School is important. Although simply put, this sentence maintains its validity for many reasons, most notably in part to enabling individuals to be successful people in the workforce. However, due to the recent events of the COVID-19 Pandemic, most schools across the United States have been transferred to some form of an online variant. Online school is seen mostly as a bore for many high schoolers and college students in particular, especially since they are not able to see their friends or act recreationally like they normally would. However, there is a silver lining to the use of the online education system. Despite most individuals holding a stance against online school and pushing for in-person schooling, there are some hidden benefits for high school and college students that are not discussed nearly enough.
The most logical place to start would be basic ideas of pros and cons about online school. In fact, Linopa Films has published a video on YouTube outlining the user’s first-hand experiences with high school online prior to the pandemic. In particular, he notes how he appreciates the amount of flexibility he is given, the office hours he uses to contact teachers for questions, the benefit of working at home, and his freedom to join in-person extracurricular activities. He does note, however, including somewhat poor communication practices, problems with the curriculum, having fewer days off, and even website dysfunctionality (Linopa Films). These advantages and challenges he has outlined help detail what could be the problem with several online schools at this time, and if they are not careful, they may fall into performing the same way his school has. On the positive side, Tania Heap of the University of Illinois and Trevor McCready of Cornerstone University both agree with the benefits in Linopa Films’ video, outlining the flexibility and accessibility of online schooling at a college level. For the most part, online school has some promising potential on its side.
As a matter of fact, the advantages of school being online actually ends up working proactively for a student into their life after school. Achieve Virtual provides some insight as to how post-academic careers are affected by the online school process. Specifically, it is stated “Many students are able to learn a language that may not be offered at … their district … [collaboration] with teachers and other students in a digital environment mirrors the methods of … future work environments … [and] working independently in a remote location is increasingly becoming the norm at many workplaces” (How Online … Future Workplace). These aspects of online school which translate into normal, everyday activities in the workplace add to the beneficial factors of academics on the internet. The short article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” even said “Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes. A few Google searches, some quick clicks on hyperlinks, and [people have] the telltale fact or pithy quote [they were] after” (Carr 2). The process is seen to be streamlined and immediately applicable to life inside and outside school. This notion furthers the idea of online school’s proactive and positive nature, showing how it is used in everyday life with immediate information at the click of a button.
Of course, online education all boils down to the student’s individual abilities and personality which determines how well they perform. Specifically, according to a video published on April 4th, 2020, using “Technology [for school] is an advantage [depending] on the preferred learning style of the individual student” (University Magazine). Some students find online school to be well in place for their study habits and academic decisions, while other students struggle with how online school is set up. Everybody learns in a different way, although some methods are similar to one another. Zaretta Hammond confirms this idea in her book, Culturally Responsive Learning & The Brain, outlining how different cultural backgrounds activate different methods of thinking and learning. Individuals are only capable of learning the way their individual minds and bodies can handle.
Online school comes with benefits that, while helpful, aren't something that fits every single student. Learning is, after all, a way someone intakes information themselves. It's not a skill given inherently. People have to figure out different methods of educating themselves if they want to succeed in academics. In simpler terms, learning is, in a way, learned.
Bibliography
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" PDF, 2011.
Hammond, Zaretta. "What's Culture Got to Do with It? | Understanding the Deep Roots of
Culture." Culturally Responsive Learning & The Brain, PDF, 2014.
Heap, Tania. "5 Benefits of Studying Online (vs. Face-to-Face Classroom)." Online Degrees,
Certificates, and Courses | University of Illinois, 5 June 2017, online.illinois.edu/articles/online-learning/item/2017/06/05/5-benefits-of-studying-online-(vs.-face-to-face-classroom).
"How Online Learning Equips You for Your Future Workplace." Achieve Virtual Education \ Academy, 1 Feb. 2019, achievevirtual.org/online-learning-equips-future-workplace/.
Linopa Films. "ONLINE SCHOOL | How it Works & My Thoughts After One Year. (K12)."
YouTube, 17 June 2016, youtu.be/7HjJcW2s1ng.
McCready, Trevor. "13 Huge Advantages to Taking Online Classes." Cornerstone University, 13
Aug. 2020. www.cornerstone.edu/blog-post/13-huge-advantages-to-taking-online-classes/.
University Magazine. "What Are Pros and Cons of Online Classes." YouTube, 4 Apr. 2020,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6grilxPXra4&ab_channel=UniversityMagazine. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.
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