Whether traveling by train to visit historical landmarks or waiting in a passport office with his tablet in hand, Alex Kemp, ASU Prep Digital third grader, is able to explore Europe and complete his online coursework.
Alex has spent most of his life abroad due to his father’s work as a military veteran and civilian contractor. The family was living in Qatar when Covid hit, and like with many families, there was a frantic rush to secure safe, online education.
When searching for online classes, Alex’s family considered the options lackluster, so Alex was homeschooled for kindergarten and first grade. Alex’s mother, Emily, admits they struggled to juggle their dual roles as teacher/mother and student/son. She realized that Alex was in need of a curriculum that would both challenge him and provide external accountability.
When the family moved to Sicily, ASU Prep Digital emerged as the perfect fit, offering engaging, flexible, and challenging school work. The consistency is an added bonus should Alex’s family move again.
Emily explains, “I think we had about a three week notice when they moved us from Qatar to Sicily. So no longer having to navigate the school transfers or packing up boxes of curriculum and waiting for months for it all to arrive is definitely a weight off my shoulders.”
The importance of time management in Alex’s online learning routine
ASU Prep Digital’s flexible schedule and day-to-day time management has worked well for Alex, even with an eight to nine hour time difference. Alex starts his day with breakfast and getting dressed as if he were attending physical school. And since his classmates—fellow online students—are most certainly still sleeping, he focuses on study time, completing exercises in Studies Weekly, Boost, Dreambox, and ALEKS. Following a short break, Alex tackles his Canvas assignments for the day, finishing around lunchtime. Then when it’s late afternoon in Italy, he switches up his learning environment by joining in on his Zoom classes.
Alex is an active participant in his classes. His mom says, “I have really been in awe of how he interacts in his Spark Time and breakout rooms with his classmates. He jumps right in, takes the lead, asks questions, and works on engaging his peers. It’s not a trait I’ve seen from him before.” She credits his teachers, Ms. Stranz and Ms. Krause, for encouraging these skills and effectively integrating digital platforms to create a social and educational space in a non-traditional classroom.
Alex’s mom explains how this enhances Alex’s personal life, saying, “ASU helps Alex feel as though he is part of a community. He is a very social kid and loves to talk to people, but does get frustrated that his Italian limits his ability to express himself to people in town. So, with ASU, he gets to talk and interact on his own terms, without mom translating for him. He has his own space with a wonderful group of peers and teachers that is his own.”
Online learning and time management help Alex make the most of his international experience
The flexibility of ASU Prep Digital’s online learning further allows Alex to make the most of living abroad with his family members, especially the unbelievable travel opportunities. The third grader has already visited the ancient Acropolis of Athens, taken in the views from atop a Spanish castle, and hiked the majestic Dolomites mountain range of Italy, with plenty more on his family’s travel to-do list.
Due to the flexible schedule, Alex also has enough time to take part in a homeschool co-op run by parent volunteers, where he interacts with other children his age, participating in experiential learning activities like STEM, art, PE, Italian language, and LEGO challenges. Another cohort to which his family belongs organizes monthly outings, like visits to museums and cultural centers, as well as orange picking, ziplining and hiking on Mount Etna.
Because of these adventures, Alex sometimes misses a live lesson with ASU Prep Digital for his online courses. Live lessons usually happen at a specific time, but because they’re recorded, he can always go back and watch it, prioritizing and balancing his online courses and coursework with his family’s schedule. His mom says, “We are definitely grateful to be able to provide Alex with such experiences and not feel like we have to sacrifice his academic progress for it.”
ASU Prep Digital’s online learning allows flexibility for online students
For the Kemp family, ASU Prep Digital has eliminated the stress of inconsistent international schooling and curriculum and coursework changes. It offers a reliable, engaging online learning platform for elementary students that offers flexible time management while aligning with American standards, making it an ideal solution for international families.
ASU Prep Digital’s online school is great for any family, near or far, looking for a flexible, innovative, and robust digital education solution.
If you’re interested in a truly global classroom that caters to online learners’ unique time management needs across time zones, learn more on our website or attend an upcoming information session.
