Distance Education

Distance Education

After exploring the virtual school web sites, I discovered some of the pros of having virtual schools. One pro is that there are no set class times, so students can have the freedom to choose when to complete their assignments and readings; basically work at one’s own pace. Another pro is that there seems to be more and more reputable and accredited programs, so the availability is a pro for distance education options. Distance education programs also allow students to be in their own learning environment that works the best for them individually. Sometimes school settings are very difficult learning environments for students, so this self-directed learning environment could be an important pro. With distance education programs, students do not have to leave their home, which is a pro when considering bad weather conditions and other problems that get in the way of traveling. Lastly, students can complete their online course as long as they have a computer, which is a pro because this means that the course(s) can be taken almost anywhere, which is very flexible.
Along with the pros to distance learning, there are also cons. Some of the cons that I found are that, for one, there are no teachers available face-to-face. If a student’s learning style requires personalized attention from teachers, this could be very difficult for them. Another con is that distance education requires new skills and technology, so if somebody is not computer-savy and/or unwilling to learn new technology, then this may not be the best option for their education. With distance education, there is no social interaction except through emails and chats, which can be considered a con for many people. Distance education can also be troubling for those who are procrastinators, or those who need an extra push to get their work done, because this form of education is very self-directed. Lastly, there is not much support available for students and they are expected to find their own resources, which can be very daunting to some.
In order to determine the readiness of students to participate in distance delivery, students would need to be computer-savy or willing to learn. They would need to have a good understanding of technology and computers and would need to be aware of the pros and cons. In order for students to be read to participate in this form of education, they would need to be self-directed and proactive. I think that distance education would be very tough for young students in elementary school, because social interaction is very important at this age, as well as guided instruction from teachers.
In order to be able to teach in a virtual school, I would need to have some teaching experience. I would also need to have experience with computers and technology. I think that to teach in a virtual school, I would need to have a lot of time, because I think that this career could be time consuming and frustrating at times, considering technological difficulties that can arise. If I were to teach in a virtual school, I would want to have a lot of knowledge about computers, because if not, I think I would feel incredibly frustrated when something goes wrong with my computer.