It’s the end of August and that means back to school is coming! In just a few weeks students will be heading back to school and although that may look a little different this year, many of the same ideas apply when preparing for the new school year.
What is critical thinking? Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information in an objective manner and come to a reasonable decision based on that information. Thinking critically involves analyzing data, facts and research findings and arriving at a conclusion based on that data.
The future of high school is now! There, we said it. The start of 2020 saw a monumental change on how people interact socially, in business and in education. Every generation sees a pivotal moment change how things are done in our global society. The big shift we’re preparing for now, is how people will work and learn in a physically distanced and digital-first world.
Perhaps you’ve heard the term growth mindset before. It sounds pretty straightforward. If you have a growth mindset, you’re constantly looking for ways to improve and become more knowledgeable and well-rounded as a person. That’s all well and good, but it’s much harder than it sounds.
Online learning has been around for a while and has had some challenges in the past. Whether due to technological restrictions or just generally experiencing growing pains as a new and emerging way of learning, we know it’s not for everyone. We all know there are benefits of being in a classroom such as one-on-one direct instruction for students in need or the ability to learn more in a more hands-on environment, to name a few. But, there are many benefits to online learning.
April is a great time of year for many reasons. Spring is in the air. The sun comes up earlier and stays out later, while birds and wildlife begin to reappear from their hibernation states. We know with the Covid-19 precautions it’s been a strange time, but some students may have heard back from the post-secondary institutions of their choice. Did you get into the school of your choice? If you did, well done!
Now the big question… how are you going to pay for it? Tuition, books, residence, meal plan, bus pass, groceries? That’s a lot of bills to pay! From government loans like OSAP to scholarships and bursaries from local community organizations, there are a number of different options and places you can look to help you support funding your post secondary journey and we have some advice on where you can look for them.
In normal circumstances, this time in the semester is when you would have received your midterm marks. With the closing of Ontario schools due to Covid-19 in March, the whole school year is a little thrown off as is the world. Despite all that is happening across the globe, it is still important to improve upon your skills during key cognitive development years. The habits and skills you form in secondary school will set you up for the next stage in life, such as post-secondary school or when you join the workforce.
With the ongoing concerns of Covid-19 and recent announcement that Ontario public schools are to remain closed after March break (March 16-April 6), we wanted to let our students know that we are still running classes.
We’ve made this decision based on a number of factors, but primarily that our courses don’t require direct human contact, since our teachers are based remotely and our students learn remotely.
Online learning is not a new thing, but not many people have taken a course online. Sure, people have tried things like Rosetta Stone or Duolingo for learning languages, but those aren’t for grades and don’t really have anything at stake. What about other subjects that provide you a grade that goes towards a high school diploma, or even a university degree? Seems a bit scary, no?
Its second semester, do you know what your goals are yet?
It’s ok if you don’t know, but a positive strategy for ensuring you feel accomplished in what you are doing is to simply set goals. It’s important to set goals as it can help you build and grow as a student and a person and over time become the best you that you can.