Digital learning offers several advantages for middle and high school students. It is highly flexible and can be tailored to a variety of life circumstances, while empowering students to take responsibility for their work. It also gives students the flexibility to create their own personalized study spaces.

A personalized study space is essential for success in any type of online education. Here are some of the fundamental elements of an ideal study space.

Create a Dedicated Space

While online education allows you to take your learning virtually anywhere, the best study spaces are consistent and easy to access whenever you need them. One of the greatest advantages of creating a dedicated space for studying is that it can be helpful when recalling information. As we discussed in this article, when you recall information in the same place where you learned it, it will be easier to remember. So ultimately, having a dedicated study space can help you perform better on your exams.

Remove Distractions

Your study space should also be distraction free. Identify what distracts you from your work and eliminate them. If dirty dishes bother you, for example, take your studies away from the kitchen and into a clean room. If you find background music distracting, make sure that you are far enough away from the TV or radio. If you find too much silence distracting, create some ambient noise by turning on music in the background.

Use Study Space for Schoolwork Only

Your study space should be separate and distinct within your home, but don’t use your study space for non-school related tasks. You might be tempted to do your schoolwork from the comfort of your living room sofa, for example, but this may make it difficult to separate work and play in your mind.

Stock It With Appropriate Supplies

Make sure your study space contains all of the supplies you need for your online education. If you like taking notes on paper in addition to working online, keep a pen or pencil and plenty of paper handy. If headphones help you eliminate ambient noise, keep those on hand as well. Additionally, keep a comfortable chair, a desk lamp, a timer, and your power cord close at hand at all times.

By following these four recommendations for a fabulous study space, you are well on your way to finding success as a student in an online setting.

Online education offers many unique benefits over traditional education, but many students forget to take full advantage of these benefits. This is often simply because students are used to traditional learning environments and therefore treat online education as an online form of traditional learning. With online education, however, there are a variety of ways to enrich your education and make learning more tangible. Here is a look at how middle and high school students can get the most out of their online coursework.

Use technology to your advantage.

Online education allows you to incorporate a wider variety of technologies in your learning. Integrated video makes abstract concepts tangible. Online school management software always you to view grades and teacher feedback at the click of a button. Screen sharing allows your teachers to clarify concepts with students. These are just a few of the ways that technology makes online learning more powerful than any other form of learning.

Interact with your teachers.

Online education makes one-on-one interaction with teachers more accessible than ever. Here at Mountain Heights Academy, for example, students can contact their teachers through live video chat, online messaging, and phone. Students can also work with their teachers to customize curriculum to meet individual needs.

Engage in extracurricular activities.

A comprehensive online education program will enable students to interact and socialize in person as well. At Mountain Heights Academy, for example, we host field trips, school dances, and monthly service learning activities. Students can also take part in student government, mentor other students, participate in clubs, and more.

Customize your schedule.

Online coursework gives you the incredible opportunity to create your own school schedule. If doing coursework from 7 am to 3 pm is not ideal for you, you have the freedom to change your schedule to one that does. If you juggle several extracurricular commitments, you can always complete your work ahead of time. Our blog post about creating your ideal school schedule has some great tips on creating a schedule that works for you.

Customize your study space.

Similarly, online coursework gives you the freedom to create the perfect space for studying and completing schoolwork. Rather than working in a classroom around dozens of other students, you can work from the comfort of your own home, in a space that is most conducive to learning for you. We talked about some great tips for creating a study space in this blog post.

There are a lot more education options for a high school student than most people realize. For some students, a traditional high school isn’t the right decision, whether they’re seeking for a different environment, or a different style of education.

Before settling on a school for your child, you have to weigh the options; does your child still crave structure, or is a more flexible setting more suited to his needs?

Type of Education

This is probably the most important question you need to ask yourself. Are you seeking a change in educational setting because your student doesn’t feel challenged enough? Do you feel like the ideals at your current school don’t line up with yours? Do you want a school more focused on liberal arts or a classical education? Those who want a robust, flexible education may select an accredited online school, while for others they may do part-time in their neighborhood school and part-time online.

Charter Schools in Utah

Utah has a lot of different educational opportunities available. There are plenty of charter schools to pick from if a public or a private high school isn’t the right fit for you. Because of the number of charter schools available, selecting one can be a daunting task. By sorting and prioritizing according to the type of education you are interested in, you will be able to narrow the field rather quickly. With over 100 charter schools in the state of Utah, you may feel a bit overwhelmed.

Once you’ve decided the educational path you want to pursue, it’s time to research the schools you’re considering attending. Look at their websites. See what other students are saying about their experiences there, read their mission statements, and see if it looks like it will be a good fit.

Research as many schools as possible.

Once you’ve found a few schools that seem appealing, contact the administration and set up a meeting with them. Ask for a tour of their campus, and see if you can possibly sit in on a few classes. This way you can really visualize your life if you attended there and if it would truly be the best fit for you. This is an important decision! Feel free to take your time.

The right educational fit in Utah is out there for you! With a little bit of patience, you’ll find the right one!

Public charter schools, which are taxpayer funded, are growing in popularity; and many education experts are arguing that they could represent the future of education. But what is it, exactly, that gives charter schools an edge over traditional district schools? Here is a look at the key benefits of attending a charter school.

Public school in an individualized school setting

First, there is the unique model of a charter school to consider. Charter schools offer the kind of access that public schools can, but in a smaller school setting. This is especially advantageous for students who would thrive in a customized school setting but who want some of the advantages of attending public school. Charter schools typically have fewer students enrolled, and this allows for more one-on-one interaction between students and teachers.

More choices

Of course, charter schools also give parents more say in how their children are educated. If the local public school is too small, does not offer enough academic focus, or in any other way does not present the best learning environment for your child, you can find just the academic environment you are looking for in a charter school. Plus, since charter schools often have smaller populations, there is more opportunity for parents to become involved in their children’s education and for their students to participate in a greater  number of opportunities.

Online accessibility

Some charter schools, such as Mountain Heights Academy, operate online. That’s something that traditional public schools will never be able to implement 100 percent. Online education gives students the opportunity to complete their coursework online, all in a flexible environment that best suits them. Students can complete coursework around their extracurricular activities, and they can interact with other students face-to-face at school-organized activities and events, just as they would at a traditional public school. In a world that is becoming more and more digital, online education only makes sense, as it prepares students to learn and thrive in an increasingly digital arena.

Another school year is behind us and summer vacation is here. Students get to enjoy a much needed break from the school year and busy their minds with vacations, barbecues, and summer activities. However, this doesn’t by any stretch of the imagination mean that it is time to stop learning. While it can be quite tempting to simply shut off our brains during the summer season, finding fun ways to continue learning can make it easier to come back to school and get into the swing of things, once the vacation is over. Here are some tips for keeping your mind sharp over summer vacation…

Read books that challenge you

Just like exercise can train specific muscle groups and keep the body strong, reading will fine tune the mind and keep it engaged. While any reading should be welcomed, especially if you find it pleasurable, it is definitely useful to stay ambitious and read books that you know are challenging your mind to think in different ways. Reading books from different perspectives can broaden our own viewpoint, and that has been shown to increase empathy.

Find an engaging summer program

For students, summer is a great opportunity to experiment with the independence that people have when they reach adulthood. However, it can still be beneficial to have some sort of routine that keeps life in balance during the summer vacation. Look around in your community for summer programs that you find engaging and that are actively improving you. This could be anything from a recreational sports program to a cinema club, so long as you are getting something positive and fulfilling from the experience.

Have a summer project

When summer vacation is over, it is always great to have something tangible that you can look back on and feel a sense of accomplishment about. Whatever your interests are, try to find a long-term project that will last throughout the summer that can keep you busy when you have time. Whether this is a complicated science experiment or just reading through a book series you’ve been curious about, wrapping something up over the summer that you wanted to do keeps the brain active.

Volunteer your time

There is no shortage of community involvement programs that help create a better society for us all to live in. Volunteering your time allows you to do your part to help with those problems, but also benefits you, as well! Students who spend time volunteering get to learn more about how our communities work and what problems are facing them. On a side note, colleges also tend to look favorably on students who have a track record of community involvement.

The many faces of success at Mountain Heights Academy.

These are just a few of the many students who have made Mountain Heights work for them. While their stories are different, they’ve all enjoyed the flexibility, personal attention, and opportunities our online school provides.

Khyla Pottenger

A talented singer and songwriter, Khyla was discovered by Universal Records on YouTube this past year. After signing a record contract with the studio, she has traveled frequently to Los Angeles to work on her album and hopes to have her first single on the radio in a few months. Mountain Heights gave her the flexibility to keep up with school while pursuing what she loves. After graduation, she plans to focus on her singing career for a few years, then attend New York University’s film school and fulfill her dream of becoming a director.

Sarah Fosburg

Most students graduate from high school before becoming an author. But Sarah did it the other way around. She wrote a young adult mystery novel while attending Mountain Heights Academy, which is currently being reviewed by Simon and Schuster publishers. Mountain Heights gave her the flexibility to do her schoolwork a few hours each day, then spend the rest of her time writing—and still have time to serve as a peer educator. After graduation, Sarah plans to pursue her writing career in New York or Ireland, and attend New York University in the future.

Kaleb Alles

Kaleb came to Mountain Heights in 10th grade, after being home schooled in South Carolina. It’s clear he loves learning, especially in the math and science fields. Kaleb has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn as much as he can while still in high school, taking a full load at Weber State University this past year. He is a regional Sterling Scholar semi-finalist in math, and will attend the University of Utah on the prestigious Presidential Scholarship. He plans to pursue a double major in mathematics, and another yet-to-be-decided field.

Audrey Shimamoto

It’s hard to attend school when you’re chronically sick. No one knows that better than Audrey. After missing most of her 9th grade year due to ulcerative colitis, she switched to Mountain Heights Academy, which gave her the flexibility to do school from home. She bounced back from that difficult year and is now an A student and a member of the National Honor Society. A self-proclaimed history buff, Audrey also loves the medical field. She will be attending Utah Valley University in the fall where she plans to study Dental Hygiene.

Kortney Backus

Kortney certainly knows the ropes of managing time. She is the 2017 Silver State International Rodeo Queen, representing 42 states, Canada, and Australia. She is also the Future Farmers of America President for the state of Utah. These responsibilities have her traveling all over the state, speaking to and inspiring students. Mountain Heights gave her the flexibility to do all this and still keep up with school. Kortney will fulfill her FFA leadership role this coming year, then attend Utah State University, where she’ll study agribusiness and then become a lobbyist and a representative for the USDA.

Samantha Birrell

Samantha came to Mountain Heights during her sophomore year. Like other new students, she signed up for the tech tools class. Little did she know that class, or her photography class, would help her create a blog that has 137,000 followers. Samantha clearly has the skills to be a successful digital communicator – which is becoming so necessary in today’s world. She’ll be going to Disneyland when she graduates, but not to play—to work. She’ll be taking a gap year while she decides whether to pursue her love of film, special effects, or history.

Sally Monson

After being home schooled off and on, Sally came to Mountain Heights Academy her junior year. Here, she discovered classes she might not have taken elsewhere. A few of her favorites include medical forensics, music appreciation, music theory, and mythology. The flexible schedule at Mountain Heights allowed Sally to finish her 120,000-word fantasy novel this year. She plans to take the next year off to edit it and focus on her writing, and then attend college the following fall.

Share your story.

How did your charter school experience help you succeed? Share your storyin a 500-word essay as part of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools“30 Days of Grad” series.

∗May 1st – May 31st

©2017 Mountain Heights Academy. All rights reserved.

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Digital learning has opened up the possibilities of what education can offer to students. Instead of being relegated to a physical location, students can now engage with their education from anywhere in the world, at any time. However, while online schooling is convenient, it also requires a strong level of commitment from students, who are given the independence to be in charge of their own time. As such, it pushes students to learn better time management skills, in order to thrive and succeed. Here are a few tips that can help online students manage their time learning digitally…

Plan out your work time

Traditional education environments have an inherent structure that is built into the institution. Online students, on the other hand, have to learn how to incorporate structure into their own lives. Instead of just assuming that you’ll get some work done throughout the day, take the time to plan out a block of time each day where you will be entirely devoted to schoolwork. It is great if you can make these times consistent, day by day, but just planning ahead will do wonders.

Quality over quantity

When you are scheduling time for you to accomplish school work, one important factor to remember is that quality work time is much better than a higher quantity of work time. While one advantage of online education is that you can engage with your school from anywhere, you should strive to make sure that your learning environment includes a work space that helps you really focus on the subject matter. Each student has their own unique study needs. Play to those needs when you set aside your work time to get the most out of it.

Keep a calendar and check up on it

It is a lot easier to run a race if you can see the finish line. The same is true for schoolwork. You need to set benchmarks for yourself and goals to hit so that you have a true idea of your work progress. Use your syllabus to make a calendar of goals to achieve throughout the semester, and make sure you check up on it every day to know if you are ahead or behind of where you want to be.

Let the teacher know if you are struggling

Sometimes, students end up falling behind in their workload. There are a variety of reasons for this, whether it is personal issues or that they need more help with the subject matter. Tell your teacher if you don’t understand something, and then the future can be planned for, accordingly.

The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time, at least for the first week or so. It’s fun to start learning about new subjects and connecting with your favorite teachers and friends. But once the novelty wears off you might start getting discouraged with the amount of work you have. You might lose some of your motivation and will to study. Getting into a slump like that can make it difficult to finish the semester strong, so pay attention to these tips to help you stay motivated.

Create a schedule

Learning at an online school can be the best way for you to find flexibility but it should come with personal responsibility. With all of your work due at 6:00pm Friday, you will finish the semester strong by learning to manage your time well. Get a desk calendar or use your Google calendar to decide when you will complete which assignments. Make sure your time matches up to your teachers office hours in classes you need help with.

Have a designated study space

Creating a space that allows you to do your very best work is critical in an online setting. Make sure you have or make a set spot where your laptop will fit, you are comfortable, there is enough light, and you have all the tools you need. This area should be different from where you do social media or gaming and will signal that it is time to work.

Take frequent breaks every day

If you’re mentally exhausted from constantly studying, you won’t be very productive. Make sure that you take a short period of time several times a day, in twenty minute increments, to take a break and relax your mind. Taking this break periodically throughout the day is a great way to keep your mind sharp and you’ll be able to focus much better when you get back to your schoolwork.

Ask questions when you’re confused

When you’re confused on an assignment or concept you are learning, you’ll get easily frustrated and feel incapable of moving forward. Don’t be afraid to ask your teachers for clarification so your study time can be effective.

Get a study buddy

And make sure that you actually study! Too often, a study group turns into hanging out and goofing off with your friends. While there’s definitely a time and place for hanging out, it’s important to make sure you surround yourself with people who will help you study during your designated hours. Select someone who will be able to keep you motivated, preferably someone who is in the same classes or subjects as you. This will be an advantage, because you’ll be able to discuss and exchange ideas on the same subject.

Limit extracurricular screen time until your work is done

It may seem harmless to have your phone sitting on your desk as you write a paper. But a quick break to respond to a text can very easily turn into an hour spent mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and Twitter. Leave your phone in another room while you study, and then feel free to use it once you’ve finished your work for the day.

With the arrival of the holidays, it can be difficult to remain motivated for the rest of the semester. If only we could just forego the rest of the semester and instead, go pumpkin picking and enjoy crisp nights going caroling. The good news is, you can still enjoy your holidays and do these fun things, and stay motivated to finish the semester with good grades.

Study with your friends

This is a fun tip that will help you stay motivated no matter what time of year it is. Learning is more fun when you have someone else to do it with you, and it’s also great to have someone else to collaborate with. In fact, having someone else to help you do homework will bring new perspectives into the equation, meaning you’ll get things done more quickly and you’ll actually learn more. Even if you can’t study in person together, chatting online with your friends or even video conferencing while you study will give you the company you want.

Take breaks

This may seem counterproductive, but taking breaks is actually super important to staying motivated and getting your work done efficiently. It’s kind of like this: let’s say that you’re a lumberjack. If you spend all day sawing down trees, your saw will get kind of dull and won’t work as effectively. In order to be able to work faster, you should take a break to sharpen your saw, and then get back to sawing down trees. Translating this to real life, if you don’t take breaks, you won’t be as effective when you study. Just make sure to not let your study breaks last too long so you don’t get behind on your work.

Reward yourself

Another great way to stay motivated is to use the relief of the holidays to reward yourself once you’ve finished your work for the day. You wanted to go to a holiday party with some friends tonight? Set expectations for the work you want to complete, and once it’s done, you can go! It’s a simple way to keep yourself accountable, and you’ll also enjoy your reward a lot more if you know that you’ve earned it by working hard and staying on track with your school work. Just make sure that your expectations are reasonable but also not too lenient. It can help to set up a schedule for a week so you know what must get done by the end of the week, and you can pace yourself accordingly.

So have fun. work hard, and finish strong!

The world is always progressing around us. We see it in the way that our media changes, in the daily tools that we use, and especially in the world of education. This is no different for higher education, in our colleges and universities. Although there are plenty of things that tradition still dictates in these hallowed halls, and it seems that certain time-honored customs will never change, the truth is that every single university in the country is learning to evolve to suit our contemporary landscape.

Here are three major characteristics that higher education institutions are adapting to, and how online learning can help your child prepare now:

Self-motivated learning

One of the key differences in education today versus decades ago is that today, worlds of information are available at our fingertips at any given hour. The information-sharing superhighway of the internet means that anyone with Wifi can learn anything they want. This is an amazing thing for self-motivated learners, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for educational professionals and institutions. It takes a keen eye and an experienced navigator to cut through the noise and misinformation out there and instead learn accurate information in the proper order to achieve true understanding and a respectable knowledge base.

Access for everyone

Along the same vein, we must consider the way that learning at the feet of respected pillars in their field is no longer the exclusive privilege of the students who got into the most prestigious university. Now, lectures from the most renowned teachers and professionals are available through subscription, or simply free on YouTube.

However, even with this information available for everyone much of the time, the one-on-one customization that helps students to learn and thrive is harder to find than ever. That’s why it’s important for students to learn how to effectively interact with mentors and teachers remotely, and pinpoint those places that they most need help themselves. This is a major element of online learning, and one that we train our students to be fluent in.

Experiential learning

While book-learning, lectures, and instructional materials are more available than ever, experience and practical capabilities are becoming more and more of a rarity. This is a challenge that employers are puzzling out as they receive more and more entry-level employees with a lot of information, but little practice applying it. This is why universities are working on emphasizing their ability to give students hands-on, experiential learning opportunities.

While universities and colleges around the nation work to distinguish themselves by emphasizing these important skills, our students are already excelling in them. Online learning makes the most of modern technology to bring the best resources and tools to students’ fingertips, and enable them to navigate confidently in an increasingly digital world.