In today’s world, the classroom has taken on a new look and shape. It is no longer a room full of desks and a chalk board. Today’s classroom is now anywhere a person can carry their computer (laptop hopefully). Using the Internet is the norm for today’s youth and adults going back to school. Of course, there is also how the Internet is used as a tool in the conventional classroom. While the use of the Internet is more structured in the classroom, a student’s educational use of the Internet occurs outside of the school day, outside of the school building, outside the direction of their teachers. Students report that there is a substantial disconnect between how they use the Internet for school and how they use the Internet during the school day and under teacher direction.
In this isolated classroom students find many different educational uses for the Internet. All students use the Internet to do research to assist them in doing homework, study for tests and write research papers. The Internet is a virtual reference book, teacher, tutor, desk, and so on. My first experience with an online class was very disconcerting, but I got use to it very fast. No going to class when you are tired, you can do your work when you have the time. Alas, I feel eventually, there will be no need to drive to school with a teacher and classmates. Yet, this is the direction that education is taking its students.
One problem with using the Internet for school is the lack of instructions teacher give their students in using this tool. That is due to the fact the student has more knowledge about the Internet than the teacher. Also, some teachers decide not to use the Internet for an assignment because of their concern that not all kids have access to the Internet at home.
Nonetheless, as students, we are changing due to the out-of-school use of the Internet and our reliance on it. Students have different skills, different opportunities and most of all different resources at their finger tips.
Great post Janet! As you know I have been an online student for the past two years and LOVE it. Actually, I much prefer it to the traditional classroom type of learning because of the convenience "attending" class whenever and wherever it works.
ReplyDeleteI will say, however, you must be a self-motivator and work fine independently. Those who put things off until tomorrow will find that this is not going to work for them. Stay on top of your assignments weekly and know going in that most online classes require more of you to make up for the lack of classroom time.