Textbooks and classrooms are no
longer the only way to get an education.
Online courses are offered in Indiana
and Michigan
for students of all ages. Now Niles
Community Schools is offering a program unlike any other in the area. They are serving as a pilot school for the
Widening Advancements for Youth for middle schoolers.
The program known as WAY gives
students their own iMac computers to use at home. They get to do their school work at their own
pace and that's exactly what Cole Castle has been doing for three months. He went into the program because he said, "I'm more of a hands on person. I don't like sitting in a classroom having a
teacher tell me what to do."
He does have to go into a classroom
a few hours a week. But he does most of
his schoolwork on his own time at home. "I'm learning to do more stuff on my own. More independent and that's what you need
when you get older," said Castle.
Wednesday a new group of WAY students,
who are called researchers, picked up their iMac computers to take home so they
could start the same self learning as Castle.
The program has been offered for Niles
high school students for 10 months but now middle school students will be able
to participate as well. Rich Klemm the Director of Non-Traditional Education for
Niles Community Schools said, "we want to meet the needs of all kids in
Berrien and Cass County."
In fact, Klemm said Niles
will be one of only two places in Michigan
to offer such a program to grades 6 through 8.
And this isn't your typical online school. "We don't have
courses loaded into that web environment where you log into algebra one or
chemistry," said Klemm. Instead
when students log in they see a list of projects and they pick which projects
sound the most interesting to them. By
completing one project they can get credits for multiple classes at a time. Niles Way Program Team Leader, Jessica Weigel, said, "we basically put students in
charge of their own education."
And when they need it there's 24/7
help from a teacher. All the student has
to do is send them an instant message on their computer. And they complete assignments as they please. Castle has chosen the fast track. "This is a lot
quicker than going to a traditional high school," said Castle.
He's a sophomore now but by winter
will be a senior and able to graduate so he can, "start
working, get on with my life," said Castle. He wants to go into a trade or the marines.
Niles Community Schools will be
hiring 7 teachers and one part time team leader for the new middle school WAY
Program.
And interested middle school
students can enroll for the program now. Forms are on the Niles Community Schools
website at http://nilesschools.schoolwires.net/211310622123141153/site/default.asp?2113Nav=|&NodeID=250
They will be accepting 30 middle
school students for the program in the fall.
Klemm said they could possibly take more if the need is there.
