Imagine walking into a classroom expecting to be taught by a foreign language teacher and instead discovering a computer in their place. This is exactly what happened to students placed in Alabama Connecting Classrooms Educators & Students Statewide (ACCESS) foreign language classes this year. These students, having signed up for foreign language classes in high demand, were placed into an ACCESS class they didn’t willingly sign up for.
“I was put into it. I mean, if I had started out with a computer, it wouldn’t be a problem but I do like the interaction with a teacher,” senior Eli Harris said.
Stacy Palmer has been teaching ACCESS for eight years and is an advocate of the online approach for certain students. To Palmer, the class seems like a logical way to allow students who are uncomfortable with overcrowded classes to work at their own pace and understand material thoroughly.
“It’s really good for the students that thrive in small classes. Some students get upset and nervous and don’t learn as well when they’re in a class with 35 kids, but some students can do really well when classes are around 15,” Palmer said.
Due to the need to accommodate seniors, counselors decided to place wait-listed students in ACCESS classes. The class benefits many students who sign up for it, but those who are thrust into the ACCESS class, when what they really want is a teacher, can be left confused without teacher instruction.
“Some people excel in a teacher environment, but others it’s easier for them on the ACCESS course. I’m kind of in the middle, due to the fact that you can work ahead in access and there’s a lot of perks along with it. It just depends on your learning style,” Harris said.
Once students found out about their placement, counselors gave them the choice to stay in the ACCESS course or change their schedule to something else and wait until the next year, when they would become priority.
“It’s really good for students to get classes that they’re not normally gonna be able to get because of full classrooms. It really helps students that move here from other schools and need a class that our school doesn’t offer,” Palmer said.
ACCESS allows students who wish to graduate early to take classes that may be more difficult to get into. It also aids students who prefer to teach themselves and are self-motivated. While there are drawbacks to ACCESS classes, such as lost student-teacher interaction, today’s high tech world offers students a multitude a resources, programs and classes to gain knowledge themselves.
“I think ACCESS is a good program as long as the counselors, the admin and myself, along with the students, keep open communication. If ACCESS is done the way it’s set up to do, it’s really beneficial to many students and I really enjoy doing it,” Palmer said.