he availability of online education has been growing larger for years. There are now online options for high school to enable any student to go through high school online, and almost all colleges now have online universities and online classes. This model of education is changing how some students experience schooling and learning and vastly differs from the traditional system where all schooling was done physically at schools and campuses. Some people view this change as unnecessary and as a setback because they believe that the traditional model is the best way, and they are afraid of change, however this is overwhelmed by the fact that the online model has positive influence on education in more ways than one. This new model of education gives a sense of independence to students that they would not have if they were traditionally schooled, and it also opens the doors of education to people who would have previously struggled to find an option for schooling.

The online model changes the way students learn by giving them a sense of independence that they would not have if they were traditionally schooled. Traditionally, students have guidance and can come to rely on the teacher to help them get to any answer they need. While in the online model there are still teachers who can help, they are not as readily available. This gives a sense of independence to students because rather than asking for every answer, they can critically think and come to a conclusion themselves with their own thinking. There isn’t always going to be someone available that can help you come to an answer, so this sense of independence and critical thinking can prove to be essential later in life with a career or a life challenge. Another way the online model changes the way students learn is by promoting time management.

Time management is a vital skill in life, and it is useful in almost any circumstance as time is a valuable resource. Online learning promotes the use of time management because the student makes their own schedule for school. While the traditional model has aspects of time management, there is still a set schedule, usually made for a student, that they can follow; an example comes from high school. High school has a set schedule every day for a student to attend classes, and college is the same to an extent because the lecture times are set, however, online schooling has no set schedule typically. Students must make time for school and get the work done before the deadlines; this goes back to the topic of independence, but it connects independence to time management. Online schooling promotes independence for students as well as promotes time management skills, and it is also available to people who would otherwise struggle to find a schooling option.

Online education provides another option for those who have trouble finding a traditional schooling option that works with them. There are many different circumstances that online schooling can accommodate that traditional schooling would have trouble accommodating. Examples of these include parents who don’t have the time to go to a traditional school because their time is consumed by their kids and work. Online schooling permits these people to build their schedule around their kids and work rather than having to build their work and kids around school. Also, some kids drop out of high school because they work and don’t have the time to go to school because they have to provide for their families, however, with online schooling these kids could still work while doing schooling on the side. With a traditional education model, this wouldn’t work because the kids would have to be at school certain times throughout the day, but with online schooling they don’t have to be at school throughout the day and could work on their schoolwork in their free time. There are many other circumstances that have not been mentioned that online schooling can work with that a traditional schooling model would not be able to work with, which in itself explains why online schooling is an important option to have available.

Given the examples that have been examined and the many advantages of online learning, there should be no argument against it and its necessity. Online learning is changing the model of education for some, and this change has many positives. It promotes independence and time management amongst students. Online learning also benefits most those who have trouble finding traditional schooling that accommodates them; it provides them the ability to build their school schedule around the rest of their life, which the traditional model cannot offer in most cases. Online schooling is changing the model of education in the modern age, and this change is positive and benefits many individuals.

Noah McDaniel - High School Online