1.01 Course Information

The Virtual Times

Forecast

Information specific to your class and school is provided in the Course Information area. It is important that you visit this area and read all the pages. The Course Information area can be accessed from the navigation bar or from the opening page of your course.

Please access this area of the course now to ensure that you are aware of all your school and class policies.

Pace is a vital concept for an online course. Your pace is your rate of movement through the course. The words "rate" and "movement" suggest progress, which is required on a weekly basis.

One of the benefits of learning online is that you have flexibility with your life--determining your own schedule. One of the challenges, though, is adhering to a schedule.

Planning for and working your plan is essential to being successful in English 3.

For this activity, you are going to make some very important decisions about your pace in English 3. So, look over the course and think carefully about all the responsibilities that you have in your life. All your grades are affected by your ability to stay on pace.

Which Pace Is Right for Me?

Think about the following questions:

When would you like to be done with the course?
Do you need the course to graduate?
Are you a senior?
How much time per day or week will you have to devote to the course?

There are many factors that will influence your decision. You need to talk to your parents, guidance counselor and instructor to determine which pace would be best for you.

The pace charts for your class can be found in the Course Information area. Print your pace chart. Put a copy in your notebook and your work area. Give a copy to your parent, guardian, or lab facilitator.

There may be several options. The accelerated, traditional, and extended pace options are described below:

Pace Option	Projected Completion Time
Traditional (recommended!) Complete the course in 34 weeks	Plan to complete the course in the time it takes to complete a "traditional" school year, which is about nine to 10 months, including holidays (for example, complete the course in two segments - 36 weeks). Expect to complete one module a month. This pace means that you need to complete about two to three assignments a week. Depending on individual assignments and your own situation and abilities, plan to work about three to six hours a week.
Accelerated Complete the course in 18 weeks	Complete the course in one segment (18 weeks) Expect to complete two modules a month. This pace means that you need to complete about four to six assignments a week. Depending on individual assignments and your own situation and abilities, plan to work about six to 12 hours a week.
Extended Requires teacher, parent, and guidance counselor approval.	Your individual pace is designed by your teacher. You are required to submit a petition for extended pace documenting approval from your parents and your school guidance counselor. More information about extended pace is provided in the Course Information area.

To continue with this lesson, click on the Report tab at the top of this page or the next page arrow at the bottom of the page to see your assignment.