AVID Elective Class
AVID at Curie focuses on collaboration, teaching students how to lead in a group and work effectively with others. Collaborative and team-building activities are usually held on Fridays. These activities are not only creative and fun but also practice some of the important writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading (WICOR) skills students are learning throughout their 4 years in AVID.
The lessons students learn through these activities are valuable because college students often work together in small groups in classes or study groups. Many career fields also require individuals to work in teams to solve a problem and create and innovate. AVID students are provided many opportunities to develop and hone their leadership and collaborative skills.
AVID students also visit colleges and universities to learn about academic requirements, campus life, classes, majors offered, scholarships, and how they can achieve college success.
Guest speakers representing a variety of career fields visit our AVID classes and talk to our students about their careers, how they prepared for them during their school years, the additional training they received, and what they do to continually excel in their chosen careers.
What is a tutorial?
Small group tutorial sessions are held twice a week in the AVID elective class. During tutorials, the AVID elective class is divided into small groups. Under the direction and supervision of the AVID elective teacher, AVID-trained tutors facilitate the student-led discussions in each group to help students find the answer to a question, problem, project, and any other school-work-related point of confusion they may have.
What is the purpose of tutorials?
- Create a deeper understanding of concepts covered in core content classes
- Develop skills necessary to become self-directed learners.
- It's not just homework help.
What are the goals of the tutorial process?
- To push each other's thinking. AVID tutorials use an inquiry process.
- Tutors do not give the answers. They facilitate the groups' learning process.
- Tutors don't teach the answers. They ask more questions. This is called the Socratic method.
What is a Socratic Seminar?
Socratic Seminar is one of many effective teaching strategies AVID uses. Socrates believed that enabling students to think for themselves was more important than filling their heads with "right answers." In the Socratic Seminar, participants seek deeper understanding of complex ideas through rigorously thoughtful dialogue. The skills that students develop through participation in a Socratic Seminar are critical for college success.
What is the AVID Binder?
Organization is an important skill in school, career, and other aspects of daily life. The AVID binder is an organizational tool to help students maintain notes and school work in one place. Students are expected to maintain a binder. They are expected to keep it organized using the AVID methods they have been taught.