Daphne ACCESS Lab

I visited the ACCESS lab in Daphne High School. Joe Roh was the coordinator of the lab. He stated that the program was excellent, but there are still a lot of logistics to work through. One problem was that they couldn't have a course that the school already offered, so one class they have is Latin. Not many students are interested in taking Latin. They also offer test preparation classes, which students show interest in. They are able to communicate with other schools, it is easiest to stick with schools within Baldwin County, although he does interact with other counties. He also showed us what he called a Smartboard on steroids. It was like an electronical whiteboard, teachers can write their notes on the board when they run out of room, they can simply go to a new page. If they want to review the notes, they are stored and all they have to do is go back to them. The technology was pretty cool, but it is hard for them to utilize it to its fullest. They are still learning how to deal with the equipment and overcome problems, he said lightning struck the building a few times. They are also still working with rules and requirements that schools are required to follow.
Overall, I think the program is impressive and the idea is great. Every new program is going to have its obstacles. Once these are overcome, ACCESS will be a great tool in the student's education.