I took many woodshop, drafting, and engine repair classes in high school. Maybe too many. After all, they were more interesting than college prep courses. Later, after graduating, I paid a price for it as I scrambled to improve my academic skills in college. Nonetheless, my early interests still serve me as I work on home and mechanical repairs, sketch out plot plans to submit to the county, and pursue interest in other topics that later would lead me to start new ventures.
NWLS is now offering more classes that students may want to take just for their own interest. With over 60 new courses to choose from, students can explore from commerce to cosmetology, law and order to forensics, Gothic literature to women’s studies. Included in our new classes are additional fine arts, social studies, and health options. Interesting middle school courses like photography, journalism, and career exploration are also available.
eDynamics courses expand our curriculum. They are the number one publisher of online career and elective courses. They publish new courses every year. Its founder, a former high school teacher, is a finalist for the EdTech Digest Leadership Award in 2016.
One unexpected benefit for students is our blending eDynamics with Canvas, our Learning Management system (LMS). In post-secondary schools in Washington, and many throughout the country, including universities, community colleges, and technical institutions, students use Canvas to read course assignments, turn-in required work, review grades, and communicate with professors. Learning Canvas before leaving high school helps students transition to future education with greater ease.
I am excited that NWLS is giving students more courses they can explore and opportunities to find a passion. This is vital and is the beginning of a journey for us to offer more variety and more meaningful experiences while also earning credit.
My advice: take courses that interest you and also advance content courses. A balanced approach would have help me. Now, as I’m starting my doctoral studies, I was a little red-in-the-face having to submit transcripts from my early college years. Who would’ve thought, 40-years later, that Psychology 101 would still be haunting me? Yikes!
Here is a link to our course offerings.