| There are a lot of beliefs and myths about | | | | that just don't apply anymore. The old image of |
| getting an education at an online school. Some of | | | | someone trying to get an education in a social |
| them are well-founded, but others are just our old | | | | vacuum couldn't be more wrong. Whether they |
| notions that just won't go away no matter how | | | | are connecting through chat groups and forums, |
| much the actual schools have changed. Modern | | | | or just getting and receiving feedback on a |
| technology has made it possible to have a | | | | project, online coursework is more social than |
| complete educational experience online. | | | | ever before. Forget class reunions. Once people |
| Previously, an online school was thought of as just | | | | find their online classes they just keep their fellow |
| another form of homeschooling. Many people | | | | students on their "friends list" and keep the |
| believed that the only people who participated in | | | | communication channels open. |
| these classes were somehow prohibited from | | | | Many of the biases that exist in traditional |
| attending "real" classes due to financial or physical | | | | classrooms and make it hard for some students |
| conditions (or because of parents who thought | | | | to participate in a class don't exist in the online |
| they could do better than a public school system). | | | | world. The anonymity of the Internet based |
| That is simply no longer the case. These days, | | | | classes mean that there is no longer the "cute |
| most people will choose an online school because | | | | one" or the "loud one" or even the "needy one." |
| that is the only way to fit an education into a | | | | Students are graded on their level of participation, |
| busy schedule. Now they can learn what they | | | | and only that. |
| need anytime and anywhere. Whether it's a | | | | An online school also makes it possible for |
| young student moving from place to place, or a | | | | students that simply want to supplement their |
| working professional shooting for a post graduate | | | | traditional education. If they are looking for extra |
| degree, online coursework makes an education | | | | classes or need to fulfill a certain requirement but |
| possible. | | | | can't manage it at the time the normal class is |
| An online school also provides students with | | | | offered, online classes are a good option. |
| continual access to the necessary materials for | | | | Sometimes, students just aren't morning people. |
| the class. That means that a student won't have | | | | At an online school, though, they can take their |
| to lug around heavy textbooks just to get in a | | | | classes when they are fully awake and alert, and |
| little extra study-time. All it takes is access to the | | | | it only has to last as long as their attention span. |
| Internet, and then the student can turn any spare | | | | Online schools are convenient and affordable, and |
| time into a time for learning. | | | | very different from what they once were. |
| There are a lot of old ideas about online schools | | | | |