ACCESS

This is a program that I really wish I would have known about in high school. This basically allows students to take online courses that they are interested in. For example, if a student wants to take Marine Biology and it is not offered at their school, or they want to take it a semester early, they can gain credit for the course by taking it online. It is very similar to online courses in college, except there are more guidelines and content. Students can take exam exemption courses as well as advanced placement courses. This site also provides website resources. For example, the Alabama Virtual Library can connect a student to any book on any subject. It also has an advanced placement test, as well as an exemption test.

I really like ACCESS because it is completely technology oriented. There are not textbooks, papers, or pencils. It really encourages distance learning, which is basically anything besides sitting in a classroom. Students are able to learn from teachers that are not available at their school. Many of the resources available through ACCESS are web-based. They are not articles or online books. They are websites that provide visual learning through stimulation effects. For different subjects it provides power points and digital media to enhance learning.