Why This Class

Why This Class

Why This Class

Why This Class
Does your student enjoy making music and interacting with technology? Do they love listening to electronic beats or mixing funny voice recordings? If the answer is yes, you might want to give them an outlet to expand this interest further. On that note, this course introduces your student to the fundamentals of sound and audio engineering.

Students in this self-paced course learn how to record and produce pro-quality sounds using Audacity audio-editing software. Along the way, they practice adding sound effects to music and voice tracks, piece together multiple audio files to create layered sounds, and even learn the ins-and-outs of copyrighting their work. By the end of the course, students have a personal portfolio of mixed-and-mastered original electronic tracks.

Students emerge from this course with a new perspective on the hard work and artistry behind the sounds of their favorite songs and movies. They are excited to continue using their new skills to produce creative works of their own.

Why This Class
As a parent, you want to help your student develop the skills to unlock the opportunities they desire. Whether they wish to spend time in a foreign country or apply to a competitive university, learning a second language in high school can help (it also improves memory and increases attention span). At Williamsburg, we partner with Rosetta Stone to offer your student a cutting-edge language learning experience.

Through Rosetta Stone, students expand their vocabulary with words describing daily tasks, cultural experiences, schoolwork, family, and travel. Each Rosetta Stone course has 3 or 5 levels of study available in each language (as shown below). Each level is worth 0.5 credits and takes 20-70 hours to complete (depending on a student’s aptitude for languages and the difficulty of the language selected). Please note that many colleges require two credits of a second language, and Williamsburg can only offer 1.5 credits for languages where only three levels are available.

Languages with five levels available (2.5 credits total):

Chinese (Mandarin)
English (US)
French
German
Italian
Russian
Spanish (Latin America)
Spanish (Spain)
Languages with three levels available (1.5 credits total):

Arabic
Dutch
Filipino (Tagalog)
Greek
Hebrew
Hindi
Irish
Japanese
Korean
Latin
Persian (Farsi)
Polish
Portuguese (Brazil)
Swedish
Turkish
Vietnamese
(Check this table to see how Rosetta Stone levels translate to Williamsburg courses.)

By pursuing mastery in a second language, students broaden their perspective on the world, gain confidence in their communication skills, and lay the groundwork to succeed in future studies or travel to another country. Who knows what doors will open when your student learns a second language?

Why This Class
Has your student expressed interest in becoming a computer programmer, software engineer, video game designer, or IT problem-solver? If so, you want to help them explore this path and get a head-start if it’s the right one for them. This course helps by equipping your student with foundational coding skills in Python, a popular programming language.

Students in this self-paced course create games, stories, applications, and other useful programs using Python. They practice navigating the semantics of the language and experiment with coding concepts including input and output, strings, if/else statements, while-loops, for-loops, and functions. This course also prepares students to pass an exam towards earning Microsoft’s Technology Associate Certification.

By completing this course, students gain familiarity with the coding process and develop skills that will help them pursue programming as a profession or hobby. They’re excited by the possibilities for using Python to bring their technological ideas to life.

Why This Class
Is your student fascinated by what goes on in the world’s oceans? Do they love studying sea animals and spending time by the water? If so, you want to nurture their curiosity and see where it might lead. This course takes your student on a deep dive into the beautiful (and still relatively little-known) world of life beneath the waves.

Students in this self-paced course begin by learning about the critical role the ocean plays in Earth’s environment and overall health. From there, they explore the forces that power the tides, study the oceans’ impact on weather patterns, and meet many of the wild and wacky creatures that call the sea home. Students also examine the impact humans have on ocean life and discover current, past and future careers available in marine science.

By completing this course, students expand their awareness of the vast impact of oceans on all life on Earth. They become wiser consumers of the oceans’ resources and clarify their interest in further studying marine science.

Why This Class
Is your student a lawyer in the making? Have they expressed interest in law school or a career in the justice system? If so, you want to give them a head start on exploring this path further. With that in mind, this course gives your student an in-depth introduction to the principles and processes that make law and order happen.

Students in this self-paced course learn how the many participants in America’s legal system shape new laws, clarify old ones, and ensure that freedom stays protected in the process. They discover how ethics helps validate individual laws, look inside America’s courtrooms, and examine the nuances between the worlds of criminal, tort, consumer and family law. In the process, students learn who is responsible for each major part of the justice system and gain awareness of how courts enforce laws.

By completing this course, students get a taste of what they’ll learn if they decide to pursue law school—and become more informed and responsible citizens as a result.

Why This Class
Is your student a budding masterchef? Do they follow food celebrities and spend hours experimenting with new creations in the kitchen? Or, do you simply want them to know their way around the kitchen? Either way, you want to help them maximize their cooking skills and support their aspirations. This course helps by guiding your student through the fundamentals of working and making a difference in the food industry.

Students in this self-paced course explore the history of the modern culinary world, learn the basic rules of nutrition and kitchen safety, and even look into the major laws and regulations governing food service. Through hands-on projects, they level-up their cooking experience and hone the skills required to start working in a commercial kitchen. The course wraps up with an overview of what’s involved in opening, managing and marketing a restaurant.

By completing this course, students gain insights and skills that support them in pursuing job opportunities in the food industry. They learn to prepare healthy and enjoyable meals for others and increase their awareness of the role food plays in society.

Why This Class
As you know, the Internet has made it possible for anyone to start an international business—including your student. As simple as it may sound to run a company online, doing business across borders is a complex process. If your student wants to start or work in a company that serves customers around the world, this course will help them prepare.

Students in this self-paced course discover the unique challenges and opportunities of the global marketplace. They explore the principles of international finance, trade relationships between countries, logistical and legal issues, cultural influences, and worldwide marketing. Students also review case studies of companies that have successfully operated across cultural, legal and linguistic boundaries.

By completing this course, students gain awareness of what makes the global economy tick—and what makes it challenging for businesses. This knowledge prepares them to thrive in whatever career they choose.