ECS Joins Forces with Leading Curriculum Providers
Apex and OdysseyWare adopted
by Sherri Hurn
April 15, 2009
Exciting things are happening at ECS! We are joining forces with two of the leading online curriculum companies in the country, Apex and OdysseyWare, to bring interactive and engaging lessons, as well as cutting edge technologies to our students.
Students in Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade will continue to work with curriculum that is similar to what is currently used. Because we believe a student that young should not spend all of their time in front of a computer, we will continue to use more textbooks and parent-led activities with some online enrichment. Lesson plans, materials lists and supplemental resources will be provided in print as well as through Blackboard.
Students in grades 3 through 6 will complete their lessons in software called OdysseyWare. There will be some supplemental books to use with the software, but much of the content is online where students will also answer most of their questions and get immediate feedback about their work. Audio and video will enhance the curriculum and help students better understand the content.
Seventh and eighth graders will work in both OdysseyWare and Apex. OdysseyWare will provide social studies, science and language arts, while math courses will be provided in Apex. Again, the immediate feedback given to students, as well as audio and video support and interactive activities will help students better understand the content. Math courses, especially, will be more animated and interactive than our current curriculum, allowing students to really “see” what happens in a math problem.
High school students will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of Apex courses, as well as some of our own electives that we’ve chosen to continue to use in Blackboard. All are very strong in content and offer students the opportunity to move through lessons gaining valuable instantaneous feedback and interaction. Also, Apex offers four different levels of courses, ranging from foundational (remedial) to core (basic high school level) to comprehensive (college prep) to Advanced Placement. This variety will allow us to that meets their specific needs and ability levels. We are thrilled about this feature!
One thing that ECS has made a top priority over the past 8 years is our teacher communication and interaction with students and parents. We feel that teachers are the key to successful learning and that the interaction they have with students is pivotal in helping students flourish academically. Let me assure you that this most important part of our program will not change! In fact, we believe that the adoption of the new online curriculum will actually free teachers to spend MORE time interacting with students and parents one-on-one.
Imagine knowing instantly if you’ve answered a question correctly or if you’ll need to rework a lesson! Video, audio and other interactive activities and games also make the lessons more interesting and entertaining to complete. Additionally, an upgrade to our Blackboard system will allow us to hold voice chats with students. Add this all up, including increased interaction with teachers, and you have a true winner!
As you can see, the opportunities, resources and support that we will be offering to ECS students and families next year will build upon the strong teacher-based foundation already in place and will add engaging, interactive curriculum and technology resources that will greatly enhance the learning environment. Excitement in our program is running high as we anticipate the changes to come and how we will better be able to meet the needs of our families.
Next year is shaping up to be the best ever at ECS. Think of this as an “upgrade” to your online learning experience much like upgrading your computer to receive new, cutting-edge features! It’s ECS, only better!
