eLearning Opportunities Expanded for 2012-13

Secondary Students...

• Is there a course you want to do but can't because it is not offered at your school?
• Is there a course you want to do but it does not fit into your timetable?
• Are you unable to consistently attend regular day school classes for a particular reason? (e.g., medical, travel as an elite athlete, etc.)
• Do you have a particular learning style that is better served in an on-line learning environment?

If you answered "Yes" to any of the above, then eLearning may be the answer for you.

eLearning provides the flexibility to place a course anywhere in a student's timetable. It provides students with access to nearly 70 secondary courses, 27 of which are taught by Kawartha Pine Ridge teachers. The remaining courses are taught by other teachers in the 20 school boards that comprise the Ontario eLearning Consortium (of which Kawartha Pine Ridge is a member).

eLearning courses are taught by innovative Ontario certified teachers who are subject specialists in the eLearning area in which they teach. They also teach face-to-face classes in their regular schools.

eLearning courses follow the precise Ministry-mandated curriculum as do regular face-to-face courses. The course codes are the same and appear on the student's report in precisely the same manner.

Students register for eLearning courses through their school Guidance Counsellor and seats are filled on a first come first served basis.

After registering for an eLearning course, a student will participate in an orientation to on-line learning and the Learning Management System (LMS). The LMS used by students is called Desire2Learn (D2L). D2L is the virtual classroom where students will:

• access their calendar, schedule, and course news
• access their course content and materials
• complete their activities and, in some courses, quizzes and surveys
• communicate and interact with their teacher and classmates through a dropbox, e-mail, a pager, discussion threads, and chat rooms
• use course tools such as their locker, journal, blog, and electronic portfolio
• access external course materials and tools, including streamed media and web 2.0 tools

Each school at Kawartha Pine Ridge contains computers that are allocated for the use of eLearning students. These computers are located in a supervised area of the school (typically the library). eLearning students are expected to be on these computers working on their eCourses during the period they are scheduled for eLearning. With that said, eLearning students have 24/7 access to their courses from anywhere they have Internet access.

Please click the following link to see the eLearning courses currently offered by Kawartha Pine Ridge for the 2011-12 year:

Explore E-Learning Opportunities 2011-2012
(2012-13 poster coming soon)

Please follow the link below to discover the multitude of other eLearning courses available to Kawartha Pine Ridge students through the Ontario eLearning Consortium for the 2011-12 year:

Ontario eLearning Consortium (click on the "Course Offerings" link)
(2012-13 courses to be posted soon)

The following eLearning courses are being offered by Kawartha Pine Ridge for 2012-13. If the course you are interested in is not listed below, please follow the link above to see if the course is being offered through the Ontario eLearning Consortium:

• BAF3M Financial Accounting Fundamentals
• BAT4M Financial Accounting Principles
• BBB4M International Business Fundamentals
• BDI3C Entrepreneurship: The Venture
• BMI3C Marketing: Goods, Services, Events
• BOH4M Business Leadership: Management Fundamentals
• CIA4U Analysing Current Economic Issues
• CLN4U Canadian and International Law
• COOP Continuous Intake
• EMS3O Media Studies
• ENG4C English
• ENG4U English
• EWC4U The Writer’s Craft
• FSF4U Core French
• GWL3O Designing Your Future
• HHS4M Individuals and Families in a Diverse Society
• HLS3O Living Spaces and Shelter
• HSB4M Challenge and Change in Society
• HZT4U Philosophy: Questions and Theories
• ICS3C Introduction to Computer Programming /
• ICS4C Computer Programming
• ICS3U Introduction to Computer Science
• MCT4C Mathematics for College Technology
• MCV4U Calculus and Vectors
• MDM4U Mathematics of Data Management
• MEL3E Mathematics for Work and Everyday Life
• PPZ3O Health for Life

Students can register for these courses or those offered by the Ontario eLearning Consortium by visiting their school Guidance Counsellor.

Students and parents who are interested in learning more about eLearning and the possibilities it offers can contact their Guidance Department or visit:

eLearning Ontario

Is eLearning Right For You?

While eLearning is not for everyone, there are many students who thrive in this learning environment. To assess if eLearning is right for you, consider the following questions... If you answer "Yes" to many of these questions, then you likely have what it takes to do well in an eLearning course:

1. I am independent, self-motivated, and self-directed.
2. I have reasonable computer skills.
3. I have good organizational skills (e.g., file management on the computer).
4. I enjoy being on the computer and using new technologies.
5. I do not mind reading content on the computer.
6. I typically understand the things I read.
7. I communicate well through text.
8. I like formulating my thoughts and presenting them in written form.
9. I like reading and responding to the thoughts, ideas, and work of others.
10. I recognize the importance of following certain “rules” when communicating with classmates and the teacher online (for example, etiquette).
11. I am not offended when someone does not share my opinion or point of view.
12. I have good inquiry skills meaning I can usually research to find the answers to questions or problems that are presented to me.
13. I am a good problem solver... I attempt to work things out for myself before requesting help.
14. When I encounter problems, I typically like to deal with them in a timely fashion, as opposed to putting them off or ignoring them.
15. I am not hesitant to communicate problems to my teacher or to ask questions.
16. I have good time management skills.
17. I typically complete tasks in a timely fashion and try do avoid leaving things to the last minute.
18. I pay close attention to deadlines and do my best to meet them.
19. I have the self-discipline it takes to spend every eLearning period on the computers in my school that have been assigned to eLearning, working on my course.
20. I am willing to dedicate as much or more time to my eLearning course as I am to my regular classes.
21. I have access to the Internet outside of school.
22. I am interested in the subject matter of the eLearning course I would like to do.

Did you answer "Yes" to many of these questions?... If so, eLearning may be an excellent learning environment for you.

Accessing Your eLearning Course

D2L (Desire to Learn) - Your Virtual Classroom

Go to https://kprdsb.elearningontario.ca/ if your course is offered by Kawartha Pine Ridge. Log in using the username and password you were e-mailed at the beginning of the semester.

If your course is offered by another board, you will receive the link to your eLearning course and your username / password via email.