I was driving to work this morning and I heard a commercial for an organization called SoCal Online School Network. I'm all for distance learning and people being able to take classes remotely and am even starting to look at distance education as a way to get a degree myself.
Regardless, that's not what I was thinking when I heard the commercial. As I listened, I heard a "parent" say that they were proud of their child because they were able to contact their instructor at any time of day, whether it was at six in the morning or ten at night.
This commercial also went on to let people know that students can earn a degree through this organization. The program is available for students in sixth through twelvth grade. So, does this mean that a sixth grader or a twelvth grader can simply give up on their actual schooling and just "get a degree online"?
I sure hope not.
And yet, just based on the commercial that I heard, it seems that they (being SoCal Online School Network) are pushing their online classes and basically tossing actual physical schooling out the window. The so called parents in the commercial state that their child is much better in their classes because they managed to take classes online and not have to deal with the rigors of actual school.
This is not to say that I don't condone home schooling. In some instances, home schooling is actually a good thing, however, I also feel that children that are home schooled have a harder time when it comes to the social aspects that children learn when they are with other children in school. Home schooled children also don't get to be involved in sports, though there are some students that have had some opportunities, but those opportunities are few and far between.
Kids need to have a chance to learn how to share and how to deal with others. Home schooling and distance education at such a young age do not afford those opportunities. Keep the kids in school and let them enjoy that time because eventually they're going to grow up and run out of time for all the fun stuff.
Until next time.
2 comments:
Yes - physical schools are becoming less and less a necessity. These online schools are taking more of a precedence. Sad. Yes, children need to interact with other children. People Skills. Yes, Homeschooling is good for certain people, but overall ... how else are you going to school dances (whether with friends or alone - think Sixteen Candles) or get detention and make new friends - (think Breakfast Club). Oh - just had a thought. None of these kids know the super genius of John Hughes. It's a sad generation.
LOL. That's a very good point. Plus, the kids wouldn't know anything about ditching school like Ferris.
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