Elective Courses in Education:

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Elective courses are classes that are available to students in order to provide them with  more in depth material regarding a specific subject. They range in subjects, and at times are classes that have nothing to do with academics. Students are usually not required to take these classes in k-12, universities and institutions but are encouraged to do so. Students are given the choice to take an elective to further their understanding for a subject or passion they want to continue to learn about. They are designed to encourage students to pursue a hobby, expand their knowledge, and allow them to begin to process whether the elective they are taking could one day turn into a career. Electives are courses that you can "elect" to take purely out of interest--because they are not something that you need in order to fulfill a major, CORE, or minor requirement.[1]  

  • In middle school, students are learning through electives of what they enjoy and in turn what electives they would like to pursue when they go into high school.
  • For high school students their elective courses will be the first stepping stone to deciding  on a major when they apply for college.
  • In college the elective courses are designed  to further their knowledge on their major and career choices. Now, that we know the basics of what elective courses are, let’s understand why it’s important to have elective courses in education. Jocelynnjocy

It'a Important To Have Elective Courses In Education

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  • They give people culture.
  • They allow people to have general knowledge on a variety of subjects which in turn allows them to understand the world that they live in better. This allows people to connect better with others and also allows people to be more understanding.
  • Electives allow people to not be dogmatic but rather tolerant due to being well informed on certain subjects.
  • Also, electives can be instrumental in helping students decide on a career path.
  • If a student likes an elective, this elective could end up deciding what the student would like to pursue with their future. [[User:Jocelynnjocy|Jocelynnjocy]
  • electives can also play a role in helping you discover new hobbies or career interests. Because electives cover such a wide variety of topics, they can introduce you to subjects you may not otherwise have learned about, and you may find some of those subjects really cool. [2]
  • Electives, more than many other courses, offer a way to show your personality and interests to a school. [3]

Examples of Electives in Education

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Computer science: programming, graphic design, web design[4]

English: journalism, creative writing, speech and debate[5]

Family and consumer science: nutrition, child development, culinary courses[6]

Math and Science: environmental science, zoology, astronomy, statistics[7]

Social Studies: psychology, anthropology, economics[8]

Visual and Performing Arts: drawing, painting, photography, choir, band [9]

K-12: From Winnie Hu from The New York Times said “these are two of the 17 electives added this year to the curriculum in this affluent Westchester County suburb, redefining traditional notions of a college-preparatory education and allowing students to pursue specialized interests that once were relegated to after-school clubs and weekend hobbies. Now, budding musicians take guitar lessons, amateur war historians re-enact military battles, and future engineers build solar-powered cars — all during school hours, and for credit.” For students to get more involved in school and for them to use elective courses to keep them in school. [10]

 

College: Daniel Regan from Johnson State College stated that “electives should also be an explicit subject of advising conversations. Will a student use electives to explore a potential interest that may (or may not) turn out to be a lifelong passion? Discover a career path she had not anticipated? Be exposed to a new pleasure? Explore part of a major that isn't required?Perhaps your college or university already does all this. Mine doesn't. But colleges everywhere should. At a time of justifiably heightened concern over the fortunes of American college students, serious attention to electives can improve their college educations, their life chances, and their lives in general." [11]

  1. ^ "What are electives? How many electives do I need? | Department of Political Science". polsci.colorado.edu. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  2. ^ Sarikas, Christine. "Which High School Electives Should You Take?". blog.prepscholar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  3. ^ Sarikas, Christine. "Which High School Electives Should You Take?". blog.prepscholar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  4. ^ Sarikas, Christine. "Which High School Electives Should You Take?". blog.prepscholar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  5. ^ Sarikas, Christine. "Which High School Electives Should You Take?". blog.prepscholar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  6. ^ Sarikas, Christine. "Which High School Electives Should You Take?". blog.prepscholar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  7. ^ Sarikas, Christine. "Which High School Electives Should You Take?". blog.prepscholar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  8. ^ Sarikas, Christine. "Which High School Electives Should You Take?". blog.prepscholar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  9. ^ Sarikas, Christine. "Which High School Electives Should You Take?". blog.prepscholar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  10. ^ Hu, Winnie (2008-10-26). "High Schools Add Electives to Cultivate Interests". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  11. ^ "Bookmarkable URL intermediate page". web.b.ebscohost.com. Retrieved 2016-03-04.