I recently had the chance to explore more about online learning at the online school solutions website and also was able to view a demo about Aventa learning. The curriculum is for teens in grades 6-12.
Here are some of the things I love about this online learning curriculum:
- Students can begin and complete courses at any time so they can go at their own pace. Some topics and lessons may be easier than others and students can spend more time in areas that they need to.
- There are discussion forums where students can interact with both teachers and other students.
- The learning methods vary from hands-on-labs to writing papers to interactive demonstrations online.
- Students have the option to set up video conferencing with their teachers if they need extra help or have questions.
- Teachers have access to a white board so they can demonstrate more complex mathematical and science equations to students.
- Quizzes and exams include a variety of assessment tools.
Before viewing this demo on the learning system I thought that all online learning was like the online courses I took in college where I was given a piece of paper with instructions, a book, and a “study guide” and was expected to use those tools to help me do well in the class. If I had questions about the material I had nobody to go to. If I needed to review something and needed longer than one week for each unit that was just too bad because a week was all I was given. I remember after my first semester of online learning I swore I would never make that mistake again. I think that if my online learning classes had this many options I would have done great in them and may have actually ENJOYED them!
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Here’s a little bit more about why online learning is becoming so popular:
Today’s students, known as the “iGeneration”, are the first to crave and benefit from education “on demand” – or the option to choose where, when and how they want to learn.
To put it in context, the “iGeneration” has never known life without the Internet, being mobile, using avatars, IMing or choosing and watching content whether they are at home, in the car, at a football game or shopping at the mall. To reach them in their high-tech, high-touch world, many parents and educators are looking at how to rewire schools to match how the iGeneration learns.
Taking classes online is one way to give middle and high school students (and their school districts) new options to learn using preferred tools in a familiar environment, and even experience enhanced, one-on-one relationships with educators. Whether they’re in need of more assistance, looking for wider range of classes or simply prefer to learn in a medium that they have grown up with, online learning can be a great way to fit your child’s needs.
Students are increasingly able to take online classes in partnership with their local school districts. Schools facing budget cuts and a reduction in teachers are turning to online classes to supplement their curriculum, from offering classes for which they have no teachers, Advanced Placement® classes for students who excel, and credit recovery options for students who struggle. In fact, today there are 1 million children learning online, either part time, full time or between school terms. Additionally, more than 20 percent of schools and educational institutions around the country offer online classes today, and that number should grow by another 30 percent within a couple of years, according to industry research. (Simba Information).
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(Disclosure: I am really happy that I can share this site with others who are considering online courses but in full disclosure would like to note that I am being compensated for sharing about this website with you. Online learning may or may not be right for your family so please prayerfully consider what is best for your children before choosing any method of learning.)