Scholars Online Orientation Courses

Scholars Online policy orientation

We request that all parents attend an orientation to Scholars Online policies, where we will discuss the parents' roles and responsibilities, Scholars Online responsibilities for communication and reporting, financial arrangements, and other administrative issues. We know that by meeting with parents early and establishing clear expectations, we can resolve issues so that both parents and students can focus on their educational goals once classes start. These sessions are offered in June (prior to the summer term) and in August and early September.

Chat orientation

The Scholars Online Chat program is unique to our institution. Chat orientation attendance is strongly recommended to help students and parents learn to use chat features and retrieve logs. Technical support will be available during chat orientation to identify any issues with browser settings. Teachers do not have the time or necessary expertise to debug chat problems, so it essential that these be identified and resolved before attending class chats.

Moodle orientation

The Moodle environment has many features and possible uses. While we've explored the basic capabilitities during our first year of operation, we will be expanding our use of the Moodle with a new version in summer 2007, so we will offer both student and teacher orientation courses this summer. As with chat and policy orientation courses, these will be self-enrolled classes at no charge to attendees.

College Preparation

The college application process can be daunting. We want to help you achieve acceptance at the college of your choice. In the past, we have offered a summer course for students and parents, but it is often difficult for everyone who needs this information to make chat sessiongs. Starting the summer of 2011, we will be supporting an open asynchronous course for all Scholars Online members. This no-tuition course will help parents and students prepare for the college admission process by explaining the process and the key issues involved, such as what kinds of questions to ask when visiting or contacting colleges, the different purposes behind the NMSQT, SAT, CLEP, and AP examinations, how to prepare a college application transcript, how to write letters of recommendation or ask others to write them, and how to survive the financial aid application process, and allowing parents and alumni who have successfully navigated the college test and admission process to share their experiences.