Every day in Mrs. Baldwin’s first period class, students take their required English course. Their teacher though isn’t Mrs. Baldwin, their teacher is miles away. How is this possible you ask? This technological advancement in teaching is called the ENC 1101/1102 Simulcast. ENC stands for English composition, which basically introduces students to critical thinking and writing. In this class, students learn how to use proper grammar and how to understand the important connection between reading and writing.
The ENC class is comprised of two separate courses, the 1101 and the 1102. ENC 1101 is taken the first semester, ENC 1002 is taken the second. This class is a dual enrollment class, which means, these students are enrolled in Blountstown High School, and Chipola College. To be accepted into this class, you must pass certain requirements set by Chipola. The class is made up of mostly seniors, but there is one junior in the class.
The students receive two text books, which are the same books that Chipola gives their students. In this class students will write more essays, they must have a set number of words written by the end of the year, and they must have a particular amount of essays written. This is the first time that this type of course has been offered in Calhoun County. ENC 1101/1102 has been taught at BHS before, but not with simulcast.
What is simulcast? A simulcast by definition is – simultaneous broadcast. That is just a fancy word which means that the teacher can teach the class via a video feed. This program is used primarily for business purposes; in this case however, we are using it to teach students. Mrs. Joyner, who teaches English at Altha Public School, is the ENC 1101/1102 Instructor for Calhoun County. Every morning she “calls” Mrs. Baldwin’s computer to start the video instruction. Mrs. Joyner has six students in her class at Altha, whereas Mrs. Baldwin has 17. There is a camera near the ceiling to the left in Mrs. Baldwin’s classroom. This allows Mrs. Joyner to see all the students in the room. The technology is incredible; Mrs. Joyner can see every move a students makes. She can answer a question when a student raises their hand, she can see their facial expressions, and hear what they are saying.
This class is a new and innovative form of teaching. Students will learn writing and English skills that will benefit them in their business lives as adults. So if you have a child that will be in 11th or 12th grade next year, think about signing them up for this fun and engaging class!
