I don’t live far from the Great Continental Divide in Colorado. I knew that the water runoff to one side fed the watersheds to the west and eventually drained into the Pacific and on the other side of the divide the water ran east and eventually into the Atlantic. What I didn’t know until recently was that the Continental Divide begins in Alaska and goes all the way to Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America! No wonder they call it the Great Divide! Great, indeed!
There used to be a Great Divide on the educational landscape – public school, private school, homeschool. For many years these were three distinct lines and if you chose one, that excluded you from the others. There were even traces of disapproval between one and the others, if not outright animosity. These were separate educational entities, greatly divided.
But those days are over. Now the lines between public, private, and homeschool are not hard and fast and the result is better options for more students. Public schools now offer at-home options, private schools can be found online and attended from home, and homeschool students have find the special services they need from their local public school.
One leader that stands out in this new field of hybrid education is Global Student Network. Global Student Network is a web-based curriculum provider serving thousands of students since 2004. What makes GSN unique is that it provides 6 different curricula as well as a myriad of other programs all from its one online location. Here is how GSN is bridging the gap over what once was the Great Educational Divide –
Providing curriculum to public schools Public schools are using curriculum provided by GSN for various purposes such as credit recovery, learning enrichment, and instructional supplementation. Some schools are finding they are able to retain students who might otherwise drop out because of the options provided by GSN.
Providing International Virtual Learning Academy This online school combines what is best about private education with the flexibility and environment of homeschooling. Each class at IVLA includes a certified, highly qualified teacher and uses a research-based, innovative curriculum. Students “attend” school from wherever internet access is available.
Providing curriculum to aid in transition to public school While some curricula provided by GSN is distinctly different from that of public school, some curriculum choices embrace Core and state standards adopted by public schools. This is an advantage to students who are homeschooling for the short term and plan to return to public school. Having followed a similar curriculum can make the adjustment into public education a smoother transition.
Standing on a mountaintop with one foot on each side of the Great Divide is exhilarating with breath-taking views, to be sure!! And making the connection between the various educational approaches and combining the best of what they offer can also have a stunning effect – more successful learning for more students. That is GSN’s goal in bridging the divide – more learning for more students.
Copyright © 2013 J. Hoffman / GSN (NV)
“If you liked this post – Great!! Please ask before you re-post. Thanks!”
Email: JHoffman@GlobalStudentNetwork.com