Why I Launch: Dixon Reid


Dixon Reid, an advanced eighth grade student at Cassville Middle School, was able to take Geometry with Launch from the convenience of his Cassville Middle School campus. SUBMITTED BY MINDI ARTHERTON After completing advanced math coursework, teachers at Cassville Middle
By Savannah Waszczuk

Dixon Reid, an advanced eighth grade student at Cassville Middle School, was able to take Geometry with Launch from the convenience of his Cassville Middle School campus. SUBMITTED BY MINDI ARTHERTON

Cassville eighth grader Dixon Reid is advanced in Math—Launch allows him to take Geometry online from the convenience of his middle school campus.

After completing advanced math coursework, teachers at Cassville Middle School knew eighth grade student Dixon Reid was fully equipped to soar through geometry. Reid had a bit of a logistics problem, though—the Cassville school district is dispersed among two campuses.
Reid was not capable of getting himself to and from the high school to participate in a traditional seated geometry class. His parents and school administrators were faced with an issue—how could they continue to challenge Dixon in the classroom without the stress of taking him to the high school campus each day and immersing him in a class full of students much older than him? Their answer—Launch.
Reid was one of the first students at Cassville R-IV to take a Launch class online for credit. Launch has given him the opportunity to take geometry while staying on the middle school campus. Read on to learn about his experience.

Launch: What do you like about your online course?
D.R.: The teacher has great videos that provide clean instruction, her notes are very detailed and she has her own website. It is easy to contact her through email, text or phone. I like completing the course on my own at my own pace.

Launch:
How often do you contact your teacher?
D.R.: I have spoken with her twice, but at this time, I don’t need a lot of help. I know I can contact her at any time and she will be happy to help me.

Launch: How would you compare online classes to a seated class?
D.R.: I love the online class. It has given me more freedom and works well with my learning style. I feel less pressure and I can work at my own pace.

Launch: What are some of your plans for both high school and college?
D.R.: Right now, I’m not sure. I don’t know what math will be available to me in high school, but I do plan on taking dual credit classes to lessen my load in college. I am very interested in mechanical engineering and hope to earn my degree in engineering.

Launch: Do you feel other middle school students are capable of taking classes through launch?
D.R.: I believe Launch would be a good fit for some students. When you start a Launch course you have to have the right mindset. You must be self-motivated and self-driven. When you have this type of freedom, it is easy to fall into a trap. You can’t just think, “I will get that done tomorrow.” That type of thinking will get you behind very quickly.

Launch: Do you anticipate taking any other classes through Launch?
D.R.: Yes, I do! I am just not sure what those classes may be.