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Online High School Facts Every Parent Should Know
Online learning is booming. We all know the now obvious advantages that are advertised at every school that offers online learning. It is cost-effective and convenient. It can now typically be accessed at any time and place. Also, websites promoting or informing potential learning about online education have told us of the comfort of studying at your own pace and location.
There are numerous myths associated with online high schools. Belief in such myths usually stops parents and learners from pursuing online education. It is typically a huge loss to the learners.
The Top Online High School Facts That You Should Know:
1. Universities and colleges do accept diplomas from accredited online high schools
Most of the top universities and colleges hold online high school diplomas in high regard. Nevertheless, the diploma, in this case, requires to be regionally accredited. It means that the diploma ought to be secured from regionally accredited online high schools. Non-accredited online high school diplomas will never be accepted by any university or college. This is because such a diploma is almost meritless! Therefore, the diploma must come from an online high school that has accreditation from the proper regional board. Additionally, colleges and universities normally accept diplomas from distance learning schools. The acceptance occurs in the same manner by which diplomas from traditional schools are accepted. Accreditation is the key factor here.
2. Online High Schools are meant for every teen
There is a popular notion that online high school courses mainly cater to the needs of teens who are truly troubled in some manner. While it might hold true in some instances, it might not be the same for every teenager! There are certain online courses that exclusively cater to learners who have been successful in brick-and-mortar schools! At the same time, there are other virtual programs that are meant for those scholars who are slow learners. Also, there are many other schools targeted towards different groups. Some of the other common groups comprise adult learners, gifted students, students interested in a particular topic, and persons from certain religious backgrounds. In summary, online high school can be a one-stop solution for all students.
3. Online high school classes are as hard as their traditional counterparts
There are certain online courses that are not as challenging as traditional high school classes. Nevertheless, some online high school classes are as challenging as traditional high school classes or even more! It isn’t that easy to secure an online high school diploma, particularly when the online high school is regionally accredited. The good thing is that learners are free to pick the school and class type. They should pick an online high school program that fits their knowledge and learning objectives.
4. Online private high schools are less costly compared to their traditional counterparts
There are some online high schools that are truly costly. A good number of these are private online schools. Nevertheless, on the whole, these private online high schools are less costly compared to their conventional counterparts. Additionally, there are many quality schools that have low tuition fees. The good thing is that you can reduce down most education-related expenses when you are taking high school classes online. Some of these costs consist of commutation costs, textbooks, library fees, food, and accommodation, etc. The Internet makes all crucial educational resources available free of charge!
5. Online high schools to enable their teenagers to socialize
In an online high school, socialization ways differ greatly from that of its traditional counterpart. Nevertheless, these socialization ways are way more effective than those of conventional high schools.
Accredited online high schools offer ample opportunities for learners to socialize well. Most online high schools enable learners to meet through community organizations and take part in outings with other online learning. Some of the online schools also offer the opportunity to interact with learners and instructors through email addresses, message boards, and live chat. In a conventional high school, an online half-hour lunch break is given to learners to socialize! It is never enough!
6. Online High School students require to work really hard
It is a fact that online learners often tend to finish their work faster than conventional school students. Nevertheless, this does not mean they are doing less. One requires to consider the interruptions in a traditional school day. The common ones consist of breaks, busy work, transition periods, waiting for other learners to catch up, etc. these minute disruptions do not let learners focus on their work completely. This is where online students score big. They are often able to channelize their total focus on their coursework. Therefore, they tend to complete their assignments as soon as possible. Nevertheless, the amount of work usually differs between online schools. Some days may be more challenging than the rest.
7. Online high school credits can be transferred
When online high schools are accredited, credits are normally able to transfer to traditional high schools. There can be times when credits do not transfer. Nevertheless, here the reason is different. It is mainly because the traditional high school has different graduation requirements, unlike the online school. In such instances, the credits do not transfer because the traditional school has nowhere to record them. This very issue can be a challenge when learners try to transfer credits between two traditional high schools as well.
8. The online high school encourage learners to develop multiple skills
There are a lot of online high schools that require that learners finish off a physical education requirement in case they wish to graduate. Most of the online learning students participate in community sports teams and other such activities.
9. Online high schools enable learners to take part in extracurricular activities
Most of the online learners might miss out on prom. Nevertheless, that does not imply that they do not get to enjoy it at all! In fact, this is a very common online learning myth that needs to be debunked! Most of the online high schools have access to fun and interactive activities. There are specific online schools that organize social outings for learners. When special permission is offered, most of the traditional high schools allow local students to take part in specific activities together with continuing their studies. Most of the online schoolers get involved in community clubs, volunteerism, etc.
10. Online High Schools are for learners of all ages
Accredited online high schools are also open for adults. This consists of adults who are seeking to get their high school diplomas online.
11. Online High School Instructors
So, your best ally told you that if you transfer into an online high school, you are completely on your own and won’t have to deal with educators ever again? Not True! And this is a good thing! Any best online high school has a trained team of “online teachers” that play a really essential role in that school. Usually, every class you sign up for will have a dedicated instructor whose job is to work one-on-one with every student in his or her class.
These educators are perhaps not working with a class size of 35 or 40 learners assigned to a single teacher. Since they are responsible for fewer students, they will generally have the time to pay attention to you if and when you want their attention. It’s true that online teachers don’t work in the same way as teachers in a brick-and-mortar classroom, but they are there to guide you, coach you and assist you through any challenge you might come up against during the semester.
Why is online school better than public?
1. You can go to your own schedule
Most people have an idea that online school is for lazy and unmotivated students. However, those who are aware of the advantages of having a convenient way of studying may deny this opinion. Online schooling gives you freedom in choosing your schedule and time when you study. It doesn’t matter if you are an early bird or a night person, you can still get your education as long as you have a computer and Internet connection.
Most online schools offer tutorials that begin at all times of the day and night to cater to the needs of their students. In addition, there are different ways you can access these tutorials such as through e-mails, online chat rooms, or video conferencing. Some schools even give you the option to customize your own schedule and study on weekends. Â
2. The wide range of courses and subjects
If there is one disadvantage of public school is the limitations in learning different courses and subjects. Public schools have a limited number of existing teachers who can only teach so many subjects at once.
Education is a necessity in making yourself better and more knowledgeable in different fields. However, not all courses are offered by public schools so people have to rely on independent tutorials and resources to learn from. The good thing about online school is its wide range of subjects that will surely help you reach your dreams and goals in the future. Online courses have a lot of subjects to offer from arts and crafts, cooking, music, dance to science and technology. Â
3. You’ll Be Less StressedÂ
Online schools are flexible in terms of completing school assignments. Since most classes offered by these institutions have deadlines for students to submit their projects, tests, and papers, there will be less pressure when completing these tasks compared to those who attend conventional schools. Some online schools are lenient when it comes to projects, examinations, and papers that have late submissions. They usually give students additional time for them to finish these tasks. There is no need to worry about or rush on submitting your project since you’ll have a lot of time to work on it.
4. You’ll be able to access more resources
A good thing about most online schools is the fact that they provide their students with all the necessary tools and resources when learning a subject. For instance, if there’s something that you don’t understand in class and wants some help from other students or teachers, you can easily ask without having any problems or issues at hand. Moreover, if there are specific materials needed for certain activities but they’re not readily available in your area, you can search for them online and have access to them even if you are far from your physical location.
5. You can easily communicate with teachers & classmates
You can talk to your teachers any time of the day through email or use a chat room where they’d answer your questions while you are in class. You’ll get advice from them if there’s something that you don’t understand or want some input regarding a certain topic presented during class. With this, you won’t waste time asking for clarifications since everything is done online. This also saves time since there’s no need to go back to school physically to speak with your instructor about a particular concern.
Parents who are working abroad can make sure that their child is learning at his/her own pace without having issues at hand. There will be no problem if you need your child to answer some questions regarding a certain subject while giving him/her instructions or an assignment since these things can be done over the Internet.
6. You’ll get more freedom and flexibility studying online
When doing work online, there are times that you’ll encounter distractions that can affect your performance in class. However, with an online school, students won’t have this problem encountered firsthand because they’re spared from external interference when working on their projects or papers. You’ve got time to study at your own pace so there’s no need to worry about rushing on deadlines imposed by teachers since everything is already laid out for you. You can easily choose what you want to do or learn at a particular time so you won’t encounter any problems regarding this. You can decide to watch tutorial videos or read supporting materials in order for you to understand the subject at hand.