Electives vs. Extracurricular activities....

[OneStepAtATime]

DD wants to start photography classes with a local professional photographer.  He usually does a 2 hour class every week plus expected outside class work to bring to class for review.  We also have a Great courses course on photography that DD intends to watch.

 

 I would like to turn this into an elective.   DD will be entering 9th grade this fall.  She is still a bit behind in reading/math skills because of dyslexic/dyscalculia so a lot of her time will be tied up with remediation (although she has come a LOOOOONG way).  She needs 26 credit hours total if she is going to follow what the state high schools require for graduation.  That means at least 6-7 credits per year.  Doable for a student that reads independently and has no math issues.  Challenging for someone who struggles with reading in content subjects and is still behind in math.  Time is precious.  We will have little to spare.

 

 I already have several materials pulled together for High School level English/History.  I am working on resources for her Science and her Foreign Language credits.  I need an elective and would like for it to be something she has interest in.  Since she is interested in photography, I would like it to be photography.   I have no idea how to do that.  What would be needed?  What is an elective vs. an extracurricular activity?  We're in Texas, FWIW.

[Orthodox6]

This is a good question! I have no well formulated answer.

 

I finally decided to leave alone violin lessons as an extracurricular activity. She will, however, have a one semester formal course in music theory on her transcript.

 

DD received the "Great Courses" photography set as a Nativity gift. I considered turning it into an elective, but recently decided against it. In your case, in contrast, you have a formal class lined up to join to the video series. This sounds like a good basis for an elective. (Careful track must be kept of the total time spent.)

 

If the course is in DFW, please let me know!

[snowbeltmom]

I have read that a credit hour usually entails between 100 and 120 hours of work.  I used this time estimate as a guideline when constructing my own classes.  I think this approach would work well with what you would like to do as well.  If your child will be applying to schools that request course descriptions, you could simply list all of the components that made up your class - i.e. the photography class, the Great Course lectures, and any thing else you add to the mix.

 

Sounds like a fun elective class for your DD!

[OneStepAtATime]

This is a good question! I have no well formulated answer.

 

I finally decided to leave alone violin lessons as an extracurricular activity. She will, however, have a one semester formal course in music theory on her transcript.

 

DD received the "Great Courses" photography set as a Nativity gift. I considered turning it into an elective, but recently decided against it. In your case, in contrast, you have a formal class lined up to join to the video series. This sounds like a good basis for an elective. (Careful track must be kept of the total time spent.)

 

If the course is in DFW, please let me know!

I wish it and us were in Dallas, TBH.  :)  There is so much to do in the Dallas area.  Alas, we are hours from Dallas.

 

When you say careful track of time spent, how much time would be needed?

[KarenNC]

I pulled together an elective this year that I called "Introduction to Visual and Performing Arts" using stuff my daughter was primarily doing for fun. In looking at how much credit to give, I am following the Carnegie unit guidelines for hours-- 120+ for a full credit, 60+ for a half credit. Ours was broken down as follows:

1) photography co-op class: 10 hours + a little outside work

2) photography co-op class: 14 hours + a little outside work (this one based on a GC photo course)

3) painting co-op class: 10 hours

4) drawing co-op class: 10 hours (using "Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain" workbook)

5) attendance at a variety of performances--opera, symphony, 10 min play festival, friend's improv class performance, cultural dance/music for Day of the Dead at local museum, USO show at a WWII re-enactment, high school play: 14 hours

6) set painting for a community theater production of "Jesus Christ Superstar": 3 hours

6) Great Courses "How to Look at and Understand Great Art": 18 hours (36 half hour lectures--this was my addition to round it out)

7) museum visits: 2 hours

8) worked backstage for a 10 show run of "Noises Off": about 80 hours

 

So 160+ hours should cover us pretty well.

 

I had originally intended the GC course to serve as the core for an art appreciation class later, but my daughter's passion has shifted from art and theater to writing, so I think that's where she's likely to put most of her energy going forward, so I added it here.I could choose to hive off the backstage work as extracurricular and call the class a half credit, but I'm keeping it in at the moment. Extracurriculars are a great way to showcase larger/longer-term commitment to something, so unless she does more theater work over the next few years, I think it may be more valuable to us to count things this way, as some colleges want to see a fine arts credit. Now, if we end up way overloaded with credits and low on extracurriculars as we progress through high school, I may go back and unbundle.

 

For tracking, I simply made a chart and noted how many hours she spent doing anything related to the arts this year, with a column for a running total. I'm doing the same for PE--hours spent trying new skills and refining old ones. For PE, she learned to ice skate, tried running, tried some workout videos, started kickboxing, did hiking and camping (with Girl Scouts), and swimming. By logging hours, she's up to over 60 this year, and in the course description I'll talk about learning the basics for lifelong physical activities. In that case, I'm keeping out her 3-5 aikido classes a week as an extracurricular, because she's been involved in aikido since she was 6 (at increasing levels of time commitment) and will be keeping it up long term. Kickboxing may turn into a long-term activity, so it will go under extracurriculars next year if she keeps it up, as will hiking and camping.

[Orthodox6]

Dummy math, perhaps: (5 weekly classroom hours) X (36 weeks for a stereotypical school year) = 180 hours = 1 full credit

[ThisIsTheDay]

I need an elective and would like for it to be something she has interest in.  Since she is interested in photography, I would like it to be photography.   I have no idea how to do that.  What would be needed?  What is an elective vs. an extracurricular activity?  We're in Texas, FWIW.

 

You mentioned that she needs 26 credits "to follow what state high schools require" for graduation.  Is that for some sort of specialized or advanced high school diploma? Instead of looking at what the high schools require, it may be more advantageous to look at what college admissions require. They might have lesser requirements.  That's a decision for you to make though.

 

I opted to make two of my dd's passions into electives, and I chose that route after she'd done the work.  (Not saying that's how you should do it; rather, I'm pointing out how easy it is to do.)  It came down to my belief that those activities were more beneficial on her transcript than as an extracurricular.  My dd's electives were Native American Studies, and Linguistics.  She was accepted into several very good universities and no one batted an eye or questioned her transcript. 

 

I documented the work she did on a course description, and I added the classes to her transcript.  If your dd were my child, I would include *anything* she does with regard to her photography and count that as part of the class: any tutorials she views online, any photography books she reads for fun, etc.  If you want wording for a course description, you can google "photography" and "course description."  Your results will show both college and high school descriptions, and you can pick and choose to suit your child and her situation.

 

 

 

 

[laughing lioness]

Transcripts can be anywhere between 21-28 credits - check your state laws and requirements for where she wants to go to colleg.  A credit is easily 120 hours, you can also record 1/4 and 1/2 credits- 30-60 hours. 

 

Walch Power Basics is a great curriculum for struggling students- also ACE.

 

For photography, are there any local classes she can take? Community ed, co-op? Free on-line course like MOOC: https://www.mooc-list.com/tags/photography

Then, check out the Time/Life series: http://www.amazon.com/Photography-Documentary-Photojournalism-Photographing-Photographers/dp/B000NKFZAC

and have her pick a pic from each era and replicate it. 

 

You can make most extra-curriculars, "extra" credit. My kids do Shakespeare Camp every year, along with a lot of drama. They earn a credit in theater every year and Shakespeare Lit, or Medieval History- whatever needs ramped up. 

[OneStepAtATime]

Dummy math, perhaps: (5 weekly classroom hours) X (36 weeks for a stereotypical school year) = 180 hours = 1 full credit

:) I like the dummy math idea.

 

I would like to mention, though, that class time isn't actually an hour in a typical school, more like 55 minutes (and with some it is 45-50), and a lot of that time is wasted dealing with passing out papers, discipline issues, changing classes so you have to pull out/put away all your stuff, etc. No way the typical high schooler is actually spending 180 quality hours a year in each class. I'm not talking about AP. I am talking standard class time, by the way. I think 120 to 160, as mentioned up thread, seems a lot more likely, depending on the class, KWIM? But maybe our area is odd?

[OneStepAtATime]

You mentioned that she needs 26 credits "to follow what state high schools require" for graduation.  Is that for some sort of specialized or advanced high school diploma? Instead of looking at what the high schools require, it may be more advantageous to look at what college admissions require. They might have lesser requirements.  That's a decision for you to make though.

 

I opted to make two of my dd's passions into electives, and I chose that route after she'd done the work.  (Not saying that's how you should do it; rather, I'm pointing out how easy it is to do.)  It came down to my belief that those activities were more beneficial on her transcript than as an extracurricular.  My dd's electives were Native American Studies, and Linguistics.  She was accepted into several very good universities and no one batted an eye or questioned her transcript. 

 

I documented the work she did on a course description, and I added the classes to her transcript.  If your dd were my child, I would include *anything* she does with regard to her photography and count that as part of the class: any tutorials she views online, any photography books she reads for fun, etc.  If you want wording for a course description, you can google "photography" and "course description."  Your results will show both college and high school descriptions, and you can pick and choose to suit your child and her situation.

 

 

Transcripts can be anywhere between 21-28 credits - check your state laws and requirements for where she wants to go to colleg.  A credit is easily 120 hours, you can also record 1/4 and 1/2 credits- 30-60 hours. 

 

Walch Power Basics is a great curriculum for struggling students- also ACE.

 

For photography, are there any local classes she can take? Community ed, co-op? Free on-line course like MOOC: https://www.mooc-list.com/tags/photography

Then, check out the Time/Life series: http://www.amazon.com/Photography-Documentary-Photojournalism-Photographing-Photographers/dp/B000NKFZAC

and have her pick a pic from each era and replicate it. 

 

You can make most extra-curriculars, "extra" credit. My kids do Shakespeare Camp every year, along with a lot of drama. They earn a credit in theater every year and Shakespeare Lit, or Medieval History- whatever needs ramped up. 

 

Actually, that 26 hours is what is expected on the normal (not the very basic) transcript for high school in our state and definitely expected if you want to get into the local University.  DD wants the local uni.  We have looked at doing local CC then transferring, but she wants to at least try for the credits required to get into the University here.

 

Thanks for the suggestion on Walsh, by the way.  I have been looking at both Walsh and AGS for certain subjects to help DD with the reading level issue in content subjects.  So glad those options are out there for covering High School level material.

 

Thanks everyone for the responses.  I am reading through them and considering everything.  

[bettyandbob]

Photography is definitely an elective. The photography class plus the great courses material should be enough for 1 credit. If you a specific art credit, this definitely falls in that category. The local high school where I live offers up to 3 credits of photography.

 

As someone recommended check out Walch Power Basics and Walch Top Shelf science. They may fit your needs for content subjects in science and history.

[Orthodox6]

:) I like the dummy math idea.

 

I would like to mention, though, that class time isn't actually an hour in a typical school, more like 55 minutes (and with some it is 45-50), and a lot of that time is wasted dealing with passing out papers, discipline issues, changing classes so you have to pull out/put away all your stuff, etc. No way the typical high schooler is actually spending 180 quality hours a year in each class. I'm not talking about AP. I am talking standard class time, by the way. I think 120 to 160, as mentioned up thread, seems a lot more likely, depending on the class, KWIM? But maybe our area is odd?

 

Yep.  The wasted classroom time.  Nonetheless, I have read that simple "rule of calculation" many times.  At the same time, college courses of "three hours" (meaning hours per week) also constitute "a credit".  Thus, as others have posted, there is a range available. 

 

Texas requires either 22 or 26 credits for high school graduation, so you are aiming for the high end.   http://tea.texas.gov/graduation.aspx

 

My dd is taking two full-year classes this summer -- (Woe is me, the teacher!) -- to deal with the mania of heavy course loads. 

[FaithManor]

I think that you can work enough together to create an elective. My son has a photography elective. He did the Great Courses lectures and spent many hours per week stalking nature for good photos, or torturing his brothers in this regard, LOL. It was a great way for a not at all art minded kid to earn a visual arts elective credit. Our state requires a fine arts credit for graduation. Concentrate on a portfolio of work that shows continued improvement in the quality of the photos and a variety of themes. Believe me, when stalking spring birds, one can easily spend more than an hour a day outside sitting there like a statue trying to zoom in on the zany little critters.

 

As for the hours, 120 is definitely a guideline but just like public school in which sometimes there is homework and some times there isn't, and most of the time instructional time falls to 45 minutes and not an hour, it is just a guideline. Try to keep it in the ball park, but don't sweat if you are little under, and don't award more credit for being a little over. It's a reasonable range that one is keeping in mind. (oh, and in our state last year there were 14 snow days beyond the allotted three that were built into the calendar, and two "school heating system failed so no school today) days and the governor opted to let the schools NOT make them up, so students were in class 16 hours less than usual. So there is flexibility as long as one is intellectually honest about the work completed being high school level and enough hours to constitute a credit's achievement.

 

The big expense for us was that in order to make the most of the Great Courses lectures, a DSL camera was necessary. Yah...point and shoot digital cameras are cheap and convenient, but they don't allow one to really explore photography. The local school offers photography for credit and the program owns several DSL cameras which the students rent with a significant damage deposit at the beginning of the year. You might be able to get one used though on ebay or Amazon from a reliable seller. Definitely check the seller's ratings before thinking about that.

[OneStepAtATime]

The photographer that DD will be taking the class from told me this morning that he will cover the best kind of cameras for photography in his class and will also be able to recommend sources for acquiring one at a more reasonable price.  That's nice to know.  We only have a point and shoot.  She has done a LOT of picture taking with it and some of the photos are gorgeous...but not of the quality she hopes to achieve.

 

 

[FaithManor]

The photographer that DD will be taking the class from told me this morning that he will cover the best kind of cameras for photography in his class and will also be able to recommend sources for acquiring one at a more reasonable price.  That's nice to know.  We only have a point and shoot.  She has done a LOT of picture taking with it and some of the photos are gorgeous...but not of the quality she hopes to achieve.

Well, I think that you've got a real gem of a person there to mentor your dd if that person is willing to let her loan equipment. That's a very nice gesture.

[Orthodox6]

Yes but, in college classes, the student is expected to put in 2-3 hours of outside work for every one hour of classroom time.

 

We figure a credit = about 150 hours. That's flexible.

I should have included that I meant the number of hours in calculations meant to me direct instruction. Homework and projects are additional timem

[Penguin]

We will use Clonlara next year, and they calculate a credit at 180 hours.  I was kind of surprised as I had always heard 120 or 150.

 

I think you have the makings of a great fine arts credit.