Five hundred years ago, all the information in the world could be contained

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2 Get the Most Out of Your Calvert Education Five hundred years ago, all the information in the world could be contained in one national Sunday newspaper. Today global information doubles every eighteen months. In some business sectors, information doubles annually. Global workplace virtual teams are becoming the status quo. As we move into the 21st century, this explosion of the Information Age and expectations for global collaboration change the context of what is learned and how it is learned. Today s young learners must not only gain basic reading and math skills and core knowledge, they must learn to use technology to access the most current information, work with data, and communicate with peers and teachers in a virtual environment. Calvert School has developed a blended personal learning experience that combines My Calvert online resources with the physical texts and manuals that are provided in your box. This experience provides multiple approaches and systems to enhance your academic pursuit. You receive support to set learning goals, manage the content and process of your learning, and communicate with others in the education process, allowing you to engage in a single integrated experience that will enhance 21st-century skills. This guide will help you maximize the use of My Calvert; it will show you how to access and use the hyperlinks, videos, animation, web-supported textbooks, interactive live classes, grade reports, and more. Calvert educational and technology staff are continually enhancing My Calvert to provide the best practices, most up-to-date resources, and online tools to help you achieve your personal learning goals and succeed in the 21st-century environment.! IMPORTANT TO DO M A K E S U R E YO U R E C E I V E C A LV E RT S C H O O L E - M A I L U P DAT E S A N D I N F O R M AT I O N Calvert School occasionally sends information and updates by . To ensure that you receive our correspondence, it helps to white list calvertservices.org (our domain). A simple way to do this is to add the following address to your address book : *@calvertservices.org Each internet service provider is different, so if you do not know how to add a name to your address book or how to white list a domain, contact our Technology Support team at (800) for assistance. Table of Contents PA R E N T O N L I N E R E S O U R C E S 2 Parent Learning Guide Portal S T U D E N T O N L I N E R E S O U R C E S 4 Logging in to My Calvert 5 The Calvert i-library 8 e-textbooks 9 Calvert Math TextHelp 10 Calvert Online Lesson Manuals 12 Online Interactive Activities featuring BrainPOP 13 Computer Skills & Applications Lessons 14 Supplemental Math Instruction 15 Calvert Mastery Series: Online Spelling Program 16 Calvert Instructional Videos 17 Calvert Curriculum Checkpoints T H E AT S E X P E R I E N C E 18 The Advisory Teaching Service 19 Grammar Review Sessions 20 Online Practice Tests 20 Read Aloud! ATS 21 Express ATS S K I L L S W O R K S H O P S 22 Grammar and Math Skills Workshops C A LV E RT V I RT UA L AC A D E M Y 23 Calvert Virtual Academy T H E C A LV E RT O N L I N E C O M M U N I T Y 24 The Calvert Student Community 25 The Calvert Parent Community 26 The Calvert State Resource Pages A P P E N D I C E S 27 Appendix 1 Twelve Rules for Acceptable Computer Use Calvert School 1 Inspire the Best

3 PA R E N T O N L I N E R E S O U R C E S Parent s Learning Guide Portal The Learning Guide portal gives you, the parent, the tools you need, to oversee, support, and enhance your student s academic journey. This passwordprotected site allows you to consolidate grades and academic progress for all of your students in one place. Your Learning Guide portal provides easy access to: Answer Keys Advisory Teaching Service Tests Read Aloud! Curriculum Updates Announcements Your order history (complete with tracking numbers) Your student s grades (Curriculum Checkpoints, and if enrolled in the Advisory Teaching Service [ATS], Practice Tests and ATS Test grades) Direct links to your student s personal My Calvert account(s) for additional monitoring, guidance, and ease of instruction implementation. Direct links to support services including Calvert Education Counselors, Tech Support, and Client Services. Parent Community link where you can participate in threaded discussions or post questions. LOG IN TO THE LEARNING GUIDE PORTAL When you enrolled your student in Calvert School, you should have received an from our Technology Support team that included your and your student s user name and password, as well as a direct link to access the My Calvert login page. 1. Direct your browser to 2. Enter your provided user name and password and click on Login. Don t have your User Name or Password? Don t worry! Contact our Technology Support team at (800) for assistance. Don t have a computer at home? If you do not have a computer at home, you may still access Calvert s online resources from a computer at your local library. Be careful with your user name and password and be sure to log out of My Calvert after each use on a public computer. Calvert School 2 Inspire the Best

4 PA R E N T O N L I N E R E S O U R C E S Your online student supervising center Calvert School 3 Inspire the Best

5 Online Educational Support Resources R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT It all starts with My Calvert your online resource center Each student enrolled in a Calvert course receives a customized My Calvert account; a personal, online resource center containing tools to help enhance and reinforce your student s education. All of the resources are specific to the individual student s grade level and course selections. They are designed to support core learning and to help make teaching easier! A D LOG IN TO MY CALVERT When you enrolled your student in Calvert School, you should have received an from our Technology Support team that included your student s user name and password as well as a direct link to access the My Calvert login page. 1. Direct your browser to 2. Enter your provided user name and password and click on Login. B C Don t have your User Name or Password? Don t worry! Contact our Technology Support team at (800) for assistance. Don t have a computer at home? If you do not have a computer at home, you may still access Calvert s online resources from a computer at your local library. Be careful with your user name and password and be sure to log out of My Calvert after each use on a public computer. A B C D Resources The Resources section is set up as an individual learning experience. Each student s Resources section features information, tools, and programs specific to the courses that the student is taking. For example, if your student is enrolled in the Advisory Teaching Service, you will see the Grade Book icon. If your student is enrolled in French, you will see the French icon. Announcements The Announcements section is continually updated to keep you informed about new Calvert programs and offerings. Services The Services section provides direct access to the Curriculum Updates. Support Enrolling with Calvert means you won t have to go it alone. Connect with your Support Team with just a click. Begin a Live Chat with an Education Counselor, Client Services, or Tech Support. Calvert School 4 Inspire the Best

6 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT The Calvert i-library Access all the resources your local library has to offer with just a click of a button! The Calvert i-library is a virtual library that offers age-appropriate activities and resources that correlate with core subject areas and provide reinforcement in instruction. Within i-library, students can access the Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Collegiate Thesaurus, World Atlas, and Multimedia Archives. Students can also access ageappropriate activities to reinforce the core instruction, Calvert Reference Tools, the Calvert Astronomy Reporter, and Calvert Web site Reviews. B D A C E The door to your own personal research library A B C D E Age-appropriate Activities Age-appropriate activities reinforce topics studied in the core curriculum. Calvert Online Reference Library Interactive reference tools provide so much more than their paper ancestors. Dictionaries include audio files to assist with the pronunciation of a difficult word; the atlas contains political and physical views of the geography studied; while a variety of encyclopedias offer different levels of complexity to meet the needs of developing students. Calvert Astronomy Explorer Visit the astronomy site to enjoy exploration of the night sky with your students. Calvert Reference Tools Calvert reference tools are organized by grade level to provide helpful instructional material, such as shape planners for a young student or rules for a biography for an older student. Reviews of Web Sites If you are looking for high-quality educational sites on the internet you can search through our library of Web sites, organized by topic, complete with Calvert reviews, and indexed for your convenience. Calvert School 5 Inspire the Best

7 CALVERT i-library continued 2 A R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT Encyclopedia Britannica The Encyclopedia Britannica Reference Library provides a full experience for students by dividing information into three different grade levels (high school, middle school, and elementary school) that vary in complexity. Students can pull images from the library to enhance an assignment and use the embedded links and search function to acquire information about specific areas within that subject. 3 EXPLORE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA 1. From the Calvert i-library screen, click on Britannica Home. You will be directed to screen A. 2. Enter the topic you wish to learn more about in the search field and click GO. 3. The search will yield three different levels of results one appropriate for high school students (with greater detail and broader scope), one for middle school students, and one for elementary students. Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Collegiate Thesaurus The dictionary is a great tool that not only provides the definition of a word but also gives an audio pronunciation of the word, the word s function, and the origin of the word. 2 EXPLORE THE DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS 1. From the Calvert i-library screen, click on Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Collegiate Thesaurus. 2. Enter the word chocolate and click on GO. 3. The Dictionary provides definitions, an audio pronunciation, and synonyms and antonyms, if available. 3 Calvert School 6 Inspire the Best

8 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT World Atlas The World Atlas allows students to view different areas of the world using different kinds of maps. It is interactive and offers additional resources for information on specific areas, which makes it a great reference tool. MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 EXPLORE THE WORLD ATLAS 1. From the Calvert i-library screen, click on the World Atlas. Students in Middle School continue by: 2. Enter the name of the country you wish to research and click GO. 3. You may select map, satellite, or hybrid view. 4. Additional information may be reviewed by clicking on the Summary, Profile, and Article tabs to the upper right of the map. ELEMENTARY 2 Students in Elementary School continue by: 2. Scroll down the page and click on the Elementary School tab. 3. In the new window located on the left under the heading Other Features, click on World Atlas. You will be directed to screen A. 4. You may select a political or a physical map and see a profile of the continent, country, or state/province. 3 ELEMENTARY A Other Resources CHECK OUT i-library S OTHER RESOURCES From the Calvert i-library screen, click on these other resources and explore what is available: Multimedia Archives The Multimedia Archives are available for students who are interested in viewing pictures and videos and listening to audio clips in various subject areas. For example, if your student is learning about Shakespeare, he can access the Guide to Shakespeare and listen to or view scenes from specific Shakespearean plays. The Multimedia Archives are particularly useful for auditory and visual learners. Calvert Reference Tools The Calvert Reference Tools are worth their weight in gold! They are grade-appropriate tools developed by our Calvert Education Counselors that provide additional academic support for students in grades Pre-K through 8. For example, in Grade 6, you can get rules for bibliographies and guidelines for typed compositions. Age-Appropriate Activities If you are looking for ageappropriate activities to reinforce core learning, simply click on your student s grade level and select our activity of choice. Astronomy Explorer The Calvert Astronomy Explorer provides a unique opportunity for parents and students to explore the facts about astronomy and catch up on the latest astronomy news. Web Site Reviews Our Web site Reviews include a list of Calvert recommended Web sites that are educationally sound, relate to content in our courses, and have a design that is appealing and motivating to students. We rate each site on a scale of 1 through 5 stars. This is an important page for families who are looking for sound educational web sites to use in their daily teaching. Calvert School 7 Inspire the Best

9 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT E-Textbooks SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES E-Textbooks are publisher-provided electronic versions of selected textbooks used in the Calvert curriculum. They contain additional resources, such as automatically graded practice tests, video clips, online quizzes, and other valuable support material. Students in Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade are able to access their e-textbook from anywhere, provided they have an Internet connection. Take some time to explore the additional resources available in your provided e-textbooks. 2 A OPEN AN E-TEXTBOOK 1. Click on the e-textbook icon in your My Calvert portal. You will be directed to screen A. 2. Each publisher e-textbook is different; most will not require an additional login; however, some may require a username and password, which will be provided like the one in our example. Expand your student s learning options online Calvert School 8 Inspire the Best

10 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT Calvert Math TextHelp FIRST AND SECOND GRADES Calvert is pleased to offer our award winning math textbook online with the use of TextHelp. More than just an electronic textbook, this presentation engages students with audio feedback and dual color text highlighting. Reading controls foster independent learning while zoom and pan controls provide visually impaired support. Features include an interactive Table of Contents, a dictionary, and a basic calculator. Students can insert color annotations and add sticky notes! There is even a word translator, for one-click translation of English words into Spanish. ACCESSING CALVERT MATH TEXTHELP 1. Click on the Calvert Math e-textbook icon in your My Calvert portal. 2. Use the tool bar across the top to have text read to you, to highlight, or to add notes. 1 2 Calvert School 9 Inspire the Best

11 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT Calvert Online Lesson Manuals A In addition to the printed Lesson Manuals, you and your student can access lessons through our Online Lesson Manuals, which include embedded links to support instruction. 2 EXPLORE THE ONLINE LESSON MANUAL 1. Click on the Online Lesson Manuals icon in your My Calvert portal. You will be directed to screen A. 2. Click on the appropriate icon to access the Lesson Manual. 3. You will be directed to screen B. 3 B The Menu Bar 4. The menu bar at the top of the screen will allow you to: Return to the Lesson Manual Home Page. View a printer-friendly version of the current lesson. Subscribe to curriculum updates for this lesson manual. 4 The Navigation Area 5. The navigation area at the left side of the screen allows you to select and view General Instructions, Lessons, and in Grades 6 through 8, Learning Strategies and How to Diagram a Sentence. In addition, for Grade 8 only, you may access alternate Reading lessons by clicking on Literature Alternates. 5 Click on the + or - icons to expand or collapse, respectively, the navigation nodes to locate the lesson you wish to view. When you have located the lesson, click on the desired subject name to view that lesson. Calvert School 10 Inspire the Best

12 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT The Lesson Area 6. The lesson area in the middle of the screen displays the currently selected lesson. Resources Section 7. Additional Resources that correspond to the current lesson are located on the right side of the screen. Resources may include: Online Instructions Supplemental Math Activities Computer Lessons Grammar Review Videos Instructional Videos Spelling Lessons Interactive Activities Curriculum Checkpoints Practice Tests Checkpoints NEW! Look for these icons in your Lesson Manual directing you to online and multimedia resources that correspond to the lesson. Web Visit a World Wide Web URL address Activity Engage in an online activity Video Watch an instructional video online or accessed on My Calvert Audio Listen to a CD or online audio file (mp3) 6 Get Automatic Updates The Online Lesson Manuals feature any corrections or updates from our Curriculum Development team. If you are ready for something a little more technologically advanced, consider subscribing to a curriculum update feed to be proactively informed of changes to the Lesson Manual. Automatic updates of Calvert s Lesson Manuals and Answer Keys are available through RSS (really simple syndication). A feed, also known as RSS feed, XML feed, syndicated content, or web feed, is frequently updated content published by a Web site. GET AUTOMATIC UPDATES 1. Click on Correction Subscription RSS Feed in your menu bar. You will be directed to a screen like this. 2. Click on Subscribe to this feed. Your browser will likely open a dialog box to set up your feed. If you need more information about RSS feeds (or other types), contact our Technology Support team at (888) for assistance. 7 Photo Look at a still image online or accessed on My Calvert e-textbook Use your electronic textbook (optional) 2 Checkpoint Complete an online assessment Rate This Lesson Rate the lesson using the Five-Star Rating System Calvert School 11 Inspire the Best

13 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT Online Interactive Activities featuring BrainPOP KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE Research indicates that the use of multimedia instruction can significantly improve student learning. With this in mind, Calvert is pleased to offer BrainPOP to engage, motivate, and enhance your student s instruction. BrainPOP activities include animated video tutorials along with interactive activities and assessments, which provide a rich, multisensory experience designed to improve learning. In addition, these research-based activities were developed in accordance with national and state academic standards. 1 ACCESSING THE INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES 1. Go to your Online Lesson Manual. 2. If there is a BrainPOP activity appropriate to the lesson, it will be displayed in the navigation area at the right of the screen along with the corresponding activity name. Click on the link to access the instructional activities. Motivate and engage your student Calvert School 12 Inspire the Best

14 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E R T Computer Skills & Applications Lessons KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE Our interactive Computer Skills & Applications lessons provide an entertaining way to look at technological instruction. Computer skills are imperative in both the academic and professional community. With interactive lessons, your student can master computer applications like word-processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software. It is age appropriate for Kindergarten through Eighth Grade and supplies the prerequisites needed for each course. Your student has the ability to access computer lessons from previous years, which is helpful if he needs review or if your student is new to the Calvert program. 1 2 ENTER THE COMPUTER LESSONS PORTAL 1. Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, and Eighth Grade students will find their computer lessons in their core manual. While students in Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Grades should go to the Computer Skills & Applications Manual, online or printed for further instruction when you see the computer icon. 2. When directed by your computer lesson click on either the Computer Lessons icon in your My Calvert portal, or if you are using your Online Lesson Manual click the computer lesson link in the Resources area to the right. A new window that looks like screen A will open. 3. Select the appropriate lessons based on your course level and you will access the full list of instruction tutorials. Click on the displayed image for your lesson to start. A 3 Calvert School 13 Inspire the Best

15 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT Supplemental Math Instruction KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE A Supplemental math instruction is available for many math lessons in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. This Web-delivered, supplemental math curriculum supports your student s core math instruction. It uses rich, multisensory, game-based activities to improve learning. Because the activities are fun, they motivate students to extend their time in math practice. Virtual characters encourage students with multiple levels of feedback and instructional support. With researchbased instructional models and content, this tool helps your student improve foundational math skills and extend his or her knowledge while developing higher level problem-solving and reasoning skills. 3 ACCESSING THE SUPPLEMENTAL MATH ACTIVITIES 1. Use your Online or Printed Lesson Manual for further instruction included with your daily math lessons. 2. There are two ways to access your supplemental math activities. a. When directed by your Online Lesson Manual, use the right navigation bar to click on and access the supplemental activity link. b. When directed by your Printed Lesson Manual, click on the Supplemental Math icon in your My Calvert portal. 3. A new window that looks like screen A will open. Make learning math fun Calvert School 14 Inspire the Best

16 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT Calvert Mastery Series: Online Spelling Program THIRD THROUGH SEVENTH GRADE Developed to help students master spelling skills, our interactive Spelling program complements lessons in Third through Seventh Grade. This Web-delivered course reflects Calvert s methodology and approach while using smart technology to create individualized learning for students. Fun, colorful activities help reinforce instruction. 2 ACCESSING CALVERT MASTERY SPELLING 1. Use your Online or Printed Lesson Manual for further instruction included with your daily spelling lessons. 2. There are two ways to access your spelling lessons. a. When directed by your Online Lesson Manual, use the right navigation bar to click on and access Calvert Mastery Spelling. b. When directed by your Printed Lesson Manual, click on the Calvert Mastery Spelling icon in your My Calvert portal. 3. The spelling program will begin automatically. First time users must create a username then click Login to start. 4. Instructions for both the teacher and the student are included. Once you have completed the instructions, click on a chapter to begin. Select the appropriate chapter based on your course instructions. Fun activities help students master spelling Calvert School 15 Inspire the Best

17 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT Calvert Instructional Videos SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES Calvert Instructional Videos are brief, topical videos embedded in the Online Lesson Manual in Sixth through Eighth Grades. Instructional Videos feature dynamic presentations to explain concepts and help with the retention of information. 3 VIEW A CALVERT INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO 1. To access the Calvert Instructional Videos, you must be in the Online Lesson Manual (see Explore the Online Lesson Manual on page 10). Note: The Calvert Instructional Videos will only appear in Sixth through Eighth Grade Online Lesson Manuals. 2. On the left side of the screen, click on your current lesson. If there are any videos that correspond with that lesson, they will be displayed on the navigation area at the right side of the screen. 3. To view a video, simply click on the link. 4. The video will begin automatically. Enhance your instruction with Calvert Instructional Videos Calvert School 16 Inspire the Best

18 R E S O U R C E S I N M Y C A LV E RT Calvert Curriculum Checkpoints FIRST THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES The Calvert Curriculum Checkpoints are concise objective assessments at the end of every lesson designed to ensure that your student has mastered the main points of the lesson. The checkpoints are automatically graded and give you instant feedback regarding your student s mastery of the lesson s concepts. 1 HOW TO ACCESS CURRICULUM CHECKPOINTS 1. Open your Online Lesson Manual (See Explore the Online Lesson Manual page 10). Click on your current lesson and you will see a list of Curriculum Checkpoints. Select and click on the Checkpoint. 2. Click on Start the Assignment to begin. 3. Once the Curriculum Checkpoint is complete, click on the forward arrow. Click Submit on the next screen. 4. Go back to your My Calvert screen and click on the Grade Book icon. Scroll down to Checkpoints, click on View Checkpoint Details. Select the appropriate lesson, and advance through the screens as before. The graded Calvert Checkpoint will show the correct answers. 2 3 Calvert School 17 Inspire the Best

19 T H E AT S E X P E R I E N C E The Advisory Teaching Service Enrollment in the Calvert Advisory Teaching Service includes Online Practice Tests, Grammar Review Sessions, and Read Aloud! These additional resources help to further aid test preparation and review. HOW TO ACCESS YOUR ATS RESOURCES Accessing your ATS resources is easier than ever. Resources are embedded right in your Online Lesson Manual and are coordinated with the appropriate lesson. 1. Click on the Lesson Manual icon in your My Calvert portal. (See Explore the Online Lesson Manual on page 10.) 2. Click on the appropriate lesson for the day. Now you will see corresponding resources listed to the right of the Online Lesson Manual. Just click on an available resource link, such as Videos, Curriculum Checkpoints, or Computers Lessons, to begin that activity. 1 Calvert School 18 Inspire the Best

20 T H E AT S E X P E R I E N C E Grammar Review Sessions FOURTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES These prerecorded review sessions, included every ten lessons in Fourth through Eighth Grades, offer your student an additional instructional voice in this challenging area. Delivered by a Calvert Teacher, these review sessions are invaluable for ATS test preparation. 2 HOW TO ACCESS THE GRAMMAR REVIEW SESSIONS 1. Using your Online Lesson Manual, click the appropriate Review Lesson. 2. Any associated Grammar Review Sessions will be listed on the right in the Resource area. 3. Click the link to begin the video. Sharpen your student s grammar skills Calvert School 19 Inspire the Best

21 T H E AT S E X P E R I E N C E Online Practice Tests THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES Featuring questions from our core curriculum s Calvert Test Series, these review tests are automatically graded online and provide additional ATS Test preparation. HOW TO ACCESS THE ONLINE PRACTICE TESTS 1. Online Practice Tests are accessed through the Online Lesson Manual in your My Calvert portal. 2. The Practice Tests are associated with appropriate Review Lessons. Click on a Review Lesson to reveal the connected Practice Tests. 3. Simply click on the Practice Test that you wish to complete. The Online Practice Test is an objective assessment that is automatically graded like the Curriculum Checkpoints. 2 3 Read Aloud! FIRST THROUGH THIRD GRADES Your beginning reader can be recorded reading aloud from assigned, ageappropriate passages. Your Advisory Teacher listens and provides feedback in the ATS letter on fluency, pronunciation, and expression relative to your student s peer group. HOW TO USE READ ALOUD! 1. Call the Read Aloud! toll-free number (888) ext and listen to the prompt. Record your student s name, phone number, test number, and the name of his or her Advisory Teacher. Record a maximum of 5 minutes of reading. Calvert School 20 Inspire the Best

22 T H E AT S E X P E R I E N C E Express ATS FIRST THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES Express ATS allows families to submit Calvert Advisory Teaching Service tests via and receive results via , saving time and postage. This service, through scanning technology, eliminates mailing paper tests. General guidelines for Express ATS: Submit tests in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF) Each set of tests should be submitted in a single black and white, PDF document. SUBMITTING THE FIRST TEST 1. Scan the Student Information Questionnaire, all parts of Test 20, additional work that was completed using a computer, and supplemental work. Label files so that the page numbers and/or page sequence of the document are clearly indicated. 2. the PDF files and supplemental work as a single file attachment or as multiple file attachments to records_ @calvertservices.org. Enter your student s full name and test number in the subject line. 3. You will receive a confirmation when the test is received. 4. An Advisory Teacher will be assigned. 5. The graded test, personal letter, and grading comments from the Advisory Teacher will be returned to you via in approximately five business days. 6. Subsequent tests throughout the school year will be submitted as outlined above. Save time and postage Calvert School 21 Inspire the Best

23 S K I L L S W O R K S H O P S Skills Workshops SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES Calvert offers Skills Workshops, four-week, online programs for middle school students, designed to boost academic skills in Grammar and Math. Students view engaging video lessons that are reinforced with game-based learning activities. Following these are online assessments that provide immediate feedback and explanations for answers. The guided instruction and activities are coupled with short assignments that are evaluated by a Calvert Instructor to ensure mastery of the skills taught. 1 HOW TO ACCESS A SKILLS WORKSHOP 1. Click on the Skills Workshop icon in your My Calvert Account. (See Log in to My Calvert page 4) 2. More detailed instructions on how to begin your course and access your lessons will be provided online. Boosting academic skills in grammar and math Calvert School 22 Inspire the Best

24 C A LV E RT V I RT UA L AC A D E M Y Calvert Virtual Academy SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES Enrollment in the Calvert Virtual Academy includes all of the previous resources, plus access to a classroom, threaded discussions, and video lessons. Assessments include projects, essays, compositions, and some online autograded quizzes. 1 HOW TO ACCESS THE CALVERT VIRTUAL ACADEMY RESOURCES 1. If you are enrolled in the virtual program, click on the Calvert Virtual icon in your My Calvert portal. 2. Your online classroom will provide regular communications from your Course Instructors that include: assignments assessments projects videos threaded discussion topics club information Calvert School 23 Inspire the Best

25 T H E C A LV E RT O N L I N E C O M M U N I T Y The Calvert Student Community SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES Calvert values academic and social interaction among our parents and students. For this reason, we provide the technology tools for this interaction to happen in a safe, online environment. Your middle school student can communicate with Calvert peers through threaded discussions on the Calvert Student Community boards. Additional features include a blog section and photos, and several chat rooms and forums. Review and have your student sign the Rules for Acceptable Computer Use in Appendix 1. 2 HOW TO ENTER THE STUDENT COMMUNITY 1. Click on the Calvert Student Community icon in your My Calvert portal. Review some of the blog posts and enter the student Chat Room. View photos that have been posted by Calvert students from around the world. 2. Students use the secure Calvert Student Community to post blogs, share photos, and access the Calvert Chat Room. All activity on the Student Community is recorded and students are expected to adhere to the Twelve Rules for Acceptable Computer Use included in this booklet. 3. For information on how to get started in the Student Community including tips on updating and personalizing student blogs, click on Greg s blog on the community home page. 3 Interact with your fellow Calvert students Calvert School 24 Inspire the Best

26 T H E C A LV E RT O N L I N E C O M M U N I T Y The Calvert Parent Community Connect with other Calvert families through the Calvert Parent Community. Learn what is working for other parents as well as share your successes. Ask questions, share concerns, offer advice, or talk about the Calvert curriculum. You can even ask questions of the Education Counselors. 1 HOW TO JOIN THE PARENT COMMUNITY 1. The Parent Community is accessed through your Learning Guide Portal in the Services section or through the home page of 2. Joining is easy and allows you to use the Forums section to discuss challenges and success stories, share ideas, and ask questions of one another and of Calvert s Education Counselors. Curriculum Updates are communicated through the Parent Community Forums as well. 3. From the Parent Community home page, in the upper right hand corner, click Join. You will need to create a sign-in name, choose a password, and enter your address (which is not published). 2 3 Calvert School 25 Inspire the Best

27 T H E C A LV E RT O N L I N E C O M M U N I T Y The Calvert State Resource Pages Keep your student s education hands-on with a trip to an educational facility near you! Calvert s State Resource Page provides area-specific field trip suggestions as well as information about your state s Department of Education and local support groups. Get published! Have you discovered resources that might be helpful to other Calvert families or did you not find what you were looking for in our state pages? Please contact Client Services at inquiry@calvertservices.org. BROWSE CALVERT S STATE RESOURCE PAGES 1. Simply click on the State Resource Pages link in your Learning Guide Portal. You may also go to home-school/ and click on the Community tab at the top of the page. 2. In the navigation bar on the left side of the page, click on State Resource Pages. Find your state in the list and click it s that easy! On each state page, you will find links to regulatory information, networking information, local support organizations, and educational excursion ideas. Calvert School 26 Inspire the Best

28 A P P E N D I X 1 Appendix 1 T W E L V E R U L E S F O R A C C E P T A B L E C O M P U T E R U S E 1. Every computer file and program belongs to someone. You may not erase, rename, or make unusable others files or programs. 2. You may not authorize anyone else to use your name, password, code, etc. or your files for any reason. You are responsible for all uses of your account. 3. You may not use the Calvert network for any purposes other than the purpose for which it is intended. You also must not use your account for unlawful purposes, such as the illegal copying or installation of software. 4. You may not attempt to discover another user s password, authorization code, etc. 5. You may not copy, change, or transfer any software provided by Calvert. 6. You may not legally copy or download the copyrighted software provided by Calvert School. The use of illegally copied software is considered a criminal offense and is subject to criminal prosecution by the Software Publishers of America or law enforcement authorities. 7. You may not write, produce, generate, copy, propagate, or attempt to introduce any computer code or program designed to self-replicate, damage, or otherwise hinder the performance of any computer, file, system, software, or hardware. Such codes or programs are commonly called computer viruses, bugs, worms, or other similar names. 8. You may not deliberately use the Calvert network to annoy others. For example, it is not permitted to send or make accessible any obscene, abusive, or threatening messages. 9. You may not intentionally damage any part of the Calvert network system, damage information not belonging to you, misuse system resources, or allow others to misuse system resources. 10. Users must log in using their given login name and password, and they must log out when finished. They may not use the name of another unless specifically granted permission to do so and may not log in under any of the logins created for system uses. The only exceptions are logins created for specific purposes, to be used only by those who have been given permission by the computer administrator. 11. Users may not try to obtain additional rights beyond those granted by default or direct authorization. 12. Any attempt to circumvent security provisions is improper and may result in a loss of network privileges even if there is no malicious intent. I will adhere to the standards established above, Student Signature Please retain for your records Calvert School 27 Inspire the Best

29 Notes Calvert School 28 Inspire the Best

30 ORG Gilroy Road, Suite B Hunt Valley, Maryland (410) (888) homeschool.calvertschool.org inquiry@calvertservices.org