K12 online school WORKS for Wisconsin students

“Online learning gives students control over their time and space and makes them owners of that process. They aren’t getting it for someone else; they are getting it for themselves. In the security and ease of learning in their own home, students can go through the material more quickly and more deeply than in a traditional classroom setting. The students also learn to be good self advocates.”

“One of the neatest things about eAchieve Academy is there are students from all over the state and they come from very different backgrounds, so we get a lot of cool perspectives that the students share. As a history teacher, my goal is to have the students see that what happened in the past is directly related to what is going on in the world today. I want them to get to a point where they can make those connections on their own. If they understand history, they can understand current events.”

“I put together PowerPoints and lessons as I would have done for face-to-face, but now I talk to a screen instead of a class. With the eSessions, the students may get more actual teaching time than if they were face-to-face. And if a student needs extra help, I can set up separate one-on-one eSessions in the evening or whenever is convenient. Where else can you have access to a teacher like that?”

“My husband and I decided we wanted our children home for the middle school years to give us more control over their education during those formative years. eAchieve Academy gave us that opportunity. There tends to be more questions than face-to-face learning because they feel I’m more approachable than raising their hand and asking a question in front of the whole class. I try to reach the needs of individual students, so everyone walks away with the job of reading the great literary works.”

“Online learning brings out those qualities in students that they might hide in a traditional classroom. They might have a unique perspective on a topic but wouldn’t be bold enough to share it in a regular class. But in an online environment, they just open up and can be themselves. We do lots of hands-on ‘kitchen chemistry’ using tools that are associated with forensic science we keep in our households and using household items to mimic experiments that would take place in a lab. Some kids go way above and beyond in investigating on their own and sharing the results in their lab report.”

“The concept behind virtual education is being able to reach all kids. For one reason or another, traditional schooling isn’t a match for everyone, and it’s very gratifying being able to now reach those students. Kids create their own schedule, so they have to be self-motivated, focused and stay on pace by using their pace charts.”

“We’re just a click away from the students. Even though I can’t see the students, I still get to know them and their work habits, and I’m able to establish a rapport with them through the live sessions. Communication is the key, and my students know I get right back to them the same day when they have a question. Our students in eAchieve will have an advantage in life because online learning is the wave of the future.”