Water Polo Academy classes are taught by live instructors, each of whom spend between 30 and 40 hours per class teaching and interacting with students. Water Polo Academy classes are state of the art educational constructs designed to optimize the learning experience and encourage students to think.
All of our instructors are professional educators with high level (mostly FINA) referee experience. Interested people may apply to be instructors by sending a current CV to Loren Bertocci at labwp@att.net
There is no affiliation required to participate in Water Polo Academy classes. Parents, players, coaches and referees from any country and any affiliation are welcome.
Water Polo Academy online classes are open to anyone in the world. There is no affiliation required to take these classes. Parents, players and coaches are welcom to take these classes. USA Water Polo Referee membership is not required for the classes.
Any problems accessing, registering, finding the class or downloading video, call Joan Gould 317.925.2039 Eastern Standard Time or click here to use the contact form on this website to get the answer to your question.
All class rosters are tracked by Water Polo Academy and a copy sent to USA Water Polo each month. If you ever have any questions, we will be happy to send you verification of class attendance and grade.
At the successful conclusion of every class, you have the option to print out a diploma showing your successful completion and class grade. This can be saved to your hard drive or printed.
1. Lecture which is an outline form of the content
2. Class discussions which are done in a private "message board" format
3. Videos and Graphics
Each day, the instructor posts the day's lessons which consist of 1-3 short documents for the student to read. There may be some accompanying video or graphics to help develop the lesson topics. The instructor also posts questions related to the lesson for students to respond to on the private message board. Students read and respond to the teacher's posts as well each others posts.
Student may log in at any time of the day or night to participate. Each class is 5-6 days long and students should plan to spend 1-2 hours each day in class. Some classes have a test component. The test is open for at least 24 hours and students may take as long as they need to complete the test.
Online classes allow each student the flexibility of learning at the time and place of their choosing. Often, courses such as these require students to travel some distance in order to participate. With online learning, world class instructors come to the students. Students have plenty of time to develop their thoughts before interacting with others and every student has an equal opportunity to participate as fully as they choose. Classrooms are often shared by students thousands of miles apart who bring their unique experiences in order to create a dynamic learning experience for everyone.
Anyone may audit a course. This allows the opportunity to increase knowledge without the pressure of participation or examination. Classes that are taken as part of the continuing education component of certification will be graded and recorded.
Most students will spend between one and two hours a day in the online classroom over the course of their class. The classroom is open all the time so students can participate at their convenience. Discussion topics usually stay open for several days to allow time to fully develop the subject.
One of the greatest strengths of the online classroom is the opportunity to discuss issues and gain ideas from your instructors and other learners. The students do not suffer under traditional time and space constraints. The instructor starts a discussion and each student is encouraged to respond to the question and ask their own questions to the instructor and the group. Instructors and peers respond to each other in a fluid and open forum. Students have plenty of time to consider the material before interacting with others.
Online learning incorporates reading material, video, charts and discussion in order to equip the learner with the knowledge necessary to correctly execute the skill. Online education is not meant to replace but to supplement practical experience. The reading assignments help the student not only understand the how but the why of what they are learning. With the use of animations and video, students can review the best examples as many times as they wish. An expert instructor initiates and facilitates group discussion to insure that each student has the opportunity to fully develop his understanding and acheive his goals within the class.
