Do you offer both online and on-site classes? We offer both online and on-site classes. But, we do not offer "hybrid" classes where on-site and online students study together in one class.
What is distance learning? “Distance Learning'' is a general term used when students engage in learning and make academic progress without physically being present in schools. Learning is accomplished through a variety of resources and differentiated modes of interaction with teachers.
What is online learning? Online learning is education that takes place over the Internet. It is often referred to as “e-learning” among other terms. However, online learning is just one type of “distance learning”. (bridgeport.greatoakscharter.org)
What is a virtual classroom? A virtual classroom is a software-based teaching and learning environment that mimics the qualities of face-to-face classroom instruction. Teachers and learners can participate in live online classes, communicate with each other, hold discussions and watch videos or presentations, among other features. (blog.wiziq.com)
How are your online classes structured? Our classes are not pre-recordings, and they are not one-directional lectures. In our online classes, teachers and students interact in real time through Zoom Meetings. Teacher asks, answers, and provides immediate feedback all in real time. Students also interact with each other during discussions and in small groups inside Zoom breakout rooms. It works very much like a regular class except it happens in a virtual classroom setting.
What are Zoom breakout rooms? Breakout room is a feature in Zoom that allows a host (teacher) to split a Zoom meeting in up to 50 separate sessions. The meeting host (teacher) can choose to split the participants of the meeting into these separate sessions automatically or manually, and can switch between sessions at any time. (support.zoom.us)
Do students need to attend classes at specific times? Yes, our classes have specific time when it starts and when it ends. Students are expected to join the class through Zoom Meetings at the start of the class and stay on for the duration of the class. We do contact the parent if the student does not join the class within 5 minutes of the start of the class without a prior notification from the parent.
What programs do you use? We use Zoom Meetings (and/or Google Meet) for face-to-face class sessions and Google Classroom for sharing classwork and homework assignments. We also utilize discussion boards monitored in Google Classroom and interactive review games.
What is Google Classroom? Google Classroom enables teachers to create an online classroom area in which they can manage all the documents that their students need. Documents are stored on Google Drive and can be edited in Drive’s apps, such as Google Docs, Sheets, and so on. But what separates Google Classroom from the regular Google Drive experience is the teacher/student interface, which Google designed for the way teachers and students think and work. (www.dummies.com/education/internet-basics/what-is-google-classroom/)
How big are your classes? All our classes are limited to 6 students each. Exceptions are possible, but classes can often have smaller number of students.
What is the typical workload? Workload is different for different programs, but in general, 2 to 3 hours of homework is expected each week. We recommend that the students split this work into multiple 30 minute sessions over the course of one week.
What is needed to take an online class? Students will need a computer, broadband internet connection, and noise/interruption free work/study area. If you have more than one student at home, they may need separate study areas especially when they are in different classes simultaneously. We do not allow tablet computers due to their limited functionality.
Do we need to purchase books for the class? How do we receive the class material? We provide a list of books to be purchased by the student at the beginning of the school year. This list contains links to Amazon.com to facilitate the purchase process. Other class material is provided by us through Google Classroom and this material is included in the program tuition.
How do students join the online class meeting? Invitation to join the online class Zoom Meeting is sent to the student’s email. When the student accepts the invitation, a calendar event will be set up with the Zoom meeting link that students can access each day to join the class.
What if I do not want to share my child’s email address for privacy/safety reasons? If you prefer, you are welcome to use your (parent’s) email address for Zoom Meetings and Google Classroom invitations. Please let us know when you receive our request for the student’s email address.
Whom do I contact if my student is having trouble joining the class? Please call (not email) our office immediately to receive help. Please leave a voice message if no one answers (busy with another call), and someone will call you back as soon as possible. Our office staff will be in contact with you if a student does not log on within 5 minutes of the start of the class without a prior notification from the parent.
What happens if students run into technical issues during the class? Students can and do run into technical issues during class time. These may include issues with video, audio, and/or internet connection. We ask that the student’s computer and internet connection be checked before starting each class in order to minimize any technical issues during the class. Technical issues can disrupt not only the student who has the problem but also the whole class.
If a technical issue arises during the class, our office staff will be in contact with the parent in an effort to diagnose and possibly resolve the technical issue. It may mean power cycling the computer, checking the internet connection, using a different computer available, etc.
If the student could not continue with the class due to the technical issues, we will provide information regarding what was covered in the class that day along with the homework information on the Google Classroom portal such that the student can catch up with the day’s work offline.
If we could not get in touch with the parent during the technical issue, we will send out an email to the parent regarding the technical issue such that the issue can be resolved or mitigated before the next class.
What if the power/internet service goes out and my student is unable to attend the class or complete an assignment? Please call our office immediately, or email our office when the power returns. The message will be relayed to the teacher who will arrange ways for the student to make up missed homework and/or class work.
Do you have makeup classes? We do not provide makeup classes, credits, or refunds for missed classes. We may provide a makeup opportunity for certain student situations. For detail, please refer to our policy regarding makeup in our class schedule document or on our registration form.
Do students turn on their camera during the class? Yes, students are expected to have their camera on the whole time during the class except during the break time. If a student disappears from the camera or if the camera is turned off for a prolonged period without a prior permission, our office will be in contact with the parent to ensure the student's proper participation in the class.
PLEASE contact us if you have a question that is not answered in this document. We will do our best to answer your question. Thank you.