How did the online part of Family Academy Online and Unlocking Learning Potential begin?
Prior to 2004, the Jiles family lived in Olympia, Washington. They drove to Lakewood, Washington to attend Academy Northwest classes at our learning center. Then the dad’s work took them to Georgia. There they met the Robinson family. I worked with the Jiles family and Tim Robinson. Later the Jiles moved to Spokane and the Robinson family moved to Texas. I continued to work with them via long distance and these students graduated. Also around that time, Ariel from New Jersey worked with me and graduated early from ANW. She has gone on for graduate work. I never met Tim and Ariel in person. Our use of the internet and the phone was problematic, but we were able to get the job done. Further, my learning center students in Lakewood posted assignments and responded in a closed Yahoo group.
Much has happened since that time. For one thing, we access all of our students online. Thankfully, our access to the internet is exceptional by comparison. Video conferencing provides a great video and audio experience with minimal problems most of the time. We can access many of these services for free or at least a minimal charge. Some do cost more. For that reason, our students can access one or more of the following as appropriate: , Scientific Learning’s Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant, www.hearbuilder.com, and G-Suite for Education. I would rate simultaneous correction of writing assignments on Google Drive as my newest favorite tool. As I revise this post in 2021, the feature of Zoom that allows me to share my screen and have students use annotations on the screen makes for a great educational experience.