Virtual Schools

Five Pros of online virtual schools:

1. Students who live a very long way from schools are able to get their education without driving long distances.
2. Students who are advanced or very skilled can work through more than one grade per year and get ahead in their studies.
3. Students are able to guide themselves through the curriculum which will help them become more independent.
4. If a student had a parent who was very sick or needed extra help, they would be able to stay at home and still complete school, but also help their parent with daily things.
5. Children learn to work with new technology and are better prepared in working with online functions.

Five Cons of online virtual schools:

1. Students do not get the social impact that schooling provides by interacting with their peers.
2. Students do not get immediate teacher help from a certified teacher since their parents do the schooling.
3. Students do not make as many friends unless they are members of many outside activities
4. This might create fewer jobs for teachers, especially if they aren’t very aware with new technologies.
5. Students are not able to interact with other peers in order to enhance learning. Face to face group projects are pretty much eliminated.

How virtual schools might impact my future teaching:

I think that it’s a neat idea, and I like that it provides opportunities for students who aren’t able to attend school face to face. I don’t think I would like to be a teacher in this type of setting, because I feel like you would lose that personal connection that you make with students. One of the reasons I want to become a teacher is because I want to make a positive difference in children’s lives. You wouldn’t really be able to tell what affect you are having on students in this type of setup, because you wouldn’t ever spend any one-on-one time with the student or be able to interact with them face to face. Emailing back and forth is not very personal, and it doesn’t leave much room for expression or emotion. Part of being a great teacher is helping students on other levels besides academic achievements. What if there was some type of abuse going on at home? If students were participating in this virtual school, who would help those abused children? Teachers are resources for children, and they act as caregivers for them in many situations. I think it’s a great idea for parents who are very set on keeping their children homeschooled, but I really believe that a face to face setting is the most ideal environment for children in school.