ECOT in the news: Chillicothe Gazette, June 10, 2009
June 10, 2009
Tomorrow has arrived for local ECOT graduates
Students say online charter school offers flexibility, requires self-determination
BY LOREN GENSON
Gazette Staff Writer
Two local high school students graduated from a nontraditional high school Saturday, and they feel their experiences have prepared them for the world of work and college.
Jonathan Bowling, 19, and Ryan Schweitzer, 18, received their diplomas from the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, a charter school based in Columbus that allows students to complete their coursework online.
"It's just like regular school, but it's more flexible," Bowling said.
The pair, who until two years ago also were joined by Jonathan's brother, Arthur, in the ECOT program, worked from home and were required to log in regularly and attend online classes. In a way, it was more difficult than attending classes at a brick-and-mortar school, they said.
"You've got to have a lot of self-determination. You've got to log in and do it yourself, no one is forcing you to get it done," Jonathan said.
The two have attended classes for the past four years at the online school, which offers courses from kindergarten through 12th grade. Arthur attended classes for the first two years of high school before transferring to Chillicothe High School to finish his course work. For Arthur, a traditional school was a better fit.
"My grades were better at CHS ... I found it a little easier," Arthur said.
For Jonathan and Schweitzer, the online coursework was the best choice. The two live outside of Londonderry near the Vinton County line and fell into the Vinton County School District.
"It was tough in the winter to get out of the house, and it was an hour-and-a-half bus ride to school in McArthur," Schweitzer said.
The school curriculum is just as challenging as regular schools, said Schweitzer, who graduated as valedictorian of his class of more than 1,500.
"We have biology, chemistry, calculus, just like other schools," he said. "It's considered a charter school. We have to take OGTs (Ohio Graduation Tests) and we get a high school diploma."
And though it was challenging to complete some coursework at home, the support system through the school was strong, Jonathan said.
"There is online chat with the teachers, and we can call them anytime if we have questions. They're really helpful," he said.
The ECOT students said the flexible schedule allows them to also pursue dancing and motocross, two diverse interests they all enjoy. Jonathan and Arthur have been dancing with their mother's N'Step clogging group for about 10 years, and Schweitzer has been doing it for about eight years.
The ECOT online courses allowed them to easily travel to national competitions for clogging without missing coursework.
"You can log in anywhere there's an Internet connection, so we don't really have to miss or make up anything; we can do it from wherever we are," Jonathan said.
The format also allowed them to work jobs while attending classes. While the students are required to log in each day and their attendance is monitored, students can e-mail their teachers and complete the coursework in the evening if their day is going to be busy or if they have to work.
Jonathan is planning to attend college and may study structural engineering, while Ryan and Arthur plan to attend college to study nursing. They all say the online work has prepared them well for college.
"In college, you don't have teachers telling you to get work done and checking in; you have to be determined," said Schweitzer. "And I think we're all ready for college courses. We've been doing the work on our own for a while now."
Original article can be found here
Tomorrow has arrived for local ECOT graduates
Students say online charter school offers flexibility, requires self-determination
BY LOREN GENSON
Gazette Staff Writer
Two local high school students graduated from a nontraditional high school Saturday, and they feel their experiences have prepared them for the world of work and college.
Jonathan Bowling, 19, and Ryan Schweitzer, 18, received their diplomas from the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, a charter school based in Columbus that allows students to complete their coursework online.
"It's just like regular school, but it's more flexible," Bowling said.
The pair, who until two years ago also were joined by Jonathan's brother, Arthur, in the ECOT program, worked from home and were required to log in regularly and attend online classes. In a way, it was more difficult than attending classes at a brick-and-mortar school, they said.
"You've got to have a lot of self-determination. You've got to log in and do it yourself, no one is forcing you to get it done," Jonathan said.
The two have attended classes for the past four years at the online school, which offers courses from kindergarten through 12th grade. Arthur attended classes for the first two years of high school before transferring to Chillicothe High School to finish his course work. For Arthur, a traditional school was a better fit.
"My grades were better at CHS ... I found it a little easier," Arthur said.
For Jonathan and Schweitzer, the online coursework was the best choice. The two live outside of Londonderry near the Vinton County line and fell into the Vinton County School District.
"It was tough in the winter to get out of the house, and it was an hour-and-a-half bus ride to school in McArthur," Schweitzer said.
The school curriculum is just as challenging as regular schools, said Schweitzer, who graduated as valedictorian of his class of more than 1,500.
"We have biology, chemistry, calculus, just like other schools," he said. "It's considered a charter school. We have to take OGTs (Ohio Graduation Tests) and we get a high school diploma."
And though it was challenging to complete some coursework at home, the support system through the school was strong, Jonathan said.
"There is online chat with the teachers, and we can call them anytime if we have questions. They're really helpful," he said.
The ECOT students said the flexible schedule allows them to also pursue dancing and motocross, two diverse interests they all enjoy. Jonathan and Arthur have been dancing with their mother's N'Step clogging group for about 10 years, and Schweitzer has been doing it for about eight years.
The ECOT online courses allowed them to easily travel to national competitions for clogging without missing coursework.
"You can log in anywhere there's an Internet connection, so we don't really have to miss or make up anything; we can do it from wherever we are," Jonathan said.
The format also allowed them to work jobs while attending classes. While the students are required to log in each day and their attendance is monitored, students can e-mail their teachers and complete the coursework in the evening if their day is going to be busy or if they have to work.
Jonathan is planning to attend college and may study structural engineering, while Ryan and Arthur plan to attend college to study nursing. They all say the online work has prepared them well for college.
"In college, you don't have teachers telling you to get work done and checking in; you have to be determined," said Schweitzer. "And I think we're all ready for college courses. We've been doing the work on our own for a while now."
Original article can be found here
posted by ECOTnews at 8:54 AM
