ABOUTFAQ list
HOW IT WORKS
TIMETABLE
TERM DATES
FEES
SOFTWARE
HOW TO BOOK
CONTACT US
How to assess an online school
What you say about us
Social Skills and discipline
ABOUT OUR STUDENTS
Who uses an online school?
PARENTS as Education Partners
ABOUT OUR TEACHERS
Our Education Philosophy
HOW TO BOOKCONTACT US
HOW TO BOOKCONTACT US
GOING TO SCHOOLEveryone starts school at 09.30 (UK).
Each student logs into the school website. You will do this first at your personal introduction, and we will help you if you need it.
Note. The actual school is of course NOT on this public website, to protect the children's security.
IN CLASSOnce in the school classrooms the student goes to their own classroom. Each teacher comes to join the group for the lesson.
Our classrooms are a chatroom suite.
On the right the student can see who is there with them.
In the centre area they can see any conversation which is happening.
At the bottom they can see what they choose to type. Pressing Return. clicking 'Send' moves that comment into the big shared public area above so everyone can see it.
Note. There is a lot more to how the classrooms work. This is just a very basic description with a partial picture.
As the conversation changes we can all see what everyone is saying. It can be very fast and lively!
As you see in the picture above we can place pictures in the class. We can also put in a video.
One of the big advantages of online teaching and learning, is that a teacher can have private chats with a student, while the main class discussion is happening.
This is excellent for giving extra individual support; giving our high flyers extra challenges, checking a student is paying attention; using moderate discipline; or dealing with individual issues not part of the class for everyone else e.g. personal homework matters.
Private chats mean the class can be highly individualised yet work as a group. Of course it helps that we limit class size.
Normally a class is 8 - 12, sometimes a temporary maximum of 15.
Most of our classes are provided on the basis of typed conversation (text), lots of pictures, some videos, and visits to websites.Teachers can instantly distribute handout documents in seconds, with diagrams, pictures, maps, and explanations, or exercises to do.
Of course we constantly have the biggest Library in the history of humanity just a click away - the internet.
The classrooms do have Voice Chat but this is not a good technique for online teaching. We do use it from time to time but it has several disadvantages as a daily basic tool.
Firstly the more complex a software is the more likely it is to break down. In any one class, using Voice or other higher level tools, means that at least one or two students will say "Mine doesn't work!" The choice is to exclude those students, or to waste precious class time trying to help them with a fussy technology. Also weaker students will use this as an excuse to opt out of work.
Secondly, even if it does work, Voice discussion online is only workable for purely social occasions, or strictly disciplined ones, mainly among adults. A classroom is neither. The result is muddled, and difficult to maintain order.
There is an option to force all students to press a button to ask permission every time they want to speak. This is most undesirable as a lot of our effort is around building confidence to express ideas and opinions. While such rigidly strict discipline might be useful in large business meetings or academic conference, it is oppressive and frustrating to constantly force it on children all through their working day.
Some similar issues apply to Webcam: seeing everyone on a camera. As a higher level technology like Voice, it can too easily break down leaving a class exercise in a mess.
But in this age group there are specialist issues. We do not want students in lessons concentrating on clothing, hairstyles, etc. Finally this age group is typically self conscious of personal appearance, so appearing "on camera' is often distressing and damages their confidence. As a special occasion for those who feel comfortable webcam is lovely but not as a routine teaching tool.
Classes last an hour each, with long breaks to encourage leaving the computer and refreshing the brain. See the Timetable page. Classes end at 14.00 (UK) / 2pm. If you live east of the UK your school session will end at a later time.
HOMEWORKHomework is the most important part of a child's education. So the job of Parent Supervisor is also vitally important.
We help you do your job by providing a clear Timetable showing not only classes, but when homework is set, and when it is due in.
But the most powerful way we help you is by providing a personal student Report. This is not just a form filled out every term, or every month, or even week or every day. The Report automatically displays every activity around your student's work - or lack of activity, as it happens - or doesn't happen!
Your student Report shows each subject studied in a box, all on one page. In the subject box e.g. Maths, you can see markers for every item of work. The marker shows you if it is new, To Do; safely Sent in; returned Marked by the teacher showing the grade given; or that the work is Overdue.
This student Essie, is getting good grades. See the pearl markers all displaying EXCELLENT (A) or VERY GOOD (B).
Two items dated last week have been Sent but not yet marked (blue markers). But there are too many new items not yet tackled still showing To Do and there is a ghastly Overdue top left (black splodge).
Students receive a notification email that homework is set. It is then due in by the following day, midnight.
But of course email can fail us so a student and supervising parent is advised to check the personal Report page as well.
Students who fail to get homework in by the end of the week, go to Homework Class after the main classes are over for the day. Here teachers help them get the work done. If a student appears on the Homework Class list without good reason we can also set the Report to automatically notify the parent if work goes Overdue.
You may also like to visit the SOFTWARE page or TIMETABLE page.
Or check the side menus for more possibilities.
The site is being newly designed (May 2011).
This side menu will soon have links to lots of updated pages with details on each subject we teach.
LIST OF SUBJECTS
* IGCSE subjects
* ENGLISH
* MATHS
* Geography
* History
* Literature
Storytelling
Philosophy
Sciences
* Biology
* Physics
* Chemistry
* French
* Spanish
EXTRAS
About Religion
Private Tutorials
This side menu will soon have links to lots of updated pages with details on each subject we teach.
LIST OF SUBJECTS* IGCSE subjects
* ENGLISH
* MATHS
* Geography
* History
* Literature
Storytelling
Philosophy
Sciences
* Biology
* Physics
* Chemistry
* French
* Spanish
EXTRAS
About Religion
Private Tutorials
HOW TO BOOK
CONTACT US