High School Students Gain Insights on College Life Through Interactive Team Taught Visit
Posted on Monday, April 17th, 2017
On Tuesday March 21st, the Academic Partnerships team welcomed a group of high school students participating in the Team Taught Dual Credit program to experience the services offered to them by the College.
Participating students from Osgoode Township High School and South Carleton High School are enrolled in a college communications course twice a week, in conjunction with their usual English course.
Grades 11 and 12 students who are in the Team Taught program take a course that is taught by both a college instructor and a high school teacher as part of their regular course load at their high schools.
Unlike the Integrated Dual Credit students, who attend regular college classes in Algonquin classrooms, Team Taught students are taught at their home school, and as a result do not receive the same campus life experience while earning their college credit.
“This is such an important opportunity for our students because we live in a rural area,” said Evan Cooper a guidance counsellor and teacher at Osgoode Township High School. “It’s great for our students to get a taste of college life, even though we are so far.”
Although the students are not regularly on campus, they are given the opportunity to use college-learning platforms in their course such as: Blackboard and ACSIS. This helps to minimize the learning curve they may face upon starting full-time courses at college in the fall.
The presentation shed light on the academic, social and financial aspects of a postsecondary career. Specifically, the students explored that many services available to them on campus in order to succeed.
“You already have a student number assigned to you, so it’s like your first day of college has already happened,” said Jeremy McQuigge. manager of Academic Partnerships, “And with that student number, you can access all of Algonquin’s services.”
The focus of the day was to help students embrace the transition from high school to college thinking. When asked who in the room had just applied to post-secondary, almost every hand in the room shot up.
“As a Dual Credit student you have a head start. This is your campus and you can already start using it…” said McQuigge.
Participants also discussed, and brainstormed solutions to, common concerns that face students thinking about going to college – how to pay for tuition, how to meet new people and get involved and how to navigate their way around campus.
Zachary Appel, a student at South Carleton High School, will be attending Algonquin next year for the pre-animation course. “I’m hoping to learn the skills I need and build up my portfolio so that I can get into the animation program.”
Appel was first attracted to Algonquin because of its reputation in the animation community, and his visit to the College today only solidified his views.
“I’m really excited to get started here. Even though it might be hard to find my way around sometimes, I love the environment and how many different services there are to get help,” says Appel.
Academic Partnerships will host another team-taught high school student group for a campus visit on April 6, 2017.
About Academic Partnerships:
Pathway Building since 2006. Academic Partnerships works with a comprehensive network of Pathway Builders (community, educational and government stakeholders) to create and deliver on a variety of experiential opportunities to be a college student through hands-on, curriculum-driven experiences for Pathway Explorers (students in grade 7 – 12). With a commitment to the dream development and pathway finding for students prior to starting full-time studies the team has programming at Algonquin College’s three Ontario Campuses: Ottawa, Pembroke, and Perth. For more information visit: algonquincollege.com/ap
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