Our Learning Platform: The Charterverse
Undoubtedly, we all learned a lot - and fast - once faced with a global pandemic in early 2020. All sectors and industries, both public and private, were forced to completely shift and reorganize their operations to accommodate a new standard that many had never experienced prior. The impacts of the coronavirus linger on, even in 2024.
Impacts from COVID-19 are still apparent in education and show through the loss of Students (still uncaptured), the loss of learning among Students who did attend school, and the increase of parasocial relationships forming our youth. We learned about online learning dos and don'ts when COVID-19 hit our nation. We recognized that simply putting content online and scheduling daily Zoom meetings while believing everything would be fine could never be enough.
While many educational institutions swiftly adapted, enabling Students to continue their education, others suffered and experienced unprecedented challenges, hindering their ability to provide education effectively. Although Iowa Choice Charter School was not yet serving Students, we did have the opportunity to make note of best practices and examine the collection of research published throughout the pandemic related to having success with educating Students via a virtual platform. As we focused on providing Students who typically have low access with a quality High School education option, we knew we needed an online platform like no other.
Enter: The Charterverse!
Through our virtual learning platform, The Charterverse, Students can work collaboratively with others, meet up socially with their peers, and engage in a variety of extracurricular sessions geared toward helping them grow personally and professionally. Additionally, Students can set up a time after school hours to get together and socialize, work on projects together, and so much more! These aspects, and many more, are responsible for Students finding their place and experiencing a culture of belonging at Iowa Choice Charter School.
In further detail, The Charterverse provides our Students:
Free access to technology and digital literacy learning experiences.
More frequent interactions with Leadership, Staff, and assigned Mentors.
Opportunities to complete coursework at their own pace without judgment.
Real-time updates about current school happenings and future events.
The chance to earn their diploma in a safe and flexible environment.
Research has shown that virtual environments, online collaboration, and remote education all have benefits. In their study on undergraduate students during the pandemic, Reyes, Cruz, and Meza found that a sense of belonging in a virtual space can occur through a virtual environment.
When Iowa Choice Charter School Students feel a sense of belonging through The Charterverse, we know we have done our job, and this is why we take a Student-centered approach throughout our structure. We want Students to find their niche while inspired and comfortable enough to be the best version of themselves! So, we meet Students where they are and provide the support they need to become successful adults. All of this gets done through a state-of-the-art online platform that goes above for our Students technologically and consistently reinforces the importance of education: The Charterverse!