ACCESS

By definition, ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide) provides high-quality courses and teachers via technology. Not only can ACCESS be used as an enhancement to high school curriculum (such as the offering of additional AP and Dual Enrollment courses), but it also provides access to remediation and supplemental resources. ACCESS provides teachers with additional multimedia and technology to further improve upon students’ basic understanding of material.


These programs can be delivered by videoconferencing and/or Internet based instruction. Because the video-conferencing style is comparable to traditional instructional methods, ACCESS is a great idea to advance education methods with technology, while not losing site of the goal to educate all children equally. Also, children will be able to interact with students from other schools thus allowing the child to improve not only socially but academically as well because they can help each other. Since videoconferencing with ACCESS allows for team-teaching between schools, there should be less of an education gap among all students so that no child is left behind.


Although my high school offered many of the courses on ACCESS, there were some AP courses that I wish I could have taken. Having ACCESS would have meant having a possibility for me to take such courses and receive credit if my school could not offer them. Many studies have proven that students learn best when they are interested. By offering a web-enhanced learning experience, schoolwork that was once dull and monotonous (as sitting in lecture classes all day can be) becomes relevant, as the media is a huge part of teenagers’ lives. Since students must be more active in the learning environment, ACCESS helps to foster self-discipline, which is a key to success not only in the high school arena, but also in the college experience. Therefore, ACCESS can instill in more students a desire to further their education.