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Novella Prep

College Planning | Test Prep | Academic Tutoring | Rye New York | Stamford Connecticut

Online Learning Resources

online learning resources

~ updated August 20, 2020

This page is designed to provide parents and students advice for how to manage online learning as we navigate shifting policies for testing, admissions, and even the delivery of school lessons. We will update this page as changes are announced. To connect with us further and join our mailing list, please email info@novellaprep.com.

Learning Resources & Tips

Digital Internship: To ensure 10th and 11th grade students in particular have an opportunity to receive meaningful experiences outside of online learning and studies, we are exploring setting up local digital internships that will serve two goals. One, to provide students with topically relevant learning and experience with business or organizations in or adjacent to areas of future interests. Two, to support local business. We believe that if every community supports itself locally, we will, in aggregate, be more successful in sustaining business and community. Please contact info@novellaprep.com if you are interested in offering an internship or partaking in one.

Digital Volunteering: To allow for students to get meaningful service hours and experiences, we are exploring the idea of digital volunteering. We have a number of ideas, ranging from online music recitals between upper school/high school students and middle and elementary students. We would need support with facilitation to ensure adult supervision is present but feel music is one way to share and serve. For example, a high school student could talk about an instrument and play for younger students, almost like an online field trip. We can do the same idea with other genres, too. In addition, we are exploring reading programs, i.e., reading to younger students. Again we would want some facilitation and approvals, but feel this idea can allow for meaningful engagement and experiences that will help not only the students, but also the parents! Students can even prerecord content that we would be happy to host at novellaprep.wpengine.com that could be watched and appreciated by younger students. We would be happy to vouch for the volunteering time for that student so it can be a contribution and also part of a resume, depending on the time commitment. Please email info@novellaprep.com for more details to participate or to show support!

  • For inspiration on digital volunteering and online extra-curricular ideas students can work on at home, and how this shift may impact how student involvement is evaluated on college applications, check out this article! 

 

Local Businesses: The following is an initial and hopefully growing list of local businesses that are able to provide learning online outside of formal schooling in our area. Contact info@novellaprep.com if you are an education-affiliated business that would like to be considered. 

  • Coditum is a local coding education service that offers courses in topics such as Python, Java, 3D Modeling, and more for students ages 7 – 17.  They are now offering one hour, one-on-one computer coding courses online!
  • Music Conservatory of Westchester provides quality music education to students of all ages and skill-levels. They are currently offering private virtual lessons via Zoom.
  • Rock Island Sound provides local music education for students of all ages on all instruments. They are currently offering online music lessons and free local delivery of their guitars and accessories product line.
  • Arcade Booksellers is a local Rye bookseller now offering free local delivery and call-ahead orders. Check them out for a leisurely novel, or for Barron’s, Princeton, and other education-related books.  
  • Peak Performance Prep is a local Rye educational service offering private tutoring, small exam prep classes, and proctored practice exams for ACT, SAT, APs, and more. They are now offering all services to a remote, interactive format powered by Google Classroom and Google Meet. 
  • Jumpstart Tutoring is a local educational and advising service offering  subject-specific and standardized test prep tutoring, college planning and advising, and more. They are currently offering virtual tutoring sessions via Skype or FaceTime.
  • Achievement Learning Center is a Larchmont-based K-12 general education tutoring and test prep service. They are now providing online tutoring sessions.

 

Creating a Daily Schedule:

  • Students will benefit from retaining a sense of routine similar to a typically scheduled school day as they navigate this new at-home, online learning environment. Whether attending synchronous online class sessions, or working through daily or weekly lessons and assignments, students should still aim to spend 3 – 5 hours each day learning new content, completing homework, and studying or reviewing difficult topics and ideas. Prioritizing academic pursuits  along with scheduled meal and leisure breaks every 1-2 hours, students can ensure productive learning outcomes and a well-balanced lifestyle over the coming weeks. Parents should pay particular attention to topics that may not be covered, or not covered as well, which could later impact future coursework or standardized tests. 

 

Online Academic Resources:

  • Learning
    • Khan Academy
      • Supports students of almost all grades and levels (including APs)  in learning and comprehension of key course content. Through topic-specific instructional videos and curated review questions, students can better understand what they may not initially comprehend.
    • Crash Course
      • Provides short, curated YouTube review videos focused on key ideas and content to support students in areas where they may not be fully understanding the topic. Working as an effective supplement to formal instruction, these videos are a great way for students to ensure comprehension in trouble areas before moving on to memorization. Other suggestions? Email: info@novellaprep.com.
  • Studying 
    • Quizlet
      • Assists students in creating study guides to address knowledge gaps with various review options, such as a test function allowing students to assess whether underperformance in key areas is due to comprehension or memorization. Once complete understanding is achieved, online flashcards are a useful tool to review content for upcoming exams and quizzes. As students adjust to online assessments, it is important that review is similarly conducted in an online context to ensure the best results. Note: simply using the flashcard function is insufficient; we encourage using the test function and really diving into what is known and/or retained vs. what is not well-known or forgotten. Then, students can study with purpose.

Communication:

  • Video Conferencing
    • Zoom
      • Used by a number of middle/high schools and universities alike, this video conferencing tool allows students to meet with peers and teachers in groups large and small. Whether attending a teacher-led online class session, or chatting with classmates regarding upcoming assignments or confusing course content, Zoom can assist students remain engaged and connected in an online learning experience.
      • Have questions about how to navigate Zoom? Check out this series of free Zoom video tutorials to get started!
  • Teacher Correspondence
    • As remote learning continues, students must remain engaged with teachers when learning roadblocks occur and questions come up. Utilizing resources like Zoom, Google Hangouts, and email to communicate questions regarding puzzling content or assignments directly to teachers in a polite, respectful manner will be an important component of ensuring learning outcomes continue to be met. Every district is different, and many teachers are seeking to increase engagement over time, so try to encourage your child to be more proactive to reach out when not understanding an assignment, or if more online study hall periods are needed.

Education Updates 

Middle School

  • State Testing
    • All New York State Elementary and Intermediate-Level State Assessments  have been suspended for the remainder of the school year. This includes all middle school ELA, Math, and Science state exams. For more information and live updates, please refer to the NYSED website page.
  • Please also see information below regarding updated Regents exam policies, if applicable. 

High School

  • AP Exams
    • In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, CollegeBoard has decided to allow AP students interested in testing with the option to take a 45-minute, open-book online exam at home, with two test dates available for each course. Students will be able to access exams on any device (computer, tablet, smartphone). Exams will follow a free-response format, asking the student to answer one to two questions in essay style using relevant examples and evidence to support their answers within the allotted amount of time. 
      • Details:
        • Primary exam dates will occur between May 11 – May 22, and make-up exams will be offered from June 1 – 5.
        • All primary and make-up exam specific dates and information (including topics covered and exam question types) are available at the AP Updates website. 
        • Colleges and universities are expected to continue to accept credits earned for eligible exam scores, which will be released in July. Students already registered who do not wish to take an exam may opt-out at no charge. 
        • For more AP information and updates, please refer to the AP Central website.
      • Review:
        • CollegeBoard is providing students with free, live online AP review sessions daily as of March 25th. Please check for information on the dates, times, and topics of each upcoming review session.
        • The AP review sessions will be held via CollegeBoard’s Advanced Placement YouTube live, and will follow this official daily subject schedule. Students will also be able to view previous lessons on-demand.
      • Tips:
  • Regents Exams
    • In response to school closings and uncertainty, the New York State Board of Regents has decided to cancel June 2020 high school Regents examinations. They have adjusted the requirements for earning high school diplomas and credentials for those in grades 7-12 that were enrolled to take at least one Regents exam during the 2019-2020 school year.
    • As opposed to passing a Regents assessment, students will now be able to earn diploma credit for a course previously culminating in a Regents exam by meeting the standards assessed by previous coursework by the end of the present 2019-2020 school year.
      • Students enrolled in 8th grade advanced Regents courses will still be eligible to earn applicable diploma credit by meeting the above requirements. 
    • For more information, please visit the NYSED website and the Regents exam and graduation requirement Q&A page.
  • PSAT Exam
    • The College Board has decided that the April PSAT examination will not be able to be administered this year due to school closures.

Juniors & Seniors

  • SAT Tests
    • The College Board has decided to cancel the upcoming SAT Tests scheduled for May 2, 2020,  and June 6, 2020. Refunds will be issued to all affected students. 
    • If it becomes safe moving forwards, the SAT will be administered a weekend every month for the remainder of the year, starting in August. The College Board will add an additional September date to its already scheduled August 29, October 3, November 7, and December 5 exam dates. Students that were registered for the June exam, or those in the class of 2021 that do not yet have an SAT score, will be able to register early for the August, September, and October exams. If schools remain closed during the Fall, the College Board may opt for an online, at-home exam to be administered. For more information and the most recent updates, please refer to the SAT Coronavirus Updates page. 
    • The College Board has partnered with Khan Academy to provide students with free online interactive SAT prep and practice exams.
  • ACT
    • ACT has rescheduled its April 4, 2020 exam date to June 13 nationwide. For more information and current updates, please visit the ACT website.
    • ACT and Kaplan are offering a variety of free workshops and classes.
  • Test-Optional Changes
    • As SAT and ACT exam dates continue to be postponed and canceled, many students are being put in a difficult position as they look to be prepared to submit completed applications this coming fall for early or regular admission. In response, several universities, such as Boston University, Tufts University, the University of California system schools, and many more have implemented test-optional policies for students applying for entrance in the Fall 2021 semester. This effort aims to alleviate the additional stress of achieving top standardized test scores by looming application deadlines.
    • For an updated list of schools with pre-existing test-optional policies and those adopting test-optional policies for Fall 2021 applicants, please refer to the following webpage. Please additionally check each university’s individual website for the most relevant, up-to-date information. Although we do not endorse the research methodology of Fairtest, they do have a valuable website for current test optional colleges.
  • Deposit/Decision Deadlines
    • As COVID-19 continues to impact seniors’ ability to properly visit schools, assess new financial barriers, and manage other considerations in their college decisions, students may be feeling high amounts of additional stress as they approach decision time. In response, several universities have decided to shift deposit deadlines to June 1, 2020 or later, as opposed to the typical May 1 decision day, in order to provide students with more time to select the university they would like to attend.
  • Virtual College Visits
    • As seniors look towards selecting a university without access to in-person campus tours, info sessions, or open houses, it can be difficult to gain a true sense of the atmosphere and community a certain institution offers. We encourage students to engage with university websites and virtual admissions events, as well as additional online resources to gain more comprehensive understanding and educated decisions. We are working with our Novella families to cultivate consistent characteristics and metrics to help incorporate a quantitative but relevant lens through which to view colleges.
    • YouVisit provides students with free virtual 360° student-guided campus tours and virtual reality experiences for over 600 colleges.

Break Time Activities

  • Start writing 
    • The New York Times Learning Network has compiled over 1000 writing prompts for students ranging from questions on future career aspirations to thought-provoking “what if?” scenarios. Now is a great time for students to reflect, be creative, and learn something new through writing. 
  • Learn to code 
    • Girls Who Code is offering free downloadable CS educational activities for students at all levels. This is a great time for students to explore a new interest or continue to develop their coding skills in a fun, engaging way.
  • Improve your typing skills 
    • TypeTastic is currently offering free access to their K-12 typing skills curriculum. Students at all levels can access hundreds of typing games and activities to enhance their typing proficiency. 
  • Do arts & crafts 
    • This arts and crafts tutorial channel, and many more, are providing fun, free art project tutorials with materials families are likely to have in the home, making for an enjoyable creative outlet for students of all ages. 
  • Write a letter to your future self
    • FutureMe is an online service allowing people to address a letter to their future self, delivered via email on a custom specific date. Whether it’s for 1 or 5 years from now, this can be a great opportunity for students to reflect on their future goals and aspirations, or even just document their current experience.
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