Should High School Be Available Online?
I am currently enrolled in Michigan State University’s online masters program so I am obviously a big believer in technology, but where do we draw the line? I have noticed there are many sites online now where students can receive their high school diploma. (example: http://www.alliedhighschool.com)
I have given this concept much thought and I don’t believe online high school should be an option. Some people may call me a hypocrite, since I am taking advantage of online education, but there stare so many critical lessons learned in a high school that you just can’t get online. High school is a place where students really start to become responsible for themselves. They are held accountable for their grades and making it to class on time. Children learn how to balance extra curricular activities with their studies. Most importantly students learn how to behave socially in society. This is the time when one discovers what behaviors are acceptable and which are not. I think all of these extras are just as important as the academics. Being taken out of a social setting at only 14 years old seems way too young to me.
There are many advantages to online education, but I think students should have to wait until after high school to be in school entirely on the web. Just like any situation there are instances where online schooling may be the only option, but I don’t believe students should have the choice between online schooling and physically attending high school.
Let me know what your thoughts are….
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I think the issue of online schooling you raise is very interestings. I guess my opinion is that is should be available for certain courses, but like you it should not substitute for the high school experience. I think that high school is about the classes you take , but the social aspect is also so important. For those students wanting advanced classes, foreign language classes, or those unable to attend high school online education is a really good option.
ReplyDeleteI also have mixed feelings about entire online high school experience, but I can see the benefits for some learners. In my blog for this assignment I wrote about educational funding. I think online classes could free up some monies for schools if students could take some of their courses online. There may be an AP course that only has 10 or so students in it. We are paying that teacher the same as the teacher with 30 kids in their class. If those students were taking an online class, we could have one teacher or paraprofessional overseeing 30 students as they take their online class. I would argue that high school students should continue to take online classes. Especially students in smaller districts where they don't have the same course choices as other students at bigger districts. They will miss a lot of learning opportunities. I created an online class for my students this last fall. They "took" the class and LOVED it. It was an amazing learning experience. I was their to manage it. Check it out:) http://sites.google.com/site/starsroom15/Home/simple-machines. It may seem like a scary prospect but with the correct supervision I feel like this is an amazing chance for students.
ReplyDeleteEveryone here has raised some interesting ideas. I hadn't ever considered the idea of completing high school online. I think at some point, we need to draw a line when we're talking about how technology can create learning opportunities. Personally, I do not think that students should have the option to complete high school online, unless extenuating circumstancse arose. I think that the social interaction with peers, extracurricular and inschool organizations/groups that are available for students to become involved with are irreplaceable. I also think that relationships students form with teachers faceo-to-face are extremely beneficial to some students. Unfortunately, for some, I think school is the only consistency in students' lives and removing that sense of constancy for some could be extremely harmful. I worry that learning online takes away from "hands-on" and interactive learning. Additionally, it takes away several opportunities for students to form peer relationships, not to mention just day-to-day skills needed to interact with others in person. Many students, especially at that age, may lack skills needed to manage their time and self-initiate the completion of assignments. For students with learning difficulties especially, online learning decreases the opportunity for modeling and guided practice to facilitate mastery of skillsets. I think I could go on...and on...but I think you get my drift =).
ReplyDeleteI used to be an instructor for a computer-based high school program. Students would come to our computer class and complete their coursework. The benefit of this program was that students could work at their own pace and ask for help whenever they needed it without feeling inadequate or compared to their peers.
ReplyDeleteThis program was made for students who were not benefiting from the traditional high school education format. My students included: drop-outs, students who had failed one class, and students who simply requested entry in our program.
From my experience as a teacher in that class, I think an online education can serve as an excellent alternative for students who did not find an "educational match" within the public school system. Additionally, I think an online degree is by far more convenient than trying to earn one through a GED program (my current students have transportation issues and time conflicts with work).
My only reservation is that we do not begin the think of online diplomas as an easy out for students who present academic or behavior challenges in our classrooms. We need to be willing to find new strategies to work WITH our kids. The purpose of public education is to serve all students, and we should never lose sight of that.
I think that this is a very interesting topic. I have covered a maternity leave at an alternative high school where they offered online courses in addition to "in-school" courses. The students were required to come to school for their regular courses and one (or more if they had more than one online course) block would be set aside to work on their online course in a computer lab with a supervising teacher. I think this not only benefitted the school (they saved money- they were able to offer many courses with out the cost of hiring many more teachers) but it benefitted the kids as well. The students had to learn that they were responsible for their achievement. There wasn't anyone to tell them they had to get it done (if they didn't pass, they had to pay the school to retake the course). I think that is a valuable lesson, one that they should know going into college- you don't come to class, don't do your work, you don't pass and you will have to pay for it again!
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting question--should we have online high schools? On the one hand, I think it's really difficult to wrap our thinking around something that is so different from what we're used to offering. On the other hand, I can see this being a great option for some students, but for not all students. Just as online classes are good for some of our undergraduate & masters students, but not for others. How would we help kids decide (or how would we decide for them) if they could succeed in an online environment?
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