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Health & Fitness

Blended Learning: Building A School Around Student Needs

While full-time virtual schooling is a great solution for many kids, it might not be a good fit for everyone. Some students may prefer face-to-face instruction or miss the company of their peers. Yet teens in particular, like those students who come to Nexus Academy of Royal Oak for the ability to also do things like play a musical instrument or sport at a high level, desire the added flexibility and personalization online school can provide. As online education continues to grow in popularity, blended learning was developed as a high school model that brings together the best of both worlds. 

As one of those blended learning schools, Nexus Academy of Royal Oak offers a unique blend of in-person and online learning, plus the extra personal attention some students need to succeed. This unique school model offers more flexibility, plus ways to customize learning to a student’s abilities and interests, making it more personalized and engaging.

Nexus Academy’s blended learning schools are built around kids instead of vice versa. We have discovered that when students can sit where they want, eat when they want, and tackle their courses in the order they want—while simultaneously benefiting from close, guiding face-to-face relationships with teachers and other adults dedicated to their future—they perform well.

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Below are some key examples highlighting how blended learning schools are built around student needs:

·         Students attend in person four half-days per week, in the mornings or afternoons, completing the rest of their work outside of the classroom wherever an internet connection is available. With greater scheduling flexibility, students can customize their time outside of school with internships, employment, community service, and sports or other extracurricular activities.

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·         Enrollment is limited to a few hundred students, allowing us to deliver a more personalized learning experience by providing plenty of individual attention.

·         Open spaces and modular furnishings allow students to be grouped dynamically in teams. The layout makes it easy for students to connect with teachers for assistance, or to collaborate on projects with other students. Principals and guidance counselors aren’t hidden in offices; they’re out “on the floor” interacting with students.

·         Nexus schools have an on-site fitness center where personal trainers help students customize their own workouts.

·         Students can enhance the challenge of their academics and prepare for college with a variety of Honors and Advanced Placement courses.

·         Licensed guidance counselors are available to coach students on graduation requirements, college application, and career planning.

With the rise of online and blended learning schools, today’s parents and students have many options. These dynamic changes empower families to create truly personalized learning experiences that will help their children  succeed in high school and beyond.

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