Thesis and Outline

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Thesis and Outline

Despite the fact that cyber schools have some advantages, they also have some limitations, which may affect the children’s future in a negative manner. Education is not the only prerequisite for a child’s successful life. Children need more that that for them to be successful. Cyber schools limit a child’s interactions with others, something that is vital for their growth and development. Parents and other adults are responsible for ensuring that children have better education and performing students within schools. Conditions for a superior learning environment are the responsibility of all the stakeholders in the education sector (Gartner, 2004). When parents, teachers, students and other education stakeholders work together, they can ensure that the education system improves to cater for the growing needs of the society. Cyber schools do not guarantee that children will have a better learning environment and they may end up being detrimental to a child’s learning.

Scores taken from standardized tests in 2003 in the state of Pennsylvania showed that students who preferred cyber schools performed lower in major subjects than those who attended brick and mortar schools. Some of the cyber schools did not even attain the state’s goals of proficiency in subjects such as mathematics and reading (Gartner, 2004). This is a cause of concern for both the parents and the students since it might limit the child’s chances of furthering his or her education. Despite the limitations in traditional schools, the educators strive to ensure that they perform well above average. In cyber schools, students cannot discuss and hold conversations with other students, and this process becomes dull and boring for them. Although there are various online forums for real-time discussions, this does not always guarantee that one will get a response. Some students actually choose to ignore the forums.

Cyber schools eliminate all aspects of the classroom community and positive social interactions with other pupils. The classroom community keeps all the students actively engaged in both the learning and interaction processes (Lynn, & The Florida State University, 2008). This is absent in cyber schools, where students can be limited by the fact that they cannot type fast enough to catch up with other learners. In the traditional classroom, children are able to interact with people from different backgrounds where they learn to associate and tolerate each other. This is beneficial as it makes it easy for them to cope with life after school due to the exposure to people from different racial backgrounds and ethnicities. Having a classroom community is more enjoyable for the students and it makes learning fun and teaching worthwhile for the students and the instructors. This element is unfortunately missing in cyber schools, where the students have to rely on technology for entertainment needs.

Cyber schools have no supervision. This is unlike traditional home schooling and brick and mortar schools (Lynn, & The Florida State University, 2008). In cyber schools, students can learn at their own time and this is a disadvantage since they tend to procrastinate and delay working on their assignments. Some parents may not have enough time to supervise their children. Cyber schools do not give the students a chance to develop their talents in other areas such as sports. Children learn in the comfort of their homes and this can be a limiting factor for them. Additionally, they may never really identify their potentials until they are able to compete with other students within the same position. Other elements, which make learning fun such as field trips, the joy of graduating in the attendance of friends and families, and attending school parties and other social events, that evidently lack in cyber schools. Learning is not just about books and instructors; it incorporates many factors, which are essential for human development and growth.

References

Gartner, J. (2004). Sketchy grades for cyber schools. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/03/62662

Lynn, C. A., & The FloridaStateUniversity (2008). The nature of pedagogical practices influenced by an instructor’s beliefs in an online mathematics education course. Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest.