Independent Learning Centre: Difference between revisions
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The '''Independent Learning Centre''' (ILC) is the Province's designated provider of [[distance education]] and the exclusive provider of [[General Educational Development]] (GED) Testing in [[Ontario]]. <ref>[http://www.ilc.org/about/index.php About the Independent Learning Centre - ILC.org]</ref> |
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The '''Independent Learning Centre''' offers [[distance education]] courses to Ontario residents who want to earn Ministry of Education high school diploma credits, upgrade basic skills, or study for personal development.<ref>[http://www.ilc.org/cfmx/COU/About/cou_AboutMain.cfm?Menu_ID_Sel=100 Independent Learning Centre: About us]</ref> Students may earn an [[Ontario Secondary School Diploma]] through ILC study and courses are available at Advanced (university preparation) level as well as at community college and workplace preparation levels.<ref name=guide/> ILC also offers the five examinations required for students seeking a [[GED]] high school equivalency certificate.<ref name=guide/> |
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The ILC has a mandate from the [[Ontario Ministry of Education]] to provide: an alternative source of [[public education]] in [[English]] and [[French]], complementing the traditional system for students who want or need independent study options, services that are complementary and equivalent to public school boards such as delivering credit courses, providing student support and granting the [[Ontario Secondary School Diploma]] (OSSD), technology-enhanced education using new media to deliver online learning resources and facilitate student support in a [[blended learning]] format, and GED Testing <ref name=mandate>[http://www.ilc.org/about/our_mandate.php Mandate - ILC.org]</ref> |
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Ministry of Education-approved elementary school courses are also available for children who are being [[home school]]ed or who are temporarily living outside of Canada.<ref>[http://www.ilc.org/cfmx/COU/Students/cou_Elementary.cfm?Menu_ID_Sel=8700&Lang_Sel=1 Elementary<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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== Service Model == |
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| ⚫ | The ILC was founded in 1926 when Ontario's Department of Education established |
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===Courses === |
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The Independent Learning Centre offers Ontario Ministry of Education approved distance education courses including high-school credit courses, credit and non-credit courses in [[English as a Second Language]] (ESL) and an elementary program. <ref>[http://www.ilc.org/school/cou_overview.php Courses - ILC.org]</ref> |
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The ILC serves 20,000 students a year in English and French.<ref name=goar>Carol Goar, "Secret education success story", ''Toronto Star'', July 19, 2006</ref> It offers 70 high-school credit courses and four non-credit courses: basic literacy, English for newcomers and everyday reading and mathematics for adults. The fee is $40 per course for Ontario residents - courses are also available to students who permanently live outside of Ontario as well as international students permanently living outside of Canada at a fee of $500 for each full secondary school course or $1500 for an elementary school grade.<ref name=guide>[http://www.ilc.org/COU/pdf/ILC_CourseGuide07_en.pdf ILC Course Guide, 2007]</ref> |
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Students may earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma through ILC study. Courses are available in all pathways: Academic, Applied and Open for Grades 9 and 10, College Preparation, University Preparation, Workplace Preparation and Open for Grades 11 and 12. The ILC can help students arrange to complete the [[Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test]] and community involvement activities. <ref name=service>[http://www.ilc.org/about/service_model.php Service Model - ILC.org]</ref> |
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=== GED Testing === |
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GED Testing permits adults, aged 18 and over, who have been out of school for more than one year, and not completed high school the opportunity to demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge and skills associated with, and comparable to high school completion. To earn the GED Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate a candidate must complete a series of tests covering [[mathematics]], [[science]], [[reading]], [[writing]] and [[critical thinking]] skills. The Independent Learning Centre offers the GED Testing at locations around Ontario. <ref>[http://www.ilc.org/ged/index.php GED Testing - ILC.org]</ref> |
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=== Educational Services === |
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The ILC provides [[prior learning assessment and recognition]] advice for mature students (PLAR), to assist adult learners in acquiring credits by having their prior learning experiences, gained outside of an Ontario high school, assessed and recognized as equivalent to Ontario secondary school credits. <ref name=service/> |
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The ILC provides free learning and homework resources, accessed at the ILC web site, including Ask a Teacher <ref>[http://www.rbc.com/community/rbc_community/articles/20050727story.html "Homework help goes online", [[Royal Bank Of Canada]], rbc.com, Accessed June 30, 2009]</ref> a program of online tutoring by certified Ontario teachers & librarians, in addition to research tools, an online [[scientific calculator]], interactive [[periodic table]], a science and mathematics glossary and virtual seminars. <ref>[http://www.ilc.org/aat/index.php Ask a Teacher - ILC.org]</ref> |
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== Awards == |
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Canadian New Media Award <ref>[http://cnma.ca/index_e/about.php Canadian New Media Awards: About]</ref> for Excellence in Education. 2007 <ref>[http://cnma.ca/index_e/07finalists.html Canadian New Media Awards: 2007 Finalists]</ref><br /> |
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Association for Media Technology in Education in Canada Award of Excellence. 2005<br /> |
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Showcase Ontario Delivering IT as an Enabler Award of Excellence for Leveraging Technology to Enhance Education 2001. <ref>[http://showcaseontario.com/2001/index.html Showcase Ontario 2001]</ref><br /> |
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== History and Origins == |
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| ⚫ | The ILC was founded in 1926 when Ontario's Department of Education established correspondence courses for elementary school children living in isolated communities in [[northern Ontario]]. A "Railway School Car Program" serving children in isolated areas but along railway lines was also established that year. <ref name=mandate/> “the teacher and his family lived on the train car, which was part of [[CP Rail]]... They went from stop to stop, teaching the children of miners and loggers who lived in communities along the railway tracks.” <ref name=patch>Catherine Patch, "Evolution from train car to online teaching; Providing courses to students flung far and wide A path to higher education through independent study", ''[[Toronto Star]]'', November 18, 2004.</ref> The programs had a common objective - to bring education to children in isolated communities. |
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In recent years the ILC has evolved its service offering to include the latest software and internet-based delivery techniques. The ILC serves approximately 20,000 Ontarians a year, and learners can do all their coursework either offline, online or a combination of both. <ref name=goar>Carol Goar, "Secret education success story", ''Toronto Star'', July 19, 2006.</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.ilc.org/ Independent Learning Centre] |
*[http://www.ilc.org/ Independent Learning Centre] |
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*[http://www.acenet.edu GED Testing] |
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{{coord missing|Canada}} |
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[[Category:Homeschooling]] |
[[Category:Homeschooling]] |
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Revision as of 18:35, 23 June 2009
| Independent Learning Centre | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
2180 Yonge Street , , M4T 2T1 | |
| Information | |
| School type | Distance Education/Homeschool |
| Motto | Ontario's Designated Provider of Distance Education |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Staff | 65 |
| Grades | 1 to 12 (Elementary/Secondary) |
| Enrollment | Over 20,000 (2008 approx.) |
| Language | English French |
| Campus | Ontario |
| Managing Director | Sarah Irwin |
| Principal | Gerry Pigat |
| Head, Learner Services | Dona Lewis |
| Website | http://www.ilc.org |
The Independent Learning Centre (ILC) is the Province's designated provider of distance education and the exclusive provider of General Educational Development (GED) Testing in Ontario. [1]
The ILC has a mandate from the Ontario Ministry of Education to provide: an alternative source of public education in English and French, complementing the traditional system for students who want or need independent study options, services that are complementary and equivalent to public school boards such as delivering credit courses, providing student support and granting the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), technology-enhanced education using new media to deliver online learning resources and facilitate student support in a blended learning format, and GED Testing [2]
Service Model
Courses
The Independent Learning Centre offers Ontario Ministry of Education approved distance education courses including high-school credit courses, credit and non-credit courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) and an elementary program. [3]
Students may earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma through ILC study. Courses are available in all pathways: Academic, Applied and Open for Grades 9 and 10, College Preparation, University Preparation, Workplace Preparation and Open for Grades 11 and 12. The ILC can help students arrange to complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test and community involvement activities. [4]
GED Testing
GED Testing permits adults, aged 18 and over, who have been out of school for more than one year, and not completed high school the opportunity to demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge and skills associated with, and comparable to high school completion. To earn the GED Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate a candidate must complete a series of tests covering mathematics, science, reading, writing and critical thinking skills. The Independent Learning Centre offers the GED Testing at locations around Ontario. [5]
Educational Services
The ILC provides prior learning assessment and recognition advice for mature students (PLAR), to assist adult learners in acquiring credits by having their prior learning experiences, gained outside of an Ontario high school, assessed and recognized as equivalent to Ontario secondary school credits. [4]
The ILC provides free learning and homework resources, accessed at the ILC web site, including Ask a Teacher [6] a program of online tutoring by certified Ontario teachers & librarians, in addition to research tools, an online scientific calculator, interactive periodic table, a science and mathematics glossary and virtual seminars. [7]
Awards
Canadian New Media Award [8] for Excellence in Education. 2007 [9]
Association for Media Technology in Education in Canada Award of Excellence. 2005
Showcase Ontario Delivering IT as an Enabler Award of Excellence for Leveraging Technology to Enhance Education 2001. [10]
History and Origins
The ILC was founded in 1926 when Ontario's Department of Education established correspondence courses for elementary school children living in isolated communities in northern Ontario. A "Railway School Car Program" serving children in isolated areas but along railway lines was also established that year. [2] “the teacher and his family lived on the train car, which was part of CP Rail... They went from stop to stop, teaching the children of miners and loggers who lived in communities along the railway tracks.” [11] The programs had a common objective - to bring education to children in isolated communities.
By the 1950s, the correspondence course program had expanded to include a complete set of secondary school courses allowing for students to receive a high school diploma entirely through distance education. [2]
On April 1, 2002, the ILC was transferred from the Ministry of Education to the Ontario Educational Communications Authority which also operates TVOntario. [2]
In recent years the ILC has evolved its service offering to include the latest software and internet-based delivery techniques. The ILC serves approximately 20,000 Ontarians a year, and learners can do all their coursework either offline, online or a combination of both. [12]
References
- ^ About the Independent Learning Centre - ILC.org
- ^ a b c d Mandate - ILC.org
- ^ Courses - ILC.org
- ^ a b Service Model - ILC.org
- ^ GED Testing - ILC.org
- ^ "Homework help goes online", Royal Bank Of Canada, rbc.com, Accessed June 30, 2009
- ^ Ask a Teacher - ILC.org
- ^ Canadian New Media Awards: About
- ^ Canadian New Media Awards: 2007 Finalists
- ^ Showcase Ontario 2001
- ^ Catherine Patch, "Evolution from train car to online teaching; Providing courses to students flung far and wide A path to higher education through independent study", Toronto Star, November 18, 2004.
- ^ Carol Goar, "Secret education success story", Toronto Star, July 19, 2006.