
Virtual Learning Academy Staff

Virtual Learning Academy Overview
Pickerington Local School District is proud to continue to offer the Virtual Learning Academy as an entirely virtual option to our families. All courses are designed to match the same standards and curriculum accessed in the traditional instructional model. Because it is fully virtual, resources and learning activities may slightly vary. This instructional model is not an exact match to a traditional school day. The framework allows for some fluidity to attend to learning activities and work completion. While it is encouraged to engage during regular school hours in order to connect with your teacher, flexibility is provided to best meet a family’s needs.
Younger students will likely need a parent or other adult for daily facilitation. This adult is responsible for supporting and helping the student complete online activities and assessments. We encourage a daily routine to support student learning. The classes will be structured to help establish routines, but creating a schedule at home will help optimize a student’s success. If you need support to help your child, the PLSD VLA will have an administrator to lead the virtual school, as well as an elementary and secondary counselor. A partnership between the school and family is important.
As students move into middle school and junior high, they may need some support transitioning to a learning environment that allows for more flexibility than a structured elementary schedule. The Junior High School and High School schedules will follow the in-building schedules. Classes will be expected to meet during their scheduled period. Consistent routines and daily/weekly schedules are still very important. Adult support may include monitoring the completion of learning activities, monitoring comprehension of content, and turning in assignments.
High school students can expect to work more independently and/or self-paced. High school core courses will be taught by PLSD teachers that are fully virtual learning academy teachers. While elective courses will be taught by PLSD teachers that are also teaching traditional courses. Elective teachers will have less flexibility with their schedule to meet and support students outside of the scheduled daily time. Students should expect to build a schedule around when their teachers will be available. Teachers will organize synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities, provide ongoing feedback to support learning, and offer office hours to students and or families.
For the 2021-2022 school year, Pickerington Schools will offer the Virtual Learning Academy to grades K -12. As we worked through the creation of the PLSD Virtual Learning Academy during the 2020-2021 school year we have learned a great deal about virtual and online learning. We have put more structure, more research-based instructional models, and more resources into place to continue to offer all PLSD students a high-quality learning experience.
The Virtual Direction - PLSD's VLA Newsletter

Five Questions for Parents to Think About Before Enrolling into the Pickerington Schools’ Virtual Learning Academy
- Why are you seeking a virtual learning educational environment? – Clearly defining your family’s overall educational goals will help you better understand if the virtual learning academy will work for you and your children. Are you looking for a more challenging curriculum? Greater control of your child’s education? Increased scheduling flexibility? Acceptance into a four-year college?
- Will the virtual learning academy meet your children’s individual needs? – Every child has his or her own unique learning style. Does your elementary-age child perform better with hands-on lessons? Is your son an auditory learner who needs extra time to complete reading assignments? Perhaps your daughter requires an accelerated pace for some subjects, but not for others. When evaluating enrolling into the PLSD Virtual Learning Academy, consider what options are available to personalize your child’s learning experience to help your child thrive. Please continue to read below.
- Does the PLSD Virtual Learning Academy offer a high-quality curriculum? – Virtual public schools are required to meet state and national education standards. Beyond these benchmarks, most parents also want a curriculum to challenge and prepare their children for success in life. The PLSD Virtual Learning Academy will follow the same courses of study as are used in our traditional classrooms. The PLSD VLA will use the same curriculum frameworks and digital resources that are available in traditional classrooms. Some small changes will be made to pacing guides and lessons to account for the virtual learning aspect.
- Will the school provide opportunities to succeed and grow offline? – Research proves that kids need a well-rounded learning experience with opportunities to experience success and a sense of accomplishment. The PLSD VLA will offer engaging educational opportunities during the school day. We are working to build ways for classmates and families to be able to connect socially and to create additional learning experiences that can occur offline. Students in grades 7-12 will also be able to participate in sports, clubs and activities with their home buildings.
- Are you prepared for direct involvement in your child’s education? – Before deciding on enrolling in the PLSD VLA, parents should give serious thought to the level of involvement required. Take into account how much time you are able to spend monitoring and coaching your child’s online education. You may want to talk to other parents about their experiences with online learning.

Guiding Principles and Commitments
Classes Being Offered in the PLSD Virtual Learning Academy
Virtual Learning Instructional Models
The Virtual Learning Academy courses will consist of both synchronous and asynchronous class and work times. Attendance at Google Meets will be required this year of all students.
- Asynchronous Learning – A student-centered teaching method that uses online resources to facilitate learning without requiring students and instructors to be in the same place at the same time.
- Synchronous Online Learning – A real-time learning situation in which immediate two-way communication between the instructor and participants as possible.
Considerations For Teachers
- When selecting the appropriate blend of synchronous and asynchronous time for your course should be informed by where learners are within their curriculum. To decide which model to implement, consider the following three questions:
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- Where is my course situated within the overall academic program?
- How independent are my learners at this point in the program?
- What level of guidance or coaching will my learners need to be successful?
- Articulating a clear rationale for the virtual instructional model and blended learning structure is critical.
- Teachers need to take the time to consider which virtual instructional model best aligns with the needs of the learner and the learning outcomes of the course.
- Once the model has been selected, sharing the rationale with students and explaining how the strategies support the curriculum will help them better understand why part of the course is being delivered synchronously and part of the course is being delivered asynchronously, what the purpose and role of asynchronous learning is in the course, and how the asynchronous learning fits into the overall lesson plan.
The following virtual learning models are examples of models that the PLSD VLA teachers will be using. Teachers will change to different models as the learning outcomes change. For example, one unit might be in model #2 but another might be in model #5. Or the model might change by the day or week. Teachers will choose an appropriate blend of synchronous and asynchronous time depending on the learning outcomes, lessons, activities, and student needs.

What Will Instruction Look Like
Exceptional Student Services
