Middle School and College Credit Online: The Best of Both Worlds for a Gifted Sixth Grader
At edX, we’ve long believed that access to online education can open up any number of possibilities, and allow any learner to pursue education that meets his or her specific needs and goals.
We recently had the chance to speak with someone who has very unique needs and goals: Joseph Nuccio, a highly gifted thirteen-year-old from Colorado.
The life of an intellectually advanced child can mean that some things actually come with more difficulty. For Joseph, it meant a tough decision: leave his friends behind, skip middle school, and jump ahead to satisfy his accelerated academic aptitudes; or stay back to enjoy a regular adolescence, but risk boredom and potential disinterest if he is not academically challenged and engaged.
“He qualified to go into college halfway through 6th grade,” recounted his mother, Ame Nuccio. “For some kids grade-skipping is perfect. But for Joseph, he functions really well socially and if you don’t know him, well, you would have no idea that he was different from other kids.”
Ultimately, his parents decided to keep him in middle school.
“I’ve been really happy with that decision,” said Joseph, who got to remain with his friends and look forward to realizing his goal of playing on the high school lacrosse team.
But keeping him with his friends meant that he and his parents needed to find other approaches to satisfy his academic potential. The answer came in the form of Global Freshman Academy.
Joseph had previously been a big fan of edX courses, but when the Nuccios discovered that Joseph could get real college credit, the possibility changed Joseph’s perspective on the work that he was doing through edX. The Global Freshman Academy represented something new: real stakes.
“For the first time ever – it was the most exciting moment [for us] – he got nervous and freaked out for a test… because he felt like he had something at stake in that class,” Ame shared. “He got nervous, and he studied, which I had never seen him do before.”
Joseph intends to finish his GFA coursework and apply the credit he earns toward his college future after high school. For now, he has the best of both worlds: he can stay with his friends, grow with his peers, and still pursue an accelerated academic path.
“I like having the flexibility to do something that’s challenging without losing the things that are fun.”
Software Engineer @ Able3D | Master's in Computer Science
8 年I like this story, I myself was generally a consistent good student, but not necessarily the first one of the class. I always had my difficulties, but I always wished to learn and get deeper in higher level subjects. I ask my self what would happened if I had at that time the opportunity of taking MOOCs? At least I am taking that opportunity now, and I am focusing my career on this kind of educational technology an efficient learning. Remember I myself have difficulties to overcome.
Product Engineer @ Siemens | Integrated Circuits
8 年edX has undoubtedly presented the most appreciable effort of providing standard professional knowledge accessible to students from any background. However, a substantial effort still need to be put in to provide first hand experience through intern to talented and potential international candidates from unprivileged countries.
Sales Representative at Retired
9 年Finding part-time job even though your bad judement 15 years ago. Really want to work
Biólogo Marino, Tecnólogo en Petroleos
9 年An interesting article..