If you’ve been considering an alternate to in-class learning this fall, or your school is moving to virtual school, you’re not alone. After the global pandemic, many public schools moved to online schooling to help finish out the school year. However, you may be weighing your options on learning opportunities with what may be a full year online.
In this guide, we will work to explain what virtual school is, how it may affect your elementary, middle, or high school aged child, and how you can help your child succeed.
Let’s Begin.
What is Virtual School?
If your child’s school didn’t go digital, or your child is too young to be in school yet, you may not know what virtual school is. Although online schooling may be a new reality for you, it isn’t too far from the classroom experience of today. Assignments are turned in online, students complete classwork online and some may read virtual textbooks.
The core difference between the classroom experience and the online learning environment is that classes are not in-person but through conference software such as Zoom. Before making your decision, consider your child’s needs and what makes the most sense for you and your family.
Virtual school may be a great choice for older children or for introverts who may struggle to learn in a crowded classroom. However, there can be additional challenges for extroverts, younger children, or kids with mental or physical disabilities. This does not mean that virtual school is off the table or not the best choice for your child’s health, but it is important to understand potential challenges.
How Does Virtual School Work?
Unlike homeschooling, virtual school keeps your child with the same classmates from their public school. They may also have the same certified teachers they would have had in the classroom. They may be using a lot of the same resources they would have accessed in a classroom as well.
Many schools have been moving to a more digital experience with students using a laptop to read course books, turn in assignments, and even take tests. Your child may already have used many of the same programs long before virtual school and is likely to have classmates and teachers they know to turn to for help.
If your child’s school didn’t have as many online resources before the pandemic, or your child is likely to have some difficulty with online learning, there may be a few things you need to be prepared for.
Attendance and Coursework
Online classes can be harder for some children. If your child has a harder time focusing in a traditional school or has a mental or physical difficulty, you may need to work with the school or teacher to help your child. This might mean having recorded lessons or having an adult present to help with class.
Pros and Cons to Online Learning
You may already know which learning opportunity you plan to use with your children this year but before you make a final decision it’s important that you weigh the pros and cons. Making a decision for your child’s education during a global pandemic isn’t easy and there will be pros and cons for either decision.
Pros for Online Learning
If you’ve decided on virtual learning you may be aware of some of these pros but here is a simple list.
- Your child is less exposed to COVID-19
- There is more flexibility in your child’s schedule
- Your child is able to get more sleep
- Children are less likely to experience bullying
- Students are able to access recording of lectures
The largest pro to online learning is the ability to keep your child safe from the pandemic. Although some schools are taking measures to prevent exposure, it can be hard to prevent a child from removing a mask or enforcing hand washing. If your child has struggled with sleeping in class or is more productive later in the day, online class could actually be better suited for them.
Teens require more sleep than younger children and adults and not having to spend as much time getting ready, packing a lunch, or time spent on the bus, could lead to better focus and mental health. If your child deals with bullying or prefers smaller class sizes, online classes could be the answer to making school less stressful for your child.
Lastly, if your kid has difficulty with notes or just needs more one on one, online schooling gives them the opportunity to see past classes and review digital notes.
Cons for Online Learning
Unfortunately, not every child will do well with the online learning experience. Here are some cons you may face.
- Truancy, either through forgetting or choosing not to attend class
- Children may not feel the urgency to turn in papers like they would in class
- Your child may feel lonely/ cooped up at home
- If you rely on school lunches your child may have a harder time accessing food
- Since virtual learning is new to most schools the quality may be lower than traditional school
- Virtual school can hard to impossible to maintain for younger children with working parents
Virtual school is still a very new concept to most schools. This means that you may have teachers, students, and staff who have never used most of the technology. This alone could mean that your child may be receiving a subpar education to those in a classroom. However, you may need to balance this with the stress and very real possibility of a child catching and spreading a very serious disease.
Although online class may be safer it could be impossible for many parents who have young children, whose children have mild to severe mental or physical disabilities, or in homes where both parents work full time. This could also be out of the question for children who need a guiding hand when completing assignments or need help feeling engaged in class. With little to no supervision in online classes, some children may not complete assignments or even show up for class.
Schools provide more than just education. As a parent you would need to find ways to ensure your child is eating a healthy lunch during the day and is still able to leave the home. This means access to parks and socializing with friends in a safe, distanced way.