Online high schools have undoubtedly
created a massive hype of their existence and the way they have been
proceeding forward, it won`t be surprising to see them surpassing the
traditional mode of education as well. Online high schools are not
driven by just their mere names or the easiness in which they bestow
a degree to the student but by creating space for themselves by
taking the contemporary education to the next level. They deliver
more than what they promise. Especially the renowned international
online schools are the ones which have been instrumental to this
extent in expanding the name of this medium. These international
schools have provided a base platform where students from all over
the world can come and attain education.
But over the time, there have been
certain misconceptions and myths floating alongside online schools.
So much so that the baseless rumors and false presumptions have
implanted a firm spot in the minds of the people. The myths hovering
around online schools somehow have to be busted because the truth is
exactly contrary to that. So here we burst ten uncommon yet pervasive rumors about online schools:
- Students can complete the online school`s work at their own pace- yes online education largely offers and widens the scope of self-paced education but that doesn’t mean that every child becomes his own master and works or completes every assignment at his own desired pace. Many students perceive this as a very interesting trait of an online school and take admission just because of it. But the truth is online schools do allow the students to learn at their own pace but the deadlines of assignments, projects and other coursework remain same for everyone else. Online schooling is not like a correspondence course where every enrolled learner relishes unregulated liberty. The deadlines remain same for every student which makes it very imperative for every student to have an effective time management plan.
- Online classes are a lot easier than the traditional school classes- again the students go drastically wrong in their perception of the online classes working procedure. Such a false belief is dispelled in the first week of the online school class itself when the students are introduced to the working of online classrooms where get the coursework, reading materials, etc. inconsiderable amount. The workload of an online school is no doubt demanding and if a student has to score well he will have to burn the midnight oil to secure good grades.
- It`s difficult to establish a relationship with fellow mates-this myth has been quashed heavily by the teachers of the online schools because they have a strong apprehension that it`s easier to establish a relationship between the students in an online school than a traditional school. There is no second opinion to this. In the online schools, there are discussion boards where all the students have to be virtually present. In this, every student is allowed to put up his perspective and opinions which in turn invokes responses from other mates. Apart from this the students also interact with each other on chat forums and phones.
- This isn’t a real degree- parents often argue on the legitimacy of the high school diplomas attained from the online schools. They think that this isn’t the real education and the degree attained from these schools is of no worth. But the reality is the accredited online schools are highly genuine and the degrees and diplomas of these schools are valued highly by the employers. The certificates awarded from these schools are totally worthy of the price they are being paid to be accomplished.
- Online schooling is a perfect match for all types of students- this is a medium of education which craves for self-discipline and self-motivation from the students. It requires the students to learn to adapt using the modes of technology, develop a different studying habit and entirely become involved in the learning process. It fits or matches the mindset of only those students which are highly disciplined in their lives because to learn effectively and with full zeal in a virtual school environment with a number of responsibilities and family commitments can get on the nerves and make things complicated.
- Students don’t get personalized feedback from the instructors- top renowned online schools like the Forest Trail Academy prepare a performance review of every child annually and they prepare the individual report of every child. Parents are welcomed always by the school, and this report is presented to the guardians as well. All the top prestigious online schools prepare a personalized feedback of the students so that the teachers are able to assess every child properly.
- Students learn when the teachers are physically present- many students think that they might not be able to adjust themselves in the way of learning where the teacher is virtually present miles ahead of them on a computer screen. But the key to crack this is that the students can adopt different learning styles if they develop different learning strategies. They can jot down the notes on a physical notebook from the lectures which would solve their purpose.
- Online high schools do not offer quality courses- accreditation of the school is the mere parameter on which you can judge the level of education and the quality of courses being offered by the schools. If a school like Forest Trail Academy, is fully accredited, then it will offer quality courses to its students. Accreditation measures the quality levels of the courses the school renders. If a school is fully accredited by recognized institutions, then it will offer quality courses only.
- Online school students can easily cheat- students are asked to complete the assignments themselves and for this, they are allowed to fetch information from search engines. But many at times, in a rush of the hurry of completing and submitting the assignment or to make the assignment more perfect, they end up directly copying and pasting the content from websites. To combat this, online schools use a special plagiarism software which checks the authenticity of every student`s assignment and work. If any student is found to be indulging in any of these dishonest means, necessary action is taken against him.
- Online education causes isolation- this is a myth which prevails in the minds of students and parents both. Students think that by studying in an online high school, they will be secluded and isolated since there isn’t any physical presence of teachers or students. They fear that they might lose interest in the studies eventually. This is the reason teachers and instructors of online schools make it a point to interact with every student and establish a mutual corded relationship with the students. They also engage all the students in the live discussion board classes so that the children communicate with each other and establish good bond.
