How to earn 100% on every assignment! Or at least improve your scores :0)

ODY or BVA - Be ready!  Do you have your notebook and sharpened pencils, a good eraser, and a pen (that works!) right at hand?  Is your laptop charged?  Do you have your power cord handy?  Have you eliminated any distractions?  Turned off phone?  Closed all non-work related “stuff” on your computer?  Told friends or family members you are working now?  Have you taken care of yourself?  Have you eaten something healthy within the last couple of hours?  Do you have water or another “healthy” drink handy?

Odysseyware Courses American History I as example

Step 1: Review the basics  Read the “Course Overview” section  Read the the “Glossary and credits” section

Step 2: Get the “lay of the land”  Read any ODY messages  Respond if necessary  Log into your class  Review your progress so far  Make your plan for the day  Click on next available assignment  Look at how many sections there are!

Step 3: Skim, scan, and scroll!  Skim and scan through the first section and note any of the following:  Unit name  Lesson name  Objectives  Vocabulary  Topic headings and subheadings  Anything in bold  Pictures, graphs, etc. and accompanying captions  Examples  Interactive activities

Step 4: Repeat!  Repeat what you did for the first section for all sections  Reviewing all sections like this should take two (2) minutes total  You are not really “reading” – you are skimming, scanning, and scrolling  Your brain is now already working!

Step 5: Go backwards!  Go back to the first section  Now is the time to “delve in”  Read through the first section  Take hand-written notes  Complete all activities, including “Spelling Bee” (as goofy as it may seem!) and “Flash Cards”  After delving into first section, choose “Read Next Section”

Step 6: Go forward again!  Go to next section and delve again!  Read through each section  Take hand-written notes in each section  Complete all activities in each section  After delving into all sections, review your notes  Take a short break (you have earned it!)  Review notes again  NOW you can choose “Work on Questions”

Step 7: Time to answer questions  BVA stresses mastery  Open book and open notes  Have your notes handy, so you can quickly and readily access the information  Because you have reviewed and processed the information in the lesson, this will be easy

Step 7: Time to answer questions (continued)  Make sure you click “Next Question” to navigate through the assignment, quiz, or test  This will save your answer  If you click on the numbers at the top to navigate, your answers will not be saved until you hit “Turn it in”  After you have double- checked your answers, click “Turn it in”

BVA Courses Geometry as example

Navigating Through a BVA Lesson and Assignment Your ticket to success!

Understanding Your BVA Course  In Getting Started you will find important information for getting around in your course  Use the arrow buttons to navigate through each page  Find out what the icons mean in this section

Module Checklist  Found in the first lesson of each Module  Print it out for yourself and use it to plan out your school time.  Cross things off as you complete them.

Skim, scan, and scroll!  Once you are in the lesson take time to scan through each page (making sure you scroll to the bottom, too) before getting started  This will give you a good idea of what will be covered in the whole lesson and get your brain activated for learning  A lesson may contain several different tabs to investigate (make sure you click on each one when you are scanning)

Tackling the Lesson  Now that you have taken the time to scan the whole lesson, you are ready to begin  Go back to the first page and begin reading  Take special notice of what your objectives for the lesson are (this is what you need to know by the time you are done)  Take notes as you go and take the time to do the practice problems and fun activities

Finishing Up  At the end of the lesson review the Essential Questions  Make sure that you can formulate answers to those questions in order to have optimum understanding of the lesson  Review the Lesson Summary  Notice that all words in bold in there are probably going to be important, make sure they are in your notes

Got Geometry?  Now it is time for your assignment/assessment  Go back to the main screen to access the assignment

Other Types of Assignments  Forums/Discussions  Discussion Based Assessment  You have to contact your teacher to set up a time to go over the answers that you have on this worksheet

Review  Remember to “skim, scan, and scroll” all sections first  Read all sections and take notes, preferably by hand  Complete all activities  THEN complete assignment  ODY – “Next Question”  BVA – Submit twice

Comment / Questions?  We are here to listen and help!