ECOT News

John Bergstresser: ECOT Prepares Students for College

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:44:00 +0000

John Bergstresser, Class of 2009, is still in his first year of college, but he’s already getting comfortable with life on campus. John attends Bowling Green State University where his major is Middle Childhood Education.

Moving from an online educational environment like ECOT to attending face-to-face classes everyday may seem like a large transition.

By taking classes through the Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program, John was able to take college courses while learning at ECOT. John says his experiences at ECOT helped prepare him for BGSU.

“PSEO definitely helped me when I was in my senior year of ECOT. If I didn't have PSEO as part of my course in my senior year, I would say it would have taken longer for me to get used to the classes. But really, since all my work is still due on a weekly basis, it is very similar to ECOT,” John said.

In addition to PSEO, the technology used by ECOT helped prepare John.

“Many courses require that assignments be turned in through dropboxes, or exams have to be taken online. A lot of these have very similar traits to what ECOT was like, so I already knew how to do many of things that most students here do not,” John said.

One of the keys to John’s success on campus is getting involved in university life. John is a part of a learning community, Partners in Context and Community, focused on education in urban settings. Part of the program requires him to teach 50 hours a semester in an urban school.

Also, the learning community provides social activities for John and the other members. Having a leadership position on campus has also helped John understand how his college operates.

“I am on the executive board that makes decisions for my learning community. Also, I am on the faculty advisory board that is made up of different directors from the College of Education that sits in and advises on what our learning community is doing right and wrong. I am also part of the Long Range Committee that is set up to create programs for the learning community for the next five years,” John said.

John’s career goal is to teach English and History. At BGSU, he is making positive strides towards reaching his goal.

Interview with Kelly Bobo: 2004 Graduate and Current ECOT Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:25:00 +0000

On June 19, 2004, Kelly Bobo graduated from ECOT, Ohio's first and largest online school, after spending two years enrolled in the school.

She was an honor student and class speaker during her graduation ceremony at the Columbus Athenaeum.

Five years later, Kelly earned a college degree and was hired as a highly qualified ECOT teacher. Below is an interview with Kelly about her experiences at ECOT.

ECOT: What contributed to your decision to attend ECOT?

Kelly: There were a few factors that were involved in my decision to attend ECOT. First, I had surgery on my ankle and was unable to get to my classes at the brick and mortar private school I was attending because they did not have elevators or ramps. Another reason was that the public school I would have to attend if I transferred was known for violence, and I didn’t want to be in a violent environment. Since I was a straight “A” student and did not want to get behind, I decided to go to ECOT. It was the best choice I ever made in regards to my schooling. Not only did I not get behind, but I got ahead and was able to graduate a year early.

ECOT: What were the best aspects of attending an online school?

Kelly: The best aspects for me were the safety and maneuverability issues. I also loved the fact that I could work at my own pace, which enabled me to get ahead and graduate early. Lastly, I was always bored in school, but being online where I didn’t have to sit in a classroom all day being bored then have a ton of homework after school, was the best choice for me.

ECOT: Where did you go to college?

Kelly: I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Education from Youngstown State University.

ECOT: How did ECOT help prepare you for college?

Kelly: Students who attend ECOT and are successful need to be independent workers and be intrinsically motivated. I was able to successfully work on my own. This independence skill got stronger through the years I was with ECOT, which helped prepare me for the independence given in college courses.

ECOT: What made you choose education as a career?

Kelly: I had always wanted to be a teacher from the time I entered Kindergarten. I love helping people, and I used to play school in my basement with my stuffed animals. I would spend hours teaching my stuffed animals school-related concepts, so it was obvious to everyone that I was going to love being a teacher.

ECOT: What made you decide to pursue a teaching position at ECOT?

Kelly: I loved ECOT as a student, and I was curious to be on the other side and see what it’s like from a teacher perspective. Also, I want to give back to the school that helped me.

ECOT: Has your experience as an ECOT student influenced your teaching?

Kelly: Yes. I feel that I am able to relate to the students since I was “in their shoes” at one time. The knowledge of how students may feel in certain situations guides my teaching.

ECOT: Do your students know you attended ECOT? If so, what do they say?

Kelly: Yes, they know. Many students say it is “cool.” There have been a few students may be frustrated with the technological aspect of ECOT. I explain to them that I’ve been there before, and I understand how frustrating it can be, but that I will help them get caught up in all of their work as soon as they can get back on Elluminate (ECOT's live teaching tool). Knowing that I’ve been there before seems to calm many students.

Looking Back: A First Year Graduate Reflects On ECOT

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:58:00 +0000

James Gerity, a member of ECOT's Class of 2001, has a place in ECOT history as one of the school's first graduates.

He was one of the young people profiled in The Kids That ECOT Taught, which was written by ECOT Founder Bill Lager. Gerity was also one of the honored guests who attended the second commencement exercises in 2002.

Since then, Gerity has built a military career in the Navy and enrolled in college.

He credits ECOT with giving him a good foundation to start his adult life.

"The education is first rate. As a student, it was tough to realize that I needed to depend on myself to understand the material that was being taught. I almost became a different person," Gerity said.

"I was much more independent, and going through boot camp, I could make the decisions that someone in a conventional school hasn't had the experience to make. I'm not saying that conventional schooling doesn't teach you how to make decisions for yourself. But, ECOT provided me the opportunity to make my own schedule, and to think a lot more independently."

Gerity has been in the Navy for nearly nine years. He has served in Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and before that assignment, he was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

At the same time, Gerity has been attending American Military University where he majors in criminal justice with a concentration in Forensics. All of his classes are online.

After he earns a bachelor's degree, Gerity plans to pursue a master's degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology.

He would also like to stay in the Navy as long as possible.

Looking back on his decision to enroll in ECOT, Gerity said, "I wasn't really part of the 'in' crowd, and high school, many times, wasn't presenting a challenge for me. I was concerned with completing high school as fast as possible, and continuing on to my plans for college, and succeeding in the goals that I have made for myself."

ECOT Wins 2nd Best Place to Work in Central Ohio

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:56:00 +0000

At a luncheon on Nov. 12, ECOT representatives were pleased to learn that staff and teachers had voted ECOT as the 2nd best place to work in Central Ohio.

This is the first time that an online school has been named as a finalist -- let alone a top five finisher.

The award, which is sponsored by Columbus Business First newspaper puts ECOT in elite company in the medium-sized business category.

The winners are below:

1. Hilton Columbus at Easton
2. ECOT (Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow
3. Riverside Radiology Associates
4. Gilbane Building Co.
5. CB Richard Ellis Group Inc.
6. Residential Finance Corp.
7. St. Vincent Family Centers
8. GBQ Partners LLC
9. Schottenstein Zox & Dunn Co LPA.
10. Deloitte LLP

Fun Facts About ECOT

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:53:00 +0000

ECOT is celebrating its 10th year of educating Ohio students online

In the past 10 years, there have been some interesting developments with the school and its students. Here are some fun facts about ECOT:

On June 6, 2009, over 1200 students - representing ECOT's largest class ever - participated in ECOT's ninth commencement.

For the past two years, ECOT's graduation ceremony has been held at the Schottenstein Center ("The Schott") on the campus of The Ohio State University.

In 2008 and 2009, ECOT's LifeSmarts team won the state championship. The team represented the state of Ohio at the national competition each year.

Last year, ECOT students participated in individual competitive activities such as equestrian sports, figure skating, and professional motocross.

Each year, ECOT publishes Keystrokes, the high school literary magazine that also features amazing artwork created by ECOT students. Click here to access the 2009 edition of Keystrokes.

ECOT named as one of Central Ohio's Best Places to Work

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:59:00 +0000

The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) has been named as one of Central Ohio's Best Places to Work according to Columbus Business First newspaper.

Business First's Best Places to Work program recognizes the top companies in Central Ohio based on workplace satisfaction surveys.

Best Places to Work Finalists

MICRO

Ascend Advisory Group LLC
AXIA Consulting, LLC
Definity Partners
Destinations by Design
Executive Staffing Solutions
Leading EDJE
Paycor, Inc.
TECHnology SITE Planners
The Sophic Group
Webbed Marketing

SMALL

Aerotek, Inc.
CallCopy, Inc.
Centric Consulting, LLC
Colliers Turley Martin Tucker
Delta Energy
Littler Mendelson
Navigator Management Partners LLC
Parallel Technologies
Quantum Health, Inc.
Yashco Systems, Inc.

MEDIUM

CB Richard Ellis
Deloitte LLP
Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow
GBQ
Gilbane Building Company
Hilton Columbus at Easton
Residential Finance Corporation
Riverside Radiology Associates, Inc.
Schottenstein Zox & Dunn Co., LPA
St. Vincent Family Center

LARGE

Abbott Nutrition
CareWorks Family of Companies
Licking Memorial Health Systems
The Ohio State University Medical Center
Safelite AutoGlass

ECOT publishes 2009 literary magazine

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Each year, ECOT publishes a literary magazine called Keystrokes to showcase the best student writing and visual art at the high school level.

The magazine is supported by ECOT's administration, language arts department, art education department and communications staff. The magazine represents many hours of hard work and collaboration by students, teachers, staff members and administrators.

Click here to download the 2009 edition (PDF, 7.3 mb)

ECOT Launches Tenth Year with Unprecedented Academic Progress

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:11:00 +0000

Back-to-School for State’s First Online School

COLUMBUS – On Thursday, August 27, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) will begin celebrating a decade of online learning progress as 9,000 students and 650 employees go back to school.

ECOT received “green light” ratings in Reading, Math and the overall Composite rating on the State Report Card’s “value-added” measurement, which tracks student academic growth from year to year.

This achievement places ECOT near the very top of Ohio school districts in improving its students. ECOT exceeded a year’s worth of growth at every grade level in Math and met or exceeded the average year’s growth in four out of five grade levels in Reading.

In addition to the value-added success, ECOT achieved its third year of Continuous Improvement on the report card.

“As we celebrate 10 years of pioneering online learning, I am extremely proud of the students and teachers for their unprecedented academic progress,” said William Lager, who founded ECOT in the fall of 2000 with a handful of staff and 2000 students eager to try online learning as an alternative. “By our 10th commencement next June, we believe ECOT will have 5,000 graduates as alumni and 10,000 students enrolled.”

ECOT was Ohio’s first statewide e-school organized under Ohio’s community school law for the 2000-2001 school year. Students and teachers work together from their homes throughout Ohio, using computers and a secure Intranet connection. Today, ECOT has the largest fulltime e-school enrollment in Ohio and the U.S. “Parents choose ECOT because it works, and our academic ratings prove that,” Mr. Lager said.

ECOT’s academic success is significant because ECOT’s statewide student population mirrors the at-risk, economically-disadvantaged population of the urban eight districts with 75 percent of families. Last year’s data from the Ohio Department of Education showed that ECOT and other online schools perform better than the Big 8 urban districts when the value-added measurement is considered.

“ECOT administrators and teachers have more online learning experience than any other Ohio e-school, and we provide our students with the best online technology and learning tools in the nation,” Mr. Lager said. ECOT educators are led by Superintendent Jeffrey Forster and Chief of Staff James Thomas of Columbus, who have more than 70 years of education experience between them.

ECOT 2009 Graduation Ceremony Video (Highlights)

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:00:00 +0000

ECOT in the news: Chillicothe Gazette, June 10, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:54:00 +0000

June 10, 2009
Tomorrow has arrived for local ECOT graduates

Students say online charter school offers flexibility, requires self-determination

BY LOREN GENSON
Gazette Staff Writer

Two local high school students graduated from a nontraditional high school Saturday, and they feel their experiences have prepared them for the world of work and college.

Jonathan Bowling, 19, and Ryan Schweitzer, 18, received their diplomas from the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, a charter school based in Columbus that allows students to complete their coursework online.

"It's just like regular school, but it's more flexible," Bowling said.

The pair, who until two years ago also were joined by Jonathan's brother, Arthur, in the ECOT program, worked from home and were required to log in regularly and attend online classes. In a way, it was more difficult than attending classes at a brick-and-mortar school, they said.

"You've got to have a lot of self-determination. You've got to log in and do it yourself, no one is forcing you to get it done," Jonathan said.

The two have attended classes for the past four years at the online school, which offers courses from kindergarten through 12th grade. Arthur attended classes for the first two years of high school before transferring to Chillicothe High School to finish his course work. For Arthur, a traditional school was a better fit.

"My grades were better at CHS ... I found it a little easier," Arthur said.

For Jonathan and Schweitzer, the online coursework was the best choice. The two live outside of Londonderry near the Vinton County line and fell into the Vinton County School District.

"It was tough in the winter to get out of the house, and it was an hour-and-a-half bus ride to school in McArthur," Schweitzer said.

The school curriculum is just as challenging as regular schools, said Schweitzer, who graduated as valedictorian of his class of more than 1,500.

"We have biology, chemistry, calculus, just like other schools," he said. "It's considered a charter school. We have to take OGTs (Ohio Graduation Tests) and we get a high school diploma."

And though it was challenging to complete some coursework at home, the support system through the school was strong, Jonathan said.

"There is online chat with the teachers, and we can call them anytime if we have questions. They're really helpful," he said.

The ECOT students said the flexible schedule allows them to also pursue dancing and motocross, two diverse interests they all enjoy. Jonathan and Arthur have been dancing with their mother's N'Step clogging group for about 10 years, and Schweitzer has been doing it for about eight years.

The ECOT online courses allowed them to easily travel to national competitions for clogging without missing coursework.

"You can log in anywhere there's an Internet connection, so we don't really have to miss or make up anything; we can do it from wherever we are," Jonathan said.

The format also allowed them to work jobs while attending classes. While the students are required to log in each day and their attendance is monitored, students can e-mail their teachers and complete the coursework in the evening if their day is going to be busy or if they have to work.

Jonathan is planning to attend college and may study structural engineering, while Ryan and Arthur plan to attend college to study nursing. They all say the online work has prepared them well for college.

"In college, you don't have teachers telling you to get work done and checking in; you have to be determined," said Schweitzer. "And I think we're all ready for college courses. We've been doing the work on our own for a while now."

Original article can be found here

ECOT celebrates largest class ever in annual ceremony

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:15:00 +0000

This year’s class brings total graduates in ECOT’s history to over 4,000

ECOT held its 9th annual graduation ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.

The event was the statewide online charter school’s largest graduation ever, with more than 1,500 students eligible to participate – both in person and from their homes via a unique live event webcast (www.ecotohio.org).

ECOT is Ohio’s largest charter school and the state’s first and largest online school. Since ECOT’s first ceremony at the Statehouse Atrium in 2000, ECOT has outgrown four venues for its graduation ceremonies. With this year’s class, the total number of ECOT graduates in its short history is over 4,000.

ECOT graduations are unique:

--Students work with their teachers online from their homes, so many students will meet each other and their teachers for the first time at graduation.

--Graduates travel from every corner of the state to attend the ceremony. If they cannot make the trip to Columbus, families participate by viewing the live webcast of the event from their computers.

The Honorable Mark Wagoner, the State Senator representing the 2nd Senate District (Toledo area), addressed the graduates as this year’s commencement speaker.

There were 11 Valedictorians in this year’s class including:

Steven Amick of Grove City
Julia Bankert of Delaware
Lacey Greenler of Defiance
Briana Johnson of Cambridge
Benjamin Lander of Hillsboro
Jeremy Mollett of Oak Hill
Broderick Poling of Dayton
Ryan Schweitzer of Londonderry
Michelle Stewart of West Jefferson
Anne Wright of Oxford
Eric Wrikeman of East Palestine

Six of the graduates received scholarships or awards during the ceremony:

--Curtis Liston of North Ridgeville and Heather Fredenburg of Mount Vernon each received a $10,000 scholarship to attend Ashland University. Founded in 2009, the ECOT Scholarship to Ashland University is exclusively provided to ECOT graduates who plan to attend Ashland University.

-- Kelsey Robb of Cincinnati received the Founder’s Scholarship ($1000) in honor of ECOT Founder William Lager of Altair Learning Management of Columbus.

-- Kacey Davis of Circleville received the Patricia Felts Social Services Scholarship ($1000) in memory of an ECOT employee who dedicated her life to the field of social services.

-- Rosa Nemec of Westerville received the Sponsor’s Scholarship ($1000) in honor of ECOT’s chartering authority.

-- Sarah Schron of Columbus received the Coann Michael Memorial Scholarship ($1000) for perseverance in the face of adversity. The award is named for Coann Michael, a 2003 ECOT graduate and class speaker who was determined to earn her diploma despite illness.

Kasey Dalo of Canton was the Class Speaker. Alysha Fleek of Cincinnati led the Pledge of Allegiance to start the ceremony. Seniors Anastasia Molina of Sylvania and Kara Whetzel of London led their classmates in the traditional turning of the tassel.

ECOT educates over 9,500 statewide students in grades K-12. ECOT’s headquarters is in Columbus, Ohio.

###

ECOT accepts enrollment requests for 2009-2010

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:47:00 +0000

ECOT is now accepting requests for enrollment applications for the 2009-2010 school year.

Join over 9,500 Ohio students who are now being educated online in the state's first and largest online public school.

Click here to request an enrollment application.

ECOT LifeSmarts team repeats as state champions

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:13:00 +0000

ECOT's LifeSmarts team successfully defended their 2008 state championship Monday in Columbus.

After qualifying for the state competition online, the ECOT team won their first two matches but lost in the semifinals in the double-elimination competition. ECOT came back to win the final round against a very strong Benjamin Logan High School team.

The 2009 state championship ECOT team now moves on to the National LifeSmarts Competition in St. Louis to be held April 25-28.

Teacher Marilyn Hiestand and Erin Newman, Library Media Specialist, are co-coaches of this year's team.

The team (pictured from L to R): Brandyn Chaney, Grade 9, Cleveland, Tessa Pavey, Grade 10, Leesburg, Shabazse Chaney (holding trophy and team captain), Grade 11, Cleveland, Nickie Pavey, Grade 10, Leesburg, and Stephenie Willis, Grade 11, Senecaville. Coach Marilyn Hiestand is pictured in rear center. Not pictured is Erin Newman, co-coach.

Below is a video featuring members of last year's team:

The ECOT LifeSmarts team is sponsored by
Time Warner Cable Business Class.

ECOT publishes 2008 literary magazine

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:14:00 +0000

Each year, ECOT publishes a literary magazine called Keystrokes to showcase the best student writing and visual art at the high school level.

One of the many highlights in the magazine is an award-winning essay by Theresa Conrad of Hamilton, Ohio that was selected as the best overall essay in the statewide Laws of Life Essay Contest.

The magazine is supported by ECOT's administration, language arts department, art education department and communications staff. The magazine represents many hours of hard work and collaboration by students, teachers, staff members and administrators.

Click to view the 2008 edition in PDF format.

The following educators and staff members contributed to the production of the 2008 edition by encouraging students to submit writing to the magazine, editing the submissions, organizing the student writing, selecting student art, or designing and producing the magazine:

Gladys Ashenfelter
Andrea Berg
Vernell Bristow
Kara Bryan
Lynn Darke
Patty DelBoccio
Nancy DeLong
Sharon Gray
Robin Hyde
Nanci Kasten
Eileen Krisak
Kim Moneypenny
Mary Riess
Pam Six
Heather Tester
Heather Townley
Robb Townsend
Christina Stapleton
Suzanne Williams

Enroll Today!

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:01:00 +0000

ECOT is enrolling students for the 2008-2009 school year. Classes begin on August 27, 2008.

When deciding to enroll in an Ohio online school, there are some facts you should know:

ECOT is the first and largest e-school in Ohio, and since it opened in 2000, has always been a leader.
ECOT is fully accredited by the Commission on International Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA) and the North Central Association.
ECOT has graduated more students than any other e-school and continues to provide the most innovative curriculum and technology.
No other e-school has a higher rating on the state report card.
ECOT hires only highly qualified teachers who, when working with caring parents, are the key components to ECOT's success and to the success of its students.

Live Graduation Webcast

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0000

ECOT holds largest graduation ceremony in its history

ECOT held its 8th annual graduation ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 31 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.

The event was the statewide online charter school’s largest graduation ever, with more than 1,200 students eligible to participate – both in person and from their homes via a unique live event webcast (www.ecotohio.org).

ECOT is Ohio’s largest charter school and the state’s first and largest online school. Since ECOT’s first ceremony at the Statehouse Atrium in 2000, ECOT has outgrown four venues for its graduation ceremonies.

ECOT graduations are unique:

--Students work with their teachers online from their homes, so many students met each other and their teachers for the first time at graduation.

--Graduates travel from every corner of the state to attend the ceremony. If they cannot make the trip to Columbus, families were able to participate by viewing the live webcast of the event from their computers.

The Honorable Gary Cates, the State Senator representing the 4th Senate District, addressed the graduates as this year’s commencement speaker.

Six of the graduates received scholarships or awards during the ceremony:

-- Amanda Merritt of Columbus received the Founder’s Scholarship in honor of ECOT Founder William Lager of Altair Learning Management of Columbus.

-- Aisha Stern of Chauncey received the Ohio Academic Scholarship for academic achievement from the Ohio Board of Regents.

-- Dana Jalanbo of Dayton received the Sponsor’s Scholarship in honor of ECOT’s chartering authority.

-- Yevgenia Bailey of Cuyahoga Falls received the Coann Michael Memorial Scholarship for perseverance in the face of adversity.

-- Brenna Christiansen of Toledo received the Patricia Felts Social Services Scholarship to attend college to pursue an education in the field of social services.

--Nicholas Hodge of Columbus received a special Art Award for being the class’s outstanding art student.

Valedictorian Mark Curto of Columbus led the Pledge of Allegiance to start the ceremony. Seniors Angela Fiscus of Wooster, Aspen Landers of Columbus, Cody Woolever of Thurman, and Tasha Wright of West Chester led their classmates in the traditional turning of the tassel.

ECOT educates over 9,000 statewide students in grades K-12. ECOT’s headquarters is in Columbus, Ohio.

###

ECOT wins state championship

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:34:00 +0000

ECOT's LifeSmarts team won the state championship today in Columbus.

After qualifying for the state competition online, the ECOT team competed against nine other teams and advanced through three rounds of head-to-head competition undefeated to win the title.

The ECOT team is now eligible to compete in the national competition on April 12-15 in Minneapolis, MN. Congratulations to the team and to coach Marilyn Hiestand.

The team (pictured from L to R): Jessica Mowery, Grade 11, Akron; David Simiele, Grade 10, Strongsville; Nickole Pavey, Grade 9, Leesburg; Shabazse Chaney, Grade 10, Cleveland; Brenna Christiansen, Grade 12, Toledo

About LifeSmarts:
LifeSmarts helps students learn about their consumer rights and responsibilities and develop marketplace smarts. Competitions are fun and exciting, but there is so much more to the program. Participants meet new friends, win prizes, have an opportunity to travel to different parts of their state and country, and meet important business, government, consumer and labor leaders. Students work in teams, build communications skills, and hone leadership qualities. LifeSmarts, run as a game-show style competition, is open to all teens in the U.S. in the 9th through 12th grades. Teams of four to five teens compete in district and state matches with the state winners going to the national competition to vie for the national LifeSmarts title. For more info, visit http://www.lifesmarts.org/.

The ECOT LifeSmarts team is sponsored by
Time Warner Cable Business Class.

New ECOT Video

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:55:00 +0000

To view ECOT's new promotional video, please click the play button below:

Welcome Back!

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:24:00 +0000

ECOT's first day of class is Wednesday, August 29, 2007. ECOT is still accepting enrollment applications for the 2007-2008 school year. Click here to request an enrollment application.

ECOT accepts enrollment requests for 2007-2008

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:27:00 +0000

ECOT is accepting requests for enrollment applications for the 2007-2008 school year.

Join over 8,000 Ohio students who are now being educated online in the state's first and largest online public school.

Click here to request an enrollment application.

2007 Graduation Ceremony & Webcast

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 22:55:00 +0000

The Class of 2007 of the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) honored and thanked Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted for saving School Choice in Ohio and appearing as its Commencement Speaker.

Husted spoke to an audience of thousands of ECOT graduates, parents and friends as they participated in the seventh annual ECOT Commencement, which was webcast live from the Germain Amphitheater in Columbus. Over 885 students were eligible to participate in the event.

Click here to view a webcast of the ceremony!

Husted became the first person in history to become an Honorary Graduate of ECOT – America’s largest e-school with more than 8,000 enrolled. Husted accepted an honorary diploma and a special commemorative “thank you” book signed by all students, parents and teachers attending.

“Without Speaker Jon Husted, we may not be having our commencement here today, and the ECOT revolution in e-learning in Ohio may have ended,” said ECOT Founder William Lager, who recalled Husted’s accomplishments for e-learning and charter schools since his election to the House in 2000.

“The Speaker is not just your commencement speaker. He is truly the champion of the Class of 2007 and the champion of all charter school students in Ohio.”

Superintendent Jeffrey Forster said ECOT students and staff also thanked the Speaker with “excellent academic progress” in the past few years. He announced that ECOT’s testing attendance in 2007 would meet federal AYP standards for the first time with an average of more than 96 percent attendance by students in all federal categories.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for a statewide e-school with students and teachers, who must travel to more than a hundred testing sites scattered across the state,” Forster said. “This is a first for ECOT.”

He also recalled that ECOT students jumped two steps on the state Report Card in 2006 to Continuous Improvement. ECOT student progress in two years on the State Performance Index was the third highest among all Ohio schools for 2006.

Five of the graduates received scholarship awards during the ceremony:

-- Caroline Perucci of Marietta received the Founder’s Scholarship in honor of ECOT Founder William Lager of Altair Learning Management of Columbus.

-- Christina Bush of Delaware received the Ohio Academic Scholarship for academic achievement from the Ohio Board of Regents.

-- Matthew L. Smith from Canton received the Sponsor’s Scholarship in honor of ECOT’s chartering authority.

-- Christine Alspach of Columbus received the Coann Michael Memorial Scholarship for perseverance in the face of adversity.

Senior Anthony Grigsby of Dayton led the Pledge of Allegiance to start the ceremony. Seniors Kirsten Boyer of Miamisburg, Lynsey Butterworth of Columbus and Zachary Whetzel of London led their classmates in the traditional turning of the tassel.

As in past years, the ECOT ceremony today was hardly the typical commencement with a lot of teary good-byes to classmates. Instead, many of the graduating seniors greeted each other, their teachers and administrators for the first time. ECOT students spend most of their time learning in their homes and communities throughout Ohio, assisted by ECOT computers and teachers who are also home-based. ECOT currently has over 8,000 students in grades K-12.

Seven years ago, Lager conceived and founded ECOT as Ohio’s first statewide e-school for K-12. He and ECOT Board of Directors secured a charter from the Lucas County Educational Service Center.

ECOT earns international accreditation

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:32:00 +0000

The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) can now add “international accreditation” to its list of academic accomplishments in 2006.

An alliance of the largest American accrediting associations has concluded that ECOT “has demonstrated to the international academic community that it effectively advances the quality of the educational experiences it provides for its students.”

Earlier this year, ECOT jumped two categories on the State Report Card to the “Continuous Improvement” rating and had the third highest gain in two years of all Ohio schools on the Performance Index, the state’s measure of academic growth for schools.

ECOT successfully completed the required steps for accreditation by CITA (Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation), which include: initial registration, a CITA candidacy visit, a rigorous self-study, a site visit by CITA’s evaluation team and an intensive review by the CITA staff and Board of Directors.

Accreditation has been a goal of Superintendent Jeffrey Forster since he first joined the school in 2001.

“In 2001, the goal seemed a long way off,” Forster said. “This accomplishment demonstrates that the six years of hard work by our teachers and staff have now paid off."

Based in Columbus, ECOT is the first and largest e-school in Ohio and educates over 7,000 students statewide. The school is recognized as one of the nation's leaders in online education.

About CITA: The Commission of International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA) is the most rapidly growing accrediting agency in the world. It was created in 1996 by five USA regional associations that accredit schools and universities.

CITA provides customized accreditation protocols and standards for schools that cross the USA regions and for national and international schools around the world. On the web: www.citaschools.org

The CITA Alliance includes:
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA CASI)
• Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools (CES MSA)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS CASI)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC-ACS)
• National Council for Private Schools Accreditation (NCPSA)
• Council on Occupational Education (COE)

ECOT art exhibit at Ohio Department of Education

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 15:39:00 +0000

Over 90 pieces of art created by over 40 ECOT student artists are being exhibited at the Ohio Department of Education building (25 S. Front St.) in downtown Columbus from December 1-29, 2006.

ECOT was selected to be the featured school for the month of December as part of the Ohio Department of Education's Student Art Exhibition Program. Art teacher Patricia Younce, who leads ECOT's art department, believes that such opportunities for public recognition are valuable to the growth of ECOT's talented student artists.

Gallery tours are private and need to be scheduled in advance. To schedule a tour, contact Curator Molly Uline-Olmstead at ODE by e-mail (molly.uline-olmstead@ode.state.oh.us).

For more photos of the show, go to ODE's Education Blog by clicking here.

New ECOT Regional Education Centers

noreply@blogger.com (ECOTnews) — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:30:00 +0000

The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) is pleased to announce the opening of Regional Education Centers (R.E.C.) in three areas in Ohio: Cleveland, Dayton, and Columbus.

These centers offer orientation training sessions for new students that include how to use ECOT curriculum websites, contact teachers, submit work, take tests and operate the computer or resolve technical issues.

Plus, the Regional Education Centers offer students, parents, and teachers with opportunities to interact through workshops, class activities, tutorial sessions, test preparation, field trips, enrichment, counseling, and career development.

Cleveland REC
3705 Lee Rd.
Shaker Heights, OH 44120
Contact: Danielle Hier, 888-326-8395, ext. 3440

Columbus REC
3700 S. High Street, Suite 90
Columbus, OH 43207
Contact: Richard Noble, 888-326-8395, ext. 3609

Dayton REC
1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Drive
Dayton, OH 45408
Contact: Yyvette Beach, 888-326-8395, ext. 3425

ECOT accepts enrollment requests for 2006-2007; holds Open Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Teresa Berry) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 06:09:00 +0000

ECOT is now accepting requests for enrollment applications for the 2006-2007 school year. Please click here to request an application.

ECOT is also holding open houses for both current parents and students and parents and students who are interested in enrolling in ECOT.

All ECOT teachers will be available to meet/greet at the Columbus Open House only. All other locations will feature administrators and teachers who live in those areas.

Dates and Locations:

August 8, 2006, 4-8 p.m.
Toledo:
Holiday Inn/French Quarter
10630 Fremont Pike
Perrysburg, OH 43551

August 14, 2006, 4-8 p.m.
Cleveland/Akron:
Hilton/Beachwood
3663 Park East Dr
Beachwood, OH 44122 August 17, 2006, 4-8 p.m.
Cincinnati/Dayton:
Kings Island Resort
5691 Kings Island Dr
Mason, OH 45040-9665.

August 25, 2006, 4:30-8:30 p.m.
Columbus:
Holiday Inn/Worthington
175 Hutchinson Ave
Columbus OH 43235