Newsletter November 2009
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Last week, in Nashville, Tennessee, a group of three students sat around
a lunch table with their teacher.
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In itself, this is not unusual at most of our schools. However, what
made this lunch unique was that the teacher, Heather Mannella, was from
Westover School in Connecticut, and her students from Harpeth Hall
School in Nashville were enrolled in her online Genetics course. When
they met in person there were hugs all around. Heather knows her
students well, and her students know her. They see each other regularly
online through video, audio, images, and text, and relished the
opportunity to have lunch together in person.
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When we started offering classes back in September, we were operating on
theories: the best courses for girls' in an online learning platform
should put connection and communication as central to the learning
process; girls should be afforded the opportunity to apply what they
learn to real-world problems; and creativity needs to play a large role
in the ways that our students interact and engage in their learning and
with the technology. Now, we are pretty sure that we are on to
something. Our students are engaged and enjoying their courses,
classmates, and teachers. The girls are challenged to think
differently. And, they are inspired by great teachers who ground their
teaching in research-based pedagogical approaches.
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OSG Behind the Scenes
Last month, we let you know that we were developing a course page for
people interested in the Online School for Girls program. That page has
been developed and is now open to the public:
http://courses.onlineschoolforgirls.org/brad.rathgeber/theonlineschoolfo
rgirlsadvantage/cms_page/view
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The course page includes information about the Online School for Girls
and online education, in general. In addition, it includes a sample
week from the currently running Genetics course. Please share with us
any thoughts.
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Charter Affiliation: A Great Way to Start Becoming Involved in Online
Education
"How can we be involved in the work of the Online School for Girls?" We
get that question a lot. Schools are thinking about online education in
a way that they have not before. They are seeing the benefits of
learning online (greater availability of courses and greater flexibility
for students), and want to find a way to get involved with online
education, but have a tough time finding an avenue for engagement...
until now.
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The Online School for Girls is built upon a deep-rooted belief in the
merits of collaboration. That belief carries over into the relationship
we hope to strike with other schools. We want to work collaboratively
with schools in order to create the best online learning environment for
girls. This is why we created a way for schools to affiliate with the
Online School for Girls. We have designed this level of partnership to
be attractive to schools who share our mission and desire to provide the
best possible educational experience for girls online.
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Charter Affiliates get a seat on the OSG Advisory Panel, which will help
us develop the learning product for a wide array of potential students.
This body will be convened several times a year (electronically) and
asked to focus their efforts on particularly germane topics to the
evolution and development of the Online School for Girls, ultimately
making recommendations to the board on these topics when and where
appropriate. Charter Affiliates also receive a lifetime discount for
students from that school (10% on all registrations from the school).
Through Charter Affiliation, schools can have a meaningful role in
developing this exciting new educational dimension and receive a
substantial financial benefit by becoming Charter Affiliates. The
one-time fee for becoming a Charter Affiliate is $2,000.
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Consider whether your school would benefit from becoming a Charter
Affiliate, and contact us at info@onlineschoolforgirls.org if you have
any questions or want to enroll your school as a Charter Affiliate.
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Webinar Series
One of the ways that the Online School for Girls wants to stay connected
to the larger independent school community is by offering a webinar
series to introduce school administrators and teachers to online
education. Registration is free, but limited to 20 participants. To
register for a webinar, email info@onlineschoolforgirls.org.
The Online School for Girls: Report on the Alpha Testing of OSG Courses
December 8, 2-3pm
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IN PERSON WORKSHOP:
The Online School for Girls
NAIS Annual Conference, February 26, 2010, 1:30-2:30pm
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