One day while talking with an old classmate about how much I LOVED high school she stated that she hated it and ended up dropping out. I was shocked and could not understand why anyone would not want to attend school.
While researching cyber high school, I thought about her statement. Would she have furthered her education with other options? I have been against home schooling and disagreed with the concept cyber high school for drop-outs because I don’t think students will stay motivated to complete their studies. One can argue that while attending online classes students are easily distracted by other sites such as Facebook. Also, I think there is a need for student-teacher interaction and social involvement with other students.(I learned a lot during group projects and team assignements.) Will this isolation cause them to later struggle in society?
There are, however, some positives aspects to Cyber High school. Online classes make it possible for immobile students to attend school. Many students are forced to attend to family members at home eliminating time to physically attend school. I have noticed that many families in the military have chosen to home school for which Cyber High School is beneficial.The reasons discussed being that families don’t have faith in public schools or want to avoid the emotional toll on children from constant relocation. What about a shy student, someone being bullied, or someone who does who does not see high school as a social gathering and simply want to accelerate through school? My son comes home nightly and discusses behavioral problems with which his teachers are faced. This leads to a lot of time off task which is actually wasted class time. Cyber high school would eliminate this.
Cyber high school can be positive for some people but I believe it must be structured with deadlines and have teacher interaction. Without these two components it may become an excuse for students instead of something which helps them be successful.
I couldn’t agree more with your feelings about cyber high schools. I personally find it very hard to keep the distractions away when working on-line and I’m 45 years old. Not only is the computer a distraction but all of the activity going on around me is a distraction as well. I think that it is important that cyber high school students meet with a counselor and/or a support group of other students going through the process. A combination of both types of learning may keep students on track and help them with some of the socialization issues that they may be facing.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I have home-schooled my own daughter in the past, and even with my own sister (who taught in public schools for years), it was hard to initially convince her that there exist other options for parents and students alike. Unfortunately, teachers usually only have experience with the 'failed attempts' at home-schooling (which can include online or cyber school).
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your acknowledgment of the need for 'structure with deadlines and teacher interaction'. From everything I have read, those two components are crucial to a student's success. Another important component that I have read about is in developing 'online communities'. If done correctly, it can actually improve a shy student's socialization skills. Mrs. Piechocki also brings up an excellent point, about the 'distractions' that occur when you try to school or work online at home.
Thankfully for myself, I had taken an online course before this one and had learned. My computer had changed locations three times before finally finding a 'suitable home' for me to work on it. Another interesting topic, is that of obsessions or addictions. You have noted "Facebook", but what about all the 'games' as well. It also helps to be able to pace things out, as well as taking a 'physical rest break'. I have learned, that the more that I experience and learn, the better I am able to guide my own students to hopefully 'learn from my mistakes'.
I have always shared your views on online school for high school children. My experience with children seems to lead me to the impression that children need the structure found in the school system; however, through my research for this project, I have grown to appreciate some of the benefits. There are absolutely students who are so committed to their education that they can focus on the objective. I feel choosing a school with an online location as opposed to a physical location, is a choice that must be based up each individual.
ReplyDeleteI see cyber high schools as a great option for students that could benefit from a non-traditional environment. I saw high school as a place for social interaction and skills that I learned there were valuable to real life. I used to think that people who were home-schooled in high school would destined to be strange or socially unaware until one my close friends told me that she was homeschooled in high school due to medical issues. I was surprised and she changed my view. She knew of the outside world beyond her house.
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned that the cyber high school would be good for military families. I work for Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Korea. I have had students who have gone to 4-5 different schools and I teach 5th graders!! I could see how homeschooling would be a viable option for them. Although, I would prefer for them to be in my classroom! :-)