My experience with online classes has been mediocre. While the class was well-organized, it is still difficult to engage in conversation with both the teacher and fellow classmates without face-to-face interaction with them. My online class also seemed like it was a lot more busy work than my other classes. Based on my own experience, I developed several preconceptions about online classes that were not true.
First, I thought that online schools were only for students who absolutely unable to attend traditional schools. I also thought that online school was only for college and high school students. Another assumption I made was that students' achievement would be far below that of students who attend traditional schools. After listening to this presentation, I realized that most of my presuppositions about online schools were incorrect.
Beth Day's presentation helped me reconstruct my understanding of online schools. She explained to us that, while online schools primarily service students at low income levels, they are not limited to those types of students. Some students simply learn differently, and so online schooling is the best option for them. However, because most of the online students are low-income students who work jobs in addition to going to school, the level of achievement is not as high as students in traditional schools. There is not as high of a rate of students who go on to college; many of them go on to occupational work.
One major thing I learned is that students can begin attending online school as early as kindergarten! I had no idea that students this young would be able to attend school on a computer. This is mind-boggling to me because going to school was exciting for me! I cannot imagine staying home and going to school on a computer when I was five years old, but I know that for some children, it is the best (and possibly the only) option.
While online schooling seems credible, and it certainly can be effective for certain students with disabilities, I still am unsure of its effectiveness in the social aspect of school. Students do not have the ability to interact face-to-face with other students, which is a skill they will need for their jobs and personal lives for the rest of their lives. One thing that seemed the most advantageous about online schooling was the fact that the teacher has more time to invest in individual students rather than the class as a whole. The teacher can spend time focusing on a specific student because he/she does not have to worry about behavior issues or other students acting out.
Overall, online schooling is much different than what I thought it was, but I still am unsure of its effectiveness for younger students especially. For older students, online schooling is most likely just as, if not more, successful. But for younger students, I believe the traditional school is the best option with the exception of extreme circumstances.
I completely agree with you when it comes to your previous online classroom experiences. My online classroom experiences have been very similar for the most part. It does seem difficult to have convenient contact with classmates and professors. Group projects always seem to pose difficulty, as it is hard to contact group members in an effective way.
ReplyDeleteAs a result of Mrs. Day's presentation, I too thought that online schooling could have more benefits than I had previously expected. I think that for some students this could be a very good option, but over all I believe that the traditional classroom is the best option for students.
I, too, was surprised to hear that kindergarten students use online education ! As a young child, I thought learning in the classroom was great (actually, I still do!) because I could increase my knowledge and be around other people. I wonder if online education at such an early age has an impact on the social interactions of these students. I agree with you that for young children, online education should be mostly for those "extreme circumstances."
ReplyDeleteI have not always been a fan of taking online classes myself. I think it somewhat depends on how the online class is organized. I also had no idea that kindergarten students even had the option of taking online classes. Who knows? Maybe they would like it. Maybe they would see it as a fun video game, but I also agree that students need to do what is best for them when it comes to education. Whether that be public school, private, home, online, etc.
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