Elementary, middle, and high school students world-wide may take advantage of emergence of online schools, and their ability to provide flexibility and learning resources tailored to each student’s needs.

“Any Time, Any Place, Any Path, Any Pace.”  The title of a 2001 National Association of State Boards of Education report on the future of e-learning still says it all.  Online schools offer students unparalleled opportunities to design their own school programs.

Online schools, also called virtual learning academies, and Cyber schools emerged in the late 1990s as a natural fusion of advances in internet accessibility and the increased need for education delivery.  With over 45 virtual schools nationwide using their outstanding online curriculum, Global Student Network is on the vanguard of this movement.

Students in a cyber school log in daily for lessons and class discussions, which they access via the internet from their home computers, wherever “home” may be.  Cyber students are held accountable to state standards for attendance and performance, and receive diplomas at the completion of their educational programs.  While daily attendance is required and assignments must be completed on schedule, the pace and specific content of each student’s program can be individually tailored.

Cyber schools can operate as part of a public school system, or as a private school. When operating as a part of a public school system, tuition is free to in-state students.

At the heart of a cyber school’s flexibility is the inherent efficiency of a school program reduced to its academic core.  It is suggested that students budget one hour a day for each major subject.  Compared to a typical seven-hour school day with a bus ride at either end, that schedule creates significant additional time for students who need to spend it on their studies.  Those who don’t, are able to use the extra time to dig deeper into course material that interests them, or to pursue outside activities.

“Typical” cyber charter school students include the physically disabled and junior Olympians; musicians, dancers, actors and other artists; as well as young parents and working teens who support themselves or their families while earning their diplomas.

This diverse mix of student interests and backgrounds raises a common question from outsiders about the cyber school environment: what about socialization?  One high school student from the International Virtual Learning Academy, a private, accredited online school, answers this question with the assurance of real life experience. In a cyber classroom, she says, “you can’t see the person you’re interacting with, but the kids certainly do interact.”  Unencumbered by the superficial elements of socialization, students are free to make friends based on shared values and beliefs.

By maintaining a relatively small class sizes, International Virtual Learning Academy, as well as many of the online schools using Global Student Network’s online curriculum, deliberately cultivate an environment in which every student is known as an individual and given personal attention.

The International Virtual Learning Academy, using Global Student Network’s outstanding online curriculum, also creates Individualized Programs of Instruction for students.  In the words of IVLA superintendent Don Posson, “We want our students to believe that ‘thinking outside the box’ is the norm, not the exception.”  Attending IVLA is itself a practical lesson in unconventional thinking. “Every aspect of our school is designed to help our students experience new ways of exploring our world.”

Whatever form it takes, online education requires a significant commitment on the part of students and their families.  But for a growing number of students world-wide, the freedom and flexibility to direct their own educational destinies make online schools worth the effort.

There is an education revolution sweeping through the United States. Discerning parents are seeking the best education for their child. For many plugged-in students, the best education may come in online schools, not in a traditional classroom. According to the Sloan Consortium, more than 1 million U.S. elementary and secondary students now take all or part of their class load online, according to The Sloan Consortium. That’s a 2000% increase since 2000, when only 50,000 pioneering students ventured online for their education. Global Student Network has assisted schools and students in 50 states and 26 countries to offer online education to primary or secondary students, and some experts predict that by 2015, half of all classes will be online. School administrators who are curious about this exploding trend in education and want to develop this outstanding resource in their own school are always impressed with Global Student Network’s ability to assist them in offering online courses to their students. Typically, a school can move from thinking about having a Virtual Learning Academy to operating one in days, not weeks or months. GSN informs and assists administrators every day on leveraging the power of online learning so they can offer a robust educational program for their schools, students, and families.

To schedule and join Global Student Network in an online webinar in starting a Virtual Learning Academy and optimizing student education, go to: www.GlobalStudentNetwork.com and submit a contact form. The Director of Online Learning will contact you within 24 hours and set up a personalized webinar.

Virtual Learning Academies are One of the fastest growing uses of technology for education today. College enrollment of online courses has increased substantially in recent years, but even more interesting is the increase in elementary, middle and high school students who are attending virtual classrooms either full or part-time.

Global Student Network (GSN) is one of the leading provider’s of online curriculum for public, private and charter schools, as well as homeschool students in grades 2-12. Many schools using GSN’s online curriculum offer tuition-free and private supplemental learning, blended online/offline programs, and full-time online programs in the United States and internationally. GSN’s online curriculum allows students to learn at their own level, at their own pace, and within their own lifestyles.

Great as all this sounds, the trend towards online learning raises the question of just how effective online education is compared to traditional education. According to a recent study conducted by SRI International for the US Department of Education, online learners perform slightly better than students in traditional face-to-face classrooms. The study analyzed research that compared online and conventional learning at institutions of higher education and in K-12 settings between 1996 and 2008.

A key finding of the report is that students doing partial or all course work online rank, on average, in the 59th percentile, meaning better than 59% of all those who were scored; whereas students in traditional classrooms ranked in the 50th percentile. Though this significant difference doesn’t quite mean the end of institutional schools, it will help put an end to the myth that online learning is inferior to traditional learning. It will also help foster greater interest in developing technology geared specifically to education. Global Student Network has seen substantial growth of schools using it’s curriculum, developing their own Virtual Learning Academies.

Although Twitter may not penetrate the classroom just yet, social media help students maintain an active social life beyond the classroom. One of the biggest myths about online education is that students will become socially inept. Instead, learning online allows students to study at their own pace, usually opening up hours for sports, hobbies, volunteer work, and time with friends. GSN’s online curriculum also allows students to study what interests them. Not that learning online is easier. In fact, quite the opposite: students require tremendous discipline and excellent time management skills.

One would imagine that high school and college students are more likely to take advantage of online programs, but homeschooling has existed as long as education has, so it’s a viable option for those in younger grades as well. Some children have special needs and talents, others have disabilities or simply struggle in the class. Parents looking for an alternative to traditional schooling for their child now have options other than special classes, tutoring and expensive private schools. Online education offers students more one-on-one time with their instructors. And, as a bonus, most K-12 online programs are inexpensive or even tuition-free.

For more information about Global Student Network’s online curriculum for public, private, and charter schools, CLICK HERE

For more information about Global Student Network’s online curriculum for homeschoolers, CLICK HERE