When personal computers first became popular, the question educators asked was, how do we integrate them into the classroom? Now, when we have reached a time where teenagers in the United States practically live on the Internet, the question now becomes, how can we use the computer as a tool to offer additional learning outside of school hours? Online classes can offer middle and high school students numerous benefits, such as the ability to take regular or AP classes not offered in their district, due to budget cuts or for other reasons.

I can vouch for the validity of online classes. I received a Master's Degree in Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University taking all of my classes entirely online. The classes were just as rigorous as live classes but I thought they were even better. Since they were all written, I could reread the entire lectures and didn't have to worry about notes. The professor's were much more available for questions, because they were just an email away, instead of having set office hours. We had message boards so that all the students still got to know each other and you couldn't beat the flexibility. It was a great learning experience.

At the time, the early 2000s, I was not nearly as tech savvy as now, and the online systems were antiques compared to today, and yet it still worked well. I can only imagine with today's teens and the new multimedia systems together, what a fantastic learning experience that must be. With the use of avatars, flash animations, interactive games, manipulatives and audio/video presentations, rich presentations are offered that help teach all learning styles.

Some specific examples of areas in which online classes have helped high school students:

1. Students that have fallen behind can take extra classes online to give them the credits they need to graduate.
2. Students that move often can get a consistent education.
3. Student athletes can use online classes as a way to stay ahead academically while juggling with a demanding tournament schedule.
4. Students in home-schooled families can brush up on skills to compete at the next level.
5. Students that like to challenge themselves academically can load up on courses that would never fit in a school day.

A recent study showed that online students spend more hours a week on homework, get more help when they fall behind and have more interest in attending college than students in traditional schooling. If you want to see if your state has any online schooling options, click on the map at Online School Solutions and see if there are any public or private online schools currently available in your state. What I like best about these programs is the ability for students to take additional electives without having to spend extra time at school. I am sure that would be a big plus for the teens also. What do you think? Is this something that your family would consider?

See also: Scrible Research Tool for Web and iPad

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