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Teacher-Led Co-Op Classes

for Middle & High School Homeschooled Students

 

The '24-'25 school year begins on August 19th!

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Grading

Students will receive an official grade and certificate of course completion for your student’s portfolio. Unit quizzes and insights journals / essays are teacher-graded.  You may enroll up to two students in the same class simultaneously. For the second student, choose ‘second student option,’ which is deeply discounted.

 Self-Paced Teacher-Led Courses

       Students have access for one year after date of purchase.  Second student option is available to families with multiple students; must be purchased concurrently.  Currently, only some classes are available in this format.  These courses do not have student interaction, as the students are completing the work at different times / paces.  Students should be independent workers who are self-motivated.  

 

My daughter is doing the self-paced HS1 through Sparks Academy because we live overseas and the time difference doesn’t work.  She obviously doesn’t get to interact live with the teacher or other students, which she actually doens’t mind, but she’s really liking watching the prerecorded video of the teacher giving the lesson.  She likes that there’s a schedule for each week, and overall it’s so well put together that she’s learning a lot and enjoying it.

Katalina P.

Parent of teens, Sparks Academy, co-op customer

I love that these classes add an additional bit of meaning and accountability to older homeschool students using The Good and the Beautiful. I have been impressed with the feedback from the teacher and the quality of the content is GREAT! It is a balanced mix of online class and the The Good and The Beautiful books offline. There are videos, extra tidbits, and the class feel makes it a win win for a high-school program. I am excited to enroll my 2nd son in it this fall and look forward to the growth I know he will achieve from using these courses!
Shantel J.

Parent of teens, Sparks Academy, co-op customer

My son took the world history class last year. Working with the teacher/owner was fantastic! There were many writing assignments, and because my son knew they weren’t for my eyes only I believe he put far more effort into it.

Julina S.

Parent of teens, Sparks Academy, co-op customer

Sparks Academy is a fantastic co-op! We already loved The Good and The Beautiful and Notgrass and are so happy to be incorporating these blended classes to our homeschool resources! The course setup is great, Yvie is a fun and engaging teacher, and I really like the idea of my high schooler getting some interaction with other students and a teacher besides me! This is everything we were looking for in a virtual co-op.
Amber L.

Parent of teens, Sparks Academy, co-op customer

My son used this last year for HS1 & World History. It was great with teaching him accountability & responsibility. He loved being able to communicate with others using the discussions (he thought it was cool that everyone lived in so many different places and they were all able to communicate with each other). He also enjoyed the live class with Yvie, and I liked it because it kept him on his toes with making sure all his assignments were completed when it was time for that live class in case he was called on to report it. As “mom” I still had to keep on him to make sure he was current and went over his assignments with him, but that’s to be expected. Overall we love it! My son will be using it again this year for HS2, American History, and Science.

Leann S.

Parent of teens, Sparks Academy, co-op customer

 

I used the writing feedback with my two teens this past year. We finished yesterday, hallelujah!! Anyway, I will be using it again next year and kids also agree that it is well worth the $.

1. I noticed teens put in more of an effort knowing I’m not the only person to see it. So that’s a win.
2. I like to helping them both, especially when they are writing from their weaker areas, like for my son he has a hard time with nonfiction but is great creatively. My daughter is just the opposite, naturally and so when they are having the hardest time, I want to be there to help and support, but it was hard to grade that paper afterwards when I felt like it was at least a quarter my paper. 😂🤣 This way, Yvie is there to help them and I get to grade that paper from a fresh set of eyes and I get to be more surprised and amazed and astonished at their progress. So, another win.
3. By having them rely more on Yvie for help, they are learning that I’m not the only person they can turn to and that is also a win.
4. Surprisingly, the biggest thing I learned from using the service was how Yvie can call my kid out if they aren’t bringing their A game, but in such a nice a polite way and she even gave inspiration and ideas to help him give her what she was looking for that he didn’t feel defeated before he began, which is how I know it would have gone had I been the one to see that paper. 😂🤣 So, as hard as it is to admit, I learned how I could change my ways a bit and perhaps get better results as well. 🥴🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤪😊 Another win.

The only downside to using the service is the $ and the technology skills that I had to dust off and then teach to my two teens, but really, I needed to do that anyway and so really is another win. 😋
As a last note, I am not in any way affiliated with TGTB or Sparks Academy other than being a consumer. 🤓

I do hope this helps others who are having a tough time with the writing. My son, 15, has dyslexia and so this was a huge concern for us both, but he actually feels more prepared for college and believes he can do it after all.  My daughter also has some learning disabilities and she too had nothing but a positive experience with this service and she was very proud of herself and the feedback she received.
I would love to do the online classes, but unfortunately neither one of my teens has shown the fortitude to be able to take on that responsibility just yet and we school around my husbands shift work schedule and so it would be very hard to be available for class times online when we have to do our family school at certain times etc. So I hope to use it for their last year in preparation for college. 😊

Update after 2nd year of use – I have found it super helpful. I have a boy and girl teens and they both used it. 1. They learned how to become more independent from me and able to write on their own. Then after the feedback, they made adjustments, sometimes not and then I looked over it and graded it. They put in more effort for her than they ever did for me. They also chose to make adjustments in some places and not in others etc and because I wasn’t part of the process, I could grade more unbiasedly (not sure if that is even a word) we’ve done it for awhile. This coming year they are doing dual credit and I feel confident they can handle it. I really have no cons to trying it and using the service.

Channa S.

Writing Consultation Customer, Parent of 2 teens

I’m Yvie Field, a homeschool mom of 11 years who absolutely loves the outstanding quality and relaxed pace of The Good and the Beautiful curriculum. I’m not employed by or affiliated with, nor do I receive compensation from, any of the companies utilized.

Having co-led a support group over three years for middle & high school homeschooling families, I’ve discovered that many families share the same struggles!  My goal is to provide support, accountability, and community for upper grades families who use this curriculum by creating an online homeschool co-op for high school students.

I hope to share my passion for homeschooling and for this curriculum. Whether you are a veteran homeschool family or brand new to this journey, we look forward to sharing this educational journey with you!

At the bottom of this page, you will see a short work that describes my teaching style.  Discussion and asking questions are a critical part of every learning adventure!

We follow all co-op guidelines as outlined by The Good and the Beautiful, Apologia, and Notgrass History, including:

All families that participate in this Co-op are required to purchase the corresponding curriculum.  (You will only need to purchase the student books, as shown in the class description.)

Co-op classes are done through Canvas, and are recorded so that they can be watched at your convenience.

All co-op members will be required to purchase the PDF or physical copy of each course that they are participating in.  (Purchases will be verified.  There will be a few different options for verification.)

Click here to download the 2022 Sparks of Creativity magazine!

Get the inside scoop on Sparks Academy — how the platform works, what students will be doing, and lecture classes from our middle and high school series.

A note on outtakes…. When editing, I will leave a few outtakes here and there in the classes (not all of the time, just occasionally). I do this for a few reasons:

1) it re-engages kids who might be drifting away

2) it brings a moment of levity

3) it teaches students that everyone makes mistakes….it’s how we recover and move forward that defines us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Teaching & Hosting

How and when will the class meet?  

CO-OP classes – Each will have it’s own class join code in Canvas.  Classes will meet once weekly for the school year (August 15,2022 – May 6, 2023 for the ’22-’23 school year).  Most classes are pre-recorded with community discussion and group chats.  Periodically we will have live class meetings.  These are on the syllabus for your student to plan ahead.  If you are unable to attend a live class, it will be recorded for later playback.  Self-paced coursework will be assigned between classes.  Scheduled classes are in Central Standard Time.

SELF-PACED courses are available for one year from date of purchase, and proceed at user’s pace.  There are no live classes in the self-paced syllabus.

Can I use these classes in a co-op setting?

Sparks Academy is, itself, a co-op setting, with intellectual copyrights, and you may NOT use any materials – including, but not limited to, course structure, discussions, videos, syllabus, printable files – in any printed or electronic format.  Any students utilizing these materials must be enrolled through the academy.  Anyone found to be in violation of this policy will be removed and blocked, and there will be no refund for any purchases.  Additionally, violators will be prosecuted by law in Oklahoma City.

What technology will we need?

Required technology: Digital notebook (Google Docs or One Drive), internet access, Canvas (you will be sent access instructions), and the ability to use camera & microphone during class discussions

Who is teaching these classes?

Classes are taught primarily by Yvie Field, a homeschool mom with close to twenty years of educational experience (both homeschool and classroom), as well as some adjunct appearances by parental figures who are retired teachers, particularly in high school language arts.  As needed, we may bring other,  experienced and vetted, teachers on board.  Robert & Eddie are new additions for the ’22-’23 school year, and will be covering Physical Science and Chemistry.

How do you ensure students’ privacy?

None of our students’ personal information is revealed in the online classroom. Students log in using a screen name. They do not provide last names or any contact information in the online classroom. Only teachers can see any personal information about each student.​  Work assignments are submitted via email and will only be shared with student permission for educational purposes.  Teachers are not responsible for archiving data, so be sure to keep a copy of your work.  Sparks Academy uses security protocols, but is not liable for data breaches or lost data.

Requirements

Will there be an age limit, or may any age child working through the HS courses join?

As long as the student is working through the high school curriculum and mature enough to participate in discussions, they may join.

Do I have to buy the curriculum, or will it be provided?

All co-op members will be required to purchase the PDF or physical copy of each course that they are participating in.  (Purchases will be verified.  There will be a few different options for verification.)  In most cases, you will only need the student textbook.  This information will be provided in the course description.

Cost

How much will this cost?

Families are required to purchase their own curriculum.  Additionally, there is a fee per year for the first student in a family (per course).  You may enroll up to two students in a class simultaneously. For the second student, choose ‘second student option,’ which is deeply discounted.  Online course access is granted for one school year.   {As an example, if you have two teens taking the same American History class, you would only purchase the class once, and then purchase the Second Student option.  Course access is good for one school year.}

What is your refund policy?

CO-OP classes – Up to three weeks before classes start, we will refund your purchase minus a $100 processing fee per class / per student.  Between three weeks prior and the date classes begin, we will refund 75% of the purchase, minus a $100 processing fee per class / per student.  We cannot offer any refund once classes have begun.

SELF-PACED classes cannot offer any refunds.

 

SEE MORE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS HERE:  https://okbookshack.org/frequently-asked-questions-about-sparks-academy/

 

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transcripts, scholarships & more!

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