Parents are asking…..

How do colleges perceive transcripts from virtual schools?

In our experience, we find that colleges accept and value the virtual or blended transcript as they would a traditional transcript. In many cases, our students report that the courses they experience virtually – online – are more difficult than those in the traditional school. This of course is not reflected on the transcript but colleges (89% offer online courses themselves) are well aware of the rigorous environment created in online/virtual coursework.

Accountability is an important facet of online learning. The student soon realizes the burden of responsibility lies within. Our GDA graduates are doing well in college and their transcripts have NEVER been questioned. Our graduation diploma is as valid as those from the traditional school.

Do online students have a stigma?

A stigma according to Webster is something that detracts from the character or reputation of the person. We do not feel that our students/families have a stigma attached to them. We do embrace the thought that our students are pioneers…fearlessly entering the online world of education…and are change agents of the highest order.

Change is never easy. The educational structure of our traditional schools was designed for an agrarian society of the late 1800’s.  It is no secret that those times have changed. Virtual education allows our rural school to offer hundreds of courses that would never be possible in the traditional school.    GDA is not here to replace GLS. We are a collaborative educational entity that wishes to redesign education as we know it today in 2009.  Our students fare well on state and federal testing, are well rounded, participate in numerous extra curricular activities, and are civic minded.  We see no stigma.

As Elie Wiesel, Pulitzer Peace Prize winner said, "Often those who talk of stigma have the problem…not those that are being discussed."

How does online course work make a student accountable?

The essence of online academic work is the accountability the student must exhibit. The teacher is not in front of the classroom. The teacher has prepared the lesson, is accessible, but the teacher is a guide on the side…not the sage on the stage. The student is directly responsible for reading the assignment, completing the assignment, communicating with the teacher, and submitting the lesson. The day of "sit-n-git", as coined by educator Roland Barth, is over! The synergy is on Learning…not Teaching.

If the work is not completed, the student has only himself/herself to blame. At GDA our highly qualified teachers are available from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. daily in the classroom. Their computers remain open and viable until 11 p.m. nightly. However the student is the "manager of his/her fortune". The student must take the initiative to access the classroom online, engage the curriculum, and complete the learning exercise. 

We find most GDA students have a period of transition when they enter the virtual school. It does not take long before the feeling of accomplishment and success instills the desire in the student to experience more of the same. Their communication skills are honed and perfected. It is a fantastic transition to see a student gain this expertise and become adept at learning and sharing.

We are always so pleased when students begin to see they are indeed "masters of their own fate".

We hear the online teachers are tough? Is that good?

GDA takes pride in hiring only the finest, most dedicated professionals. Our teachers take lunch with their students. Our teachers enjoy a free period AFTER our students leave at the close of the day. Our teachers constantly field questions/concerns from the moment they arise until they end their day. The computer is the tool…but the incredible teacher…that "decisive element in the classroom" is the major key!

Tough – you bet!  But tough in a great way!  Our teachers uplift. They are balcony professionals who cheer our students along the way. We believe that all students are gifted. It is our responsibility, as teachers, to unwrap the gift…and share it with the world. We possess extreme power to make or break a child. This is a trust. Parents trust us…and we must honor that conviction daily. As Einstein said, "Everybody is a Genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid."

If "tough" is defined as expecting the best, wanting our students to gain the skill for a lifetime, wishing for them to understand that often repetition is the mother of skill…then, yes!  We are tough! We are also loving, all embracing, never punitive, and will believe forever in the goodness of youth.  We love our mission here at GDA! And that mission is the student!