ACCESS
ACCESS is an acronym for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide. It is a distance learning program in some of the schools in Alabama where a student has the opportunity to take courses not normally offered at his/her school via the Internet either through an online course or through video conferencing. ACCESS allows students to take AP courses along with other courses and electives such as foreign languages that are not part of the normal curriculum.
At the present time, only four high schools in Mobile County are currently utilizing ACCESS: Mary G Montgomery, Alma Bryant , Citronelle, and Satsuma High Schools. By the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year though, every high school in Alabama will have the technology to make use of ACCESS.
According to Governor Bob Riley and State Superintendent Joe Morton, Alabama is the first state to have such a program (http://www.abc3340.com/news/stories/0708/534246.html). Programs like ACCESS and AVL (Alabama Virtual Library) are part of a current trend to bring the Alabama schools into the 21st century.
One drawback I see with this program though is the child would need have better than average language/reading skills and the ability to work independently. Since the only interaction is between the student and the teacher via video conferencing, the below average students might have some difficulties and problems might be harder to spot.
On the upside, I look forward to the day when this will be offered in all the schools as a learning enhancement tool that I would be able to use to help my students broaden their scope of learning or to reinforce something that they are having difficulty grasping. I hope eventually a program like this will also be available to elementary and middle school students.
At the present time, only four high schools in Mobile County are currently utilizing ACCESS: Mary G Montgomery, Alma Bryant , Citronelle, and Satsuma High Schools. By the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year though, every high school in Alabama will have the technology to make use of ACCESS.
According to Governor Bob Riley and State Superintendent Joe Morton, Alabama is the first state to have such a program (http://www.abc3340.com/news/stories/0708/534246.html). Programs like ACCESS and AVL (Alabama Virtual Library) are part of a current trend to bring the Alabama schools into the 21st century.
My Thoughts
I believe that the ACCESS program in Alabama high schools will enhance a child's education by helping them be better prepared for college. By allowing the students to take classes not normally offered, the state will give the child a competitive edge when he/she starts college by bringing them up to speed with the other schools around the country that may have an advance program or a more liberal curriculum. One drawback I see with this program though is the child would need have better than average language/reading skills and the ability to work independently. Since the only interaction is between the student and the teacher via video conferencing, the below average students might have some difficulties and problems might be harder to spot.
On the upside, I look forward to the day when this will be offered in all the schools as a learning enhancement tool that I would be able to use to help my students broaden their scope of learning or to reinforce something that they are having difficulty grasping. I hope eventually a program like this will also be available to elementary and middle school students.
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