Wednesday, April 21, 2010

AVID helps ready students for college


By Jessica Zamarron, Rosio Lopez, and Ana Karina Victoria


We interviewed Mr.Larios about what he thinks about AVID. We asked him
what they do there and what is expected of their students. This is
what we found out.


Q: What is AVID?
A: The mission of AVID is to get students ready for college.
Q: Who is in charge of the AVID program and why?
A: AVID is a team effort. Ms. Brown is the coordinator, so she makes sure
all the paperwork is complete, organizes meetings, and helps problem
solve any challenges that we face. I am the AVID elective class teacher;
I work with the students on a day to day basis. I make sure that we
implement the strategies and skills to ready the students for college.
Mr. Blommendahl, Mr. Withers, Ms. Stickles, and Mr. Light have also been
AVID trained and understand what is expected of the AVID program. Mr.
Wolfe makes sure we all behave :)
Q: What does the AVID program do for the students?
A: AVID doesn't do anything; it is up to the students to take
advantage of what the program offers. In other words, you get what you
put into it. The foundation of AVID lies in note taking, binder
organization, tutorials, and community building. We help the students
develop thinking habits that are necessary to survive and succeed in
college.
Q: How long has AVID been at Waldo?
A: The 2009-2010 school year is the first year. Next year we are
expanding to the seventh grade.
Q: How long do you have to be in AVID?
A: We require a year long commitment from the students..
Q: What do you do in AVID?
A: I run the AVID class. I make sure that the students know what is
expected in college, train them on how to run a tutorial, how take good
notes, and I hold them accountable. The students are expected to keep an
organized 3 inch binder, take 10 pages of notes per week, and bring
questions for tutorials on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The biggest thing is to
keep an open mind and to take academic risks. We are laying the
groundwork for their future in college.
Q: Is there Homework in AVID?
A: The main homework is to come prepared with a question to present in
tutorials on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is the biggest part of the
AVID grade.
Q: Is it a regular class or is it after school?
A: Yes it is a regular class. It takes place every school day.
Q: How many students are there in AVID this year?
A: Our numbers have varied, but it has held steady at 22. Next year
we want it to expand to 28 in the 8th grade. Our 7th grade will also have a
similar number.
Q: How can you be chosen to be in the AVID program?
A: You have to apply for the program. Students fill out an
application, get two teacher recommendations, and take part in an
interview. Basically we are looking for students with a minimum GPA of
2.0 and maximum GPA of 3.5. They have to have good attendance and meet or
nearly meet in their OAKS tests. The biggest factor however, is that
students have to be willing to be the hardest workers. These are the
students who will get the most out of it.
Q: Who chooses the students to be in AVID?
A: A committee of teachers looks over the applications and selects the
best candidates.

This is what we found out about AVID. So if you would like to be in the AVID program then get good grades! College is important for your future, and this is one good way to prepare for that time in your life.

No comments:

Post a Comment