So your student wants to take an online class? Sounds great, no fights to wake him/her up for class each morning. Your kid practically lives online now, so online school will be right up their alley. They will LOVE it. They can do their school work whenever and wherever they want. This is almost too good to be true!
Seriously for some students online classes are great, for other students its nothing but an opportunity to fail. What makes the difference? It has nothing to do with the student's computer, Internet access, operating system or anything as simple as that. It is entirely based upon two factors, the student's learning styles and needs and the parent/guardians level of involvement. This is the key to a student’s success online.
For your student the indicators of success are simple.
They include;
Do I have basic computer skills?
Do you know how to navigate to a web site, to copy and paste from a web page into an email, save a file etc?
Do I have the time to do this? Can I budget my time to do this?
If you wait until you have time to take an online class you never will get started. You must make time to take the class. We know students who commit the same time each and every day to an online class are most likely to be successful.
Am I flexible?
Web sites crash, files get lost, online things happen and you must be flexible and be “able to go with the flow”.
Do I ask questions?
In a face-to-face class I can see when my students don’t understand something – the blank stare is a good indicator. Online the only way we know if you need help is if you ask for it. Are you willing and able to ask for help before you get frustrated?
Can I communicate in and learn from the written word?
If you enjoy listening to your teacher lecture or watching a movie to learn then online learning is NOT for you. If you learn well be reading and writing then online learning IS for you.
Am I self motivated?
No one is going to be looking over your shoulder to make sure you are working and not watching You Tube videos or updating your Facebook page. You need to step up and accept responsibility for working in your online class. After all it is your credit that you are earning
Do I use email to communicate?
As old school as it may be we still use email to communicate with students.You will be sending all your work in via email as well as asking questions and we will be responding via email. If you don’t have and use an email account you can not attend an online class.
But what about the parent/guardian? What’s your role in your student's online success?
The following are the expectations and responsibilities that family members need to fulfill in the success of their online student. This is different than being the parent of a brick and mortar (regular)school student. Because your student can attend school 24/7, you need to be more involved in their school work than you might be if they 'went off' to school each day.
Are you
willing to be their supervisor?
Your student will have an online teacher to help them with school work related questions. But the online teacher will not be there to nudge, coerce,cajole or bribe your student to complete their assignments day in and day out.That role falls on you. Are you willing and able to act as their supervisor?
Are you willing to be the one that tells them to get off Facebook and “go to school”?
Just because your kid lives online doesn’t mean the idea of going to school online will magically make them love school. Even as a student and online teacher I have to be honest and tell you I prefer Facebook and YouTube to going to school online. How do you think your kids feel? Are you willing and able to enforce the “You need to pick up that mouse and go to school now!” rule.
Will they have a quiet place to work?
Even if your kid is used to having lots of noise in their life; homework in front of the TV, music going, maybe a X Box game going too! Well online classes may require more concentration than that. It’s best if the computer is treated as work space and not a recreation place - at least for class time.
To Sum it All Up!
Are you willing and bale to take an active role in your student’s online class? You don’t need to understand the content, that’s what the online teacher is for. You do need to be the motivator, supervisor, warden, supporter, cheerleader and more for your kid
Can you fill those roles? Does your student have the skills we outlined above? If yes, than online classes can be a successful alternative for your student. If not, we suggest you look at a more traditional, face-to-face model, for school.
