Online Learning For High School Students

Once considered a tool primarily used in higher education

, online learning has made its way to high schools, giving students the opportunity to study a wider variety of subjects than those traditionally offered. Taking an online course only requires that a student has Internet access and motivation to learn.

North Warren High School in New York, for example, works with a nonprofit organization called Virtual High School, or VHS, which offers online courses to students in approximately 700 high schools in countries throughout the world. The online school-accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Education and the Northwest Accreditation Commission-has over 400 online courses for students to choose from. Classes run for half of the school year, and count for additional credit toward a student's diploma. All VHS teachers have passed a training program and are certified in the subjects that they teach.

Online schools offer online courses to students in diverse subjects like nuclear physics, constitutional law, or biotechnology. VHS appeals to ambitious students in small schools with equally small budgets that do not have the resources to offer nontraditional subjects.

One student at North Warren, Tyler Jensen, plans to major in aerospace engineering or physics in college. He appreciates the variety of courses that VHS offers "It [online learning] can be a tremendous resource," Jensen said. "It really broadens the literary and educational palate."

Online courses are also beneficial because they allow students to work independently and at their own pace, rather than under the constant watch and timing of a teacher or other classmates. This method of learning is great practice for the way that college level classes are often structured. For schools that work with VHS, online courses are offered free of charge to students. North Warren's membership allows 50 students each year to participate in online learning and costs the school $6,500.

by: Emily Sismour

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