SAN ANTONIO - Get your student ID and create your own avatar. I'm not talking about the movie. I'm talking about a computer generated person known as an avatar.
The University of the Incarnate Word is about to change the way some kids here go to high school. This fall it is launching UIW Prep. It will be San Antonio's first online college prep school and it is an extension of St. Anthony Catholic High School.
"There are going to be weekly expectations. It is going to be very much your typical high school program done in an A-typical way," according to Dr. Cyndi Porter, the vice-president for extended academic programs at University of the Incarnate Word.
Students will take part in online discussions. They will also read books, write papers and do homework. They'll be able to do the work at their own pace but will have to meet regular deadlines.
Porter expects the program will suit students who are currently home schooled, those who have parents in the military who move a lot, as well as international students and people who are looking for faster paced curriculum.
She says students at UIW Prep will be able to finish their high school diploma and nearly complete their entire first year of college by the time they graduate. The entire program is expected to take three years.
In addition to online courses, students will also be able to create their own avatar and interact with virtual friends in the online 3D world known as Second Life.
Porter says that is important because it will give students the opportunity to connect with each other in the cyber environment.
"They will be able to do all the different things that you would see in day to day interaction... in second life," Porter explained. She said that virtual world could also be used for students to hold science club meetings and listen to lectures and presentations.
UIW Prep has started taking applications. Classes start in August and tuition will be roughly $11,000 for up to ten classes. Porter says that is slightly higher than tuition at St. Anthony Catholic High School. For more information go to
prep.uiw.edu.
