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=**West Vancouver Online**=


 * Overview**


 * West Vancouver Online** allows students who attend high schools in the West Vancouver School District to take additional courses to support their learning. This is referred to as being cross-enrolled. Students will continue to complete the majority of their high school courses in their existing schools, but they can also take additional on-line courses to supplement their programs. //West Vancouver Online// is a ‘school’ that will meet the needs of Grades 10, 11 and 12 students in a blended (face-to-face/on-line) environment.


 * Purpose**

Students are increasingly participating in a digital world. We know that each year more students from West Vancouver enroll in on-line courses outside of our district. We want to meet the learning needs of these students with a “Made in West Vancouver” solution – availability and ability to take courses that combine the best of traditional, face-to-face instruction with on-line learning opportunities and supports.


 * What makes //West Vancouver Online// Different?**

Most distributed learning programs across the province have been purely at-distance programs, and in many ways replicating correspondence courses while using new technology. Courses through //West Vancouver Online// are not completely at distance. All courses will have a minimum 25 per cent, face-to-face contact component with the course teacher and peers enrolled in the same course.
 * A Blended Model**

For now, all courses will have a specific start and end date. There will be three different timeframes: September to January, February to June (both of these are “semester” style), and October to May (linear format). In the future, a summer offering (April to August) may also be added.
 * Specific Entry**

The majority of students enrolled in a particular course will come from the host school. For courses that are open to the district, students will travel periodically to specific sites for classes outside the regular timetable.
 * Students Stay at their Home School**


 * What Needs will the School Serve?**

Schools would be encouraged to offer courses that would not likely be fully subscribed to in one building, but by sharing students over three schools, would allow the courses to run (e.g. Olympic Learning 11).
 * Creating More Choice**

Currently, virtually all courses in the school district, offered at the secondary level, are in a linear format. //West Vancouver Online// would have October and February course start dates, thereby allowing students to move ahead, or catch up on courses. Students could also take some courses which they would traditionally have difficulty attending because of timetable constraints (e.g. Planning 10).
 * Traditional Courses, Non-Traditional Ways**


 * How will we start?**

//West Vancouver Online// is positioned to support rather than compete with the three existing secondary schools. Courses would be housed in each of the schools, promoting a vision of a “virtual district campus”. In its first year, //West Vancouver Online// would likely run between five to eight courses. Students already registered in a secondary school would be the primary focus for these courses, but over time, these courses would be open to students from all three schools.


 * Teacher Commitments**

All teachers enrolling classes through //West Vancouver Online// would create material in the [|learning portal]. Teachers would also agree to participate in an ongoing, on-line learning Pro-D series, and may also be asked to establish class times outside of the traditional timetable to allow students from outside the home school to attend. All classes would have at least a 25 per cent, face-to-face component and the class would meet the requirements established in the DL Standards.


 * Other Important Information**

The Ministry outlines the requirements for the courses through the [|K - 12 DL Standards] All distributive learning programs are coordinated through [|Learn Now BC] and they provide links to the programs and other helpful information. Here are links to a sample of the programs that exist around the province:

[|Vancouver] [|Delta] [|Coquitlam] [|North Vancouver] [|Surrey] [|Richmond]


 * Next Steps**

If you are interested e-mail Chris Kennedy with the course(s) that you may be interested in offering. Decisions on our year 1 courses are going to be made very shortly. If you have any questions, you can e-mail Chris or use the wiki discussion board.

For a view of the larger technology initiatives in the district, they are available in the powerpoint here.