Governor Corbett has unveiled a plan for the 2013-2014 state budget that will bring state spending to $11.7 billion dollars, or 41% of the state’s General Fund budget. This is considered unprecedented, in that the monies slated for education seem astronomical. This is roughly a $90 million increase from last year’s budget, per the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Regardless of the promising outline created, the question still in the minds of many at this point is simply: what monies will be slated for charter schools? The budget plan looks to increase spending on things such as the following:
$5.5 billion for Basic Education Funding to the state’s 500 school districts
$1.03 billion for Special Education
$100 million for Accountability Block Grants
$62 million for Career and Technical Education
$1.08 billion for the school employees’ retirement system
$634.5 million for student transportation
$544.5 million for school employees’ Social Security
So much is at stake with regard to the “School of Choice Movement.” With this in mind, it is the hope of many that Pennsylvania state legislation will soon speak to the needs of alternative schools, as well as other needs.
The winter doldrums are tough to beat. The cold weather makes it much more difficult to exercise outdoors. But, thanks to one of our physical education teachers, Mrs. Kennelly, we have a few indoor workout options to suggest for you! Here is a quick workout option you can do to stay fit, release endorphins, and maintain your healthy state of being, all from the comfort of your living room. You only need a small space, and this can be done without weights or gym machinery. Give it a try! If you like it, tell us how it worked out for you by commenting on our Facebook page.
Quick 30 Minute Circuit:
50 jumping jacks
30 sec. jump rope
20 alternating lunges
30 sec. jump rope
20 squats
30 sec. jump rope
60 sec. high knees
30 sec. jump rope
10 jump squats
30 sec. jump rope
10 burpees
30 sec. jump rope
60 jumping jacks
30 sec. jump rope
20 sec. mountain climbers
30 sec. jump rope
25 push ups
30 sec. jump rope
60 sec. plank
***Repeat 1 time
Not sure how to do a burpee? Take a look at the video below!
It’s just a pound symbol. This should be easy enough to figure out!
I’m sure you’ve heard the word before. Hashtag. Or, maybe you’ve heard it used in a sentence. A friend casually makes a joke by saying, “Ugh, I have so much homework to do tonight! Hashtag– Life Is Hard!” You laugh with the best of them and say something like, “Yes! Totally! Hashtag times a million!” But inside, you might be asking yourself: What on earth is a hashtag? Where does it belong? And how do I use one? Never fear! 21CCCS knows all about the mighty hashtag. We can help!
Twitter.com offers a help center to help you understand what you’ve been missing out on. CLICK HERE to access their article. If you don’t feel up to reading that, here is all you need to know:
Hashtags are used to categorize Tweets, or group messages
There are lots of hashtags already in use, so you can usually add a pre-existing hashtag to your tweet
Hashtags may help you to find trending topics, or simply topics that may interest you
Yes, it is spelled as one word. I promise. I looked it up.
For more hot tips, follow us on Twitter @21CyberSchool
The opinion is out there. Cyber school = no socialization. As a cyber school, we’ve heard the arguments and continue to believe that not everyone sees the whole picture.
21CCCS high school teacher, Mr. Bonnette, feels strongly that in spite of common beliefs that cyber schools limit socialization opportunities for students, we have a way of helping to engage our students through several mediums. Read below to learn more about this topic of interest, and what Mr. Bonnette has to say about it.
If you are a prospective parent and this is your first investigation into the possibility of sending your child to a virtual school, it is understandable you may have some concerns about socialization in a cyber world. Let’s face it; you are making a major decision, which is going to affect your child’s education, and life in general. So, understanding how we in the cyber community strive to ensure students have ample socialization opportunities is probably important to you.
There is a stigma existing in our world that cyber education isolates or eliminates the social opportunities children need in order to grow and mature into successful citizens. You may have had this thought brewing at the back of your own mind. As a parent and child it is important to understand that 21st Century Cyber Charter School strives to pay particular attention to this facet of the cyber school experience. We understand social interaction is important and place a heavy emphasis on providing each student, regardless of geographical location, with both virtual and face-to-face opportunities to socialize with peers and staff.
According to Watson and Gemin, virtual schooling fosters a number of positive social developments for our youth. The cyber learning environment provides:
Greater collaboration amongst students across grade levels, leading to accountability and responsibility for older students.
Cross-curricular communication outside a grade level cohort.
The break down of social and ethnic barriers.
Interaction with a broad range of cultures, ideas, and perspectives (2013).
In addition to the benefits of virtual socialization, 21st Century Cyber Charter School offers a host of activities in which students and parents may collaborate and socialize face-to-face. We host field trips each month, which are geared toward all grade levels and afford students the opportunity to meet with peers in an educational and social climate. Each week we host a community outreach program. These events welcome teachers and staff to various locations throughout Pennsylvania so that students may experience live tutoring and mentorship. We offer a number of clubs, which also provide students positive interactions with their peers. Finally, we encourage students to come into our main office location to work with their teachers during the school year. We’re always here for our students!
The possibilities for additional activities and socialization opportunities continue to grow. We are always learning, adapting, and changing. We welcome input as well! Students here have a voice and often help us to discover new trips, events, and outreach possibilities. We are a school of collaboration and exploration. We invite you to give us a try!
Hopefully this short segment has alleviated some of your concerns about socialization in a virtual school setting. By considering cyber school you are making a big decision, so be aware that 21st Century Cyber Charter School will do everything in its power to make your child’s education everything he/she wants it to be.
Watson, J., & Gemin, B. (2013). Socialization in online programs. North American Council for Online Learning. NACOL, n.d. Web. 9 Jan 2013. Site available at: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&ved=0CG8QFjAG&url=http://www.inacol.org/research/promisingpractices/NACOL_PP_Socialization.pdf&ei=l7XtUPTeI8a70AHs1YHYDw&usg=AFQjCNHti2mBpBIi3UXFF_7bPAs5CT-rkA&sig2=yhE-M3CWemMvMP5gKcS-LQ.
It has become a buzz phrase: Common Core Standards. Across the country, states and the schools within those states are choosing to utilize the Common Core. But what does that mean? What are the core? Why are they so common? And what does any of this have to do with your child?
The “Common Core” is a set of standards that outline what children should learn in schools. These standards were developed in an attempt to establish what curriculum is needed in order to help children succeed in college and the workplace. Further, the Core Standards outlines how schools should hope to deliver adequate knowledge and skills to their students.
Working with a new learning template is no easy task. The country is abuzz with how to implement the new standards. At the same time, speculators are looking to analyze whether or not the Core can really help schools to achieve what they propose. Articles are constantly written, examining the Core and what they may or may not be able to do.
Edutopia.org has recently provided a series of five articles, examining the purpose of the Common Core, and the effects it may have on schools. The Heritage Foundation recently published information on their website about the Common Core that suggests some needed areas of learning may be abandoned when the Core are implemented.
What does 21CCCS think about the Common Core? They are meant to act as a guideline. They provide a robust template, offering insight into what children need to succeed in the public school system. The Instructional Systems Design team here at 21CCCS uses the Core and develops individualized instruction that works for our students. We are in line with state standards and expectations and find that the new set of standards offers flexibility to learning.
Being informed is critical! For more information on the Common Core, see the article, “Facts High School Parents Must Know about Common Code State Standards,” provided by Studentnews.ie. And, if you learn of other articles that might help our constituents to remain in the know, feel free to comment via email or Facebook post! We love to hear from you!
The ‘school choice movement‘ refers to the concept that students and their parents should have the opportunity to attend school where they choose. As the shape of public education shifts over time, parents are more interested in finding alternative educational opportunities. Some parents favor the charter school movement while others are in search of vouchers and scholarships to send their children to private school. As a response to this, there are several organizations that exist to help parents navigate these choices.
How does 21st Century Cyber Charter School fit into the school choice movement? Because we are a public school, there is no fee to attend. Enrollment is not selective, but based on seat availability. As long as our school is not at capacity, we are able to offer enrollment. Being a cyber charter school makes it that much easier for us to accommodate the demands of our incoming students.
We enjoy being a choice for students because we feel that we offer opportunities for success. Students come to us in search of an alternative. In a recent article published by Lancaster Online, our CEO reported that we offer courses and opportunities that other schools can’t. We provide an online individualized curriculum to cater to our students’ learning styles. To learn more, CLICK HERE and read the article!
It’s that time of year again! As we near the holiday season, 21CCCS participates in a local food drive to support the efforts of the Philabundance organization. This organization responds to the hunger needs existing in the Delaware Valley through food acquisition, direct delivery services, and the coordination of volunteer services.
Last year, 21CCCS was able to contribute a little over 2,000 lbs. of food to the Campout for Hunger 2011 food drive. This year, we hope to raise the bar and do even more! If you would like to contribute too, follow these easy steps!
Bring non-perishable items to 805 Springdale Dr, Exton PA
Bins will be displayed where goods can be dropped off
All items must be donated by November 29th, 2012
All goods will be delivered to Campout for Hunger by November 30th, 2012
If you have other questions, feel free to give us a call at 484-875-5400. Thanks for your help!
Educating the masses is no easy task. It’s easy to keep up with the news as long as you’re talking about Justin Beiber or those Kardashians. But when it comes to cyber school education, it seems that the jury is still out. Here at 21CCCS, we recognize that not everyone knows the truth and the whole truth about cyber charter schools.
With 11 cyber schools currently operating in the state of Pennsylvania, people are becoming more and more in-the-know. Click here to read an article featured in Timesleader.com on July 17 of this year. It offers some insight into what either side of the fence contemplates. In the article, our CEO, Jon Marsh, helps to voice the strengths of cyber education. He also speculates on why a sometimes negative perception permeates the media.
In an article recently released by DistanceEducation.org, columnist Jennifer Williamson writes, “Today’s online education programs look nothing like they did decades ago—and some studies suggest they surpass traditional education.” The article titled, ‘Online Education: Better Than Traditional School?’ suggests that cyber schools afford students the opportunities for more individualized instruction, pacing, modified learning times, collaboration, and reflection. What’s more, recent reporting provided by the U.S. Department of Education, suggests that hybrid learning model (those which offer a mix of online education and on-ground instruction) provide the best all around experience for students.
While 21CCCS does not provide a hybrid education model, we do feel it is critical to invite distinctly personal elements of learning into our teaching model. This is, in part, what 21CCCS provides through our Learning Coach Model and our commitment to hosting monthly Community Outreach Events.
The role of the Plan for Student Learning Coach acts to bridge the gap between a fully online asynchronous learning experience and a synchronous one. Our Learning Coaches communicate with different students each day, answering questions, helping with assignments, and getting to know our students as individuals. They are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays. The learning coaches monitor student progress and engage students to work to their full potential.
In the way of outreach events, we believe that our school thrives because we combine individual instruction with many opportunities for students to socialize and interact in person. While students are not required to participate in synchronous lessons or our events, we recognize their positive effects and recommend them to all students. We find as a result, many students do participate in our events, and reap the benefits. They get to know their peers, interact with their teachers, and learn to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses as learners.
Williamson’s article really hit home the message that cyber education is nothing like it used to be. Today, we are not simply extrapolating on-ground instruction and shifting it into comprehensive text for a computer. Instruction is dynamic, mulch-faceted, and rigorous. It is interactive, adaptive, and constantly growing to meet the needs of students. 21CCCS is helping to show schools that, in the long run, online education can take students far beyond their computers and far beyond their own expectations.
