Online Classes at MHS

By Lauren Cerrato 

At Medfield High School, students currently have the opportunity to take online courses through the VHS (Virtual High School) and TEC (The Education Cooperative) programs. The two programs offer students all different types of courses that aren’t typically available in the school curriculum.

VHS is a nationwide program with students and teachers from all over the world. TEC involves students and teachers a little closer to home, including Dedham, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medfield, Millis, Natick, Needham, Norwood, Walpole, Wayland, and Westwood.

When I interviewed Caroline Forsberg, a former TEC student, I learned some of the reasons why students are intrigued about taking online classes. During her senior year, Caroline was enrolled in two online TEC courses, Intro to Business, and Digital Photo.

Forsberg said, “Even if I don’t go into business, it can still be important information to know in life.” She enjoyed that she could work on the assignments at home, helping her better handle her time management. 

Mrs. Nunes, Dean of Academics, is responsible for all VHS and TEC students at MHS. She communicates with the online teachers and helps students succeed in their online courses. She also keeps track of students’ progress by viewing the grades posted every two weeks by the online teachers.

Mrs. Nunes said that she has had much more positive than negative feedback from students taking the courses and rarely experiences technical problems. When I asked Mrs. Nunes what she thought was beneficial about the programs, she replied, “They offer an opportunity for students to take courses that we don’t offer and allow a lot of flexibility in scheduling, because you can take the course online at any time.”  

If a technical problem involving the online course material and the school computers comes up, it can be easily fixed by tech support and MHS library staff.

I have personally taken two courses through the VHS program, both as a junior and a senior. Junior year I enrolled in a really enjoyable class on zoology and animal behavior. Senior year I took a course in pre-veterinary medicine, because learning a little about the anatomy and common disease would help in my future field of study.

Because I want to work with animals, the class really helped me understand exactly what I was looking for in a career. I figured out that I wanted to work with animals’ personalities and behavior rather than the medical aspect of animals. I know I wanted to heal, not with complicated surgeries and medicines, but with training, care, and mental healing.

Taking the class helped me learn about responsibility and independence. Having to work on a course by yourself and on your own time with no teacher for reminders or instructions can be difficult forsome students. This way of learning helps kids prepare for college both because it teaches responsibility and how to take a class online. In colleges today many classes are online, so MHS kids taking online classes are getting beneficial experience.

This article was written by Lauren Cerrato, a recent Medfield High School graduate and member of the student newspaper, The Kingsbury Chronicle. The piece is part of Medfield Patch's weekly series, "Warrior Weekly," helping provide information about MHS to the local community.