Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Distance Education

Distance education can be looked at in many different ways. One of the positive aspects of this type of learning environment is that students who come from unstable situations are able to experience a stable learning environment with a constant curriculum. It is very difficult for students to be successful when they are missing school frequently or moving from place to place. Distance education gives these students the opportunity to experience a constant learning environment that moves throughout the curriculum with them.

While these types of students benefit from distance education, there are also come drawbacks. One of the disadvantages of distance learning is the lack of social interaction that the students receive from it. Learning how to act in different social situations is a very important tool. Many students learn these skills through public school and the interactions they experience with their peers and teachers. When students are not exposed to these interactions, they may not learn the appropriate social skills and ways to act.

There are many skills that students who are planning to participate in distance learning need to have. These students need to be responsible enough to work independently and get the work done when it is required of them. They also need to have social skills because they will not be learning how to interact with others in this type of situation. Students who participate in distance learning also need to be able to use a computer and the Internet. They need to be technology proficient to be able to navigate through the online school and get all the information that they need to know.

As a teacher of an online distance education programs there are many skills that are required of you that may not be necessary for a classroom teacher. The teacher of this type of learning environment needs to be knowledgeable in technology to be able to post the information that the children need know, communicate with the students, and create projects that take advantage of the technology used so the students are getting out of the situation everything they can. It is also important that the teacher know the content area so the students are learning the same information that a student in the classroom would be taught.

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