ACCESS

The Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide or(ACCESS), is a educational program that is designed to give students more opportunity to take subjects that are not usually available at their home school, either by utilizing the web, and/or by video conferencing. It gives students a chance to not only broaden their learning experience, but it also enables them to earn an advanced diploma and enroll in AP, or Advanced Placement courses. ACCESS also teaches organizational skills and responsibilities of independent, time management skills. The website access website provides a table parents can use to determine where their local educational site is located in their local community. ACCESS also provides the deadlines for registration to be completed by.

ACCESS offers a variety of course subjects for parents and students to choose from. They can enroll in anything from Math, like Geometry, to learning a Foreign Language, like German. AP courses are offered in just about every subject also. If parents want their child to have an opportunity to advance outside of the normal-style classroom setting, technology advances now makes that possible. The course material is still structured, but students from around the world can learn not only the core subject, but they have to be able to work independently, know how to use their time wisely, and stay organized enough to keep up with their assignments. As far as getting questions answered or help from their teacher, that teacher is readily available.

I believe this is a wonderful program for students in this technological world. Technology wasn't this advanced when I was in school and I don't believe I would have been as fortunate to learn about different cultures and how to speak a different language if it weren't for my father being in the military. Not only did I take the foreign language class, but I got to personally experience the German culture from living there for 4 yrs. Not all students are as fortunate to experience other cultures the same way so this is another way to "bridge" that eduacational gap. If a student wants to graduate with more than just a regular diploma, technology offers them a way to recieve an advanced diploma. And if they are so advanced that they want to get a jump start on college courses, ACCESS is exactly what they need.