test scores are similar. But the mechanism underlying this relationship is not clear. A new report from the American Enterprise Institute hypothesizes that noncognitive skills mediate this relationship, and the report provides a sound test of this hypothesis. Professor James Rosenbaum of Northwestern University reviewed Hard Work and Soft Skills: The Attitudes, Abilities, and Character of Students in Career and Technical Education, and found it to be a strong, careful, and thoughtful empirical analysis of a strong dataset. The report suggests that CTE may improve attainments by improving noncognitive skills. The key implication is that, instead of a narrow focus on academic skills, educators need to consider how to improve students’ other skills to improve education and job outcomes. While the reviewer agrees that this implication is reasonably drawn from the report, he cautions that educators need a clearer interpretation of these “noncognitive skills” and whether they are persistent attributes or highly changeable behaviors. The review notes that the most remarkable feature of this report is the broad array of indicators it compiles, including how much effort students exhibit on a routine task (e.g., a long and boring survey in school), and teacher reports of student effort. Professor Rosenbaum concludes that, despite a few limitations, the report has constructed “innovative and impressive new indicators of noncognitive behaviors.” Find the review, by James Rosenbaum, at: http://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/review-CTE Find Hard Work and Soft Skills: The Attitudes, Abilities, and Character of Students in Career and Technical Education, written by Albert Cheng and Collin Hitt and published by American Enterprise Institute, at: http://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Hard-Work-and-Soft-Skills.pdf NEPC Reviews (http://thinktankreview.org) provide the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. NEPC Reviews are made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: http://www.greatlakescenter.org The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: http://nepc.colorado.edu Copyright 2018 National Education Policy Center. All rights reserved.

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Boulder, CO 80309

News Release – Virtual High School, Florida Virtual School, And D2L Complete Ambitious K-5 Curriculum Project: Elementary Course Suite Set To Launch For The 2018-2019 School Year

From a Canadian K-12 e-learning program.

For Immediate Release

NEWS RELEASE

Virtual High School, Florida Virtual School, and D2L Complete Ambitious K-5 Curriculum Project: Elementary Course Suite set to Launch for the 2018-2019 School Year

Virtual High School (VHS), Florida Virtual School (FLVS), and D2L have completed an 18-month course development project to write, design, and develop 36 elementary courses from Kindergarten to Grade 5. The project—which produced 34,903 pages of content—is one of the largest content development projects to take place in such a short timeframe in North America.

VHS joined forces with D2L to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP) released by FLVS in 2016. FLVS released the RFP following a decision to build out its own elementary course content rather than leasing content from another provider. With 20 years of experience in course design and development for VHS’s own course offerings, VHS felt well-positioned for success. VHS responded to the RFP as a vendor for content development services and was ranked as the top vendor by FLVS after a rigorous review process. The announcement to award the entire project to VHS, in partnership with D2L, was posted by FLVS in August 2016.

The completion of the Elementary Course Development Project is a major milestone for VHS, D2L, and FLVS. VHS and FLVS both built large teams to write, develop, and review course content in eight different subject areas (Math, Technology, Science, Physical Education, English, Spanish, Social Studies, and Art). Ramping up for the project meant an increase in staffing of more than 150 percent at VHS, resulting in more than 60 new staff hires to work in the small village of Bayfield, Ontario and live in the surrounding area. D2L supported VHS project management and created custom interactives and graphic assets for use in the courses. The final product of this project is a suite of engaging, interactive, and media-rich online courses to be used by FLVS in the United States and worldwide by any of its students or clients.

FLVS has reported that educational stakeholders are pleased with the outcome of the collaborative course development project and that students will have a positive experience in the online courses. FLVS, VHS, and D2L are excited about the launch of the course suite for the 2018–2019 school year and eager for students to engage with the courses created over the past 18 months.

QUICK FACTS:

• VHS is an online course development company, as well as a private online high school based out of Bayfield, Ontario.
• FLVS is a public online school based out of Orlando, Florida serving more than 206,000 students worldwide.
• D2L is a leader in learning technology based out of Kitchener, Ontario and creator of the Brightspace cloud-based learning platform.
• For more information about VHS, visit virtualhighschool.com
• For more information about FLVS, visit https://flvs.net/.
• For more information about D2L, visit https://www.d2l.com/.

ABOUT VHS

Virtual High School is an online course development company based out of Bayfield, Ontario, Canada that specializes in custom course development work. VHS has developed over 125 online courses ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 12, including its work with FLVS, and plans to expand its course development services in the future.

VHS is also a fully online high school offering Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) credits to students worldwide. VHS was created when its founder saw a need for a different approach to education that would allow flexibility and a student-centered approach to learning. Today, VHS’s model supports learners of all types. Students are able to start any day of the year and complete courses at their own pace and on their own schedules. VHS has issued more than 50,000 OSSD credits since 2001 and expects 9000 enrolments in 2018.

ABOUT FLVS

Florida Virtual School® (FLVS®) is a fully accredited, statewide public school district offering more than 150 courses to Kindergarten-12 students. Its certified teachers use a variety of personalized instructional programs to create individualized educational plans for every student. Since 1997, FLVS students have successfully completed more than 3.6 million semester enrollments. FLVS also provides its courseware and expertise to online and blended learning programs across the nation. Services include content licensing, FLVS Global School, District Virtual Schools, digital learning labs, and professional development. As a not-for-profit, FLVS reinvests revenue into the development of new educational technologies and the creation of the highest-quality courses, benefiting students in Florida and beyond. To learn more, visit http://www.flvs.net.

ABOUT D2L

D2L believes learning is the foundation upon which all progress and achievement rests. Working closely with organizations globally, D2L has transformed the way millions of people learn online and in the classroom. Learn more about D2L for schools, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.

 

VHS PRESS CONTACT

Kim Loebach
Director of Operations, Virtual High School
866-679-9377 ext. 310
Kim.Loebach@VirtualHighSchool.com

 

FLVS PRESS CONTACT

Tania Clow
Manager, Communications
407-513-3627
tclow@flvs.net

 

D2L PRESS CONTACT

Virginia Jamieson
Vice President of PR and AR, D2L Ltd.
650-279-8619
Virginia.Jamieson@D2L.com