ANDY’S ONLINE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

Oklahoma Connections Academy is a public school where all kinds of students can find a learning environment that fits their unique needs. For Andy, that means learning at his own pace and getting the personal attention he requires.

DAY IN THE LIFE OF ANDY

Finding the Right Academic Support

Andy has been with Oklahoma Connections Academy since Kindergarten, learning in a way that works best for him. With his teachers and Learning Coach, Kelli, by his side, he has all the personalized support he needs to succeed in school.

Type of Learner

MIDDLE SCHOOL

LEARNING NEEDS

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Learning Coach

Grandmother

School Schedule

9:00 a.m. – Get up and have breakfast
10:00 a.m. – Watch videos, relax, prepare for the day
11:00 a.m. – Start school, including Live Lessons®
1:00 p.m. – Full lunch … or my famous homemade smoothie
2:00 p.m. – Continue with school and Live Lessons®
3:00 p.m. – Portfolio work (when necessary)
4:00 p.m. – Relax, play video games online
5:00 p.m. – Help cook supper
6:00 p.m. – Eat together as a family; discuss the best parts of our day

ANDI'S STORY

Traditional School Isn’t for Everybody

Andy’s family could see their young son was struggling. He didn’t seem to be connecting with his school’s curriculum and traditional approach to learning. Faced with the same situation, other families may have chosen to wait and see, but Andy’s family immediately began looking for other options. They discovered Oklahoma Connections Academy and enrolled Andy for Kindergarten. Andy's grandmother, Kelli, has been his primary Learning Coach since he enrolled, as both his parents work full-time.

Learning, Andy’s Way

Right from the beginning, Andy received the additional support he needed. Today, he continues to be part of small groups that provide “personal attention [for] difficult concepts” in any of his courses. Andy understands how valuable these groups are. “It’s like getting tutored,” he says.

The flexibility of the Connections Academy curriculum enables Andy and his Learning Coach to adapt his schedule to what works for him. “As a person with ADHD, my mind often begins to wander after about 10 minutes,” Andy notes. Their approach: take as many breaks as Andy needs, “and then I can grasp the academic concepts quicker.”

Field Trips (and Trips Down Memory Lane)

Though Oklahoma Connections Academy is an online school, there are many opportunities to get together in-person with teachers and other students. Andy especially enjoys the field trips – and not just because the activities are fun and interesting. He reports that he has had “a great relationship with each one” of his teachers, going back to when he first started at the school. “During field trips, I get to visit with my teachers all the way back to my kindergarten teacher,” he says.

A Role Model

Reading didn’t come easy for Andy. As a kindergartener at Oklahoma Connections Academy, Andy was able to receive the additional support he needed, including summer tutoring. Now, as an older student and stronger reader, Andy’s former teacher invites him back to read to current kindergarteners. Andy is proud that the support he was given has come full circle:

It helps other kids who may have trouble reading [to] know that eventually it gets better.