EDUCATION REPORT - Out of the Classroom: Summer School Goes
EDUCATION REPORT - Out of the Classroom: Summer School Goes Online
By Nancy Steinbach
Broadcast: Thursday, July 21, 2005
I'm Barbara Klein with the VOA Special English Education Report.
In the United 1 States, the traditional school year is September to June. Summer school used to be seen mainly as a place for high school students to a repeat classes they failed.
But summer programs have expanded. Students often go to summer school so they can ease 2 their class load during the school year. Or it might give them more freedom to choose the classes they want during the regular term.
Summer school students do the same amount of work as if they took the class during the school year. But they do it in a much shorter time -- just one to two months. They generally attend school for three to four hours every morning, five days a week.
Another choice for many students is to take classes online. Students work by computer at home or wherever they have an Internet connection. They could even be traveling with their families.
However, some online classes require students to come to a classroom to take tests. Students may also have to take part in group discussions 3 with the teacher online. And there may be a required number of hours to spend logged 4 on each day. Yet there may also be freedom to do the work anytime, day or night.
Teachers say students who have failed a class may find working by computer easier than taking the class again in school. For example, they may feel more willing 5 to ask questions of the teacher through e-mail.
But teachers also say that students must be able to work independently to succeed at an online class. And a student must also be a good reader if all the material is presented in writing.
Students take classes through their local school system or they can find a private, online school. Families must make sure that the school is legally 6 recognized as an educational provider. If not, then their local school might not give credit 7 for the work.
More than three hundred schools are members of Virtual 8 High School, a non-profit organization based in Massachusetts. It includes twenty-five schools outside the United States. Virtual High School says it has more than two hundred classes and six thousand students. The Web 9 site for this online school is govhs.org. Again, it's go v-h-s dot org.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Barbara Klein.
- The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
- The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。
- His mind was at ease and he felt confident in the future. 他心情舒畅,对前途很有信心。
- You should ease up on the child and stop scolding her. 你应该对那个孩子宽松些,不要再骂她了。
- Discussions are held on an informal basis within the department. 讨论限于在本部门内非正式地进行。
- Her specialist input to the discussions has been very useful. 她在这些讨论中提供的专家建议很有助益。
- We have logged up a remarkable series of gains in technical innovation. 我们已在技术革新方面取得一系列可观的成就。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- They asked the pilot how many hours he had logged. 他们问那飞行员累积了多少飞行时数。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- We never lack food and clothing if we're willing to work.如果我们愿意工作,就不会缺吃少穿。
- He's quite willing to pay the price I ask.他很愿意照我的要价付钱。
- A bill of exchange is a legally recognized document. 汇票是合法票据。
- The agreement will be legally binding. 这个协议将具有法律效力。
- I credit him with a certain amount of sense.我认为他有一定的见识。
- He got the credit,and we did the dirty work.他得荣誉，我们做不讨好的工作。
- This reply is a virtual acceptance of our offer.这一回答实质上是接受了我们的建议。
- At that time the East India Company was the virtual ruler of Bengal.那时东印度公司是孟加拉的实际统治者。