Tips: If you are using a PC, you could search for terms/words you are interested in by hitting Control and F (Ctrl F), and typing the term(s)!  If you have questions that are not covered on this Frequently Asked Questions page, make sure to contact me.

 

 

Question 1: What type of assignments are in this class?  

A: There are three types: online assignments, Discussion-Based Assessments (DBA or phone assignments), and Collaboration.  Collaboration is optional.  My online scheduler is located on the announcement page and here for questions and the DBAs:  https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk.

Once you schedule for a DBA, you are OK to submit more online assignments that do not need passwords in my class!  

Want to see my Welcome packet?  Go here: http://tinyurl.com/SengWelcome

 

 

Question 2:  What are Discussion-Based Assessments (DBA’s), and how do I do them?  What do I get for doing them?  

A:  These are mandatory phone assignments.  You could call in or schedule an appointment for me to call you.  Once you schedule, you can submit more online assignments that do not require passwords.  You will get the password after the DBA.  I will ask several questions about the lessons you have already submitted. Click the DBA link to get more details.  After each DBA, I will email you passwords to unlock a few assignments that have passwords.  

My online scheduler is here: https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk

 

 

Question 3:  Is parental involvement necessary?

A.  Yes.  I send out weekly report to parents/guardians.   The subject of that email will have the following phrase, “FLVS U.S. Government class report on your student (Please read to see if a parent/guardian-teacher phone conference is mandatory).”  If you are a parent/guardian, and you are not getting these weekly emails after a week of activation, please email me at hseng@flvs.net.  Also, parents, check your spam folder.  I have been with FLVS since 2007, so I have sent out over a million emails by now.  If it is in your spam folder, click the Not Spam option to keep my emails in your inbox instead.  

Parents/guardians are encouraged to also sign up for a free Parent/Guardian Account with FLVS if they do not have one yet by going here: http://flvs.net/parents/Pages/ParentGuardianAccount.aspx.  With this account, parents can access the student’s Gradebook 24/7. Feel free to schedule for me to call the parent/guardian by going: here: https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk

 

 

Question 4: How do I submit assignments in this class?  (How to submit?)

A:  To read Lessons, go to the main menu, and select Lessons (top left on the announcement page).  At the end of each lesson is a special Assessment page that tells you want to do to get credit.   If you are only registered for Regular credit, make sure you skip the Honors assignments.  To submit for credit, click the main menu, select Gradebook (near the Lessons button), and submit in the lesson number in the gradebook.  

Also, on the top panel of the announcement page of the class, we have the “New Student Info Here” link to get you introduced to the course.  

Go here for the welcome packet for new and old students alike with important information about acing this class: http://tinyurl.com/SengWelcome

Make sure to schedule for me to call you and your parent for the Welcome Call so I could activate you officially.  You could use the online scheduler in the top panel of the announcement page or go here: https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk

 

 

Question 5:  Am I required to use Web 2.0 for assignments or digital posters?

A.  No. For my class, students never need to use Web 2.0 tools or “digital posters.” Students could simply use PowerPoint, Microsoft Word or Google Docs (download in Word format, PDF, or RTF). Ignore that Web 2.0 or digital posters requirement if you want, and I am totally OK with that!

 

 

Question 6: I’m new to the class, how do I get activated officially?  And what are the six most information things to know?  

A: You have full access and may start exploring and submitting assignments now!  Please call me at 904-419-9027, or schedule an appointment with my online scheduler at https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk for me to call you and your parent for the Welcome Call so I could answer questions you may have.   As soon as I active you, I will send an email saying you are officially in the class!  If you want to go to the Contact Me page, just click this.  Here’s a link to a quick video that highlights five important things you must know about FLVS to be successful: FLVS Quick Start.  These are the six most information things to know so you could be successful:

1.  -The expectation is that you will consistently submit at least 2 assignments or more per week to stay on pace. Some students submit 10 or more per week. If your deadline to earn credit very soon, you might need to submit more. Tell me your deadline so I could advise you properly!

2.  -Students who typically earn the highest grades submit an average of 5-10 assignments per week. This helps them do better on quizzes and exams because the material is fresh in their minds.

3.  -Students can finish this class in as short as two weeks if they submit consistently and let me know when grades are due!

4.  -Make sure to take and pass the final exam 48 hours before grades are due so FLVS can submit your credit to your school of record and the Florida Department of Education in Tallahassee. Your counselor will need to add your grade to your transcript. It might take even longer if you are submitting final exam on the weekend. Another word, plan ahead and finish way before the deadline!  

5.  -Make sure you type everything you submit because your assignments have to be scanned for plagiarism by turnitin.com (such as cutting and pasting from ChatGPT). I have to read that report before I can grade. That is why it takes around 48 hours to grade submissions that involve essay or presentation. You demonstrate you are learning if you can put information in your own words. Cutting and pasting does not show true understanding.

6.  -Go here for the welcome packet: https://tinyurl.com/SengWelcome.  Reach out to me if you have questions once you read through the welcome packet. I truly care about your success!

 

 

Question 7:  What are some resources I could use to help me with this class 24/7 because I want to finish in about two weeks? 

A:  On the announcement page of the class, in the second panel from the top, you will see “Course Resource.”  There, you could click the Module and Lessons.  You could get the template in Google Docs to download and fill out to submit for credit.  You could also get videos for the Regular (non-Honors) assignments explaining how to do assignments.  

 

 

Question 8: Besides good effort, what else do I need to ace this class?

A:  You would need access to a computer with a good Internet connection, and Microsoft Word.  If you don’t have Microsoft Word, a free alternative is to sign up for Google Docs.  With Google Docs, you can create documents and save them in the cloud.  When you are ready to submit, you would select   “Download as” and choose “Microsoft Word” or “PDF Document.”

For tutorials on downloading Google Docs to your computer so you could submit files for credit, go here: 4 Ways to Download Google Docs

 

 

Question 9: What kind of assignments are there in this class?

A:   Here is the breakdown.  You will have online assignments,  phone assignments (Discussion-Based Assessments) and Collaboration.   Collaboration is optional in this class!   For the DBAs, schedule an appointment with my online scheduler at https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk, for me to call you or call in.   

 

 

Question 10: What is the purpose of collaboration, is it required, and I heard that students can get credit for assignments if they attend collaborations that cover those assignments, true or false?  

A. I am so glad you ask.  I love questions!  The purpose of collaboration is to encourage students to learn to exhibit excellent people skills, which is an essential asset in this century.  I am making Collaboration optional in this class for students who are motivated and focused to finish early.  You can tell me over the phone, email me, or text me saying you do not want to do collaboration, and I will exempt you from the Collaboration in the gradebook.  If you want to exempt yourself, just go into Collaboration in the Gradebook, and type, “I would like to be exempted” and I will “ex” you from those top two slots. 

Did you know if you do attend collaboration, after the one-hour live lesson on Zoom, you could earn credit for those lessons?  Yes, it is true!  For example, say you attend the 1.02 lesson.  At the end of that lesson, if you submit the file (Exit Ticket) you will get at the end of the session, you could earn credit for 1.02!  Amazing, right!  Quite a deal.  You do need to read the lesson beforehand, and you do need to participate actively.   Sometimes I conduct those live lessons and sometimes my colleague handles them.  I would recommend logging from a computer rather than a cell phone or tablet as you could do more with Zoom on the computer.  Let me know if you have questions.  

 

 

Question 11: Should I save the file using a particular naming system?

A.  I recommend that you save a file with your first initial, last name, and the lesson number WITHOUT decimals.  For instance, for lesson 1.02, I would save the file as 102HSengUSGov or 102_HSengUSGov.  Make sure your file is under 50 MB in size (If you want to check your file size on a PC, right-click, and select “Properties.”  Select the “General” tab.  It will tell you how large it is. Keep your file for as long as possible because if there is a glitch, you might need to resubmit. Also, your files will be good for you to use to study for the semester exam.

 

 

Question 12:  What happens if I cheat?  Is it OK to cut and paste, and submit someone else’s work as my own?

A.  No.  Cheating and submitting someone else’s work as one’s own is a crime and could result in a student being withdrawn and issued an F.   FLVS uses the company called turnitin.com  to detect plagiarism, even from ChatGPT.  Most colleges are using this service now.  When a student submits an assignment, it gets compared to what’s on the Internet and previous submissions from other students.  If turnitin.com detects a match, it sends me a report.  For instance, it will tell me the answer was cut and paste from Yahoo Answers!, brainly.com, bing.com, wikipedia.com, Prezi, or another student’s work, etc… Make sure to put ideas in your own words.  If you cite, make sure to use quotations if it is a direct quote and have a citation page at the end.  On the first offense for plagiarism or cheating, you may resubmit for up to 50% credit, your parent must get involved.  On the second offense of cheating, you may resubmit for up to 0% (zero percent), your parent must get involved again, and you may be investigated by the FLVS Academic Integrity Department.  Then the consequence gets much worse from there. 

 

For more information, please click here to go to Academic Integrity: Matrix, which detailed consequences for plagiarism and cheating.  Go here to see a quick video by FLVS about academic honesty: https://tinyurl.com/HonestLearning

 

 

Question 13:  Do I need to do all assignments or could I just take the semester exam?

A:  To earn credit for this online class, it is required that you do all assignments.  If you only want Regular credit, you do all the Regular assignments.  If you want Advanced/Honors credit, you would do all the Regular and Advanced assignments.  Then you would take the Regular semester exam if you want regular credit, and the Advanced semester exam if you want Advanced/Honors credit. 

 

Question 14: What kind of files can I submit assignments in?

A.  Please submit assignments in Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint or Rich Text Format (RTF).  You could use Microsoft software, and just upload those files in the Assessments box.  If you are using Microsoft Works, OpenOffice, Google Docs/Drive, etc…, please go to “Save As” and save the file in Microsoft Word/PowerPoint or in RTF.

 

 

Question 15: How long does it take before I see my grade for an assignment?

A.  If you do a multiple-choice assignment, as soon as you submit it, the computer grades it!  Just go into Gradebook, and scroll down to see your grade.  If you turn in a presentation or essay, it may take up to 48 hours during a normal work week because your submission has to be scanned by turnitin.com first, which checks for plagiarism, including submissions cut and paste from ChatGPT.  Then I read the report from turnitin.com.  Finally, I grade your assignment and write a comment.  You could find my comments for all assignments you turn in by going into Gradebook and clicking that assignment number.

 

 

Question 16.  Should I use MLA or APA when citing sources?  How do I cite Internet sources?

A.  Either MLA or APA, or even Chicago, is fine with me.  Here’s a link on how to cite Internet sources using various methods: Citation Resources

 

 

Question 17:  Is it OK if I use Chrome to view lessons for this class?

A.   Yes, it is the best browser for this class as of press time for this question…2015.   Other good browsers are Safari and Firefox.  Please let me know if you have issues with browsers or call FLVS Technical Support at 1-866-322-8324 for help on tech issues.

 

 

 

Question 18:  How long does the class last?

A:  I have students who can finish a semester in this class in just two weeks!  The beauty of FLVS is a student is very focused, as soon as the student submits all the required assignments, I could issue the credit!  Students are allowed a maximum of 16 weeks to finish each semester.   if the student is submitting assignments weekly.  If a student takes longer than that, that student may be withdrawn and issued an F.  Most students can finish a semester in 2.5 months or less per semester.  The semester exam is cumulative, and we find that if a student is submitting 3-5 assignments per week or more, he or she tends to do much better on the exam than if he or she was behind pace.

 

 

Question 19:  I am finished with the class, now what?

A:  Congratulations!  Make sure your address on your FLVS account is correct so you will get your proper credit before  you take the final exam.  If it changed, and you need help to change it on your account, just let me know.  Send me an email to hseng@flvs.net requesting that I issue your grades, and I will issue your grades!  I will also send you an email to your FLVS email account to give you some kudos as well.  I wish you the very best as you continue on in your journey of life and on the road to success!  

 

 

Question 20:  I still have questions for Mr. Seng that was not addressed in on this FAQs page.  What should I do?

A.  I would love to answer your question(s).  Just go to the link near the top of the page, and hit the link, “Contact Me” or click this.  

 

 

Question 21:  I just scheduled with your online scheduler at https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk.  How do I make sure I remember my appointment?

A.  If you listed our email with the scheduler, you should get a confirmation email within 31 seconds.  Check your email account to see that confirmation.  in there is also a link for you to click if you need to change the appointment.  You could take a screenshot of the scheduler after you scheduled on your phone.  If you scheduled on your computer, you could take a picture of your appointment with your phone.  You could also write it down and place in an important place for you to look at.   If you want to double-check to see if your appointment request came on my calendar, just email me, and I will respond at hseng@flvs.net.  You could also text me to see what your appointment was.  And lastly, thank you for scheduling!  You did the best thing to get me to call you at a time that works for you and me!

 

 

Question 22: I scheduled for you to call me at 1:30 p.m., and it is now 1:50 p.m.  How come you did not call me?  

A.  The most common reason for this is your time zone was set incorrectly.  Our headquarter is in Orlando, so we use the Eastern Time Zone (ET).  Make sure your computer says ET if you are in most parts of Florida.  If you are in the panhandle near Alabama, make sure your time zone is set to Central Time Zone or CT,  If your time zone is correct, and I did not call you, please forward your confirmation email to me at hseng@flvs.net so I could see what the glitch was, or call or text me.  I would like to know right away if there is an issue with the online scheduling system.  

 

 

Question 23: Should I submit via Assessments or Gradebook?  

A.  I recommend submitting through the Gradebook because you could see your grades there!  Also, you could easily resubmit if you are not happy from your grade from the Gradebook.  You could resubmit up to three times for all assignments, except for the final exam.  The final exam is monitored by the state and principal, so it is not resettable.  To reset multiple choice assignmenments, click Gradebook, the assignment, and click to reset.  To reset an assignment where you submit a file, just resubmit the file.  Make sure to rename the file into a unique name.  To reset a pretest or module exam, email me and I will normally respond within 24 hours or earlier Monday-Friday.  

 

 

Question 24: Is there spring break with this class (in FLVS Flex)?

A.  No. There is no official spring break.  Some students like to be able to submit assignments at all times.  If a student is ahead of pace, or on pace, the student is entitled to take up to two weeks of floating vacation per semester at any time during the semester.  FLVS uses the floating vacation system because we have students of many different religions or completion goals. Some students want to finish this semester in two weeks, for instance and would like to be able to submit at will.  Others may want to take religious holidays off. Others like to work during religious holidays. So, if you want to take a week off at a time, whether it is for spring break, for your birthday, or a particular holiday, just email me (hseng@flvs.net) and I will log that in your account.  You could take a break for up to seven days at a time. If you are on pace or ahead of pace, everything should be OK!

 

 

Question 25: How do I schedule on the online scheduler (Bookings)?  And a follow-up question, just in case, how do I cancel or change my appointment?  

A.  Scheduling with my online scheduler is the easiest way for me to call you!  The online scheduler will show you slots that I can devote to talking to you.  So, we do not need to call each other back and forth, playing phone tag and wasting valuable time.  I thank you in advance for scheduling for me to call you.  I know many of you have busy schedules too, and this scheduling system is ideal for the both of us.  Simply go to my online scheduler link on the top panel of the announcement page or go here: https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk.  Once there, do this: 1. Select service, 2. Select day, 3. Select time, 4. Fill in “Add your details,” 5. Provide additional info.,  6. Click “Book.” 7.  Write down or take a picture of your scheduled appointment so you will remember when I will call you!  

To cancel or change the appointment, go to the email that has the confirmation of the appointment, and you will have the option to click to change or cancel the appointment.  If the scheduled appointment would take place in 24 hours or less, you would need to email or text me the day and time of the appointment that you want to cancel, and I will manually cancel for you.  Contact me if you have questions.  Keeping in touch is very important to me!  

 

 

Question 26: How can my parent/guardian call get in touch with you?  

A.  The easiest way is to schedule for me to call if a phone call is important: https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk.  They can also email me at hseng@flvs.net.  I am also available to them by phone or text at 904-419-9027.  

 

 

Question 27: Why does my FLVS page say “Flvs.net is currently undergoing maintenance?”  

A.  About 99% of the time, it means you just need simply to log back in.  For security reasons, so nobody goes into your account and messes up your grade if you are not typing information and submitting every 59 minutes, it might pop up asking if you still want to stay logged in (make sure you enable pop-ups on computers where you do FLVS).  Unless you click “Yes” immediately, it will log you out. Simply log back in. If you did not submit your module exam, email me to reset your exam. Hopefully, this does not happen to your semester exam because it is harder to reset semester exams. The other 1% chance you might see the “undergoing maintenance” sign is if tech support is upgrading the site (usually on Fridays at 9 p.m.).  When in doubt, call FLVS tech support at 1-866-322-8324.

 

 

Question 28: What is your privacy policy? 

A.  You can have as much privacy as you want.  You could proactively let me know if you never want me to list you on the Honor Roll page on the announcement page or the resource site.  Also, if at any time you want me to delete a student’s name, just let me know.  I have three kids myself and understand privacy.  In all cases, if there is a name, it is to praise the student because the student is deserving!  To see more about the privacy policy, go here: https://henryseng.edublogs.org/privacy

 

 

Question 29: How do we handle classes when we are sick, or if we are traveling, and there is no Internet?

A.  The best way to handle a problem is to be proactive.  I would recommend being ahead of pace.  If a student was submitting five or more assignments per week, that student will be ahead of pace.  Then if a student submits nothing for six days, nothing bad will happen because that student was already ahead of pace.  The account will turn red if nothing is submitted within seven days.  If a student is sick, please notify me that you would like to use one of your two weeks of floating vacations or both weeks.  Students are entitled to up to two weeks of floating vacation for any reason if the student is on pace or ahead of pace.  If a student is out of town and is ahead of pace, I would recommend trying to submit at least one assignment if it has been at least six days since the last submission.  This should not result in anything bad happening if the student was ahead of pace before departure.  Let me know if you have a special circumstance.  I can deal with them on a case-by-case basis too.  The goal is the student will be successful!

 

 

Question 31: Mr. Henry Seng sometimes mentions we should always plan for Murphy’s Law.  What is Murphy’s Law?

A.  Murphy’s Law says, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”  The story goes that at Edwards Air Force Base in 1949, Capt. Edward A. Murphy, an engineer, finding the wiring was done incorrectly in a G-force test, said of the technician who made the mistake, “If there is any way to do it wrong, he’ll find it.”  One person kept a list of “laws” and wrote this one down. Dr. John Paul Stapp, a doctor working in aviation in the Air Force, credited the track record of people being safe in experiments because they paid attention to Murphy’s Law and try to proactively plan for mistakes before they occur.  

So planning for potential problems while a student with FLVS, such as the power going out (have back-up battery), the computer dying (save your files in the cloud such as Google Docs), Internet going out (use Internet on the phone or go to a local Starbucks or library), etc…, will be important.  Think of what goes wrong, and plan for it before it happens. It will save you headaches and heartaches. It will prepare you for a more successful and happy life! Remember another saying, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

 

 

Question 32: I am a homeschooled student in Florida, and I need to keep a portfolio of my work.  What is the best way to keep samples of my work?

A.  The best way is to save a copy of your work daily so you will always have back-ups.  You might want to email your assignment file to yourself and to your parent so that the work would be in the “cloud.”  Some people save their work in Google Docs. Some students take pictures of their work. As soon as I grade your last submission, I will issue your grade as soon as possible because many students/parents want the final grade to be official immediately. Then your online Gradebook at FLVS will be archived for auditing right away, and you will lose access to the Gradebook.  So, you saving a copy of your work daily is the best recommendation.

I would have verified your address (online) and projected final grade for your class by the last Discussion-Based Assessment,, 4.07.  If there are changes to your address, make sure to let me know during our last DBA, or update me immediately by email. 

 

 

Question 33:  Which is this check symbol below (third from the left)?  

A.  It goes straight to your Gradebook!  I recommend going there to submit assignment, resubmit assignments, and to see your grades 24/7!  It was added in 2020.  

 

 

Question 34: What do I do if there is a hurricane?  

A.  The safety of students and families are the most important thing, so do what is necessary to be safe.  Florida is the state with more hurricanes than any other state.  The other states with hurricanes also are Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina.  Overall, though, 40% of hurricanes that hit the U.S. will hit Florida.  Furthermore, while hurricane season is generally from June 1st to November 30th, most hurricanes hit Florida around September.  Knowing these statistics will help you to proactively prepare.  One way to prepare is to be ahead of pace!  That is the best way.  The traditional pace for this class is submitting at least 2 assignments per week.  Some students submit 10 or more per week.  

The hurricane projection two days before a hurricane hits are very accurate these days, almost as accurate as the one-day prediction.  So, take those very seriously.  As far as FLVS schoolwork is concerned, some students like to focus even when a hurricane is around because it keeps them preoccupied and calm.  Other students help parents get the house ready.  Others evacuate or go on vacation, and do FLVS work on the road, etc…  If you scheduled an appointment for me to call you, and you rather I call you at another time, feel free to cancel or change the appointment (See Question 25 about this) if it is not safe for you.  If I cannot keep your appointment for whatever reason, usually I will email you.  Know that FLVS is opened 24/7, 365 days a year for students to submit online assignments.  So even if FLVS is “closed,” you could still submit online assignments if you want.  Also know that for my class, once students have scheduled for DBAs, they can continue to submit online assignments!  Let me know if you have questions.

 

 

Question 35: Are Enrichment Assessment 1 and Enrichment Assessment 2 required?

A.  Good news, no, they are not required.  They are optional.  For most students, I will exempt them so  you can ignore them.  Let me know if you have questions.  

 

 

Question 36: How come I am not getting feedback for my submissions? 

A.  Actually, you do, and I will explain how to view them and when!  I have been with FLVS since 2007, and what I noticed is that some students get too many emails.  So, I only send important emails to your FLVS accounts.  Generally, I only send feedback to your FLVS email only if you are getting less than 60%.  Feedback to your submissions are saved in your Gradebook.  You should get feedback for essays and presentation submissions in your Gradebook within 48 hours or less after submission Monday-Friday (allow longer for submissions on the weekends).  If your assignment is purely multiple choice,  after you submit, check your Gradebook, and those assignments should be graded in one second by the computer!  For assignments that have at least one essay, FLVS has to submit them to turnitin.com first to scan (which is why all submissions must be typed) for plagiarism, and can even detect submission from ChatGPT.  Once we get a report back from that company, we are required to read the analysis.  That is why those assignments with written response require up to 48 hours to grade.  For the final exam, make sure to submit at least 48 hours before you need your credit for this class to be issued.  My biggest advice is to have a personal deadline that is earlier than the actual deadline so glitches can be handled.  Glitches only happen when something is very important.  Lastly, I do send feedback for DBAs , because those feedback contain passwords for the following exams.  If you have questions, email, text or call.  I normally respond within 24 hours Monday-Friday (allow for a longer response time during the weekends).  You could also schedule for me to call you for a day and time that works for you: https://tinyurl.com/ScheduleTalk

 

 

Question 37:  If I retake a quiz or module exam, which score do I keep, the last attempt, or the highest score?

A.  You would keep the score on the latest attempt.