Valley View Christian School

"Switched On Schoolroom" Curriculum 

Q&A

Does "Switched On Schoolroom" computerized classroom diminish teacher/student interaction?

One of the strengths of the "SOS" curriculum is that it will free the teacher from repetitive and time consuming tasks so that the teacher will have more time to to help the student on an individual basis.  The teacher will know when a student is skipping work problems, struggling with answers or guessing.  The student can also, in real time, post a note to the teacher asking for help on a particular problem.  This gives the teacher a "heads up" in real time that a student is having a problem and the opportunity to personally help the student in a much more timely manner. The accountability of the student to the teacher is greatly enhanced by real time automated messages concerning student difficulties as well as student or teacher initiative and tutoring/mentoring.  

Will my student be in front a computer screen all day?

While the curriculum is computer based,  the student will also be required to take notes, work out math problems  in many cases longhand, work on special projects away from the computer, and write essays and answer essay questions that are geared at developing their cognitive reasoning skills.  There will also be other opportunities for teacher/ student interaction. There are other subjects that are not computer based and will require a combination of student to teacher and student to student interaction such as music and drama.

Since the curriculum utilizes the Internet for extra information and study, is it adequately filtered?

"SOS" does utilized and integrate some internet sites and tools into the curriculum.  The student is protected at two levels; first by Internet filtering software on our server and secondly by the routing of all Internet links from the curriculum through Alpha Omega which constantly monitors all the links in their curriculum.

What are the academic criteria for grading?

The student will be graded on the work completed, special projects, quizzes, and tests.  The weighting of these factors can be individualized to meet the student's learning behavior as well as the subject matter.  Grades will be shown on report cards in percentages as well as a letter grade.  Scoring of work, quizzes and tests are automatically done by computer except for those questions and work  that require essay type answers. Special projects such as experiments, art and graphic projects, subject notes or other written work are graded by the teacher.

What is the purpose of the diagnostic test?
The diagnostic test is a tool to help in the placement of your student in our curriculum.  It allows us to customize your student’s program and identify any learning gaps.  It is based on the mastery of skills covered in the LIFEPAC and SOS (Switched-On Schoolhouse) curriculum.

Does my student have to take the placement test to enroll in the School?
Yes, our placement tests allow us to design the best possible curriculum for your student’s needs.  Unlike a standardized test, our placement test is based on our curriculum.  Missed questions will identify learning gaps, which will allow your VVCS guidance counselor to assign the specific material that your child needs.

How does the School accommodate students who are a grade level behind in one or two of their subjects?
Based on the placement test results and transfer credits, a guidance counselor will determine the academic level of your student and customize the program accordingly.  If your student is behind and needs to catch up, we can create a customized subject to help.  Similarly, if your student is advanced, the appropriate level in each subject will be assigned.