Internet Academy
Encyclopedia
The Internet Academy is a public virtual school
a part of Federal Way Public Schools, approved by the Northwest Accreditation Commission and open to all students in grades K-12.
Internet Academy was founded in 1996 and was the first online school in Washington state. The institution provides courses for other public schools, home-schooled students, as well as out of state students. Accredited diplomas, online tutors, teacher-to-student web conferencing, and online tutorial videos are also provided. There are two primary websites for Internet Academy: The main web site is iAcademy.org, which was redesigned in September of 2010, provides information on the institution, including a course catalog and contact information. The support site, iAcampus.org, is where student and parents log in to access courses and contact teachers within a specific course.
. Any student residing in Washington may choose to enroll in the school free of charge. Those out of state may also enroll for a nominal fee per course. After a registration and orientation process the student is granted access to the online courses.
Just like a physical building school, students meet Washington State standards by performing course work. The student logs into the course website, an ANGEL Learning
-based learning management system
. The student navigates and performs course work within the course's hierarchically organized material (known as "units"). The student meets project requirements and assignments to meet a specified deadline. Assignments are graded by Washington State certified teachers who also answer student questions and inquiries. Internet Academy provides courses throughout the entire year, including summer. Students have access to their assignments 24/7 and can work from any Internet-connected computer.
Washington State Certified teacher
s manage materials from a variety of publishers and create their own lessons, which are posted on the school site for students to complete. Teachers also hold live video chats, where teachers and students may collaborate on an interactive whiteboard
and communicate via headphones
and/or a webcam
.
Teachers often respond to student or parent inquires within 24 hours, and administrative staffing responds promptly as well if correspondence occurs during regular business hours.
Internet Academy also provides an Open House where parents, mentors, and students may meet their teachers or ask questions. Open House sessions are scheduled on two Saturdays, in the fall and in the spring. The Internet Academy building is also open one Saturday a month for students to drop off assignments, or to have questions answered in person.
off of Interstate 5
. The offices are located within the same building of Harry S. Truman High School
across from the Truman Community Garden.
Internet Academy is state funded, which means that K-12 students who live in Washington state may take up to five classes, free of tuition. Students may take a variety of classes including Veterinary Medicine
, French
, Gothic Literature, Forensic Science, Photography
, Music
, Art
, etc. online.
Virtual school
A virtual school or cyberschool describes an institution that teaches courses entirely or primarily through online methods. Though there are tens of thousands of commercial and non-accredited courses available online, the term "virtual school" is generally reserved for accredited schools that teach...
a part of Federal Way Public Schools, approved by the Northwest Accreditation Commission and open to all students in grades K-12.
Internet Academy was founded in 1996 and was the first online school in Washington state. The institution provides courses for other public schools, home-schooled students, as well as out of state students. Accredited diplomas, online tutors, teacher-to-student web conferencing, and online tutorial videos are also provided. There are two primary websites for Internet Academy: The main web site is iAcademy.org, which was redesigned in September of 2010, provides information on the institution, including a course catalog and contact information. The support site, iAcampus.org, is where student and parents log in to access courses and contact teachers within a specific course.
Education Process and Support
Internet Academy provides educational content over the Internet as a virtual schoolVirtual school
A virtual school or cyberschool describes an institution that teaches courses entirely or primarily through online methods. Though there are tens of thousands of commercial and non-accredited courses available online, the term "virtual school" is generally reserved for accredited schools that teach...
. Any student residing in Washington may choose to enroll in the school free of charge. Those out of state may also enroll for a nominal fee per course. After a registration and orientation process the student is granted access to the online courses.
Just like a physical building school, students meet Washington State standards by performing course work. The student logs into the course website, an ANGEL Learning
ANGEL Learning
ANGEL Learning, Inc. was a privately held educational software company specializing in eLearning. Its main products are the ANGEL Learning Management Suite , ANGEL ePortfolio, and services offerings. In May 2009 it was acquired by Blackboard Inc.....
-based learning management system
Learning management system
A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
. The student navigates and performs course work within the course's hierarchically organized material (known as "units"). The student meets project requirements and assignments to meet a specified deadline. Assignments are graded by Washington State certified teachers who also answer student questions and inquiries. Internet Academy provides courses throughout the entire year, including summer. Students have access to their assignments 24/7 and can work from any Internet-connected computer.
Washington State Certified teacher
Certified teacher
A certified teacher is a teacher who has earned credentials from an authoritative source, such as the government, a higher education institution or a private source. These certifications allow teachers to teach in schools which require authorization in general, as well as allowing educators to...
s manage materials from a variety of publishers and create their own lessons, which are posted on the school site for students to complete. Teachers also hold live video chats, where teachers and students may collaborate on an interactive whiteboard
Interactive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
and communicate via headphones
Headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
and/or a webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
.
Teachers often respond to student or parent inquires within 24 hours, and administrative staffing responds promptly as well if correspondence occurs during regular business hours.
Parental Involvement
Internet Academy provides parents of enrolled students with a Mentor/Insight Account. These accounts are separate from the students, and they allow the parent to view a variety of data, such as how long said student has been logged in, how many assignments that student has completed, and even view teacher feedback on assignments and tests. The Mentor/Insight Accounts are also supported by a library of video tutorials.Internet Academy also provides an Open House where parents, mentors, and students may meet their teachers or ask questions. Open House sessions are scheduled on two Saturdays, in the fall and in the spring. The Internet Academy building is also open one Saturday a month for students to drop off assignments, or to have questions answered in person.
Location and Funding
Internet Academy parent and student interaction is primarily online, however a support staff is available during business hours at the location in Federal Way, WashingtonFederal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
off of Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
. The offices are located within the same building of Harry S. Truman High School
Harry S. Truman High School (Federal Way)
Harry S. Truman High School is a high school in Federal Way, Washington, United States.-Truman Today:Truman High School has recently changed its face and improved its reputation.Federal Way, WA now looks at Truman in a new light...
across from the Truman Community Garden.
Internet Academy is state funded, which means that K-12 students who live in Washington state may take up to five classes, free of tuition. Students may take a variety of classes including Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Gothic Literature, Forensic Science, Photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, etc. online.