Kodiak Virtual Learning Academy
What is KVLA?
The Kodiak Virtual Learning Academy, or KVLA is KIBSD’s location for online independent study courses. Students from schools around the district in grade 6-12 are able to take self-paced online courses of their choice. Students can take the whole semester to work through a course of their choice. Students can register for independent study courses with their school counselor. The KVLA does not provide tutoring for students but will help students access Alaska Homework Help Tutors. The KVLA staff evaluates student work and progress.
Important!
The KVLA is shifting back to pre-pandemic practices. It is important to note that if you do not finish an online course in the semester, you will receive the grade you earn. That means you will receive a failing grade for an incomplete course. Please take note of this as you plan your online learning experience.
Expectations
- If you have questions or need support, email the KVLA Team at: KodiakVirtualLearningAcademy@kibsd.org
- To access your classes, log into the Schoology app that is located on your iPad. Use Classlink if Schoology app isn’t working.
- Notes are REQUIRED. You will see notes assignments appear in all classes for all units by the designated date below.
- Students are expected to complete an orientation unit in their online course before they are granted access to the content.
- Content access will begin within 72 hours of enrollment with the Orientation Unit being the first required content.
- If you wish to challenge a course, the challenge application must be completed within the first week of the semester. You can only challenge courses that are on your grade level and in core content areas of: math, language arts, science, and social studies. Your challenge application must also be approved by the KHS administration.
- Students are expected to bring a charged iPad and earbuds every day.
- Students are expected to put their phones in a bag, backpack, or out of sight, unless the phone is in use for the class or the teacher has asked the students to use their phone.
- Announcements and valuable information can be found in Schoology and via email.
- Should we go to remote learning: there is no broadcast or Teams meeting for Independent Studies courses. The exception to this is French I and Intro to Education. More information will be sent out about that later.
- You are expected to log on and work in your independent studies classes for a minimum of 5 hours a week for each class. Be sure to schedule time to work on the course daily. Remote learning or not, this is the expectation.
- If you are extending a class, it will take us a few days to enter your previous progress. We thank you in advance for your patience. Please be sure to remind the KVLA team and your counselors that you are extending a course from the fall semester.
- If you plagiarize work, you will receive a 0 and we expect you to redo the assignment. You will receive an email and we will contact your parents. If you are caught plagiarizing a third time, the 0s for the assignments will become permanent. This can significantly impact your ability to pass the course. Cite your sources and demonstrate good academic integrity.
Dates
- August 29, 2022 First Day of School
- September 7, 2022 all course challenge applications must be complete.
- September 12, 2022 all notes assignments in classes
- January 13, 2023 all missing and late assignments due before finals
- January 18-20, 2023 finals
- January 24, 2023 all course challenge applications must be complete.
- January 31, 2023 all notes assignments in classes
- May 19, 2023 all missing and late assignments due before finals
- May 22-24, 2023 finals
- How to Register
- Course Description Catalog
- Getting Started With A Class
- Materials and Requirements
- Program Expectations
- Course Fee Information
- Parent Resources
- Summer School
To Register for a Class:
If you’re not sure which class you’d like to take our would like to discuss your course options, you are welcome to email Ms. Fuerst at nfuerst01@kibsd.org to schedule a Teams video conference or see her in-person at KHS 119A when we are in regular in-person sessions.
To gain guidance on course choices to meet graduation expectations, speak with your counselor via email, phone, or in person at the counseling office when we are in regular in-person sessions.
Inform your counselor via email or the course request form of your course choice.
Check your PowerSchool schedule to make sure the course title you selected has appeared in your semester schedule.
Contact your counselor if you notice scheduling issues, need to change courses, or need to drop a course.
2022/23 VLA Online Course Description Catalog
Course Catalog is being updated to reflect an accurate listing of courses that will be offered through the Kodiak Virtual Learning Academy at KHS. Programs like the AKTEACH Correspondence Program and Rural Schools KVLA may also use this catalog. The courses are for grades 9-12. Please speak with Nicole Fuerst for information on APEX middle school courses.
So, how do students get started?
- Students make sure that their iPad’s operating system is up to date.
- Students should be sure they are accessing APEXorEdynamic Learning via the application that is directly on their iPad.
- Students should also make sure that their Safari settings in “Privacy and Security” have “Prevent All Cross-Site Tracking” and “Block All Cookies” been toggled off (gray).
- Students should make sure that they have cleared their browser history.
- Then, students can get into APEX andEdynamicLearning and start working in their courses, contacting kodiakvirtuallearningacademy@kibsd.org when they need a test unlocked or have a question about their course.
Please contact us at 907-302-5734 or kodiakvirtuallearningacademy@kibsd.org if you have any questions.
If you choose to take an online course this year, it will be your responsibility to make sure that you have:
- Your iPad or computer.
- Be sure you have access to the following apps or your devices equivalent to them: Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft One Drive, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Calendar, Microsoft Teams, Clips, Edynamic Learning iPad application, APEX Learning iPad application, Safari web browser, Schoology iPad application, and Notability.
- Regular Internet Access.
- Some courses will require textbooks, novels, or support materials. Those items will be provided when possible by the teacher (either through free online links to readings, textbooks, or class novels).
In the cases of World Language or AP courses the cost of textbooks and support materials is the responsibility of the student and family.
Requirements:
- Maintain appropriate progress.Log into class and work at least 5 hours per week.
- Share regular progress with parents.
- Follow the district’s policy for academic honesty.
- Follow the district’s policy for health and safety.
- Use the scheduled time in-class to work on your online course. During remote learning or independent study, schedule daily work time (at least one hour) in your Outlook Calendar and log onto the system and work during that scheduled time.
- Maintain regular (at least monthly) communication with the teacher via email.
- Keep your iPad applications and iOS up to date. Contact your teacher and the Technology Department immediately if you are unable to access a course or an application does not work correctly on your district iPad or you cannot access your online course.
Maintain appropriate progress.Log into class and work at least 5 hours per week.
Share regular progress with parents.
Follow the district’s policy for academic honesty.
Follow the district’s policy for health and safety.
Use the scheduled time in-class to work on your online course. During remote learning or independent study, schedule daily work time (at least one hour) in your Outlook Calendar and log onto the system and work during that scheduled time.
Maintain regular (at least monthly) communication with the teacher via email.
Keep your iPad applications and iOS up to date. Contact your teacher and the Technology Department immediately if you are unable to access a course or an application does not work correctly on your district iPad or you cannot access your online course.
We would like to welcome you to Semester 1 of independent learning in the 2021-2022 school year! We are so pleased to have you join us in independent study and learning.
Essential Information:
- If you have questions or need support, email the KVLA Team at: KodiakVirtualLearningAcademy@kibsd.org
- 9-12th grade, all work, except finals, is due January 14, 2022. No exceptions.
- To access your classes, log into the Schoology app that is located on your iPad. Do not use ClassLink, as you will not be able to access your course using that application.
- Notes are REQUIRED. You will see notes assignments appear in all classes for all units by September 30, 2021.
- Students are expected to complete an orientation unit in their online course before they are granted access to the content.
- Content access will begin September 7, 2021.
- If you wish to challenge a course, the challenge application must be completed by September 14, 2021. You can only challenge courses that are on your grade level and in core content areas of: math, language arts, science, and social studies. Your challenge application must also be approved by the KHS administration.
- Students are expected to bring a charged iPad and earbuds every day.
- Students are expected to put their phones in the phone holder every day when attending in-person.
- Announcements and valuable information can be found in Schoology and via email.
- Should we go to remote learning: there is no broadcast or Teams meeting for Independent Studies courses. The exception to this is French I and French II. More information will be sent out about that later.
- You are expected to log on and work in your independent studies classes for a minimum of 5 hours a week for each class. Be sure to schedule time to work on the course daily. Remote learning or not, this is the expectation.
- If you are extending a class, it will take us a few days to enter your previous progress. We thank you in advance for your patience. Please be sure to remind the KVLA team and your counselors that you are extending a course from Summer or Spring learning.
- If you plagiarize work, you will receive a 0 and we expect you to redo the assignment. You will receive an email and we will contact your parents. If you are caught plagiarizing a third time, the 0s for the assignments will become permanent. This can significantly impact your ability to pass the course. Cite your sources and demonstrate good academic integrity.
We thank you for your patience as everyone is working to get you scheduled in your classes, we are working to transfer your progress information, and we work to be sure the content in your course is as it should be.
Enjoy this journey of independent learning!
Information you should know about the learning experience this year:
Self-paced online learning means that the teacher does not deliver any direct instruction and all the learning and information will take place in the online class. Students are responsible for focusing on their work in the course.
If the KHS in-person experience changes to Remote Learning due to KHS becoming a COVID- 19 High Risk environment, not much changes for Virtual Learning Academy students, as they will still be expected to continue work on their courses and to continue to communicate via email with Ms. Fuerst and Ms. Haig and the VLA team when there are questions or support needs.
While Ms. Fuerst doesn’t have regular virtual office hours, students can contact Ms. Fuerst via email or phone at 907-302-5734 to schedule video conferences and get questions answered during the hours of 8:30am-4:00pm.
The Virtual Learning Academy does not provide tutoring services but can help students connect with the Alaska Homework Help tutors online.
Students are expected to work a minimum of 5 hours a week on their online courses.
Students can work at home on their iPads as long if you have internet. Students can also use any computer at home, as long as you have internet access.
Students are required to take notes this year and have regular notes assignments..
Students will be working in either Edynamic Learning or APEX.
These courses are self-paced but students are expected to complete the work for their course(s) by January 18, 2021 and take their final examination by January 22, 2021. The course completion work date of January 18, 2021 is firm because we do need time to grade the work and provide feedback.
Students who do not complete their within the expected time frame, students will need to pay a $100.00 course cost to recover the course credit.
Remember that World Language and AP courses have a $300.00 per 0.5 credit educational service cost and AP courses also have book costs. We can speak with Ms. Wagner about resources to assist with the cost of AP courses.
Students are expected to follow the district academic honesty policy.
Students must take the final exam in a proctored environment (that may be in the classroom or online as appropriate).
Students have the right to challenge a course but they can only take the test once, it is given in a standardized testing environment/proctored environment and students must earn an 80% on the test to earn passing credit and can only take the test once. No notes or aids can be used for the test. Students and parents must also sign a behavior contract for students who are challenging a course. Students must complete the course challenge by October 5, 2020.
There are no course continuation fees this year for traditional content courses due to the challenges presented in doing independent study via remote learning.
World Language Course Offerings and Fee Information:ASL1A:
No Fee per 0.5 credit
ASL1B: No Fee per 0.5 credit
ASL2A: No Fee per 0.5 credit
ASL2B: No Fee per 0.5 credit
French I (A & B) : No Fee per 0.5 credit
French II (A & B ): $300.00 per 0.5 credit
AP French Language and Culture: $300.00 per 0.5 credit
Spanish I (A & B) : $300.00 per 0.5 credit
Spanish II (A & B) : $300.00 per 0.5 credit
Spanish III (A & B) : $300.00 per 0.5 credit
AP Spanish Language and Culture: $300.00 per 0.5 credit
Those are the only World Language offerings we have this year via Edynamic Learning and APEX.
Trouble-Shooting and Technology Issues
If the suggested Trouble-Shooting tips do not help or solve the issue, students should contact the Technology Department at: 486-7587
Student is receiving a “Missing Key error” in Edynamic Learning classes should do the following:
- Make sure that the Privacy and Security settings in Safari in the iPad Settings applications are as follows:
- Prevent All Cross-Site Tracking should be toggled off/gray
- Block all Cookies should be toggled off/gray
- Clear all History and Web Data
- Be sure the student is using the Edynamic Learning application that is on the iPad. Students should not access Edynamic Learning through ClassLink.
Students unable to access APEX content should do the following:
- Make sure that the Privacy and Security settings in Safari in the iPad Settings applications are as follows:
- Prevent All Cross-Site Tracking should be toggled off/gray
- Block all Cookies should be toggled off/gray
- Clear all History and Web Data
- Be sure the student is using the APEX application on the iPad. Students should not access APEX through the ClassLink application.
Students unable to access an APEX test that has been unlocked should do the following:
- Log out of APEX
- Make sure that the Privacy and Security settings in Safari in the iPad Settings applications are as follows:
- Prevent All Cross-Site Tracking should be toggled off/gray
- Block all Cookies should be toggled off/gray
- Clear all History and Web Data
- Log back into APEX
Students unable to type in an application like Microsoft Word or Powerpoint should do the following:
- Restart their iPad.
- Click the banner message that encourages them to sign into the application and sign/log in.
Student unable to save to One Drive should do the following:
- Make sure they are logged into One Drive
- Make sure their iPad iOS is up to date
- Restart their iPad
General trouble-shooting
- Restart iPad
- Log out of application, restart, log back into application
- Clear web browser history and data