Academics

Unlike other online and blended providers that utilize a canned digital curriculum, eSchool@GarnetValley leverages Garnet Valley curricula (the same that is used in our traditional face-to-face classrooms) that has been built and vetted by Garnet Valley teachers.

When implemented well, online and blended learning options give teachers an opportunity to transform the educational experience — to meet the needs of a broader group of learners, individualize instruction, and transform education for everyone. What separates Garnet Valley's eSchool program from others that use a purchased/canned digital curriculum, is that our blended and online courses use the same curricula as our traditional face-to-face courses. All eSchool@GarnetValley curricula are written, developed, and digitized by Garnet Valley teachers, maintaining the high standard and rigor of the Garnet Valley School District. All of our teachers go through intensive training to write, develop, and digitize courses, whether teaching in our brick and mortar schools, online, or somewhere in between. The following is a brief explanation of that process:

Phase 1: Student-Centered Instructional Design

All eSchool@GarnetValley teachers are trained on Effective Digital Instruction (EDI). The EDI training focuses on using best teaching practices and leveraging technology to design and deliver content to students in any format. Teachers learn the importance of developing opportunities for building interactions, designing experiences, presenting content, and authentically and purposefully using technology tools to provide students the best learning experiences whether it be in the brick and mortar classroom, blended courses, or solely online. The four themes of EDI are:

• Designing Learning Experiences

• Building Interactions

• Presenting Content

• Accessibility/Differentiation

 Phase 2: Student-Centered Curriculum Design

All eSchool@GarnetValley courses are developed using the Understanding by Design 2.0 (UbD 2.0) Curriculum Template. This stage focuses on using the Pennsylvania State Standards and aligning course materials that match grade-level standards in order to develop a curriculum that is student-centered.

 Phase 3: Student-Centered Resource Design

All eSchool@GarnetValley teachers are trained on student-centered resource design that is connected directly to our UbD 2.0 curriculum templates. Topics include defining Open Education Resources (OER), copyright and fair use, attributions, Creative Commons and licensing, collecting, curating, and creating high-level OER. All eSchool@GarnetValley teachers design courses using the resource design framework that includes the collection, curation, and creation of OER-based curriculum resource modules specifically aligned to Garnet Valley student learning outcomes.

Phase 4: Student-Centered Course Design & Digitization

All eSchool@GarnetValley teachers digitize all of the above into our Learning Management System (Schoology) for traditional, blended, and online/virtual courses. All courses are designed and digitized by Garnet Valley teachers and meet the standards of EDI at Garnet Valley.