Online education isn’t new, but it has enjoyed a recent uptick in popularity. For many years, “going to school” meant commuting to a brick-and-mortar location, sitting in a classroom with 20 to 30 of your peers, and learning at a steady, inflexible pace. Certainly, that’s the model most parents are familiar with – but is it the ideal learning environment for your kids?
Many parents have recently moved their kids’ education entirely online with positive results. That’s an option worth exploring. But there is also a hybrid option, one that allows your kid to take some courses at a traditional high school while completing others online.
Why supplement your kid’s high school education with online courses? Here are a few reasons.
Finish High School Quicker
If your teenager wants to finish high school quicker, consider enrolling them in summer classes online. Online summer classes are flexible, meaning that your kid can complete a course even as they enjoy the summer with friends.
Alternately, your kid can take Grade 12 online courses in Ontario as they finish some final year classes at their regular high school. Normally, this would mean assuming double the course load, but since online education is self-paced, your kid can integrate their online courses into their existing schedule.
Or Make up Ground
You may also consider supplementing with online courses if your teenager has fallen behind. Let’s say they failed a class, or do not have a specific prerequisite they need to pursue their preferred post-secondary degree. Rather than delaying graduation – or settling for a different post-secondary degree – they can complete their required courses online.
As above, your teen can choose to start and finish the courses whenever they wish. If they want to complete their courses in the summer, they can. If they want to start in the fall and aim to finish in the spring, they have that option as well. There are no set start or end dates with online school.
Learn Valuable Soft Skills
One oft-cited benefit of online education is that it teaches kids “soft skills” like time management, effective online communication and self-motivation.
Because online courses are self-paced, students learn to manage their time wisely. Because there is no physical teacher’s presence nearby to keep them on-task, they learn to summon the motivation from within. And because they talk to teachers and peers online, they learn how to communicate effectively through emails and messages – a critical skill in the contemporary workplace.
Supplementing your teen’s traditional education with online courses helps them prepare soft skills that are valuable in the workplace and post-secondary degrees.
There are several other reasons students prefer to take some courses online. They may find it easier and less distracting to take challenging courses in a flexible, self-paced environment. Or they may prefer the ease and accessibility of working from their at-home computer.
Every learner is different, with different requirements and preferences. Talk to your teen about the option of supplementing their high school education with online courses.
