December 28, 2007
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Online High School
Connecticut has started enrollment for its first group of online high school courses.
Students will be able to take some courses in basic subjects in order to earn credits to graduation. Here is the link: Link
Do you think offering high school courses online will take away from the quality of a high school education?
Comments (113)
Yes, from a social point of view. You won’t learn team work as well as if it were a real classroom setting.
Screw all that– people will cheat moreso than they already do.
No.
Third!
I think it’s inappropriate for a high school setting. Those kids need to be structured.
Yes I certainly do. Humans are lazy as a whole. This will pander to it. We’ll just have to wait and see I guess.
Yep.
Yea, a lot of high school education is socialization!
RYC – I know what ya mean, I just don’t want to come across as ungreatful for what I do have.
A high school student should not be doing enough of anything else to justify a need for online high school courses. Hell the students probably won’t even be doing the work themselves half the time.
We have had a virtual school for several years here — it is more than just high school, too — It is designed for homeschooled students. It works REALLY well for most, there are some as there are in every setting that abuse the system.
Making broad generalizations about students about structure and laziness is unfair to the students. I have the fortunate opportunity to be familiar with families that have made totally different choices for educating their children: homeschool, public, and private schooling, I myself have been a part of each of the three. I know of many homeschooled families that are much more structured than classrooms, both pubic and private, that I know. I also know some that seem lazy to many people but have much more education going on than in a classroom setting. That is the beauty of our education system, the ability to make the choice that works for you and your family.
No, some people have trouble sitting still for that long. This would be a good alternative for them. I think they should also be required to take some in class courses.
yes,
RYC: first it’s a boy and second I will give him kwanza ( he’s 1/4 black) I’m not exactly sure what you do on Kwanza yet, but i’ll figure it out. Christmas is out, too much work.
Oh no! The best part of high school, for me, was my friends, sports, and clubs. Let’s just encourage everyone to be their own little island, sitting in a room behind a computer screen.
No, it’ll probably improve it. The public school system is a JOKE. Students mess around at school; so even if they mess around at home they’re likely to get the same education if they’re really looking to learn.
And if they’re not looking to learn? They’ve got bigger issues than learning math or science.
I think it would be hard for high school students to be self-disciplined enough to learn. College is one thing, high school I think they benefit more in a classroom setting.
ryc: actually i didn’t get either at Wal-Mart. I didn’t even know they sold them there until recently. The one that died came from a dinky pet store, and the other one a huge franchise. I learned my lesson lol
Broadly brushing people with the assumption that they need “structure” and would miss out on the “teamwork” is just not correct. My son did not attend traditional public school. He attended a cyber charter school for 9th through 12th grades. There were definitely good and bad things about it. It allowed flexibility in terms of when the school work was completed. This allowed him to have a job outside our home from the time he was 14. He had no problem getting into college and had no more struggles with college-level work than most “normal” teens. As far as socialization is concerned, he was in a private school setting through 8th grade with “normal” school activities. He played sports during elementary years learning “teamwork” skills during that time. His work from 14 through the end of his high school involved interaction on a daily basis with adults in a work setting. He learned to deal on an adult level with people very early on.
Did he get a poorer education in some respects than he would have in a classroom setting? Possibly, at least in terms of advanced math and science. However, for him it does not seem to be an issue because he is not inclined in that direction and has no desire to pursue higher education or a career in any field such as those.
This was long, but my answer to the question is that is valuable for some–even more valuable than the traditional classroom–and not for others.
i have trouble listening in class and sitting still…i’m online schooled and i find it a lot more interesting and easier, and you waste a lot less time.
i guess not everyone would be able to learn this way but i really like it.
Is this a joke? Quality of High School Education? Well maybe in Connecticut there is some quality, but elsewhere the educational system is a mess and we keep turning out kids who know more about how to put on a condom than how to find Afghanistan on a map. I don’t think a computer based course is going to hurt at this point.
it works on the college level.
Less distractions could be a good thing!
There should be an outright ban on online education, homeschooling, private schooling, and any other form of education that competes with the compulsory taxation government school monopoly. Anybody with a brain knows that the quality of a service or product goes up when there’s a monopoly and goes down when there is competition! The reason the government-run schools are struggling is that homeschool and private school is trying to compete. Get rid of all the competition and our public schools will soon be rid of all their problems!
And UFOs have a base under Loch Ness!
hmm depends on your stance. I did high school for 2 years this way through a university and graduated 2 years early.. I think it really depends on a person’s ability to have social interaction outside a school setting. For me, I am super social, so its okay, but for others I know it could have been catastrophic.
and for the whose feel that students only learn well in a “social” setting, just take a look at some home schooled kids and tell me they don’t know anything or aren’t socialized — as far as socialization goes, do we really want our kids knowing how to have sex at 12 – have joint rolling education or at the elementary level dealing with drugs, bullies and politically biased teachers who reinvent history to make it fit their social agenda? Not the kind of socialization that I want for my kids. As far as teamwork goes, my gifted daughter will tell you how well teamwork works – she ends up doing the bulk of the work as she’s the only concerned about the grade! And just to point out – all teens are not academically lazy – some are interested in their education and where it will take them. OK – Rant over – (you pushed the hot button there) Just sharing MHO
No!
I did all my courses for grades 11 & 12 online and I got a better quality education than I would have at a public school. Smaller class sizes, your teachers can be reached any time and you don’t have to lug around a heavy backpack.
the more hands-off the teachers are, the more problems we will have.
our education system is a joke because teachers (not all of them) do not try hard enough.
I think that all these people saying how high school education is meant to strengthen your social skill missed the point of high school. Did they learn anything in school, or did they just have great friends? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with high school kids taking classes online. They’ll probably learn more that way.
No–I’m IN a cyber school, and it is the most fantastic thing. I have SO many different classes to choose from.
That having been said, it only worked for me because I MADE it work for me. I worked hard, and I never slacked off.
You really can’t say whether or not a student could get a higher or lower quality education from online courses. Because every student learns differently, varying teaching techniques (all incorporated into one classroom setting) are suggestibly used as often as possible in order to optimize student productivity and learning capacity. Some people may need that teacher there to guide them through exercises while some could be independent in their studies.
Personally, I felt during high school that I was constantly held back from learning more because teachers would stay on one topic longer than it took me to learn it. That doesn’t mean that the teacher is bad or that online courses are better or any of that; my best teaching style is one that fits me. I learn quickly, so I like faster-moving courses; therefore, I would enjoy online, flexibly scheduled courses where I could move my own speed and learn as much as I wanted on top of what I needed.
Not if the education system sucks.. they might be better off…
I think this is a wonderful idea.
I know alot of people don’t read the articles, the links.
I thought the following summed it up well:
“There are some school systems with very small high schools. That extremely limits what they can offer,” he said. “You can offer it online, it can be offered to so many students in so many schools.”
Online education rocks! Let’s talk about all that one would miss in the traditional high school setting if one were to be educated in another way: 1) wasted time in classrooms due to the fact that the teachers cannot leave any child behind and thus must slow things down (dumbing them down) allowing better students, even average students, to become bored; 2) all the ridicule that one takes from fellow students because of one’s (perceived) inadequacies; 3) not being accepted due to the fact that one is not athletic enough, pretty enough, too poor to afford the best clothing, etc.; 4) liberal indoctrination by teachers who long ago lost touch with the real world (not all of them–don’t jump on me you diligent teachers); 5) bullying, getting beat up in the rest room or locker room, etc.; 6) walking by the urination in the stairwells…………
I could go on, but I think the point is made to most thinking adults.
I always wonder with online courses what prevents people from cheating on the tests or getting extra help or information. It seems like a good idea in theory, but underachievers will be able to slack and not learn a thing and ruin such programs for the rest of us.
My god, yes.
It’s going to shorten attention spans and cause widespread cheating.
I’m always amazed at otherwise good educators who start to think that everything must be done high-tech.
I don’t think high school kids are equipped enough to know how to properly learn online. A lot of high schoolers are already trying to get out of learning as it is. I think they would use the opportunity to lay back, cheat, and do whatever they want.
Not a good idea. They need structure.
Okay wait a second people….you obviously know nothing about this. My husband is an online teacher and he is NOT a hands-off teacher. This isn’t a way out for students at all. IT IS AMAZING. It gives many students a way to take classes and get personal help around the clock easier than just going to school from 8-3. In fact the teacher have to be MORE available than just during school hours! Students can get on anytime and ask the teachers questions and have forums when they need to!
There are times and days the teachers and students do have to meet FACE TO FACE which is what it’s called. This gives students who may be sick or unable to get to school for various reasons a chance for a real education. I know many of the students that are enrolled in the same school my husband teaches through that are thriving because they didn’t do well in a traditional school setting. This isn’t for every student, just like a traditional school isn’t for every student.
So before you bash the everything about it, do a little research and have an open mind. It’s obvious some of you are making assumptions based on ignorance. Their are other ways to test students understanding in which they cannot cheat any easier than if they were in your class in front of you!
I am hoping to start teaching in some of the Face to face art classes soon.
There should be an outright ban on online education, homeschooling, private schooling, and any other form of education that competes with the compulsory taxation government school monopoly. Anybody with a brain knows that the quality of a service or product goes up when there’s a monopoly and goes down when there is competition! The reason the government-run schools are struggling is that homeschool and private school is trying to compete. Get rid of all the competition and our public schools will soon be rid of all their problems!
You obviously have NO idea what the heck you are talking about. It’s the presence of competition that motivates institutions and business to do better. Communism hasn’t worked yet. If you had any education in the world of education you would realize all the things listed are the least of worries of public education. The problems are so complicated I couldn’t even begin to outline them here.
By the way 32 states have added this system of education since 1997….it’s not anything new.
yes
I would not mind trying a online course and meet up with the class and tutor if possibly once a term to go though anything which might be important for the exams
I might even get a higher grade
No
lack of social skills and may be not meeting deadlines
i think that this could be a very good thing for students that miss a lot of school due to illness, or a family environment which has them moving all the time. I took a lot of my college classes online. Organic Chem should not be taken online. (says I, because i FAILED it). Math, in the right format, might be a good thing. I had a great teacher that had these slideshows that we could view over and over. They were small snippets of instruction, that I found far more instructive than a classroom setting. And the best part, if I didnt understand, or needed to see the problem done again for homework, I could easily access the lesson.
One of my favorite online classes was a German film class. We had to watch a film at home each week, (they were all available on netflix) then we had to go to the class website and discuss specific questions. Everyone had to participate with a certain number of comments. I loved this, because if this was a traditional classroom setting, the in-class discussion would have been dominated by those few students that always seem to dominate class discussions. This web format gave me the opportunity to see what everyone had to say and I really enjoyed it.
Now with that said, I took an enormous amount of online courses. They were all extremely challenging in this form. There was probably a lot more work than I would have in a traditional setting. Some classes I learned more than I would have, some I learned less, because all I had to do was read some stuff and write a paper.
Not having a diploma will fuck you quite more than taking courses online.
Um…Tavia I think Bill was using a wee bit of satire there. Read his entire comment before you go an a crusade.
As for the question:
Online classes and distance learning courses can be quite challenging and very difficult to cheat. I challenge any skeptic here to enroll in any one online class (secondary or post secondary levels) and have the same opinion, as before they entered the class.
might as well be homeschooled… which is more affective anyways
Oh, please. I cannot believe so many people feel online schools are a bad idea. Many of my homeschooled friends are involved in online or satellite schools – I can speak from experience that in some ways such a thing is more beneficial than regular institutional school. Also, online schools attract a certain type of people – the ones who are motivated and will work for their education.
Although, I’m not too keen on the idea of online schools, but not for educational reasons. I see online schools as a way the government can work itself into the home, which history has shown is not a good thing. I’m not excessively familiar with online schools in general, however.
Tavia, I agree with you on your assessment of the value of online education. However, re-read BillBryants comment. I think you will find that he made it with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek! He wasn’t serious. Look at the last line. I’ve read his xanga for a while now and he is a conservative. It is most likely in my opinion that he favors school choice.
I don’t think that would lessen the quality of education at all. In fact, I wish they’d done that in Kansas when I was in high school. I hated going to school, so online classes to graduate sooner would’ve been a brilliant idea.
Colleges do it so why not high school.
In my first comment I said humans are lazy as a whole, not ALL humans. In a homschool setting I would say it’s a great idea. I know many homeschoolers who use this. I thought the question was pertaining to the whole school. If the parents are involved with it with their kids, it would be better all the way around, problem is, the parents most of the time, not all the time, use school as a sitter and don’t get involved with their kids studying. If it’s left up to the kids to study using a computer without being monitored, you’ll have much more game playing and such instead of studying. I don’t say this for everyone, just what would be more common. The parents would have to make the call because they SHOULD know their kids to know if it would be suitable for their kids makeup.
I’ve never taken online classes but I’m thinking yeah.
High school isn’t just about the education you get on the subjects you’re taking.
It’s also teaches you how to put up with people’s bullcrap without using fists (some people just fail to learn).
Experience is the best teacher.
Kids aren’t getting an education in a structured classroom setting because they don’t WANT to. This is one more attempt of the Liberals, and Conn. is a very Liberal State, to dumb down the future of America. Would you want to go to a “professional” in the future who learned from a computer educated subject…like how to remove a kidney?
In the world of education, America still is at the bottom of the list. Let’s make it easier for American children to be bigger dummies. Yikes!!!
No wonder more and more parents are educating their kids at home.
Hah, in this country? It could hardly make it worse.
After reading the article…it sounds like a great way for kids to catch up who are behind….and take classes their small high school may not offer.
personally, i think it will; but also take off a lot of that pressure, and definitely decrease their drop-out rate.
Pennsylvania has been doing this for YEARS, and I don’t see a headline about us.
No.
I think it’s a great idea. At our school, we offer some courses online (like consumer education).
Quality in our schools?
America’s education system is a complete joke.
Maybe the real question should be, “Is the public school system itself taking away from the quality of a high school education?
Dependng on how it’s done, it could be better.
It might be a great idea for certain kids, and when handled with care. Not nearly as bad as homeschool. That’s another tool for parents to shelter, brainwash, and poison their children. Homeschooled children don’t learn to think on their own, because–IN MY EXPERIENCE (emphasis placed there!)– children are homeschooled because of religious reasons or over-protective parents. I think it’s toxic. Cyberschool isn’t AS bad. I’m a pretty anti-social bastard who hates the high school scene as a whole, but I don’t think staying at home all day is a solution– despite my love of computers and the ‘net. Saying “Fuck you, you insolent dolt.” and then walking away is a solution (as my school is filled with morons who wouldn’t be able to understand “insolent” and “dolt”).
Plus, without Shithole High, I wouldn’t ever leave my house. I doubt I’d friggen move.
what quality? there’s no quality left in education…..nothing. or else half the kids I know wouldn’t be failing! the system is failing.
I was homeschooled my entire life, and passed every class I took. YES, there were tests, and it was hard (not like some of you would think) and there wasn’t a lack of socialization. you just have to know where to go to find people to hang with.
It’s about damn time the country stopped looking down on in home course studies.
No. High school isnt just about academics; it is also about being a part of activities and having some fun. I know I would NOT be able to sit still for that long…it would get really boring really soon.
I think that it is a brilliant idea. I was homeschooled almost all the way through high school (I went to public schools when I was in first grade and then when I was in fourth grade). I had no lack of socialization whatsoever, and I was given an academically proficient education. I’m now a freshman in college and I’m doing quite well there. And seriously, it’s not like having kids take online courses for high school isn’t going to keep them isolated from the rest of civilization.
oh, and captain_jag
It might be a great idea for certain kids, and when handled with care.
Not nearly as bad as homeschool. That’s another tool for parents to
shelter, brainwash, and poison their children. Homeschooled children
don’t learn to think on their own, because–IN MY EXPERIENCE (emphasis
placed there!)– children are homeschooled because of religious reasons
or over-protective parents. I think it’s toxic.
I’m going to call you ignorant. Homeschoolilng is a great institution for people who don’t want their children brainwashed by the system into thinking it’s okay to have sex when you’re twelve…who the hell gives condoms out to 6th graders? Or to say it’s normal to be homosexual, and encouraging you to explore all options….W.T.F. Or for the parents who worry about shootings in a bad city where the schools are terrible. Don’t underestimate homeschool. I know some kids who went to Harvard off of a homeschooled education. There’s less to distract you, you can do whatever course you want first, you can do school 6 days a week and finish high school early…..it’s not “toxic” My brother and sister were put into public school for the first time three years ago….do you want to know what happened to them? My brother and sister ended up on probation, and experimented with drugs….had they never attended public school, I know they would never have gone through these things.
Homeschooled children don’t learn to think on their own? They certainly don’t just accept darwin’s theory as truth. I remember researching my ass off with controversial topics, and being encouraged to find the truth out for myself and not have the teachers or governments beliefs force fed down my throat. My parents gave me the chance of a life time…a chance to be different from the robotic education of the public system. everyone in public school is the same….and that to me is toxic.
So what if parents are trying to protect their children, you obviously aren’t a parent…because if you were, the things I just wrote about would scare the hell out of you. It scares me, and my job as a parent IS to protect my daughter.
I don’t see how it would be much different than homeschooling.
I appoligize if that was tongue and cheek….the last sentence should have clued me in. I am a little too literal perhaps. I am glad you were kidding, I thought you might be insane!
Yeah.
Yes, plus there’s a lot more room for cheating.
Tavia, no worries. Drop by my blog and you’ll understand me a little better. I think I might be insane too, but not in the way you feared!
Yes.
one leads to another. . .
I actually added a couple more poems to the bunch today, so “re-posted”
I think I might stop though with that.
I think 6 poems in a row is enough. . .
Maybe I’ll work on some other “set”.
I’ve certainly had plenty of times where what I thought was two separate poems just became one. . .
darny.
I was leaving you a message just now and received a “xanga bug” message.
oh gosh. I soooo hope that thing doesn’t start up again.
I was just about to upload to photoblog. . .meaning to for a while actually. . .but if the bugs are going to start appearing places now I’m hesitant. . .
as for my comment. . .
yes, the poems follow one another.
In fact, I “re-posted” that entry again today since I added a couple more poems.
I wouldn’t mind doing more, but I think 6 poems is long enough for this.
Maybe I”ll start working on another set.
I’ve certainly had lots of times where say, what I thought was too seperate poems ended up merging into one. . .
When I was in high school I took a geometry class online and it took me 8 days to finish. I have no clue what I learned…
Just suck it up and go to high school like the rest of us…
LOL Cutting out human interaction?
How will they ever learn what they should really know? They’ll probably never have to remember the plot in Beloved by Tony Morrison on the job, but they’ll definitely need those social skills.
That’s really sad that someone would even consider that.
hmm… i dont know. i think kids need to learn how to work in the real world, not a virtual one
I think that offering online courses could improve the quality of high school education, as it has the potential to help the students learn to learn on their own, budget their time, etc. Such skills will serve them the rest of their lives. However, online courses will only work if the students (or at least their parents) have the discipline to stick to the program. And as in any educational system, there is the opportunity for abuse.
Depends on the kid, some yes, some – not so much.
No – it’ll probably improve it. Colleges have been using online courses for years – why not high school?
Yes, of course! The internet is the highway to academics in the future. Already college in Texas off computer courses. I am taking a Bible study course through Lifeway and can see how convenient this would be on all levels of learning.
How can you take quality away from something that has no quality?
Not fair..
it depends on how well the program is written, is it cheating proof? does it provide enough practice and information? etc. my high school is one of the best in the nation and we have one online course for creative writing… but its only an elective class
no! everything you could possibly want to learn nowadays is available online or on a library. why oh why couldn’t my school get this!?
Not necessarily. I have taken online college courses that were pretty rigorous. The student will miss the classroom experience and the interaction with the teacher, but I assume that they were unable to benifit from those things or they would be taking the classes in school as usual.
My friend is the principal for a Cyber School here in PA. She has about 30 students so far. I see no problem with it. Some of these kids are bored to tears in school. They keep up with their studies and still have a extra cirrculum activities in the afternoon.
I think one day….all the good students will be in Cyber Schools and the problem kids will be in the schools. Public education will be a dumping ground for the struggling kids and all the good teachers will be heading for the cyber schools!!
at first i thought it would be a stupid idea, but after reading comments of some of the people who have been involved in what seem to be similar settings, and who say it works (esp the guy who said that his son had a job while doing the online type schooling) i think that it is plausible. I think that some sort of outside socialization is nessicary but i dont think the classroom is the only way that can be learned and that if the socialization is provided for that it would probably work.
As for highschool students being too lazy, at least in this setting it would be easy for the parent to moniter their student, and if they are allowing them to take courses online then they are probably at least somewhat involved (my line of thought would be that if they dont care at all that they would just leave them in public schools.) THis is also good if the student were to have some sort of major illness and couldnt go to school for a semester or even year, this would allow them to continue their education.
In short i dont think it is entirely misguided to make this available.
Pardon me, but hell no. Some kids would do extremely well in an online school, and probably get a better level of education due to less distractions and such.
LifeNeedsProtection: So what you’re saying is that “good” students would choose to spend their time being online all day, while the “bad” students would be in real schools?
…Are you…stupid? No offense, but that was a completely retarded thing to say. I’ve had this discussion with some of our T.A.’s and students, and most of the “better” more dedicated students would rather be in the classroom than at home online.
What makes people think that kids are going to be LESS bored doing it online?? Is not that human interaction what made high school slightly more interesting??
=_=;
my school system allows us to take PE online. don’t ask me how that’s possible.
It depends on the kid/teen/person taking the class. They may be mature enough to handle it.
Also, this is a good tool for kids who might want to graduate early.
No. I hated how high school campuses were. I wanted to be on independent studies or be homeschooled the entire four years and never got it. I came out of high school all kinds of pissed off.
I took Health and Personal Fitness online.
Look, honestly, it was a lifesaver, because I did the two entire courses in under a week and made A’s. I didn’t have to waste a class slot in the actual health class, which would have been a waste of time, and wouldn’t have allowed me to take Anatomy (which was awesome).
But I also wanted to kill someone when I took AP Stat, because I basically never got taught.
So online classes definitely have their place. In general, though, only certain subjects are really good.
But this is hardly news. Georgia does it already.
Oh, and btw, state-run online programs SUCK. If your kids want high school credit online, go to BYU’s website. It’s so much better, more efficient, more competent profs, etc.
I’m a high school senior, and I’m taking AP Lit online this year. From my point of view, it is a horrible way of teaching and provides outdated, inaccurate, and meaningless ways of education. I don’t even SEE my real ‘teacher’ online, just videos of someone else doing lectures from five years ago. I can’t access the website on my home computer, and there is too much to do per week; I feel like we only get busy work, and don’t really take the time to learn about the themes of the books we are reading.
I only took the course because I had a full shcedule on everything else; it was the only way I could graduate.
I wish I had a regular classroom setting.
As a high school teacher in a large, urban district, we give our students the chance to take classes through Virtual High School. It works great, students do well on standardized tests that follow, etc. “Wave of the future”, and cheaper for school districts… it’s growing in popularity a lot each year.
I reckon its a brilliant idea. If you do the work, you get the credit for it. If your going to be online at home, working as well as having your ‘down time’ is beneficial to the student, and the school grades as a whole can be bumped up.
’nuff said…
I took three online classes and they helped me to graduate early. I actually learned the material, because I wasn’t getting fed up with people in my class! As a bonus it only took about a week to finish a course!
No, I do not think online courses take away from the quality of a high school education. Rather, I believe online courses can enhance a high school education.
From my experience with college-level online courses, online courses are often more rigorous than traditionally delivered courses. If set up with required message/discussion board participation, they also allow for more interaction between ALL the students in the class rather than having just a few students dominate the discussions.
In addition, the availably of online courses can increase the course diversity and the number of advanced courses offered for students who are looking for courses beyond the basics, especially in smaller school districts. Online courses also provide an option for students who do not learn well in the traditional classroom setting, due to illness, disability, or distractions that are caused by other students. With more ways to complete the required high school curriculum more students will leave high school with a higher level of basic academic skills.
Finally, in response to the few who have asserted that it is not necessary or desirable for high school kids to be technologically advanced: It is reality that society and the economy are continually becoming more and more embedded in technology-everything from the necessity of conducting a job search online to manufacturing. The jobs that used to be considered entry-level manufacturing positions now require at least a minimal amount of technological ability and many require advanced technology based skills just to get a foot in the door. Technology is not just “the future”; technology is the present as well as the future. We might as well teach our young people how to get as much out of the technology available to them as possible.
that is a FANTASTIC IDEA.
it REALLY is.
not for the entire highschool life, but from a students perspective it would make moving into higher level courses a LOT easier. its hard to explain if you’re not in h.s.
we homeschooled for 14 years; all kids awesome academically now in college, one in high school. One is worried though. His learning seems to be going backward, now he just spits things out. THough he is in honors classes, many students really only learn for grades and tests. He wants meat.
Many homeschoolers in FL use the online stuff. It can be great. Depends on kid, situation…mmany things. IN FL support is very good, needs a type of kid though.
Parents are the kids MOST important resource! Even if they don’t speak ENglish, feel they know nothing, etc. You can find the resources….you are the source …..of life, of love, of the lineage of the future of us all. PARENTS!
With parents, this can be good.
with them, all is possible.!
after reading comments; the best fishing is where rivers meet and dump LOTS of nutrients, diversity breeds vigor; hybrid plants and animal experience a real VIGOR in the first generation-more lively, bigger, stronger.
These online schooling venues need not be exclusive, nor need be the only thing offered. But for some, and in some situations….it is so very awesome. SO why not?
Lets make systems that allow the diversity of the MIND! I can envision a future where, yes, we do some schooling like we do now (BTW, this method is relatively new, historically) and maybe we create supported learning CENTERS. With support stuff; labs with scientist support. Math teachers and labs. Language labs. THeater, art…..etc. Library…media. ANd kids AND parents can come and utilize.
FREEDOM. USA leads the world in CREATIVITY! Because of FREEDOM!
WE have the lightbulb because Mrs Thomas Edison (mom) homeschooled little thomas when the school system gave up on his unusual way of thinking. THANK GOD FOR HER! and Little Pablito Picasso just didn’t want to sing songs and play games with the other little children. He wanted to draw. HIs professional painter father gave up his career to tutor pablito when he saw his line drawing of a dolphin on the beach. AGAIN< THANK GOD! I have had many epiphanies with his work.
Could go on and on. BUT THANKS TO GOD FOR FREEDOM AND THE HOMESCHOOLING LAWS IN FL AND THE USA. prayers for us all.
Yes, plain and simple.
I sure hope not. Due to some personal, family situations (loss of job) we are in the process of moving and finding new schools and such. Since it’s the middle of the school year and don’t want our 9th grader to miss valuable time we are trying “virtual school”. Any suggestions or ideas would be wonderful from the Xanga Community. Pros? Cons?
No. Colleges across the nation are doing the same thing. The university where I work has individuals from as far away as Iraq taking classes on line. In those cases we have a superior officer proctor the exams. I think it is a wonderful opportunity for people whose schedules and responsibilities won’t allow them to fit into the normal college routine. Families with kids who get sick. People with fluctuating work shifts. People who travel. People unable to drive or have reliable access to public transportation. Those who live in remote areas and can’t or don’t want to move to larger cities. It is a wonderful thing.
Online classes are NOT for everybody. You have to be disciplined, responsible, and possess some technological savy, otherwise you should probably stick with on campus classes.
not at all. i am taking health online because i don’t have time in my schedule to take health, which is a class required for graduation. (I am an honors student that just happens to be enrolled in two music classes.)
I have a friend who found online courses remarkably more efficient than public school. She graduated a year or two ahead of me, because she could work at her own pace and didn’t have so many of the time-wasting activities in public schools.
On the other hand, you definitely meet fewer people in that kind of situation. My friend went to public elementary and middle school, so she’s very well-adjusted and social, but I think if you only ever did online schooling you might not develop all the social skills you need in real life.
Not to mention that you definitely have to be self-motivated to have that amount of freedom with your education.
I’m taking an online course right now. Fitness Lifestyle and Design…in other words, PE. I do need it, because I haven’t failed any classes or anything, but I simply haven’t taken that semester class, and that is one of the courses I need to graduate. Taking it during the school year takes away from my high school experience, because I got behind in it and had to work on it when I got done with all of my other work. It would have been much nicer if I’d been able to take it during the summer, like I tried to. Anyway, I don’t know which option is better, but that’s really not the point. Most people I know take online courses if they have no other option.
They have virtual classes at my school, and generally yes, it does decrease the quality of education.
Though then tobe fair, the classes are provided by the state, and we’re kinda the best school in teh state
So maybe t hat’s why it seems that way.
“the quality”
ha.
It seems like a bad idea to me. Online courses take more discipline and initiative in my experience, which high schoolers tend to lack.
my school already offers some core classes online for people who failed them or don’t have room in their schedules to take them.
I graduated online high school. It worked well for me and I’m getting straight A’s in college. I am not socially impaired as I have made quite a few new friends, not to mention keeping the ones I had through elementary, middle and high school.
It takes a certain type of person to succeed in online education–one that is self-motivated, determined and perseveres. Socially it takes someone who doesn’t mind being alone, but also isn’t afraid to take the initiative in meeting new people and building relationships.
There should be educational options available for all families, and online schooling is a great option!
No, and yet yes. It’s the same argument as we’ve heard with home-schooling. But there are a lot of opportunities for sports and social event organizations for home-schooled students as would be the same with this. If you’re going to home-school your kids, taking advantage of those opportunities for social interaction should be a top priority as well.
> I think it will depend on the courses offered. As far as the experience of interaction with the student body and all those other growing things, some will definitely miss them and others, not so much.
Peace
No, i think the ones who want to finish up school will benefit from it the most….theres nothing great about socializing with a bunch of people who only want to socialize with a select group…high school was not fun, doubt its changed that much.
No, it’ll probably improve it if the students are responsible enough.
They said that public high school was for social reasons, but all that really happens in high school is a bunch of people developing bad personalities… I think some people can grow mature on their own, you don’t need to go to public school for it.