Elementary Schools Online: Are They A Good Idea?
The popularity of the internet has tremendously changed the course of a lot of things in life. The way people communicate with their loved ones in far places has been greatly changed because of it. The ways some of the old businesses are conducted have also been revolutionized. Now, even education has taken a major leap, with the way it is delivered to the students. And this leap does not even refer to just using computers and the internet for the regular classroom teaching and learning process. This leap pertains to the entry of elementary schools online in the field of pedagogy or the education industry.
Online elementary schools use the technology to allow elementary pupils to learn without needing to be physically present in school. Teaching is done by just logging on to the internet to receive the lessons through modules that they can study on their own or with the help of their parents. There are regular schedules where they virtually meet with their teachers to discuss some topics.
If this is the first time you hear online schooling for elementary students you are probably asking the question 'elementary schools online, are they a good idea?' To help answer this question, here is a list of the pros and cons of going to elementary schools online.
Going to an online elementary school is convenient in many different ways. First, you have probably experienced having difficulty waking your young child up in the morning just to get him to go to school on time. With online learning, you do not need to cut your child's precious sleeping time to be in school every day. Next, if you live far from an elementary school, you do not anymore need to let your child travel long distances and you do not need to spend so much on fuel if you bring him there. You also do not need to pay the school bus fee.
Online elementary schools allow pupils to learn at their own pace. Unnecessary pressure is removed from your child's school life. They are not pressured to catch up with or outdo others. In the same way, some pupils who learn fast can move to the next level at an earlier time. They do not need to wait for others who take a longer time to learn things.
Safety and security issues are lessened if pupils will enroll in an elementary school online. Since they stay at home, they are prevented from being victims of school bullies. Accidents while playing in the school playground is also eliminated. Even exposure to outside factors like road accidents is taken out of the equation.
There are elementary pupils who maintain erratic schedules because of the different activities they are engaged in like sports or participation in the entertainment business. Since they cannot keep up with the regularity of schedule in a traditional elementary school setup, the flexibility that online elementary schools give is very helpful.
The downside to enrolling in online elementary schools is that pupils do not get to develop socially. There are things that they need to learn through their interaction with their peers which they do not get because they are isolated from them. They also do not develop some characteristics and values that are best learned through socialization.
Enrolling in an online elementary school is also costly. Usually, costs of both hardware and software are charged to you. Even if you enroll your child in a public online elementary school, you will still need to spend a substantial amount because you need to get a good computer and a reliable internet connection.
After reading this list, the question 'elementary schools online, are they a good idea?' should no longer be an issue. You should now be able to decide if you will take this option for your child or not.