Internet classes give PHS students new options
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Students come in many shapes and sizes, and some just don’t fit into a high school classroom with 25 other students.
Whether this is due to family situations, illness, missing a lot of school, moving, employment schedules, social issues or challenging themselves, Polson High School students now have more options with Internet classes, primarily the Montana Digital Academy and Connect Credit Recovery.
“MDA allows us some flexibility with students’ schedules,” said PHS vice-principal Brandon Thurston. “It’s not a punitive thing; it’s an alternative setting.”
PHS alternative education teacher Mark Rochin oversees the classes. If a student doesn’t pass a class, he or she can re-take the class through the Connect Credit Recovery program, which utilizes the PLATO program, according to Rochin
In PLATO, which has been around since the 60s, students master one part of a course before they continue. If a kid failed a class, he or she can challenge whatever parts of the curriculum he’s learned and continue on with new material in PLATO.
MDA’s course catalog lists classes — which PHS does not offer — such as oceanography, AP physics, French, Mandarin Chinese and Latin. The MDA classes all are taught by a certified teacher, and in 2012, PHS students join about 1,400 other students around the state in each category.
One of those students is Wesley Jeaunotte, who says although he loves math and science, “English is not my best subject.”
Jeaunotte took English 9B in Rochin’s classroom, since he transferred from North Dakota in the middle of the semester
“MDA is in 83 percent of the high schools across Montana,” said Ryan Schrenk, MDA curriculum director. “There is no cost to school districts or students to take part in our program.”
The Montana Legislature first funded MDA in the 2009 legislative session and voted to continue operations in 2011. It’s served 10,000 students since its inception, Schrenk said.
“We hire our teachers only if they work in a Montana school district and only have students who are enrolled in a Montana public school, as well,” Schrenk added
(To learn more about the programs, go to montanadigitalacademy.org and www.plato.com.)
As well as supervising MDA classes, Rochin also teaches a Jobs for Montana Graduates class. The concept comes from New Jersey, Rochin said, and its goal is to keep students in school until graduation and transition to a job, college, a trade school or the military.
“The class reminds me of a combination of business, English and home economics,” Rochin said
Rochin teaches students how to prepare for a job interview, down to appropriate clothing; how to create a resume and how to do paperwork they might need to complete on the job, as well as life skills.
JMG students meet for two state conferences per year and compete in events, such as public speaking, words in the workplace, web page design, critical thinking and decision-making.
PHS student Eden Beagles competed in telephone technique. She was interviewed three times over the telephone for a mechanic’s job, since she wants to be a mechanic and work on cars. Diamond Smiley said her event, “words in the workplace,” was like a spelling bee. Rebecca Costilla gave a speech and did well, according to Rochin.
Learning how to handle job interviews, construct a resume and deal with problems in the workplace are all topics junior Nick Siragusa has learned about in JMG class.
The week before PHS graduation, Rochin said he was coming to school early and staying late to help seniors complete work so they could graduate. During the summer, Rochin will be in his classroom helping kids pass classes so they can graduate.
