Blog

At traditional brick-and-mortar high schools in Ontario and across North America, students are expected to move through course material at a uniform pace with the rest of the students in their classes.
These students have little to no control over how they pace their studies. Rather, their pace is determined for them by their teachers, curriculum, and school board. They are expected to meet deadlines and are penalized when they fail to do so. Learning at a uniform pace is called synchronous learning and it does not benefit all students.

Traditional learning where students are in a classroom with their instructor and fellow students engaging with their education in real-time, is synchronous learning. Quite literally, this is because in a classroom setting, students learn in sync with their peers.

You could trace the dawn of synchronous learning to, well, the dawn of education, and still to this day it’s what many older adults think of when they think of school.

At OES, we value flexibility. With our online courses, we empower our students to have more control over their schooling and make it easier for students to manage their schedules and stay productive because they can work at their own pace.

This flexibility is especially important for busy students who don’t have the luxury of treating school as a full-time job, but is only effective when paired with good academic habits.

Traditional brick-and-mortar high schools in Ontario tend to not offer much flexibility. The majority of students commute to school at 9 am, take classes until 3 pm, go home, and repeat. Then, if they are involved in sports or extracurricular activities, they will spend even more time at school.

This rigid routine may work for students with enough time to treat school as a full-time job, but not for busy students, including mature students, who have obligations outside of school, like families and jobs.

Social workers swoop in during times of emergency and crisis, fight for individual and social justice, and relieve people of their suffering. Chances are someone you know has been helped by a social worker at some point in their life, and chances are they’re thankful.

Before the rise of online high school courses in Ontario, students typically had to attend traditional, brick-and-mortar secondary institutions to get their diplomas. Excluding those who attended in-person private schools, students had no choice but to attend public schools within their particular geographical regions—that is, within their “boundary maps.”

These students often had few public schools to choose from, especially those who lived in underpopulated and rural areas. Students living in wealthier boundary maps tended to have access to public secondary schools with more funding, resources, and one-on-one attention, as well as higher retention and graduation rates.

When you have a family and a full-time job, studying and taking classes can often feel like a daunting undertaking and leave you with little to no personal time. At OES, we offer flexible online courses so that our students, including mature students, can maintain a work-life balance.
Our courses are more convenient and flexible than in-person courses offered by traditional brick-and-mortar high schools in Ontario. When you take online courses at OES, you can choose to set your own pace.

Businesses make the world go round, so it’s surprising that many high schools in Ontario don’t offer the right courses to sufficiently prepare their students to study business at the post-secondary level.

As a result, students often arrive at their first university or college business classes underprepared and overwhelmed. It’s like they’ve been thrown into a hockey game without being handed a stick. They’re lost on the ice.

In Ontario, about 9/10 adults have high school diplomas. The 1/10 who don’t face challenges and difficulties unique to them.

Clearly, there are many benefits of having a high school diploma. That’s what we’ll look at here, as well as why it may be a good idea to take online classes for high school credits in addition to classes at a traditional brick-and-mortar high school.

It’s one of the biggest questions a student has to answer in their senior years of high school: Where do I go after this? Choosing a college or university isn’t just a matter of selecting an institution; it’s a time for reflection too. As you say goodbye to high school, you reflect on what you want for your future and what you value in an education. You do not have to know what you want to be when you grow up, but it’s smart to set yourself up for success – whatever that success may look like.

Notes are the unsung hero of education. They are the workhorses, the record-keepers. They are the all-important glue connecting the vast volumes of information contained in textbooks and professor’s lessons with the (admittedly) limited computing power each and every one of us possesses. And they are surprisingly easy to make!

If you’ve ever been to a hospital or medical centre, or accompanied someone else through the experience, you can attest to the meaningful role nurses play in the experience. They are often the first people you see – answering questions, taking samples, dispensing medicine or lending a helping hand. They coach families on how to manage and avoid illness, and promote health and wellbeing. And they use their broad knowledge, deep compassion and hard work to ensure that every patient – no matter how young or old, sick or well – gets the care they deserve.

Lately, we’ve recognized these front-line workers for what they are: heroes. One of the most sobering perspectives that we as a culture have gained over the last two years is that the world couldn’t function without nurses. They form the backbone of the hospital system, and we owe so much to their tireless efforts and continued determination.

Lately, we have received several inquiries from people who want to become nurses. It’s heartening to see the number of people – both young and mature students – willing to take up the profession and help others. And, for our part, we want to help the helpers.

An exam is a little like stormy weather: It’s inevitable, its particulars are shrouded in mystery until the day it arrives, and the best way to deal with it is through preparation. However, while preparing for inclement weather requires little more than breaking out a rain jacket or unfurling an umbrella, preparing for an exam is a touch more complex.

If it weren’t for science, the world would look a great deal different. There would be no weather predictions telling us if it was going to rain today; no electric lights to illuminate our study room after hours; no doctors administering life-saving treatments in the hospital; no climate scientists urging us to consider our behaviours; no satellites orbiting the globe, sending back television signals to our living rooms; no computers; no phones; no one to explain the movement of the planets or the taxonomic system of animals; and there certainly wouldn’t be any online school.

In competitive cycling, they have what’s known as the “bike throw.” It is that final, forceful thrust across the finish line, when a cyclist fully extends their arms and legs and pushes their bike in front of them in a last-gasp effort to get ahead of the pack. Pulling off a proper bike throw is an art, something that takes training and practice.

To an outsider, math can appear cold and clinical – an exercise in reducing the world to numbers and figures. But ask a mathematician (or, really, anyone who cursorily enjoys the subject), and they will wax poetic about the beauty of math.
To an outsider, math can seem like a foreign and indistinguishable language, reserved for a few choice individuals predisposed to understand it. But, again, math-lovers have to disagree: Mathematics often follows consistent, systematic rules and patterns. Moreover, it isn’t something you’re born with; anyone can tap into it with enough curiosity and drive.
So, what gives? Is math clinical or beautiful? Is it a complex language or an accessible mode of seeing the world?

Philosophers generally agree that we perceive and understand the world via our senses. We form what they might refer to as an “epistemic relationship” with our surroundings (a fancy way of saying that we give and take information wherever we go by using our senses and faculties). If we see a bright light, we might shield our eyes. If we hear someone crying, we may feel a sense of sadness ourselves. And, as cartoons make clear, if we smell a pie resting on a window sill, we get hungry!

What does this have to do with learning? Well, if we are intimately influenced by our environments, that must mean our study spaces require forethought and consideration.

Have you ever walked out of a movie theatre with a friend, beaming from ear to ear at the film you just saw, only to turn to them and find an expressionless face? “It just wasn’t for me,” they might say. Or, “I found the whole subplot with the aliens to be distracting and confusing.” It can be alarming – jarring even – to discover that this person you know so well, who sat next to you in the dark theatre for 120-odd minutes, had a completely different experience than you.
But this illustrates a central truth about being human. We live our lives alongside one another, but in completely unique fashion. The ways in which one person processes, understands and formulates opinions upon an experience can be fundamentally different than the next person. You can best sum it up with that age-old, perhaps cliched, axiom: Everybody’s different.

Even the seasoned mathematicians at MIT carry calculators in their back pockets. Famous authors keep thesauruses on their writing desks. Professional project managers for multi-national corporations still defer to a humble time management tool from time to time. And – though there’s no way of knowing for sure – we’re reasonably certain some high-level chefs still consult YouTube cooking videos occasionally.

This is all to say, our brains can’t do everything. It’s okay to cede some computing power to an external tool, whether it’s an app, a machine, a book or a video. Not only can it help expedite the learning process, but it may also teach us a valuable lesson in education: namely, that it’s perfectly fine to reach out for help.

You may hear someone say “high school-aged” in reference to a teenager (the term even appears on this blog). But “high school-aged,” despite being a convenient shortcut for discussing young people, is ultimately a misnomer.

High school is not strictly a rite of passage for young people; it is the development of essential skills, knowledge and critical thinking tools. And that development has no age limit, no restrictions to entry. At Ontario eSecondary School, we believe that learning is an essential feature of everyone’s self-development, which is why we are happy to see mature students grace the digital hallways of our school.

Twenty years ago, five researchers published an influential book entitled Making the Most of Summer School: A Meta-Analytic and Narrative Review. While the title is quite the mouthful, the contents of the book are relatively straightforward. Through a meta-study of 93 different summer schools, the researchers concluded that “all students benefit from summer school,” particularly “when instruction is individualized.”

As in life, education always allows for second chances. So if your young learner wasn’t pleased with their grade the first time around, or didn’t feel they grasped the material as fully as they would have liked, they can take what’s called an “upgrade course.”

The weather is balmy, the sun is bright, and there is a palpable sense of excitement in the air. That can only mean one thing: At long last, summer is here.

Summer break is a necessary part of a traditional school year. After ten months toiling away in a classroom, kids need some time to recharge their batteries, strengthen their social ties and explore interests and hobbies. That’s true of students in brick-and-mortar schools and online students.

Need to earn an Ontario high school credit this summer? We are here to help you reach your academic and personal goals. Many students enrol with us upgrade their marks, meet university or college admission requirements, retake failed courses, or work ahead for the following school year.

Summer is a busy time, that’s why you can register for OES courses anytime while studying anywhere at your own pace.

It’s that time of year for grade 12 students, the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC) and Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) are accepting applications. Perhaps going to university or college has been something you’ve been waiting for since you started high school, or maybe you’re a mature student looking to get into a program you’ve considered for years.

While the world has continued to be turned upside down by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, students have had to find new ways to continue learning effectively. Some programs have been issued by the Ontario Ministry of Education, while schools have shifted to a more online focus out of necessity.

For many of us, if not everyone in the world, 2020 has been a chaotic year. It almost feels like we’ve experienced a whole decade worth of events in just this year alone. That can be overwhelming for anyone, which is why it’s more important than ever to embrace change and become one with yourself. 

Do you find yourself often feeling like there is too much to do, but not enough time? Between school, extra curricular activities, a part-time job and other priorities high school students often have, it wouldn’t be surprising if some students feel pressed for time. However there are ways to manage some of those stresses and time crunches and that is with strong time management skills.

The world has undergone a massive shift on how we work and learn. Families have been thrust into a new normal of isolation and challenged by how we interact. This is the final installment in a two part series on homeschooling and learning online for Ontario students.

The world has undergone a massive shift on how we work and learn. Families have been thrust into a new normal of isolation and challenged by how we interact. This is the first in a two part series on pandemic homeschooling and learning online for Ontario students.

With the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre and Ontario College Application Service beginning to accept applications you may be wondering what route you should take for your post-secondary education and asking the question “what should I do after high school?” While this is a hard decision it’s also an important one that you need to make very early in your life: university vs college. You’ve probably already started thinking about this though. You’ve gone to your school counsellor, probably took GLC2O – Career Studies and discussed with your family, friends and teachers what you should do after graduating this fall.

Taking a high school course online is becoming more and more common and while online learning continues to grow in popularity, students are asking questions on how they can be more successful when taking a high school course online.

It’s fair to say that for students and parents, the world has changed dramatically throughout 2020. When schools closed in mid-March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic the way we thought about learning changed. Parents faced different career challenges such as going to work, working from home or unemployment, they commonly faced the challenge of teaching their children. Meanwhile students faced isolation from friends, new ways of learning when going online and cancelled proms. Regardless of our individual challenges, things are different now and many students are wondering how to finish high school online in Ontario during this pandemic.

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.

Every January brings the start of a new year, and with a new year comes the same familiar question – what’s your new year resolution? For many, a new year means a new beginning – a change to some bad habits, starting some new good habits, or maybe just trying something you’ve never done before. With just a few days into 2020, Ontario eSecondary School wants to ask: have you made your new year’s resolution yet? Do you know what your friend’s resolutions are? 

If you’re a current Ontario secondary school student or international student looking to apply to an Ontario university for the September 2020 semester, you know the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC) deadline is too real. With only a few days left, there’s definitely a need for some urgency if you haven’t gotten all your applications in yet.

For many, the holiday season brings time with family, friends and an opportunity to rest. But it also can bring stress and a lot of travel. Whether your scarfing down some favourite foods, watching your favourite holiday film or travelling to see as many family members as you can, it can be tough to keep your brain stimulated during the holiday season.

That’s why OES High School has compiled this list of easy and satisfying ways to keep your brain moving this holiday season.

Stress can creep up on you at any time in the year, but the upcoming holidays can be especially trying. Final assignments, school assemblies and holiday performances, not to mention getting the perfect gift for that special someone, the lead up to the holidays can be a lot!

There’s no denying it, Ontario university applications can be an overwhelming process. Filling out applications, selecting the right programs, and dealing with the uncertainty of an acceptance is a lot to deal with especially when you have to worry about your schoolwork at the same time. I’ve been there. I know how stressful it can be. Don’t worry, it can be done. If you’ve made it this far, you can go much further!

January 15th, 2020  is the deadline for Ontario high school students to submit their completed application to the OUAC. If OES is not your home school (day school) the final grade for any credit you earn here will be sent to OUAC. Please manage your course work to ensure you meet the above mentioned deadline.

The summer’s here and you’re looking at summer school.

Maybe you want to get ahead. Or, maybe you have to upgrade a course to get into your first choice program or school this September.

You need flexibility.

As you probably know, before you can graduate with your high school diploma (OSSD), one of the many requirements is that you can demonstrate competence in the provincial secondary school literacy requirement.

OLC4O is a grade 12 online open level course, offered exclusively to students who have been eligible to write the OSSLT at least twice and who have been unsuccessful at least once.

Students in Ontario received news on March 15th about a number of proposed changes intending to “modernize” the education system in the next couple of years with mandatory e-learning for high school.

For most students in the Western Hemisphere, the month of September conjures up images of autumn leaves and a new school year. It’s a time of change and new adventures. So, the thought of starting a course in November might not just sound strange, but seem utterly wrong.

These days however, thanks to the Internet, you don’t have to start in September, or January, or any other month for that matter.

You can start ANY TIME!