ACCESS - A Powerful Tool

Access (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators and Students Statewide) is a very powerful tool initiated by Governor Bob Riley and Dr. Joseph B. Morton, State Superintendent of Education. The vision of ACCESS for Alabama is to provide access to high quality instruction to improve student achievement through distance learning. ACCESS provides options and opportunities for Alabama high school students to engage in Advanced Placement, electives and other courses they may not have access to in their schools. Students have an array of online courses to chose from such as; English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Languages, Electives, Health and Art. Within each of the courses are a variety of choices to enhance the learning of every student. Highly qualified, Alabama certified teachers are online supporting the students with high quality instruction. ACCESS also allows students to interact with students from other schools. Besides expanding the reach of education, ACCESS has increased student responsibility for learning.
From a parent and paraprofessional's point of view, I am so excited to have all of these wonderful opportunities at reach. Sometimes, all a student needs is that extra bit of visual help and being able to access all of the information available on ACCESS could be the perfect solution. I will suggest ACCESS to every high school student I know, including my own children. Learning at their own pace and interacting with students from other schools through distance learning may be instrumental in a student's future. Technology has given learning a whole new meaning. I wish this would have been an option in my high school days.

Plagiarism and Copyright

Plagiarism is the practice of using another person's words and ideas without acknowledging the source of the information. These words and ideas may be presented in a magazine, newspaper, song, book, movie and advertisement. Copying the exact words of someone through conversing is also plagiarism. When reprinting charts, pictures, diagrams or illustrations without citing the source is another example. The use of paraphrasing is not excepted when the words are merely rearranged or some are replaced. It is not considered plagiarism when writing about your own thoughts, observations, conclusions and experiences. Using generally-accepted facts is acceptable without credit. Putting everything in quotations that comes directly from text when taking notes can possibly save you from committing plagiarism.
Copyright is a form of protection in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. It protects original works of musical, dramatic, literary, and dramatic artistic works. It doesn't protect ideas, facts and systems or methods of operation. The moment your work is created and fixed in a tangible form that is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device, it is under copyright protection. Unlike copyrights, patents are used to protect inventions and discoveries. Copyright can be used in lawsuits proving ownership of original works.

The Advantages of ALEX

ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange) is the perfect tool for all teachers and students . Once you enter the world of ALEX, you can access an amazing amount of tools for teaching a large majority of subjects. The courses of study available are; Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, Drivers Education, Technology, Foreign Language and Careers. There are lesson plans written on each COS for grades K- 12. There is a link for Professional Development Opportunities and Grant opportunities for teachers. There is a link for Library Media and Technology Initiatives. Within all of the links are various websights that link you with more information than you could ever imagine. It is a very user-friendly websight.
ALEX will be extemely helpful to me as I enter teaching. I am always looking for interesting ways to challenge myself and the students I now work with. The way the links correspond with one another will be a great help in locating information quickly. The opportunities it provides to students as well as teachers is timeserving to the overworked educator. I will definitely use ALEX when I am lucky enough to have my own classroom. Many computers in classrooms today are very restricted on content. Hopefully, ALEX will allow teachers to view critical teaching information and share it with the students.

Mr. Sullivan's Powerpoint Presentation

I am aware of some of the laws and acts that Mr. Sullivan mentioned. Working in a school has given me lots of insight on what is available to everyone on the computer. I have heard of computers programmed for the blind and others with disabilities. It is an eye-opening experience when you use the internet to explore the world. There is so much to see and the computer is the perfect way to sit in a classroom and experience our universe.

My Wonderful Life

My name is Lynda Rigsby and I am a paraprofessional at Magnolia School. I have decided to go back to school and get my teaching certificate because I want to make a better life for my children and myself. I have been a para for eight years and although I enjoy my job, the pay is not near enough to survive. I feel as though I have learned a great deal from the wonderful teachers I have had the privilege to work with.
I am a single parent with two beautiful daughters and I lead a very hectic life. My oldest daughter, Alexa is a senior at Robertsdale High School and she has Prader-Willi Syndrome. My youngest, Shelby is a junior at RHS and is a varsity cheerleader. We try to attend all of the her games, so that keeps us pretty busy. We enjoy going out to eat and spending time with relatives and friends.