OKVHS Virtual View
January Newsletter
Inside This Issue
- Don't Get Snowed Under-SACs' 10 Tips for Starting the Spring Semester off Strong
- Online Students Have Talent!
- Your Voice Student Poll
- Student Spotlight
- Fun Snow Activities
- OKVHS and Social Media
The Oklahoma Career Information System
Don't Get Snowed Under!
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT COORDINATORS’ 10 TIPS FOR STARTING THE SPRING SEMESTER OFF STRONG
1. Complete at least 1 assignment in each of your courses 5 days a week.
2. If you fail an assignment, contact your teacher right away and retake it.
3. Contact a teacher immediately if you don’t understand an assignment.
4. Print out your progress report for each of your courses and plan ahead for papers, projects, and books that you will need to read.
5. Work on your courses in an area where you will have little distraction.
6. Establish a routine for your school work and other activities.
7. Create a daily schedule and a to-do list. Prioritize your activities.
8. Set goals.
9. Contact 24/7 support immediately if you have a technical issue.
10. Get to know your counselor and Student Achievement Coordinator!
Online Students Have Talent!
Thank you for your sharing your talents!
We Still Want to Hear From You!
Fellow student, Ashley Pranger, says, "Going to an online school has helped me be in control of my time. Being sick all time and trying to go to public school didn’t work. With online school, I may be sick but, I can still do school. No more missing classes and having to make up work. I can also mange my time how I need to and go at the pace that is right for me. Even on snow days I can work ahead and still have fun. I also get one on one time with teachers, counselors, and student achievement coordinators. This has helped me in many ways."
Have you overcome crazy obstacles to reach your goals in school or in life? How has online learning helped you be successful? Why is online learning the best option for you? We want to hear your story! Send your testimony or inspirational story to your Student Achievement Coordinator, Jason Elliott, at jtelliot@advancedacademics.com. Participants will receive a prize!
YOUR VOICE STUDENT POLL
In the December Newsletter we asked, “What are your New Year’s Resolutions?” Here’s what you had to say:
- Get better grades/Do better in school
- Learn a new skill/Learn something new
- Say no to Junk food/Eat healthier
- Be a better friend/Be a better person
- Get a job/Make more money
- Break a bad habit
Thank you to everyone that submitted a response!
We wish you all a successful and happy 2014!
This month’s question is:
WHAT IS LOVE?
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
This month’s Student Spotlight is on Meaghan Schuchardt! Meaghan never really liked to study or take notes, but has noticed that it actually works! She reviews old assignments and keeps her notes handy when preparing for exams. She also makes sure that she has all of her work done before she logs off for the day to enjoy the activities that she loves including playing golf, drawing, building things, solving Rubik’s cubes, playing the guitar and piano, and playing games like Sodoku and Oblivion. She has seen that putting in the effort to improve her grades is worthwhile, and has helped her become a better student. We couldn’t agree more, Meaghan!
Meaghan knows that online school is the best option for her, and gives her a well-rounded education without having to leave the comfort of the couch. She loves how flexible her schedule is and often works ahead so that she can take a day off. Meaghan not only maintains excellent grades, but she also uses her flexible schedule at OKVHS to volunteer in her community, and has helped out during the local Art Festival, Medieval Fair, and concert series.
Congratulations, Meaghan!
We hope to spotlight YOU in next month’s newsletter!
DON’T LET OLD MAN WINTER GET YOU DOWN!
Parent Corner
OKVHS and Social Media
Social media is a great tool that allows people to connect and share information on a completely different level than before. As parents, it is important to know what social media is and what it can do for you and your students. For you not so tech savvy parents, social media may seem complicated and overwhelming. So here is some helpful information that will guide you into the vast world of social media.
First, it is important to define social media. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines social media as “forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content”. One easy way to understand social media is to compare it to when teachers break students into small discussion groups to talk about different subjects or to work on a group project. These small groups allow each individual to toss out ideas, thoughts, and concepts that the whole group then discusses. Social media is extremely similar to this, just on a much larger scale, and with people from across the world.
Now with a better understanding of what social media is, we can begin to look at and understand the differences between social media sites. The goal behind these sites is all the same, to allow people to connect, share, and collaborate. Each site attempts to do this in different ways, but the end goal is the same. Here is a breakdown of some of the top sites and a brief explanation about them.
Facebook – Users create profiles and connect with friends, family, and acquaintances. Users can also create groups that connect people under a common interest like movies, books, or alumni associations.
Twitter – Users create an account and submit short statements called tweets. Users make connections by following other users to see what they might be tweeting about. Tweets range from funny statements, to political comments, to random events happening in that user’s life.
Tumblr – Users create an account and can upload almost any form of information such as images, videos, audio, or comments. This information is shared via blogs and posts that other users can read and comment on.
Instagram – Users create an account and can begin sharing mainly images. These images range from artistic images to random images taken with a smart phone. The user can edit the image with a variety of filters and share the image across other social media sites.
Pheed -Users create an account with a similar style as Twitter, however Pheed also allows for users to upload videos, audio files, longer posts, and images as well.
YouTube – Users can upload a video that can be shared either publicly or privately. These videos range from lectures, to clips from movies or TV, to random videos.
Pinterest – Users create an account and can either upload their own images or browse images from other users and post them on virtual boards. Users can also follow other users and view the images they have posted.
Wikipedia has a rather detailed article about social media that can better explain some of the terms and lingo used within social media.
One of the major benefits of social media is information sharing. OKVHS uses social media to share need to know information with students and parents. Some of this information is fun and used to help engage the students. Other information is used to help them learn how to overcome obstacles with their studies, help them prepare for ACT and SAT tests, provide information about college applications, and provide general career guidance. While we do provide this type of information via email, mail, and phone calls; also adding this information to our social media sites allows us another opportunity to make sure both students and parents stay informed.
Social media is a great tool for gathering information, learning about different ideas and perspectives, and in general is a good way to allow students to expand their horizons. However there are dangers involved with social media and the internet in general. While most people are genuinely using social media and the internet for its intended purposes, there are always those that seek to exploit and manipulate these forums for their advantage. Ensuring your student’s safety is a top priority. That is why it is vital that parents learn and understand what social media is and how it is used, so you can talk with your children about avoiding these dangers. There are tons of sites on the internet that will help you ensure your child’s safety while on the internet, this site has several good resources that will help.
http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents
OKVHS encourages you to stay informed, and start using social media today!
Parents, Check Out Our Social Media Sites!!
YouTube
The Oklahoma Career Information System (OKCIS)
The Oklahoma Career Information System (OKCIS) is an internet based delivery system for accurate, comprehensive, current and relevant occupational, post-secondary school and financial aid information. OKCIS contains the latest national, Oklahoma, and local labor market data and projections.
OKCIS also includes information on:
- Interest inventories
- Job interview preparation
- Resume and cover letter creation
- How to keep a job
- Self-employment
- Military occupations
OKCIS is designed to support lifelong career exploration, and career planning and decision-making through easy to use, straightforward search and sorting utilities and online portfolio of saving information from all system components.
Please let your counselor know if you are interested in a webinar to learn more about OKCIS and careers.