Anna Maria Iaramboykov
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Through these online courses, I am able to expand my knowledge in fields that my high school does not offer. I actively seek out education beyond what is at hand.
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– Anna Maria Iaramboykov
Education is an integral part of today’s globalized world. While not everybody has access to a good education, they have access to the internet. Blended and online learning courses bridge learning gaps and expand the availability of high-quality education. One of the main characteristics of modern education is the unlimited resources it provides. Anyone who is motivated to learn will find information they need at any time. Traditional schools can not beat this advantage. In a regular school setting with many students in one class, the teacher must set an average pace for learning. Students who learn quickly are not challenged in class; those who learn more slowly find it difficult to keep up. Blended and online courses solve this problem by allowing students to learn at their own pace. They also design personalized academic programs that adapt to the learning preferences and styles of individual students.
Blended courses have many advantages over traditional ones. For example, for my English class I carry a big binder full of papers, which are easily lost. Most of my assignments for this class have to be turned in personally. If I miss a day at school, I can not turn in my homework. Blended classes allow me to do my assignments whenever and wherever I am. This saves me a lot of time. As a student who has a job and participates in many extracurricular activities, anything that makes keeping up with my schoolwork easier is very helpful. My school uses the learning management platform Schoology which makes our classes digital and connects students to home learning. On schoology we submit assignments, participate in discussions, and take assessments. The school also provides personal iPads or Surface Goes to every student.
In my experience, blended courses have greatly broadened my education. As a gifted student, traditional classes did not satisfy my passion for learning. Since I learned more quickly than my classmates, I often found myself bored in class. That is why, when given the option, I always choose blended or integrated classes. For example, in my German class we use Duolingo and Quizlet. Duolingo is a blended learning platform which gives students personalized feedback and practice, and the ability to control the time and pace of learning. Similarly, Quizlet provides learning tools, such as flashcards and study games. Students can work together in groups or compete against each other.
The interactive and fast pace learning makes class much more interesting. In my guitar class I used the Ultimate Guitar app to learn guitar techniques and discover songs that best suited my style. My teacher assigned me new songs to learn and tracked my progress in class. Last year, I took an integrated course called Viewpoints on Modern America in which I was provided with many digital sources. Most of my assignments were online discussions and submissions. I read many articles online, listened to podcasts, and made presentations for class. This year I am taking AP Macroeconomics. We are currently playing The Stock Market Game, a real life stock market simulation. On this platform, I buy and sell stocks, apply different investment strategies, and see both short and long term results in my portfolio. It is a very valuable learning tool because it provides me with investing experience.
My experience with blended and online classes is not limited to my school. I have always been curious about many different subjects. While managing my school work, I spend my free time taking online courses using the Future Learn platform. I delved into the cinematic world with film-making courses, learning how animators use handmade models. The local movie theater became a weekly pit-stop for me, and I found myself watching movies more critically. I learned about storytelling and fiction writing, inspiring me to write short stories and poems of my own. I learned about questioning a suspect and the psychology behind the suspect’s answers in a course on forensic psychology. Through these online courses, I am able to expand my knowledge in fields that my high school does not offer. I actively seek out education beyond what is at hand.
The development of technology defines our world. No matter what I study and work in the future, I have to be technologically proficient. Exposure to blended and online programs at this age has developed my fluency in technology and prepared me to live a successful life in a modern digital world. Blended and online courses are the future of education. With easy access to unlimited high-quality education, these programs are a reliable tool that can be used anytime and anywhere. They also bridge learning gaps between students, providing them with individualized instruction. We can see the advantages of online classes in action today. As a result of the coronavirus crisis, traditional schools have closed while those that are online continue, allowing students to complete their school year successfully.