| |
 |
|
|
 |
|
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
|
What is Global Virtual Curriculum?
Global Student Network, is an international provider of Global Virtual Curriculum. It is a collection of 80+ courses for grades 2-12 that are delivered via a unique learning platform. The platform includes four access portals: Student, Parent, Teacher and Administrator. (back to top)
How does Global Student Network integrate with our school?
Global Student Network consults and assists your school in implementing a Virtual Learning Academy to serve your students, using your teachers, policies and procedures. GSN will provide training to your staff on curriculum and platform, consultation to assist your administration, and per pupil curriculum licenses. Global Virtual Curriculum has been implemented in a variety of best-practices throughout the country, and has the flexibility to be customized to any schools unique needs. (back to top)
What does it cost to get started?
There is a One-Time School / District Set-Up Fee of $2500.00
The Set-up fee includes:
• Customized web page for enrollments, both student and faculty
• Complete on-site or online professional orientation and training for faculty and administration (Point of Contact)
• Provide Point of Contact recruitment materials for students and faculty
• Student & Teacher data entry into Global Virtual Curriculum platform
• Issuance of Individual User names and Passwords
• Ongoing Technical and Educational Support to the Point of Contact
• Marketing Consultation
• Consultation for program administration to ensure a seamless integration within your school and district. (back to top)
What is the per-pupil license, and what does it include?
Global Virtual Curriculum is distributed on a per-pupil/per year license. The unlimited course license is valid for 365 days, which begins on the date the student first logs on to the platform. The per student/per year fee is $625. Volume discounts are available, based on the size of your school, and the number of students enrolled in Global Virtual Curriculum. There is also a single course price of $225 per course for up to 2 courses. After the 3rd course is added the license becomes unlimited. (back to top)
What about Summer School?
Summer session is June 1st - August 30th
Yes, in fact many schools are using Virtual Learning Academies to replace traditional summer school programs. Some of the benefits include:
• Eliminate site costs (heating/cooling, security, electricity, cleaning)
• Teachers and students can work anytime, anywhere Students and teachers have 24/7 access to all learning materials, as it is web-based
The cost of the summer school license is $300 per student, which includes unlimited courses. Summer school option is available June 1st through August 30th each year. (back to top)
What Courses are included in Global Virtual Curriculum?
Global Virtual Curriculum includes all academic courses required for grades 2-12. Elementary and Middle School courses include Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. High School courses include those four core areas as well as Foreign Languages and many electives. (back to top)
Can Courses be added after enrollment?
Yes, with the unlimited course license, classes can be added anytime during the year using the add-a-couse form. (back to top)
Does Global Virtual Curriculum include College Preparatory courses?
Yes, each high school courses can be considered College Prep. Also, there are several math and science courses in the “Integrated” category that contain less theoretical constructs and more practical applications. (back to top)
How do I get my school started?
When your school is ready to start:
• Onsite or online training of administration, faculty and staff to be determined. A customized web page will be designed for the Point of Contact (POC) to submit faculty and student enrollments.
• All enrollments, course additions and emails will be processed within 24 hours. An e-mail will be sent to the point-of-contact for confirmation, including usernames, passwords and tasks completed.
• Student can begin working as soon as they receive their user name & password from POC. (back to top)
How is a students progress monitored?
All student work and progress can be viewed from the student, parent, teacher and administrator portals. Each lesson is color coded for different stages of student progress. The visual cues provide instant feedback when a student has viewed, completed or submitted an assignment.
When a student submits a completed assignment, it immediately appears in the teachers “Lessons to be graded” window. When reviewing and grading a students completed assignment, the teacher has the option to mark each question“correct”, “incorrect”, or “redo”. Marking a question for redo allows the student to further research an assignment and provide corrected work, without having to redo the entire assignment.
Parents can monitor their students progress through the Parent portal, a read-only version of the Student portal. (back to top)
How are the courses structured?
Each course for grades 2-12 has 36 weekly lessons, with a Learning Assessment at each lesson, a midterm at week 18 and final at week 36. Each unit is designed to be completed in an average of 4 hours, or a total of 144 “seat time” hours.
High School courses are either full year, 36 weekly lessons, or semester long courses, 18 weekly lessons. (back to top)
How were the courses developed?
Each course, was developed by a Master’s level, Board Certified or Highly Qualified Teacher, along with a team of curriculum to meet the National curriculum and content standards. (back to top)
Is the coursework accredited?
Courses, or curricula, are not accredited. Accreditation is granted to educational organizations based on many considerations, including the curriculum that is used and the faculty and staff that deliver education services. Global Virtual Curriculum is currently in use by over 200 school districts nationwide, many of whose schools are accredited by their regional accrediting organization. (back to top)
Are all courses Virtual?
Yes, each course on Global Virtual Curriculum is delivered Online. There are a few courses that have additional resource requirements. (back to top)
Can the Standards and Indicators for Global Virtual Curriculum be reviewed?
Global Virtual Curriculum courses are deeply rooted in the National Academic Content Standards. Global Student Network will provide access to the password protected Course Standards, Benchmarks and Indicators website, on request. (back to top)
How can Global Virtual Curriculum be used for Special Education?
Global Virtual Curriculum is especially beneficial to students with learning disabilities. Although the research isn't yet out, there are several studies on- going regarding the application of virtual curriculum in Individualized Education Plans for children with disabilities. Anecdotally, we're convinced that children with particular disabilities do well with the Global Virtual Curriculum. Some of the features that are particularly valuable for students with special learning needs are:
• Flexible curriculum: The annual license is for unlimited courses 365 days. If a subject is too difficult, or to easy, a student’s coursework can be adjusted up or down a grade (or more) to make sure they're learning at the appropriate level.
• Auditory component: Every lesson includes a PDF version which, when Acrobat 6.0 or above is installed, will read the text of the lesson to the student. This feature enhances the link between the audio and visual components of learning.
• 24/7 availability: A student can access the courseware in their optimum learning period,anywhere, anytime.Teacher over-ride. The teacher module includes the answer keys, and will calculate the % correct, but the teacher can over-ride on lesson and course grade.
• Individualized feedback: Internal messaging system reduces the stigma of student embarrassment in the classroom. Only the teacher knows which grade level the student is working at.
• Teacher over-ride: The teacher module includes the answer keys, and will calculate the % correct, but the teacher can over-ride on lesson and course grade. (back to top)
|
|
© 2004 - 2010 Global Student Network, LLC
Home | How it Works | Faq’s | Courses | Enrollment | Demo | News
|
|
|
