Caleb Keilen
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Looking back on my academic career, I know I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in alternate education and reap the benefits it provides.
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– Caleb Keilen
Through my entire academic career, I have participated in non-traditional education. I was home schooled from kindergarten through eighth grade, and it was an experience I enjoyed and profited from immensely. In ninth grade, my first year of high school, I enrolled in an online distance learning program, Mother of Divine Grace School. I am currently in my final semester at Mother of Divine Grace, and I am incredibly grateful to have attended high school online. Looking back on my academic career, I know I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in alternate education and reap the benefits it provides.
The rise of alternate education options, such as online and blended learning programs, have increased over the years for many reasons. These reasons include the benefits alternate education provides students. One of these benefits is bridging the learning gap. I have been enrolled in an online school for the duration of my high school career, and I can speak from experience. The flexibility that comes with taking online courses has been exceedingly helpful. Students can create schedules and plans that work for them. The ability to do this prepares students for the scheduling and time management challenges they will face in college.
The flexibility of this educational method also is directly related to the fact that the student can go at his own pace. If the student is having a hard time with a concept, he can contact the teacher directly and work to form a personalized plan to get the student back on track. On the other hand, if the student is excelling with his work, he can advance in the course without being held back. Online learning helps students in many ways, but the most fundamental is how the courses address the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses.
All of my online classes in high school have been live and interactive. My classes, usually about ten students in number, have been in Adobe Connect meeting rooms. In these virtual meeting rooms, the teachers can ask questions, receive answers, and work on a whiteboard. My teachers have been from all over the United States, and they are experts in their respective fields. For example, I have had engineers teach my math classes, and I have had a college science teacher teach my biology class.
Having teachers who are well-versed in the material has been extremely helpful. The demanding courses have been a benefit because they prevent complacency and ensure a quality education. The most beneficial characteristic of my online classes, however, has been how they have taught and encouraged me to be efficient. The class and homework structure has allowed me to spend a sufficient amount of time on study, without wasting time. This has enabled me to have a flexible schedule, which has helped me balance my extracurricular activities.
The comparison of traditional classrooms and courses to online classrooms and courses can be quite surprising for many people. The class sizes in online classes are much smaller than those of traditional classes. This helps to ensure every student is receiving the help and instruction he needs to succeed. In smaller classes, the students have a relationship with their teachers, and it is easier for students to ask questions and be involved. Another benefit of attending an online school is the opportunity of having international classmates. Traditional students have to wait until college to have the chance to study with international students, but online students have that opportunity much sooner. The most important thing online school provides, though, is college preparation.
The challenging curriculum and heavy workload of online courses readies the student for the challenges he will face in college. Another important skill required in college, time management, is also developed by online learning. By allowing the online student to create and follow his own schedule, time management and organizational skills are taught. These skills are crucial to students in college, where they will have to pick their own courses and design their own class schedule.
Online classes produce innumerable benefits. From efficiency to challenging courses, online learning provides necessities that traditional learning oftentimes cannot. It is because of these benefits that online learning has become more popular in recent years, and will continue to grow in years to come. My academic career has greatly benefited from learning online, and because of this, I am glad I have been an online learner throughout high school.