Online Schooling for K-12

The Internet has brought a multitude of new opportunities to people around the world, including certified K-12 education programs for children who will never have to step foot on a school bus. The concept has its detractors, of course, and it's not available as a certified charter school everywhere, but that doesn't negate the fact that more and more parents are seating their children in front of the computer screen in the morning rather than shoving them out the door.

The principles used in online education programs are not entirely different than the ones used in a traditional setting. Teachers teach, test and interact with students just as they do at face-to-face schools, but they do it from different locations and sometimes through a recorded webcast. This scenario makes communication tricky for students. Often they can't just raise their hands when they have a question. For that reason students who undertake online education should be well versed in online communication and web page navigation before they get started. For children who are familiar with navigating the web, online education can actually provide an advantage in many situations. Imagine a student not having to hold up her hand to ask a question and wait for the teacher to call on her. Instead she simply clicks the FAQ link and finds the information she is looking for right away.

Possibly the greatest benefit of distance learning is its flexibility. Whether he needs a single math class to get a head start on algebra or an entire curriculum, there is likely an online program to accommodate any student. Online charter schools are available for parents who want their children to learn at home exclusively; unlike many other homeschooling programs, they are funded by taxes and subject to federal testing requirements. There are also supplemental programs that may or may not offer school credit. Those programs include college prep courses and exotic languages that may not be available at a student's local school.

There are just as many reasons to decide against online education as there are for it. You need to know beforehand whether your child can thrive in an online education system, and you also need to know that much of the responsibility that's traditionally been part of a teacher's job will fall to the parents and the students. First and foremost there isn't going to be a teacher around to make sure that your child is maintaining focus. For that reason the online student has to be self-disciplined, with a parent available to keep her on track. In many online education programs the teacher will be available, or even required, to check on her students' progress on a regular basis, but that short time over the phone, in person or on a chat room doesn't make up for the hours of face time children get with teachers in a traditional setting. In most cases parents will have to keep a close eye on their children and provide the authority that online students lose when they leave the traditional setting.

If you are willing and able to take on the extra responsibility that comes with online education and you feel your child can do well with it, there are many reasons to explore it as an option. These are the most common reasons parents give for enrolling their children in an online education program: · The student feels slowed or held back by the classroom pace. · The student feels the classroom pace is moving too fast. · The student isn't adjusting well to the social element of education. · The student has a hard time sitting still. · The classroom is overcrowded. · The student is homebound or traveling for sports or theatrics. · The student wants to take a course not available at his regular school.