The Foreign Service Journal, December 2010

90 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT al years. “If a student turned in an exam that went way beyond [his or her] ability, I knew it.” How to Succeed Success in online classes requires more motivation and independence, plus better organizational skills than an in-person school class. Karen Bingham, a high school history and social studies online teacher with K¹², says: “Never be afraid to reach out. As a matter of fact, many students, I found, are likely to share more of themselves — their values, opinions, thoughts — online than if they were sitting in a classroom among their peers. This can be particularly helpful for shy students or those new to a school, who would normally quietly watch from a distance.” Christopher Brown, the high school principal at Country Day University of Nebraska Independent Study High School http://highschool.unl.edu/ K12 International Academy www.k12.com/schools-programs/ online-private-school/ Virtual High School www.govhs.org/ Center for Talented Youth at the Johns Hopkins University http://cty.jhu.edu/ Giant Campus Academy (focused on computer science, digital arts, and business innovation) www.giantcampusacademy.com/ The Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) at Stanford University http://epgy.stanford.edu/ Mesa Distance Learning Program, Mesa Public Schools www.mdlp.org/ Online Resource: A Parents Guide to Choosing the Right Online Program www.inacol.org/research/promising practices/iNACOL_ParentsGuide.pdf — Kristi Streiffert Starting Points Here are a variety of online high school programs you might want to consider: Continued on page 94 Continued from page 86