Virtual Classroom

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By: Karen Nitkin

The article I read was very interesting. It discussed how online courses are becoming a growing option for students, but experts caution moderation.

The article told the story of a student, who decided to challenge herself by taking Advanced Placement biology. However, her school didn’t offer it. Therefore, the only way she could take the course, was online, with her professor being from the other side of the country.

Under the Virtual High School system, teachers lead one class online for students anywhere in the world, and in exchange, students can take online classes and receive credit at their own schools. While the vast majority of K–12 students continue to attend classes in traditional bricks-and-mortar schools, more students are taking online courses through the virtual classroom.

The virtual classroom is a system that increasing numbers of educators and students find attractive. Recently, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that enrollments in distance education courses are increasing at a very fast rate. In urban and suburban districts, online courses have surpassed video programming as the top method of distance learning.

I like the idea of children learning virtually. The virtual classroom can give them a sense of responsibility, for they need to adhere to the dates and deadlines, without a person telling them everyday. It can be hard for students to learn on their own. However, it’s also hard for teachers to teach students that way as well. Teaching over the Internet is very challenging. Therefore, we as teachers need to be creative about finding substitutes for hands-on work. Doing it online does not necessarily give students the same experience, but we can at least try…

I would like to research some statistics about the virtual classroom today. How many students are enrolled virtually, and in what courses? Has this number increased now, as our society is becoming more technologically advanced? Are more courses going to be offered virtually in the future? I am curious about this information because I think virtual learning is great, and holds many advantages that can be beneficial to students. Giving students a sense of responsibility, with a flexible schedule to do their work, can enhance their learning in more than one way.

The original article can be found at the following link:

http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0505/onlineed.html