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Frequently Asked Questions 
What is FLDLA? ^Back to Top It’s a way to do school. Instead of a school building, however, the teachers and students are spread out all over the United States. Big schools, small schools and some individuals “do school” using current and innovative technology. There are two programs: a full 9-12 school and a One-to-One elementary program. What does FLDLA stand for? ^Back to Top FLDLA stands for “Forest Lake Distance Learning Academy. Who is FLDLA? ^Back to Top FLDLA is a community of teachers, students, administrators, parents and schools that have joined together to create a unique online community where integrated, standards-based, quality learning experiences happen every day. The supporting consortium includes the Southern Union of SDA, Florida Conference of SDA and Forest Lake Academy as well as the teachers and administrators of FLDLA, the local school campuses, local school boards and supporting conferences and unions. Is this home school? ^Back to Top While we welcome students who are “home schooled”, we do not do the classic “home school” thing. Most students go to a school campus with an area set aside for FLDLA, have a regular schedule of classes and continue to be involved in their community and school. The teachers and classmates just happen to connect via live video conferencing, and the instruction and assignments flow over the Internet. I don’t get that. How do you “do school”? How do I get my work? Where do I send it? ^Back to Top Jump to the typical day section and you’ll get a better picture. Course work is taught via the internet through a “course management system” (CMS) which means that the daily or weekly instructions can be accessed through a secure website. Assignments, discussions, quizzes and tests are all hosted on the CMS so that students and teachers can connect in one spot. Grades are also available on the secure site so that teachers, parents and students can keep up to date. Students can also contact teachers through Instant Messenger, phone or fax. I want to see and talk to my teacher and classmates. Can I do that? ^Back to Top Yes! That’s the beauty of this program! Using real time interactive videoconferencing, students and teachers have live, interactive discussions. That means they see each other on TV! What other kind of contact do I have with my teacher and classmates? ^Back to Top There are discussion forums on the CMS (school website). These are not chat rooms, but school based and focused forums. Off-camera, teachers and students keep in touch by email, web site, instant messaging, email and the telephone. We also have trips (see next question.) But I want to see people in person! ^Back to Top You get to do that too! In order to meet people, form community and learn about different places in our world, we have two main trips during the year. Each fall and spring, we travel to a particular place where we can meet as a school, do educational and service learning activities and have fun! We’ve taken educational tours of Boston, Seattle, Washington DC, Williamsburg, and have done service work in Orlando, Holbrook Mission, and Battle Creek MI. FLA also offers mission trips, European educational tours and a Colorado ski trip. I don’t know if I’m disciplined enough to work on my own... ^Back to Top Organization and self-discipline are important pieces to this program. However, because you still have contact with teachers and classmates, that helps to motivate. Also, local facilitators help to support class work and management issues at the local campus. We work together to help! I don’t have very good Internet connection. Can I do this program? Is this that satellite thing? ^Back to Top It’s not done by satellite, although some individual connections may be satellite. We will work with you to find the best combination that will help you access the materials. We have experience in a variety of technology combinations. However, the minimum requirements (which are arranged for and belong to the local school) include the following (these are subject to change): Local Technology Requirements – 2006-2007 The following items are arranged for and belong to the local school. The entire list must be in place before a site can begin the FLDLA program. The local technology manager is responsible for arranging purchases and providing technical support.
What classes do you offer? Can I get a diploma? ^Back to Top Yes, you can get a full high school diploma from Forest Lake Academy and be part of the graduation at FLA! Students receive a “general” or “college prep” diploma, depending on the requirements they have met. Our wonderful registrar takes care of all that, so if you have individual, specific questions, you could contact her. As far as classes go, we offer a typical slate of classes including:
What does a typical day look like? ^Back to Top Here’s what a typical day looks like:
^Back to Top D2L (Desire2Learn) is our course management system (CMS). Assignments, grades, discussions, quizzes and tests are all posted to that site. It is a central site for all our internet work. D2L Virtual Tour What advantages are there to doing FLDLA? ^Back to Top Businesses are looking to schools to provide them with people who can problem solve, trouble shoot, work in groups and take advantage of new technologies. All these are things that FLDLA provides. In addition, FLDLA allows students to stay home, contribute to their communities and be active in school. This program helps people who want to continue with Adventist education, but may not have access to it any other way. Students come from many different backgrounds, and the diversity is important as well. What’s this service learning thing? ^Back to Top Service learning is integral to what FLDLA does. We work to help develop the leadership skills of each student. Service learning is incorporated into the classes so that students make a positive difference in their communities. Some projects include reading to elementary school children, collecting oral histories, evaluating community needs and lobbying for changes in laws or procedures. How much does this cost? ^Back to Top Basically, there is a registration fee and tuition. Local campuses provide the equipment and a facilitator and pass that cost onto the student. Textbooks and supplies are the responsibility of the student or campus. What do I need to be able to join FLDLA? ^Back to Top Contact the school you currently attend to see if they are interested in forming a partnership with FLDLA. The information they need is available at www.ae21.org. Due to current technology requirements, home-school sites are limited. If the home school site slots are filled, ask around in your local community to see if there are others interested in FLDLA so you can form a campus. |
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