Distance Education

1) 5 Pros of virtual schools:

1) Students can go at their own pace
2) Students can set their own schedule
3) Teachers are available online to help
4) Students with health issues who cannot go to public school can go to school online
5) Many virtual schools provide laptop computers for their students to use

5 Cons of virtual schools:
1) No interaction with peers and other students
2) No personal interaction with their teacher
3) For auditory learners, online courses could be extremely difficult
4) Student have to have internet access in order to attend
5) Lack of other perspectives through a social environment

2) Readiness of students to participate in distance delivery:
Students would have to have free time every night to spend studying, a quiet and safe area in which to use their computer and the stamina to continue with their studies. The most important thing is evidence they will try their best and not blow off school. Since there is no one to hold them accountable, many students might slack off.

3) Teaching in virtual schools:
One must have a teaching degree, fill out an online application and submit personal references to the virtual school to become a teacher. It is also required through many of the schools that the teachers contact their students through email, web chats and telephone calls on a daily or weekly basis.

4) Virtual Schools might be useful for some classroom teachers, but I do not think I would use them in my own teaching. They are basically different ways to home school children and I do not think home schooling is as beneficial as public school. Students need to have social interactions with their peers and teachers to have a complete education. Online virtual schools have some functions that may be useful such as interactive web field trips and such. Students can view interesting places which teach them things they would not learn if they could not view it. Like I said before, these things are interesting and may be useful for some classroom teachers, but I would not use them.