ACCESS

ACCESS, which stands for the Alabama Connecting Classroom, Educators, and Students Statewide program, is spreading rapidly across the state. It is a way for students who are in high school, grades 9-12, to be able to take courses online that may not be offered at their current high school. When I first was reading about this program, I was a bit turned off by it. I am still not positive if this program has to be done at home or in the classroom. I read about one specific high school Coffeeville and it spoke of a "Videoconferencing Lab" where students were taking special courses. Can ACCESS be accessed at home also? I hope one day in the future this program does not get so big that students are able to stay at home and do all of their classes from their very own bedroom. We will have the laziest teenagers ever who sleep in and then sit at home all day. The PowerPoint presentation at http://accessdl.state.al.us/ said that it provides courses at flexible hours; does this mean that students will eventually be able to stay home and take courses whenever? I hope it never reaches that point, and students always have to attend class on a regular basis.

On the other hand, I think it can be a great program because it is available to those who have failed or flunked out of a class. For instance, if a child fails a course his ninth grade year, he could be able to retake it over the summer so he can move onto the tenth grade on time and not be behind. That is very convenient for many. ACCESS currently is offering 32 web-based courses and 25 videoconferencing courses. I read a few blogs where teachers have commented on the program saying that they think it is wonderful and so do their students. I personally plan on teaching at a private school, so I honestly am not sure if something like this will ever reach a school that meets that criteria; hopefully though one day I will be able to put it to use with my students. I would not be interested in web-based courses that the children can only do at home, but possible a videoconferencing course. A lot of AP classes were not offered at Faith Academy, which is where I possibly plan to teach. ACCESS could be a great addition for those students with the aptitude and desire to work harder and faster to get a more Advanced Diploma. I look forward to learning more about this program and eventually seeing it spread even more across the state.