Life of Online High School Students vs. Traditional Students

An online high school student experiences quite a change in his daily life as well as lifestyle when switched from a traditional school to an online one. The daily route is perhaps the biggest difference between the online high school and the traditional high school.

Here is a comparison between the daily routine of an online high school student and that of a traditional high school student:

Wake-up call
Mornings for a traditional school student start with waking up early with the help of an alarm clock in general! They need to get up earlier since they need to catch the bus, van or walk on their own. If the mode of communication is feet, then the kid is real lucky to have his school near to his residence. In many cases, the child’s mom or dad might give him a ride to school.

An online high school student on the other hand needs to wake up not too early. However, if he belongs to a disciplined family, he shall wake up at around 6 or 7 a.m. He freshens up for the day and logs in to start his coursework.

As you compare the two scenarios, you can figure out that online schooling saves the time required for getting ready and commuting. The difference is more striking if the traditional school is pretty far from the child’s residential area. The child nearly has to wake up around 5a.m. in such a case when his school just starts at 7 a.m.

First half of the day
Fir a traditional student, the school hours generally start from about 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The classes predominantly consist of lectures and working on assignments. Any assignment or classwork that is not completed within the school hours become part of your homework.

Online schools follow a curriculum that is as rigorous as that of a traditional school.  You at least need to invest 30-35 hours per week to complete your assignments and other work on time. The major difference here is that the students need not follow a fixed schedule or a fixed learning pace. They are also not tied to a physical classroom. However, such a high level of freedom calls for a high level of discipline.

It is crucial for online students to stay ahead of their schedules. Many of you might get scared hearing that discipline is a must for the online learners. But, in the hindsight, discipline is a must in any job environment, college environment or other higher-level study environments. So, it is beneficial for you if you start inculcating the skill early in your life. After all, old habits die hard!

All the tasks like assignments, quizzes, exams and collaborative or solo projects etc. are completed online. There might be certain tasks that you shall be needed to do offline as well. But, first you need to focus on your online tasks. In general, an online course consists of six units that are divided into five lessons each. Students need to complete at least one lesson in each class every single working day that involves the weekdays. You can do some work on your weekend as well if you wish in order to gain deeper knowledge and moving ahead of your schedule.

Online courses are usually are teacher-guided. These contain several instructional videos, educational games etc. The education is imparted with the help of multiple mediums such as audio books, visual lessons, PowerPoint presentations etc. to make it more enticing and stimulating for the kids.

Thus, online classes are vibrant and focus on variety. On the other hand, traditional classes are highly monotonous and rigid. The latter surely tends to get you real bored.

Lunch break
Whether you are in a traditional or an online school, you need to take the lunch break to rejuvenate your minds and get some fresh air. While in traditional schools, you have no choice but to depend on the cafeteria food. At home, you can afford to have a healthy diet in case you wish for it. You might even get a little nap at home before continuing further to work on specific assignments. This is applicable only for online learners.

Qualification of teachers
Teachers are employed in good schools only when they are proficient and specialized in their subjective areas. This applies both for traditional and online school faculty.

However, the difference lies in the fact that online faculty is available 24x7 for online learners. Conventional school teachers are only available during the school hours. So, in case you have queries, you are more likely to get them resolved the same day only if you are an online learner.

Socialization
Since conventional schools contain ‘live” teachers and ”live” peers, the opportunities for socialization appear to be more apparent. However, this kind of socialization is not exactly productive.

Online learning does not involve a physical classroom. Online schools provide different techniques to students for socialization. Online students connect with classmates differently. The several channels that make Interaction happen are:

•Discussion forums
•Collaborative projects
•Staff-monitored community page.
•Online student clubs or groups usually built for a specific task.

Such interactions are far more meaningful and productive. Bonding and friendship are the by-products. You tend to make more genuine friends here since you get to come across people having similar mindset and goals as you. You need not go for forced friendships under any sort of peer pressure or just to stick to a “cool” group. The friendship built here is much more genuine and natural.

Completion of the pending work
Traditional school students need to complete their pending classroom assignments at home itself. Online school students can continue with their pending assignments in the second half of the day if they wish. They can take the help of several online tools and resources to do so.

Students of an Accredited Online High School feel more at ease to complete their assignments on time. In course of time, they develop self-drive that alone motivates them to follow the ideal daily routine throughout the coursework.

Top Benefits of Choosing an Online High School

There are several online learning platforms in the country that are currently making headway in terms of providing high school education to students across the nation at a fraction of what it would otherwise cost them to study in a conventional schooling environment. Having access to an online environment certainly opens up new possibilities for students as well as their teachers. Students are offered facilities like accessing their coursework from practically any place as long as they have access to a computer and the internet. Communicating online also helps interaction with students from any part of the world. Transcending physical boundaries is what online schooling is all about and it certainly opens up new avenues for holistic learning. Globalization is the reason the world is so much closer today, which has also facilitated the easy sharing of information. With new technologies providing cheaper and more economical alternatives, online high schools are now providing more benefits to most families in the United States and around the world as well.

Teachers also have the option of communicating with their students seamlessly irrespective of physical location. Being able to interact with students from different parts of the world is one of the significant advantages offered by an online high school. Regularly monitoring progress and providing timely feedback are significant benefits not just for teachers but for parents too. Furthermore, teachers are no longer required to relocate to other parts of the country in order to be able to teach at a particular school depending on vacancies available. The same concept is applicable to teachers who have opted to teach via online learning platforms. Parents also have been given a second chance at securing a high school education if they missed out on the opportunity for whatever reason. Online high school now offers you the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time. Working professionals too, now have the freedom and flexibility required to manage both, work and study.

Even the added expenses on account of travel are eliminated, which makes it a lot more affordable for most. After all, the cost involved sometimes tends to be a deterrent to those wishing to pursue their education. They are also able to save time, which certainly makes studying online a much more feasible option for earning their high school degree. At The Ogburn Online School, we have always believed that a diploma or a degree is much more than just a piece of paper. It is a path for students to choose on their way to securing the right knowledge and the required skill sets for succeeding in life. It is about gaining access to a world of opportunities, ones that probably never existed before. Furthering their careers is one motive for working professionals to take up distance learning as a serious alternative. Contrary to popular notion, online schooling isn’t limited to only students from online high schools. There are online middle schools as well as online elementary schools that accommodate the needs of younger minds.

For more information you can log on to http://www.ogburnonlineschool.com and also speak to one of our education counselors and clarify all doubts or queries you may have.

 

 

Online Learning Is Misunderstood. Here's How

Here are the top myths related to online learning:

Online classes are not that effective
Many believe that online classes are not as effective as conventional school classes. This belief is so strong since there are no ‘live’ teachers and peers in an online environment. Also, there is no rigid schedule. Textbooks are usually not required. However, it is nothing but a big myth.

Though some of the online courses might be ineffective, not all are the same. If you take online school classes from an accredited online school, you are bound to experience a wholesome learning journey. This is because you are allowed to prepare your personalized learning schedule and follow it. You are also allowed to follow your own learning pace. Thus, online learning caters to your academic needs and objectives. You can slow down when you come across a difficult topic and take time to explore more on the topic. Also, you get to interact easily with your online teachers whenever you have doubts.

You have to be technologically brilliant to take an online course
Many believe that one needs to be an expert at technology in order to succeed in an online learning course. This is untrue. Yes, you do need to know the basics. But, so does any traditional school student!

You do have to know how to do basic interactions on a computer. And, many present-day students know that! There are many online educators who truly work hard to create accessible online courses. Most of these courses are student-friendly and success-driven. All the online student needs are just some basic computer skills that one needs in their daily lives.

Online classes are too easy
Some students and parents believe that online schooling is just too easy. In fact, some do enroll in an online school because of this same reason. However, they tend to suffer later! An online course is simply as challenging as any traditional school course. The syllabus is almost the same. The only difference is that an online school embraces various learning formats to keep the student engaged and stimulated. Also, since in an online learning environment, there are fewer distractions, students are able to finish off their daily online course work faster. The workload is almost the same as that of any traditional school course. However, online learning is easy since it is fun!

There is no interaction with teachers or peers
Many believe that online students are not able to talk to their teachers when they have doubts. After all, there is no direct interaction in this learning environment. However, direct interaction does not prove to be beneficial for the student all the time, does it?

An online school enables its students to interact smoothly and effectively with the online instructors as well as peers. Usually, online classes provide the opportunity for instructors to join in on certain discussion room chats. They also tend to offer webinars or conduct effective video chats with students. This benefits students who need personalized attention and guidance. One-on-one interaction is conducive to a student’s success in any learning system. Teachers provide students with genuine instant feedback after monitoring their performance in some classroom activities. Most of the feedback is provided from positive space to help the students grow personally as well as academically.

Many online schools provide students with discussion forums, group webinars, and virtual collaborative projects to facilitate online students. During an online course, students get to interact with each other easily. In fact, introverted students find it easier to open up through online platforms since they do not fear being judged.

Online school diplomas are not accepted by employers or institutions
This is one of the most common myths surrounding online schools. Many believe that diplomas from online schools are not acknowledged by universities, colleges, and employers. But, this is not true.

If you take classes from a regionally accredited online school, your diploma is bound to be accepted by colleges, universities and employers alike. Keep in mind that all online courses are not the same. So, aspiring online students ought to be cautious while choosing an online school. They should do a good deal of research and background check to determine the accreditation status and credibility of the online school course.

Online classes are not credible
It is certain that all online classes are not alike. Also, not all are credible. An online school is certainly credible if it is regionally accredited. So, aspiring online students need to make their choice wisely. They need to check the accreditation status of the online school before choosing it. One can visit the school’s credible website to check the level of accreditation. When students get enrolled in a regionally accredited online school, students and parents can rest assured that they are getting quality education as per the Standards of the state.

You can easily cheat in an online course
With the evolution of technology, the chances of cheating are reduced in the online learning environment. There are various browser blocking functions that are implemented at the time of test sessions. These are used for tracking purposes. In fact, today, most of the online school courses have great cheat-proof functions.

Also, in an online schooling environment, students are evaluated very differently from that of a traditional school. Since online school courses need interaction in classroom discussions, video presentations, and various micro-quizzes, it is not that easy to search for ways to cheat! It can be said that in an online school environment, there is less room for cheating.

Online credits are not transferrable
Some online school credits do not transfer to another school. There are some online school students who face problems while transferring credits. However, this has nothing to do with the online learning mode. The student might have been subjected to the same issues if he/she had studied in a traditional school. It can be said that credits from online school programs are as easy to transfer as conventional school credits.