How many students will be in my online course?
The Online School for Girls’ courses are limited to 20 students; many will have fewer.
How difficult are the courses?
Students should expect that their courses in the Online School will be vigorous and academically challenging, designed to challenge college-bound students. A student can expect that she will spend several hours a week directly engaged with new material through a variety of medium (for example: video presentations, video conferencing, discussion boards, assigned reading). Additionally students will also be assigned work to practice or reinforce the material, or assessments to demonstrate understanding. Overall a student should expect to spend 7-8 hours a week working on her school year courses (8-9 hours for an AP course) and 8-10 hours a week on a summer course.
How will I access the course?
Students will be given directions and a username and password on the day that Orientation begins, if not before.
How will OSG prepare me to take an online class?
The school asks that each girl participate in a student orientation which will show her how to navigate Haiku, our learning management system, and how to use other commonly used software. Her teacher will also provide instruction on how best to navigate the material and succeed in the course.
What does a course look like?
Please visit our sample lessons page to learn more about the research behind our mission and practices.
How does my daughter apply to take a course?
We will begin taking application for the 2012-2013 school year and Summer 2012 on March 1, 2012. For information on registration for school year courses, click here. For information on Summer 2012 courses, click here.
When does the work have to be done for a course?
Because of the largely asynchronous nature of online courses, much of the work done during the semester will be self-directed. A student may decide to do small amounts of work each day or to do several hours of work in one sitting. Students must be largely self-motivated to maintain the commitment necessary to keep up with the work in her course. A student should not expect to be able to wait and then try to get a week’s worth of material covered at once. Before entering an OSG course, a student should carefully consider if she has the self-discipline to successfully complete the course.
How “tech-savvy” does a student need to be to take a course?
Many of the technologies used by OSG teachers will be those that students have used before or will be similar to other technologies that a student has likely experienced. A student who is familiar with the internet and using Web 2.0 and social networking applications should be easily able to adapt to the technologies used in her courses. Students will be asked to create accounts and usernames at certain services used by her teacher (i.e. Skype).
Will her grade be factored into her GPA or will it be on her transcript?
Each school handles grades and transcripts differently. Please check with your daughter’s home school advisor on how her grade will be reflected on her transcript.
Does she need any special computer or software?
In order to provide a consistent experience to all our students, the Online School for Girls requires your computer to meet certain minimum standards to successfully participate in our online courses. Click for system requirements.
How will I see my daughter’s grades?
The school will contact parents with regular progress reports as well as grades and comments at the end of a semester. In addition, the teacher will alert parents if a student is experiencing any difficulty. Parents are encouraged to contact the teachers with questions or concerns.
Who do I contact with questions?
Parents may contact the Director, Brad Rathgeber, with any questions about the school. You may contact your daughter’s teacher with specific questions about your daughter’s progress or about the course.
For More Information Contact:
Brad Rathgeber, Director
brad.rathgeber@onlineschoolforgirls.org
301.842.4674
Skype: brad.rathgeber
