Having a bit of a techie for a principal seems to be a bonus for Drumheller Valley Secondary School (DVSS) in obtaining availability to current learning tools for both students and staff.
School principal Curtis LaPierre launched to the school in mid-February “lynda.com”, a website that offers over 3,000 courses in different categories such as business, computers, and creative design.
“We provide as many opportunities for kids to touch base with different career sectors,” said LaPierre, “so they can find where their gifts are.”
Originally considering the site as a professional development resource for staff, LaPierre found the programs on the site could capture students interest, and perhaps help them find an interest they hadn’t had a chance to explore previously.
The principal gave the example of one young student who became so interested in the lynda.com course he was taking, he completed over 14 high school credits in a 5 credit time space.
LaPierre said since the launch of the site about a month ago, he’s had 92 students registered and over 500 of the instructional videos viewed.
A premium subscription to the site for one person is $450 per person; the license LaPierre obtained for the school’s students and staff use comes in at $10 per person.
LaPierre said he’s always looking for opportunities for kids to step outside and engage themselves, the new site expands the DVSS course offerings for its students outside the regular school timetable.
The principal notes the students access to lynda.com also supports one of the missions of DVSS. “If I can get kids to take a course just because they’re interested, we’ve won - we’ve engaged a lifelong learner.”
