Apex is the District’s choice for online learning. Apex was chosen because their courses are very rigorous (in some cases much harder than the classroom courses at CHS), are completed aligned with our District courses by the same name, and transfer to most universities. You will access your entire course and all materials online through their website / What are Apex Tutorials?
Much like Apex courses, the tutorials are accessed on the same website at However, you will complete a different training, and lessons are not graded and the format is a little different. These are available for some core courses, as well as SAT/ACT/Accuplacer and AP courses.
You will view videos and lessons, take pretests to see where you need to focus your learning. / What is eDynamic?
eDynamic courses are electives only, and are on a completely different website at matsuak.brainhoney.com. Students find these courses super interesting and we have lots of choices (from Vet Science to Fashion Design to Engineering to Lord of the Rings!). The complete list is on the main website.
You will complete a different training entirely and your mentor will get you started. There is quite a bit of writing, and formatting is important.
Do I have a teacher? Every online course has a virtual teacher. For most courses, your teacher will be someone employed by MSBSD but located at a different school. You will primarily contact them and submit work virtually (Apex has a message center, eDynamic has a dropbox) They grade all written work and submit final grades. You are also welcome to message them any time for help/questions.
Will I get to meet my teacher? Probably not. Your virtual teacher will communicate exclusively with you through the Apex message center or eDynamic communicate link.
The best way to get to know your teacher is to tell them about yourself. Send them a message about you, your school location, grade, etc. and establish a connection. ALWAYS communicate with them when you miss due dates or get behind. Letting them know why is extremely important since they do not see you on a day-to-day basis.
What supplies do I need? Every student should have a binder because there are no textbooks. You print everything and store in your binder. Organization is really important and critical to finishing the course online. Pen/pencil and some paper for taking notes is also essential.
Is it just viewing screens and taking online tests/quizzes? No, Apex has as many as 13 different activities included in each course, per unit. eDynamic has awesome videos on Youtube, TED talks and podcasts (transcripts are usually available if you don’t have time to view). You will have some online assignments (quizzes, discussion forum postings, polls, etc.) and written work (essays, labs, projects, handouts, etc.). These are uploaded using the Apex Message Center or eDynamic drpbox built into the courses. It is very similar to attaching an email.
How do I take tests?
Every unit has two tests at the end, a computer-scored test (CST) and teacher-scored written test (TST). Once finished with all work and tests, you may schedule your final(s).
- During the summer school period (May23-June 16th) you can report to Colony, Wasilla or Houston High School and ask the test proctor there to test. Be sure to bring your binder of materials with study guides and written work complete.
- After summer school is over (June 16th- July 28th) you need to report to the District Training Center at the District office (501 N. Gulkana, Palmer) Monday-Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
eDynamic only has a Midterm and Final exam which are password access only. You must contact iTech staff to make arrangements to take these assessments.
- During the summer school period (May23-June 16th) you can report to Colony, Wasilla or Houston High School and ask the test proctor there to test. Be sure to bring your binder of materials with study guides and written work complete.
- After summer school is over (June 16th- July 28th) you need to report to the District Training Center at the District office (501 N. Gulkana, Palmer) Monday-Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
ALL WORK MUST BE COMPLETE/GRADED NO LATER THAN JULY 28TH, 2017
Can I use notes on tests? YES! All quizzes, tests, and assignments are open note. You may not, however, print out lessons and use as notes. They must be student-generated notes or study guides only.
Why do I get locked out of the course if I am not done with the Unit (Apex only)? The only way you can be locked out prior to a proctored test is by scoring less than 70% on an online assignment. Most students who experience this are not taking good notes or doing the study guide immediately before.
What do I do if I get locked out (Apex only)? The only way to have your course re-opened is by contacting your virtual teacher/mentor/proctor. The virtual teachers want you to pass the quiz the first time, after viewing the lessons and completing all work. You will move faster if you complete study guides.
Can I redo assignments? In eDynamic, if you score below a 70%, your teacher may allow a “retry”. If you see an arrow next to your score, you are able to retake quizzes or re-upload written assignments.
Why am I locked out even though I didn’t fail an online quiz (Apex only)? Sometimes, if you skip written assignments and simply click through the online quizzes, thus completing work out of order, your virtual teacher will lock your course until you submit missing written work. Do not skip assignments, do them in order. When all work is complete and caught up, message your teacher to have them grant access again.
When I turn in a written assignment, how long do I wait before it is graded? Once you upload written work, the turnaround time is typically 2-4 weekdays. If your assignment is not graded by then, message your teacher.
Is there EXTRA CREDIT available? For Apex only, your training certificate (assignment B.1) is worth 15 points, and your binder will be graded when you take the final exam (assignment B.2) and is worth an additional 5% added to your final grade. There is no extra credit for eDynamic courses.