Online Schools

With the internet becoming more and more widely found in every home wherever you go, it’s not surprising that education is starting to be done using it. At Florida High School the entire school with roughly fifty-six courses available is done completely using the internet. Teachers create lesson plans and activities that students attending the school can retrieve and complete on their own time. Currently the school consists of predominantly students who have no choice in the matter due to circumstances such as athletics or home schooling, but as the popularity of the school continues to grow it may become a new way of educating our youth. The article focuses on one teacher in particular, Betty Vail, who teaches high school physics at Florida High School. Most of those involved with the school have praised it considerably and have stated time and time again how much it has benefited them. The school continues to grow with more and more courses being offered each year.

I am very mixed about the thought of online education. On one side I am very much in favor in providing students with the best education possible and I would much rather have students learning online than not learning anywhere. Online education does allow those students with unusual schedules with the ability to continue learning and working toward a degree, which in many cases would not be possible without it. On the other hand, though, I hate to see people drifting toward online education as a better approach to learning. There is so much that you can’t do when using the computer and you lose out on the personal connections made in a classroom setting. I personally have tried to help students through problems over the internet using instant messaging and found it to be incredibly difficult because you aren’t able to physically see their reaction and see if they are grasping what you say or if they are completely lost. I like the idea of educating using the internet and technology, but I don’t think it will ever replace the benefits on classroom education.

Trotter, Andrew (2001). “Cyber Learning at Online High.” Education Week 20. 19:28-34. Retrieved April 21, 2004 from <http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=4054476&db=afh>