To meet the educational needs of our gifted and talented students, our à la carte courses include two components & Athena’s Student Success Plan:
1. Live Webinars:
Students attend interactive, live webinars at set times during the week, as found in the webinar schedule. Students are invited to interact with their classmates and instructor via live audio and text chat while viewing educational material displayed on the virtual whiteboard.
To protect privacy, comply with criteria set by many charter schools that we work with, and keep the focus on the lesson, webcams are not used during the webinars. By not having a webcams feed, students (and teachers) are free to wiggle around, be any age, wear whatever they feel comfortable in, and be in various locations that may distract others. Find out more in our FAQ.
Our standard courses have a single-weekly, 50-minute webinar, while our higher-level courses may have longer or twice-weekly webinars. All of our webinars are recorded for later review and asynchronous learning.
2. Classroom Activities:
Students are able to access all of their courses at any time in the virtual classroom. There they have the opportunity to communicate with classmates and instructors, complete weekly activities, and review their progress.
Our classroom weeks are divided into three sections: Required, Highly Suggested, and Optional. In the Required Section, students complete activities such as reading assignments and threaded forum discussions between students. Athena’s educators provide the opportunity to explore subject matter further through activities in the Highly Suggested and Optional sections.
Our assignments and activities are designed to excite learners and to add depth to the subject matter. Additional activities may include videos, science experiments, art projects, Minecraft™ activities, and more. The level of exploration is entirely up to the student and their parents. Athena’s can fit into nearly any educational lifestyle.
3. Athena’s Student Success Plan:
Athena’s educators work with families to adjust the content to fit the student’s ability level. Athena’s Student Success Plan begins after students are introduced to the class and have settled in.
Quick Quarter Check-In (QQCI): During Athena’s 16-week and 32-week courses, students are asked to fill out the QQCI after the fourth webinar. The results of the QQCI Form provide Athena’s Educators with early feedback so they can help families make sure their students’ educational needs are being met at the quarter mark of the semester. If necessitated, educators reach out to families to help select a course of action.
Mid-Semester Check-In (MSCI): During Athena’s 8-week, 16-week, & 32-week courses, students are asked to fill out the MSCI at the mid-course point. The results of the MSCI Form provide Athena’s Educators with detailed information so they can help to make sure their students’ educational needs are being met at the halfway point of the course. If necessitated, educators reach out to families to help select a course of action.
Working together, families learn to adjust the course content to make sure their student’s educational needs are met.