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Who can take a VHS@PWCS course?
- Any student enrolled in a local public high school. Most students use VHS as a "supplement" to their traditional school day and take an 8th or 9th course. VHS does have options for limited full-time enrollment - see your base/home school counselor in PWCS for an application and other details.
- Rising freshmen can take any 9th grade course in the summer session before they begin high school - be sure to discuss this with your counselor so you are taking the correct "version" of the course.
- 8th grade students can be approved for certain VHS courses if they meet the criteria and have counselor approval. For advanced math courses, schools/parents may also need to seek approval from the Math curriculum supervisor - to ensure the student is on the correct path based on their previous coursework and SOL scores. 8th grade students can take VHS courses in World Languages and Math if they meet the criteria below and have counselor approval:
- Geometry: Successful completion of Alg. I with a B or higher and pass advanced SOL score - school may require a signed parent/student agreement
- Algebra I: Successful completion of 8th grade math with a B or higher and pass advanced SOL score - school may require a signed parent/student agreement.
- Latin I, Spanish I: Approval by MS counseling dept. Offered in fall/spring only.
- Latin II, Spanish II: Successful completion of level I with B or higher - school may require a signed parent/student agreement.
- 8th grade students are only permitted to take HPE, Social Studies, Language Arts, or Science high school level courses after they have completed the 8th grade prerequisite with a B or higher and a pass advanced SOL score. See more details here on science courses from the VDOE.
- All students must discuss their plans to take a course in VHS with their counselor and receive verbal approval. If the school does not approve the enrollment, the student will be withdrawn.
- Courses are offered 3 times per year: fall, spring and summer sessions
- We are not able to enroll private school students per VDOE regulations unless they are dual enrolled in PWCS. (§ 22.1-212.27. Students enrolled in online courses and virtual programs. Any student enrolled in any online course or virtual program offered by a local school division shall be enrolled in a public school in Virginia as provided in § 22.1-3.1.)
- Home-instructed students can enroll after registering at their local (zoned) school. Students are permitted to take up to two courses per semester session.
- To view session dates and enrollment windows - see the main menu item titled: "Session Schedules" on this site.
- To better assess your readiness for an online course, please take a moment to review the tips below and review our Readiness Rubric.
- Remember this motto: Online courses are not shorter or easier than traditional courses, they are simply more flexible. The flexibility is in the time of day and location where the student works and how much time they may need to spend on a lesson/module to complete it successfully. There are still 4 marking periods, students still have an instructor and synchronous (real-time) communication + direct instruction, and students still have to meet all coursework deadlines. The courses are on a semester pacing, so the completion is accelerated. In fall and spring students spend an average of 7-9 hours per week and in summer, students spend an average of 4-6 hours per day, per course.
- For more details on policies and procedures for the VHS@PWCS - see our Student Handbook.
- All course descriptions can be found in our COURSE CATALOG.
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Characteristics of a Successful Online Student:
Here are seven attributes that should have or need to develop for successful online learning:
- You have to have a sense of self. Successful learners online have an awareness of metacognition -- self-motivation, self-starting, and ownership of one's actions. In other words, they reflect on how they learn as well as what they learn.
- You need to be able to manage your time wisely. They must be able to lay out their tasks with a critical eye, plan them accordingly, and follow them through to fruition -- many times without someone looking over their shoulder.
- You have GOT to know how to collaborate. This is a biggie. More than an understanding of technology, more than a perfection of writing skills, the ability to collaborate is one that must be used comfortably online.
- You need to be able to set goals for yourself. Being able to see the target and backwards plan towards that target is vital.
- You need to communicate well in writing. The entire online community is based on the language of words and how to communicate them effectively. One cannot use texting language and expect to be heard. A student needs to use their best level of writing.
- You must follow the community norms. Just like a classroom has a set of rules, so does an online class. A student must function within the norms and rules of netiquette set up by the instructor (or, better yet, agreed upon by the class itself).
- You must be your own advocate. As slam poet Taylor Mali once wrote when asked if they would be tested on the material, "If not you, then who?" So does it go with being one's own advocate. If you won't ask the questions, take control, and make sure your voice is heard in a positive way...then who will?
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-learning-seven-tips-heather-wolpert-gawron
What do I need to be successful?
- Daily Internet access is critical.
- An organized, distraction-free work environment.
- VHS courses are text-free, however, you may be required to obtain certain novels/books for language arts courses, or materials for home labs in science.
- Students must have a computer (desktop or laptop), with a mic/speakers or headset (recommended), and a browser-enabled web cam. Students should expect to complete video assignments and communicate in real time with their VHS instructor during virtual classroom live lessons.
- Click here to test your computer
Desire2Learn/D2L - the VHS@PWCS learning management system also has a "system check" link on the course homepage that can be used for any computer.
If you are planning to take an online course, please keep in mind:
•Online learning coursework cannot be neglected because of personal or family circumstances, unless there are compelling reasons.
•Some students prefer the independence of online learning; others find it uncomfortable.
•Online learning courses give you greater freedom to schedule your work, but they also require more self- discipline.
•Some people learn best by face-to-face interaction with other students, but online courses do not allow much opportunity for this type of interaction. Students collaborate asynchronously in a threaded discussion board.
•Online learning courses require you to work from written directions, without face-to-face explanations by the instructor.
•Online courses use technology for teaching and communication. You must be comfortable with basic computer techniques and file management.