Forget classrooms and books. All Pasadena ISD students need for school this summer is a computer and an Internet connection thanks to the district’s Virtual School program.

Pasadena Virtual School, an online course opportunity the district has added to its curriculum, offers high school courses that have been developed with the same requirements as traditional high school courses.

Online course registration deadline and requirements

The registration deadline for the summer session is Monday, June 11, and district officials encourage eligible Pasadena ISD students as well as students from surrounding districts to enroll. The session begins June 13 and ends July 31. The last day to drop a course is June 26.

“The virtual school gives us another opportunity to tap into the needs of our students,” said Pasadena ISD Superintendent Kirk Lewis. “Online courses aren’t for every student, but there are some who can really take advantage of it. We’ve had some great success with some of our students already, and we feel like there is a great deal of potential in this program. This is also a great opportunity for Pasadena ISD to collaborate with its neighboring districts. If it is something a student thinks it will be beneficial to them, we strongly encourage them to enroll. ”

Registration can be completed online at www.pasadenavirtualschool.org. Students must fill out the required form and submit payment for the course(s). The course fee for Pasadena ISD students is $60 per course. For students not currently enrolled in the district, the cost is $250 per course. Fees are non-refundable once the course begins.

Eligibility is also contingent upon a student having the proper hardware and software including a Pentium II (or higher processor) computer, a minimum of 64 megabytes of random access memory, an Internet connection outside of firewalls, Internet Explorer 4.5 or higher, a working E-mail account and Microsoft Office 2003 or older.

Virtual school curriculum

Courses being offered in the summer session are BCIS 1A and 1B, Government, English IV-B and Astronomy A. The curriculum is aligned with district, state and national standards.

Pasadena ISD instructional technology specialist and virtual school instructor Luci Weaver said the classes were chosen based on several reasons.

“First, it had to fit well with the virtual environment,” she said. “Second, we tried to stay away from TAKS tested classes. And last, we are offering classes students typically have a tough time fitting in their schedule and end up putting it off year after year.”

Students will participate in online discussion boards, complete daily assignments and individual projects just as though they were sitting in a classroom. Daily assignments can vary from reading assignments and virtual discussions to video lectures and projects.

Dobie High School Government teacher and virtual school instructor Cheryl Park said when building the curriculum for an online course she ensures the assignments are as relevant and rigorous as they are within the district’s high schools.

“I embed real-life situations into activities and virtual discussions within the course,” she said. “By engaging in virtual discussions, the students are able to see why and how the content is relevant to their lives. Because the online course environment utilizes an independent study format, it forces more student responsibility which better prepares students for college and all aspects of life.”

Park said she tries to create projects and assignments the students will enjoy and that require them to use technology and express their creativity while allowing them to demonstrate their understanding of the content.

Students can communicate with their teacher by phone, E-mail or chat, and they are allowed to make appointments to visit face-to-face with their teacher.

“All of our teachers make themselves accessible to their students,” said Weaver. “We are here to make sure our online students are successful, and we are willing to work with them in whatever way we can. We encourage our students to communicate with us and to let us know if they are having any trouble with the class.”

Is virtual school right for you?

While today’s youth are digital natives, online courses aren’t for every student. Students must answer an online learning survey and receive approval from their school counselor before enrolling in virtual school.

Pasadena Memorial High School senior counselor Roger Woest said he evaluates students’ individual needs carefully before granting approval for them to take the online course.

“I counsel the students that they must be very responsible and dedicated to keep up with their online work,” Woest said. “In regular day classes, teachers can stay on top of things, and I can monitor the students’ progress on Gradespeed. I can’t do that with online courses, so the students’ accountability goes up. Their needs may be different, but their commitment to the program must be the same.”

Park said the biggest challenge students will face with online courses is procrastination.

“Many people have the misconception that an online class is easier than a traditional class, but an online class utilizes different skills that may not be used in a regular classroom,” she said. “Students have to be motivated and disciplined enough to log into the class and complete their work without the physical presence of a teacher telling them on a daily basis to get their work done.”

Park said the key to students overcoming the challenge of procrastination is to complete assignments in a timely manner and to sign into the course often.

“If a student stays ahead of the game, they will do just fine in the class,” she said. “If they get behind in the beginning it can be hard, but not impossible, to get caught up.”

Why virtual school?

With the classroom at their fingertips, students enrolled in Pasadena Virtual School have the opportunity to learn from and interact with experienced, well-trained teachers, work at their own pace and receive individualized help at any place and any time that is convenient to them.

“Students will benefit from this option because it gives them more freedom,” Park said. “Twenty-four hour access gives students flexibility. This format is also more rigorous than traditional night school or summer school classes because of the amount of self-motivation required to complete the course.”

Taking a course online provides students with the availability to take additional courses when they can’t fit another one into their daily class schedule. It also benefits students who are trying to graduate early or who are involved in extracurricular activities such as athletics, band, orchestra, choir or drama.

“Today’s course requirements are designed for the student who has only one love or one talent,” said Weaver. “However, today’s students are more diverse in their interests, and Pasadena ISD recognizes the need to provide students with as much availability as possible to tap into all their interests. The virtual school allows those students to have that availability in their schedule.”

Online courses and communication have also become the way of the college life, so students will be one step ahead of the game with the experience they gain from the district’s virtual school.

“I would encourage students to pursue an online class because we become better people by becoming better learners,” said Park. “The way to become a better learner is to familiarize yourself with how you learn best. You can learn what works best for you in the virtual format, and it’s a skill that will be used for the rest of your life.”

For more information, please visit www.pasadenavirtualschool.org or contact Weaver at lweaver@pasadenaisd.org or at 713-740-0124.