PHOENIX — A new Arizona-based virtual school is reimagining education with shorter class times, personalized learning schedules and artificial intelligence (AI) support for students in fourth to eighth grades.
Novatio launched earlier this month. It offers 25-minute core subject classes in the morning and club-based activities in the afternoon. The goal of the private virtual school is to maximize learning time through personalized learning.
Novatio Head of School Karissa Ham said the condensed format doesn’t mean students are learning less; it just cuts out the inefficiencies of a traditional 50-minute class period.
“It’s not much different than what we’re doing in a very targeted window,” Ham told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “Our teachers spend about 25 minutes on those core content areas and, in that 25 minutes, it is strictly learning.”
Novatio is a private school with tuition set at $7,000 for Arizona residents.
Personalized learning, AI in education: How does it work?
Ham said students may be taking classes below or above their grade level.
That’s where the AI in education aspect comes in. These tools help create personalized schedules for each student.
“It is … analyzing where they are, how they’re doing, if they’re struggling, if they’re distracted, just looking at all those pieces and then taking all the parts of the curriculum that we use and putting it together in a way that is best for your kiddo,” she said.
By automating these tasks, teachers can spend more time focusing on students directly, Ham added.
How the Arizona-based virtual school helps students
To ensure students stay on track, Novatio conducts regular assessments throughout the year. In the afternoons, students participate in clubs designed to build life skills, from public speaking to technology-based activities.
Although lessons are online, students still have opportunities to socialize and connect with peers.
“What’s neat about Arizona is we have families … that are going to get together,” Ham said. “They have already reached out to each other and they’re going to have activities for their kids to go do. So, they have that friend component as well.”
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
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