Classes Offered

ODWIN's effective, customized learning solution incorporates the following elements:

• A series of academic diagnostic tests to determine each person's strengths and weaknesses in basic math, English grammar and writing, and reading/study skills, which includes word, sentence, paragraph analysis, and vocabulary.
• An individualized educational plan designed to eliminate educational weaknesses and to develop the strengths necessary to achieve the person's career goal.
• Educational counseling throughout participation, career information and assistance in selecting and applying to college.
• Appropriate classes moving from foundation to advanced courses, as the person is ready.

Foundation courses are taught in small, individualized classes in an open-ended time frame based on student progress.

Advanced courses are taught in medium-sized group classes in a specific time frame based on teacher-paced instruction.

Once in college, ODWIN students continue to receive the following services:

• Follow-up academic support while in college as needed.
• Licensing exam preparation upon graduation from college if needed.

ENGLISH LEARNING CENTER (ELC)
Prerequisites – Average participation: 2-3 semesters

ELC focuses on the basic structure of the language and is usually the level at which students begin their participation in the language component of the program. As such, it represents the keystone for their progress in all other areas since a mastery of language is crucial for understanding text books as well as to interpret and communicate effectively.

ELC is an individualized program with four basic components:

1. all the grammar skills necessary for correct sentence structure;
2. the construction and use of the various types of clauses and the construction of each of the different sentence patterns;
3. self-initiated editing skills;
4. the expansion of vocabulary

READING/STUDY SKILLS
Average participation: 2-3 semesters

The focus of the reading program is on the skills necessary for analyzing and learning from textbooks as well as for demonstrating knowledge on objective tests. The skills included in the program are:

Word Attack Skills: The skills used to recognize, analyze and learn unfamiliar vocabulary. This involves structural analysis, use of context clues, pronunciation, and dictionary usage.

Sentence Analysis: The skills required to understand sentences through structural components of the sentence and from identification of relationships and key words.

Paragraph Reading: The skills necessary to extract and organize information from written material in a useful way. Mastering this skill involves identifying the main ideas and the supportive details, recognizing specific relationships, drawing conclusions, and thinking critically. Approaches to studying are incorporated into the paragraph reading aspect of each student’s program.

MATH LEARNING CENTER (MLC)
Average participation: 2-3 semester

The MLC focuses on those fundamental concepts of numbers that are conventionally treated in arithmetic and is usually the level at which students begin their participation in the math component of the program. The MLC is a totally individualized program designed to strengthen whichever of the fundamental arithmetic skills the student particularly needs. These skills include: ratio fractions, decimals and percents; application of these computational skills to solving word problems; setting up and solving proportions; understanding of and conversion within the measurement systems (U.S. , apothecary and metric); conversion between the systems; basic graph construction and interpretation.

ACCENT REDUCTION
Prerequisite: Verbal communication in English at an appropriate level.

This is a one-semester course to help students to speak English clearly. Skills covered include decoding the pronunciation symbols in dictionaries; making correct vowel and consonant sounds; stressing the right syllables in words; stressing important words in sentences; and using the rhythms, intonation, and blendings/ linkings familiar to native English speakers.

BASIC COMPUTER/INTERNET
Prerequisite: None

Participating students practice typing using Mavis Beacon and learn to operate the computer including using the mouse, keyboard, various Windows and word processing programs; software/programs to write letters, memos, format and set up typing or term papers. Students will learn to navigate the Internet. Areas covered include World Wide Web terminology, setting up email accounts, sending e-mail and email attachments, browsing the Internet, using Search Engines, doing research, mapping directions, guidelines for shopping on-line, making airline reservations, sending greeting cards, and much more.

Description of ADVANCED Courses

COMPOSITION 1
Prerequisite: Completion of ELC or equivalent skill level – 1 semester

This course focuses on the development of the skills necessary to write a cohesive, multi-paragraph essay. The course concentrates on various methods of exposition, e.g. cause-effect, comparison-contrast, extended definition, description and narration, and stresses organization of material and clarity in writing.

COMPOSITION 2
Prerequisite: Comp I or equivalent skill level – 1 semester
This course focuses on the development of the skills necessary to develop both a longer expository essay and a research paper. Notetaking, bibliography, footnotes, the formulation of summaries and the finer points of paraphrasing and argumentation are included in this course. For completion, the student must produce a short research paper.

HUMANITIES
Prerequisite: Reading level compatible with texts –
Average participation: 1 semester

The Humanities course is designed to introduce students to or reacquaint them with those classical Greek and Roman myths that form the foundation for subsequent literature, academic terminology and social custom. The course consists of selected readings, discussion with a view to analyzing the classical material as well as contrasting it with comparable myths from other cultures.

LISTENING AND NOTETAKING/TEST-TAKING
Prerequisite: Reading skills related to recognition of main idea/topic versus details – Average participation: 1 semester

This course teaches students how to take complete and accurate notes from lectures. The use of symbols and abbreviations is presented as well as the shortening of words and phonetic spelling of unfamiliar words. An integral part of the course involves the development of a consistent and effective structure to organize information clearly. Methods for answering objective test questions are also taught.

THINKING AND REASONING
Prerequisite: Language arts skills compatible with the demands of the materials used – 1 semester

This course is designed to assist the student in developing a better understanding of the various aspects of the thought process in general and in understanding and sharpening her/his own cognitive skills. The focus includes flexibility of thought, visualization, memory, concentration, analysis, inductive and deductive reasoning.

ALGEBRA
Prerequisite: Completion of MLC and language arts skills compatible with the demands of the text and analysis of word problems –
Average participation: 1 semester

Algebra provides transition from the self-paced to the conventionally structured learning mode. The pace of the course itself and the demands on the students to produce in a mathematically sophisticated manner are gradually increased throughout the course.

The course content includes: algebraic vocabulary and symbols; the meaning of the computation using exponential expressions, signed numbers and polynomials; the solving of linear and quadratic equations in one variable and application to word problems; understanding of and computation using numbers in scientific notation; linear functions and graphing.

PHARMACOLOGICAL MATH
Prerequisite: Completion of MLC – Average participation: 1 semester

The course is designed for students who are preparing to enter a nursing program. It focuses on the following: use and interpretation of abbreviations; use of methods and/or formulae germane to specific types of problems; conversions between metric and apothecary; preparation of solutions from pure drug and from stock solutions; intravenous problems, including practice actually adjusting equipment for specific rates of flow and in making time tapes; determining dosage for oral medication, hypodermic medications, insulin and antibiotics.

BIOLOGY I
Prerequisite: Language arts level compatible with the demands of the textbook – Average participation: 1 semester

An introduction to the basic concepts of biology. The course includes: scientific method, chemical and structural basis of life, structure and function of the cell, homeostasis and transport, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, cell reproduction and the fundamentals of genetics.

BIOLOGY II
Prerequisite: Biology I or equivalent skills – Average participation: 1 semester

The material covered serves as an introduction to anatomy and physiology. Topics covered include skeletal, muscular, integumentary systems, infectious diseases and the immune system, bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, digestive and excretory systems, nutrition, nervous system, endocrine system, reproductive system and drugs.

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