Not every kid is going to love high school and not every kid will be successful there. Sometimes just getting the credits and moving on to the next chapter is the main goal for them. In this case, there are online programs that allow students to take the classes at their own pace, earn credits, and receive a high school diploma. There are some benefits to programs like this, but there are also drawbacks as well.
One benefit of online classes is that kids who don’t do well socially in a school environment can complete the work from home and avoid the stress that might come with peer interaction. The drawback to this is that kids who are typically loners will become even more isolated, which can cause social anxiety and issues with peers to become worse.
Another benefit of online classes is that it can give kids who are struggling in a traditional classroom an opportunity to succeed. Kids who are disinterested in school tend to perform poorly and might even give up altogether and drop out. It’s up to parents to take control of their child’s education and to find something that works. Alternative Education Specialist Kimberley Etter says it’s important for parents to realize that alternative forms of education are not for broken kids. When our children are not succeeding in traditional classrooms, parents must find creative ways to help them.
Another drawback to online learning is that some subjects are difficult to grasp only being taught one way. In the classroom, different methods can be utilized to help ensure that all children grasp the concepts being taught. Education Specialist Carolyn McWilliams reminds us that children learn best when multiple modalities are used. This means they use auditory processing skills, kinesthetic learning skills, and manipulatives to fully understand the lesson being taught. When learning solely online, the student may miss out on important parts of the lesson.
Overall, the goal is to help students be as successful as possible and sometimes traditional school settings are not conducive to that success. Parents must be practical and open-minded when helping their children make decisions regarding education. Not every child learns the same way and not every child is comfortable interacting with peers in a high school setting. Online learning can provide the necessary education to those kids and allow them to move onto the next phase of life.
