Week 3 Assignment

ACCESS, which stands for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide, provides options and opportunities for student in Alabama's public schools to take place in Advanced Placement, elective, and other courses that they may not have access too otherwise. This program allows students many opportunities to excel in programs they might not have without the help of ACCESS. This program provides students the opportunity to learn through highly qualified teachers and courses.

The problem with today's educational opportunities is the low income schools have limited offerings for students in their course choices. Schools in Alabama are required by law to offer the Advanced Diploma, but some schools simply can not because they can't provide physics, calculus, or trigonometry. Because of these low income schools the state of Alabama decided that their mission would be to offer these students the chance to participate in these types of courses. That is where ACCESS comes in. Some of ACCESS goals are to provide advanced diploma courses, additional courses, provide teachers with the technology tools they need to enhance their classrooms, and much more. The different ways the students can receive the opportunities from ACCESS is either web based or videoconferencing. Funds are provided for the delivery sites so that teachers can receive the additional training.

As I mentioned above ACCESS offers students either videoconferencing or web based to take their courses. Some of the benefits of videoconferencing are its close to the normal instructional methods provided in classrooms. It allows team teaching in schools. It provides the school with more teachers and it allows other teachers to grow professionally by taking part in the ACCESS program. Some of the challenges to videoconferencing is being able to keep the student interested and apart of the class.

Web based is another way for students to participate in ACCESS. An online course allows students to be able to take it during the day at school. With a web course the "E-teacher" can post videos, animations, and assignments. The E-teachers are certified real teachers in the state of Alabama. The teachers are able to interact with teachers through forum discussions, and review sessions in real time.

I believe ACCESS is very useful for students so that they can have the opportunity to excel in their school. I think this program is especially useful for high school students. I am going to be an elementary school teacher, therefore I am not sure if ACCESS will be beneficial for me. However if there was a case where I needed to use ACCESS I would defiantly consider it.

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