A group of Timber Creek seniors are attempting to get more class credit while spending less time in the classroom.
Timber Creek offered 2017-18 seniors the chance to go to their English 4 class a total of three times a week. The class comes together Tuesday through Thursday, with Monday and Friday off. Timber Creek is the first school in Keller ISD to attempt this kind of course and began the process last year.
Stephanie Barron, a senior, helped the project along during the 2016-17 school year. “I helped with talking to teachers about it and getting them interested in joining this blended [class].”
Counselors talked to the teachers and students last year in their English courses, giving them an idea of what would happen the following year. The feedback was positive, meaning the project moved ahead. The class offers skills such as learning to problem solve, communicate when there are problems and give them an opportunity to have those types of conversations that would not arise in a regular English course.
Teacher Lisa Garrett also provides online tutorials and online visual aids to help them with the online process so the students can accomplish their work efficiently and effectively.
“You know you have to get your work done in order for you to stay in this class, and staying in this class is a privilege, and not coming to class Mondays and Fridays is pretty sweet.” Barron said.
This course is not something to take lightly. Ms. Garrett warns the student that this is not a blow off class. Students are required to turn in assignments on time and there will be homework.
“Kids who are contemplating taking this course need to be comfortable using the computer, working in an online environment and they need to be self-directed enough that they will take care of what we call their weekend work, which is the 40% that is delivered online… if kids are expecting that there won’t be homework — there will be homework.” Garrett emphasizes.
The students say that this new blended class has helped them learn — and if these seniors had one more year at Timber Creek, they would take this same type of class again.
“It gives us four days where we can stay home and do our work on our own time. We have weekend work, that is often not [even] due over the weekend, [just] due on the day that we get back, so we have a lot of time to get our work done,” Barron said.
More classes will be added for the 2018-19 school year. For seniors, there will be on level and AP English 4, on level and AP Economics and on level and AP Government offered during 1, 4 and 5 period. Juniors will also have the ability to take On level and AP United States History and on level and AP English 3 during 1 or 5 period.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story inaccurately said the English 4 class was a dual credit course. This was an error in editing and has been removed.