Can students really attend school online?
This is the question I get most frequently when I talk about online learning.
The answer is, resoundingly: yes.
If you think about it for a minute, it actually makes complete sense. Today’s generation of children has grown up with advanced computing as the norm. They use gaming systems that boggle the mind (at least, they boggle my mind). And they know how to use any and every iPhone and Android app that you can think of. So, learning via technology just comes naturally to young people.
Online academies harness this power. They connect students with some of the country’s best teachers, who not only instruct seminar-style classes, but spend significant time on the phone and in chat sessions with their students.
The parents of children who attend online school are truly the most dedicated and committed advocates for online education. They have shared their stories with me — of student athletes, performers, and academic competition champs who need the flexibility of online learning; of students who work to support their families, and need a more convenient educational alternative; of students who were bullied in a bricks-and-mortar setting, and found online education to be safer; of kids who were on the verge of dropping out, but earned their diploma on their own time frame.
Students can attend online academies full time, or as a part of bricks-and-mortar school learning. These schools are, most often, public schools and free to attend, and in fact, 41states now offer full-time, free, statewide online academies. During National School Choice Week, online learners, teachers, and family members will be participating in full force in National School Choice Week 2017 activities and events. I hope people will take the opportunity, during NSCW, and discover the power and creativity that online learning provides. I’ve learned a lot about this sector of education, and I hope you will, too.
Learn more about National School Choice Week’s President, Andrew Campanella, in President’s Corner.