The Ultimate Back-to-School Guide for Virtual School Students
by Beth Werrell
How to Help Your Middle School Student be an Active Learner
byKristina Cappetta
5 min to read
Increasing student engagement in middle school can help your student become an active learner. An active learner refers to a student who learns by thinking deeply about concepts and asking questions. Active-learning methods are student-centered and require students to be active rather than passive.
As a Learning Coach, there are several engagement strategies for middle school students that you can introduce to help your student succeed.
Ways of Increasing Student Engagement in Middle School
Once students reach middle school, they are able to do many tasks on their own and start to learn to become more independent. Here are some ways you can help them get on the active learning path as their Learning Coach.
Be Organized
When students can begin to take notes as they’re learning, it helps them to think at a deeper level and become an active learner. Decide on a note-taking format and guide your student on how to summarize new concepts.
Define Key Words
One way to engage middle school students is to define the key vocabulary words they are learning. Help your student to read the words and definitions and make connections to what they already know about the words. While you want them to work independently, you can still review the notes to make sure the words and definitions are correct.
Encourage Self-Monitoring
You can encourage self-monitoring by encouraging your student to periodically stop and think as they read lesson material. Older students should be able to do this either after every few paragraphs, after each page, or after reading a paragraph with many details.
To support their online lessons, prompt your student to answer questions independently and check their answers. If they get the wrong one on the first try, encourage them to try solving the problem.
When it comes to math problems students should:
Read all lessons
Watch tutorials
Complete practice problems
Self-check answers
Look for other resources to understand the material further or practice new skills
No matter what subject your student is learning, you can help them become active learners by reviewing parts of the lesson if it’s incorrect and continuing to work with them as they grow and mature.
Create a K-W-L Chart
K-W-L stands for “Know,” “Want to Know,” and “Learned.” At the beginning of each lesson, have your student list what they know about the topic. Then, they list what they want to know. Once they learn more about the topic, they list what they learned. This can get your student thinking deeply about their lessons.
Ask Questions
Another way of increasing student engagement in middle school is to encourage your student to ask questions. This is especially helpful when they are learning about new topics. Besides asking the basic questions like who, what, where, and when, encourage them to ask open-ended questions like what do you think is going to happen next in the story? Or what do you think is the best way to solve this problem?
Always Get Clarification
You can’t expect your student to become an active learner if they can’t understand the basic concepts of the lesson. Encourage them to always get clarification. If they can’t do this by rereading the content, have them contact the teacher. This shows they are taking an active role in the learning process so that they don’t fall behind.
Engagement Activities to Encourage Active Learning in Middle School
As you look for engaging activities for middle school students, consider these activities:
Look for Experiments
One way you can encourage active learning in middle school science is to look for science experiments you can do with them at home that can help make what they’re learning in school come to life and reinforce how the scientific method can be applied in different ways. Encourage your student to do research, form a hypothesis, and record their findings to encourage them to see the world from all angles.
Get Them Interested by Connecting Lessons to Their Lives
Make lessons they are learning in school relevant to something they are interested in or interact with every day. If they are learning about coding, help them understand which coding languages are used for what kind of applications or how algorithms work on their social media feeds. This may lead them to explore the world of coding on their own... and become a more active learner. Scenarios like these can make learning come to life.
Encourage the Use of Technology
Students love to use technology. Encourage them to use their tablets or laptops to research a topic and ask questions.
Active Learning Games for Middle School Students
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to active learning games for middle school students. There are many simple games you can play to get them thinking and having fun.
Scavenger Hunt
While this may require some work on your part, you can set up a scavenger hunt and have your student look for items that pertain to a lesson. The idea is to get them to think about what they’ve learned and how they can apply it as they look for the items. For example, they could find shapes from a geometry lesson or see how items in the house could relate to a book they’re reading.
Game Night
Challenge your student’s knowledge of what they’ve learned by setting up a game based on what they are currently studying. Provide an incentive by offering a prize for a certain number of correct answers. The goal for this activity is not to test their memorization skills but rather to encourage them to think more actively about what they have learned. Perhaps ask your student to make a playlist for the book in their English assignment.
These types of active learning games for middle schools combined with the engagement strategies for middle school students mentioned earlier should help get your student on the right path to becoming an active learner. By taking an active role as a Learning Coach, your student can become an active learner.
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Top Reasons Why Online Schools Work for Parents
by Beth Werrell
Imagine yourself in the shoes of a parent with a child who has asthma. Sometimes, asthma attacks keep your child out of school. He misses classes, homework, and tests—which means he has to work extra hard to catch up. This happens multiple times per year, and it's starting to take a toll on your child and your family.
Now think about the flip side of this scenario: with online learning, your child's asthma attacks don't hold him back. Instead, your child gets schoolwork done at home in a time line that works for you and your family. No more missed tests, stockpiles of homework, or anxiety on account of falling behind.
As a parent of a child in virtual school, you have access to greater flexibility and control. You set your child's daily schedule. You decide if your child can go on a family vacation and still get schoolwork done. You decide when the learning day starts and when it stops.
These are just a few of the many benefits parents can experience when their child attends school online. Over the years, many parents have told us that Connections Academy works well for their family when they can:
- Dedicate time to keeping the student motivated throughout the day
- Provide ongoing guidance and encouragement
- Help monitor student comprehension and progress
- Organize and structure the learning day
- Maintain regular contact with their child's teachers
- Encourage their students to interact with others through field trips, clubs, and community activities
Don't Take Our Word for It … Hear It from Real Parents
Learning about what Connections Academy can do for your family is great, but it's not the whole picture. We want you to have all of the facts, both from the source and from those with firsthand experience, so you can make the right decision for your child and your family.
Take a look at some of the reasons why online school works well for parents, as told on the Connections Academy Facebook page:
Parent Involvement
One of the most common reasons parents appreciate online learning is the extra time it unleashes to spend time with family. In particular, parents have communicated to us that it provides them with the opportunity to take an active role in their children's learning. Parents don't just act as the "homework helper"—if they wish, they can take a more proactive approach to what their children learn, like these parents below:
"It gives us as parents the opportunity to see how our kids learn. Usually we rely on the teachers, but [now] I know for myself what works and what doesn't."—Carmisha W.
"It allows us to spend more time together, learning together. It allows my role in their education to be more than a homework nag."—Amanda M.
"My kids can focus on learning rather than the taunts of the many bullies in an overcrowded classroom."—Kimberly B.
Flexible Scheduling
Online education provides a much more flexible environment than a brick-and-mortar education. Even though roles and activities are carefully structured to ensure that students develop a love of learning and gain skills essential to their future success in school, parents can choose the daily routine and learning atmosphere for their children.
"My boys can stand up, walk around, or bounce on a ball while learning. No sitting and listening to lectures. We have active discussions, which provides ample time for questioning and a deeper level of understanding."—–Jennifer C.
"We have been able to really work with the flexible schedule. They have been to Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania, will get to go on an Alaskan cruise before the brick-and-mortars finish for the year, and have been able to travel with me for work and still get the schoolwork accomplished!"—–Darla T.
"We can alter our schedule around trips and still not get behind on work."—–Elizabeth R.
"My child can work when she needs to, she can enjoy her hobby freely, and I get to have her around me during the day."—–Cricket C.
"I appreciate that he can work when he isn't feeling great because of his asthma. Sometimes he feels like he isn't sick enough to need a sick day and still wants to work. In brick-and-mortar [school], he would have been sent home and then be forced to catch up on missed work when he was able to return. Connections Academy allows me to monitor his health and well-being while continuing to let him thrive!"—–Amanda M.
Are you a parent of a child attending Connections Academy? We would love to hear your perspective on why online school works for your family in the comments below.
Or if you are considering enrolling your child in an online education, learn more about Connections Academy today.
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Top 10 Things Virtual School Teachers Want You to Know
by Beth Werrell
If you’re like most virtual school parents, you are probably eager to discover new ways to improve the learning experience for your student. While blogs and Pinterest(opens in a new tab) boards are certainly great places to search for educational ideas, don’t overlook what can be your very best resource: your child’s teacher!
Just like a traditional schoolteacher, your child’s online teacher can be a wonderful advisor with keen insights into how children learn best. As they work with children each day, they develop new ideas and fresh approaches to learning that help ensure academic success.
In recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week, we asked online teachers across the country to tell us the most important things families need to know about virtual school. We hope their insights and tips will inspire you and help fuel your family’s success with online learning!
Stick to it!
Teachers tell us that the first few months of online learning can be challenging for families. “Hang in there” and maintain regular contact with your child’s teacher. As you become accustomed to the technology and establish a routine, it will get easier and you’ll begin to reap the rewards of educating your child at home.
Know your computer.
Parents who serve as their child’s Learning Coach need basic computer and software skills. Take time to complete your virtual school’s orientation and to explore the school’s education management system. It’s important to know how to access and use your school’s online resources, including the curriculum, virtual classroom, grade book, and communications.
Get directly involved.
Virtual school is not a self-study program for children! Parents need to be engaged in their child’s learning on a daily basis. For younger students, the parent or Learning Coach will need to be hands-on for much of the day. Middle and high school students will require less direct involvement, but still need supervision, support, encouragement, and assistance with time management.
Expect challenging schoolwork.
A high-quality online school will offer a curriculum that is just as rigorous as that of any bricks-and-mortar school. Your student should be prepared to work hard and to be held accountable for the quality of his or her schoolwork. Learning self-motivation is key for student success.
Your student is the focus.
With online learning, teachers often have greater freedom to personalize the program to fit the individual. They can tweak lessons or projects to provide additional study on a difficult concept, direct a child to online resources for practicing skills, or add challenge to inspire the advanced student. They also provide regular feedback and personal attention when needed.
Ask your teacher!
Online teachers have to meet the same professional and educational qualifications as teachers in traditional schools. They know their subject matter and how to teach in any setting, so when your child has a question or problem, contacting the teacher is the best way to resolve it. The parent may initiate a call or email to the teacher for elementary school students. In middle and high school, students can reach out by themselves—and develop social and communication skills as they learn.
Don’t overdose on flexibility.
While having a more flexible schedule is one of the wonderful qualities of virtual school, that shouldn’t necessarily mean doing “whatever you want, whenever you want.” Children do need structure, and it’s the Learning Coach’s job to provide that framework. Your student will also have deadlines that must be met and may need reminders and assistance with planning long-term projects.
Set a good pace.
With virtual school, students can advance through their lessons at a pace that works for them. Instead of waiting for classmates to catch up, an advanced student can proceed to the next lesson once he or she has mastered the material. For more challenging subjects, students can take extra time to absorb new information, if needed. Parents do need to make sure their child is on track for deadlines and for completing the semester on time. Teachers strongly recommend working ahead so your student has a “cushion” built into the schedule.
Join the community.
To ensure your student develops socially as well as academically, it’s important to take advantage of the field trips, parties, and other special events offered by your virtual school. Your child can also exercise his or her social skills by joining online clubs and activities. These opportunities can also help students and their families connect with the school’s supportive learning community.
Get closer.
Be prepared to spend more time with your child! Doing virtual school together works well for a family-centered lifestyle. With a more flexible schedule, you can arrange the school day to accommodate family time, community- or faith-based events, and other activities that your family values. Sharing these activities and working as a virtual school team can strengthen the family bonds you cherish.
We hope that these teacher-tested tips will help you make the most of online education—and your relationship with your child’s teacher. Many students and families tell us that the strong connections with teachers are among the most rewarding aspects of virtual school. So, as the spring semester winds down and in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, be sure to reach out and thank your teachers for their hard work throughout the school year!
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