A taste of online education has left him convinced of the benefits...
In our efforts in preparing teens to travel and to make everything portable before traveling to South America, we let Jon, a ninth grader this year get a taste of online school. This summer he did two courses in less than three months, which means he has two credits under his belt before school starts.
Now he is ahead of the game, having already accumulated 7 high school credits going into ninth grade, 2 this summer and 5 in middle school. He has proven that online school could work even for a playful teen like him. As long as they see the big picture of why they are doing it. To let him tell you his side of the story, here is an article written by my son, Jon.
Virtual School At My Own Pace
By Jon
It is now a Florida State law that every student must complete at least one course online to graduate. I’ve been doing a good amount school work recently, even though it's summer.
This summer is the second year that I have ever done courses for school online to get ahead so it’s not that big of a change. I’ve been working from about 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM to 3:00. Despite the fact that I had only been working for three hours per day, I had already finished two courses, English 1 and Spanish 2.
I’m starting to wonder what I’ve been doing all along in school for 8 hours per day. Hard work pays off so I’m looking forward to not having to do those two classes next year.
I suppose that the time that I am finishing my work is so much faster than in traditional school is because I can work on certain subjects for two hours plus blocks of time. That lets me complete assignments for one single subject without putting it off for another day, then going back to it and having to backtrack on where I had left off.
Also there aren’t other students, teachers, fire alarms and random announcements that can be distractions. In addition, in one whole school day we spend about 30 minutes getting from class to class. I feel that I am much more productive in getting my work done at home.
Even though I am seeing results from virtual school, I don’t think that it’s for everyone. It takes a lot of effort and self-discipline to work at your own pace. Some days I might do 7 assignments and other days none. There aren’t really tough deadlines like in public schools, but if you aren’t on pace you can be kicked out of the class with an F. If you need someone to push you to do work you will probably fail.
The only thing that slows me down is trying to call my teachers. It is an FLVS (Florida Virtual School) rule that you must call your teacher for a welcome call, monthly call and for certain assignments that require discussion based assessments.
I always try to call my teachers who apparently take calls from 8am to 8pm. Most of the teachers have about 150 students, so I don’t blame them for not being able to pick my calls up, but still it’s annoying to call and wait for them to respond before you can continue with your assignments.
What are your thoughts about doing school online? Leave your comment below.
P.S. Jon made an app for my blog. Check it out.
The world has changed so much, so quickly! Jon, you've done a brilliant job of helping us to see the potential of using a few hours each summer day to begin a school year ahead of schedule! It must make you feel more confident, to be ahead of the game.
Each teacher has 150 students?? Wow... I can only imagine how often their phones must ring... that's quite a case load, really!
What an industrious young man you are! It takes a lot of self-motivation to complete an online course. Well done!
School online definitely sounds interesting. There are some kids who can do it, but I am sure there are others who can't find the discipline. It's the same as home school....good for some, but not for others. Education is something different for each child. I wish it could be more tailored to meet the needs and learning capabilities of everyone. Maybe in a perfect world...
Great article!
I commend you for what you do Jon. We found out the same thing with our son; he had gone to school in Tulsa Oklahoma. When we moved back to The Netherlands, he still had two years to do in high-school which he did online, so he home-schooled himself. Like you say, it might not be fr everyone, but when it is you will develop in a totally different way than all the other kids. You stand out and you probably know more of what you really want to do in life.
Nice inside look at taking classes on-line! Not only am I interested in taking some courses myself, I'm also interested in teaching on-line. So your article today was very helpful. Thanks, and great job!
I love how you use your discipline & effort to make the most of your time. I haven't heard of this FL law but I can see it working now! I can tell you are already a success, Jon. I think you've got what it takes to make it! Good explanation of how online courses can help high school students!
I remember feeling this exact same way going through school. I like to be challenged, so when I'd have to sit and listen to others struggle with problems and the teacher taking the entire class time to help them, it frustrated me since it was a waste of my time since I wasn't allowed to work on homework in the classroom. I actually pulled out of school to homeschool. It was a great decision because I was able to be self-disciplined and was old enough to realize that I needed to be. It can certainly be a benefit for students who need a challenge, who can be dedicated to the work, and who can complete assignments on their own!
Jon, it sounds as though you have a good grip on being motivated enough to accept the responsibility of doing a job correctly. I say job because being a responsible student is very similar to being a responsible employee or better yet being self-employed. I have 6 grandchildren who were or are being home schooled... that is very similar to doing the online courses especially at the high school level. I know your mother is very proud of you and you are off on a wonderful adventure... have fun.