Will the Coronavirus Revolutionize Education?
American Thinker,
by
Sean M. Brooks
Original Article
Posted By: Imright,
3/12/2020 4:42:52 AM
With some K-12 school districts and administrators across America panicking and attempting to get ahead of any ‘outbreak’ of the coronavirus, more districts are opting for students to stay home. I’d be willing to bet that most students thoroughly enjoy this. It’s kind of like having ‘snow days.’ However, what might be in store for these students could be far more important than a snow day, as it’s possible that the virus may herald a revolutionary shift in education. Throughout the years, American homeschooling and online K-12 education has become far more popular and realistic than ‘brick and mortar’ public schools want to admit.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Highlander 3/12/2020 5:20:42 AM (No. 343708)
I like the idea. On-line means not having to put up with disruptive behaviors. (My wife got both of her Master’s degrees on-line with a reputable university). It can be beneficial for both teacher and student. I wouldn’t worry about cheating, since in long run, students who are inclined to cheat, will find it’s counterproductive. Their poor job performance will become glaringly obvious. I have done Moodle and Mooc’s in college. It works fine.
About corona virus, the panic is far worse than the actual disease.
14 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
BirdsNest 3/12/2020 5:29:00 AM (No. 343712)
A friend of mine in PA enrolled her daughter in the online courses(high school). The girl did very well and went on to college. I am sure it's not for everyone, but it does relieve a lot of bad social behavior.
8 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
DCGIRL 3/12/2020 5:51:07 AM (No. 343718)
Tired of hearing about the coronavirus. Could you please give everyone on this a site a break!?
16 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
John C 3/12/2020 6:30:10 AM (No. 343741)
With the kids on line at home, parents will get to see the junk being taught and might make a difference to the education of the children.
8 people like this.
I tried to find a biography on the author of this article; I wanted to know just how many years he taught in K-12 classrooms. No luck other than he's a college prof. Although it sounds good, I have a hard time with the basis of his argument that students will suddenly be self-motivated to involve themselves in in-depth studying. Yes, there would be those few that would, but they would if they were in a traditional setting. And he doesn't address how students exchange and explore ideas or immediate feedback and assistance. What about the kids who don't have access to computers?
There's a lot of things wrong with education, but a lot of things could also be corrected if parents and residents of districts were engaged and were a constant reminder that school district staff are employees of the taxpayers. As it is, we're too willing to send our kids off to school and not give adequate attention to what is going on. The current condition of our schools are a result of our neglect. The question is are we willing to step up, take responsibility, and work to correct the mess we've created?
15 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
GO3 3/12/2020 6:53:38 AM (No. 343757)
Good idea for those who want to learn and parents who are interested in the kids' education. For those parents and kids who lack the discipline, and there are a lot of them, it's a boondoggle. There are a lot of articles out there to fix education, all with good ideas. But it's not going to happen unless the political leadership axes truancy laws. Yes, it will blow up the system and that's what is needed. If the system goes online who is going to make sure everyone gets an education? Truancy officers going door to door? Counselors coming to your house? I say let the malcontents go their way and find other stuff to do - or not. Their call. Meanwhile, the good students will be successful because they have the motivation and their parents' backing.
5 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
MuncsSister 3/12/2020 6:58:41 AM (No. 343761)
Closing schools over this, something that is not infecting children and is not as deadly as the flu, is absolutely insane. I’m not saying that to be cavalier— that is simply reality. People need to wash their hands and get a grip.
24 people like this.
Amen #3. It's driving me bonkers.
6 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Knotwyrkin 3/12/2020 7:52:21 AM (No. 343798)
One goal of the current education system is to provide child care.
13 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Illinois Mom 3/12/2020 7:58:49 AM (No. 343803)
My grandchildren have been having "E-days" several times a year for the past few years. It is also good because they can at least get their classwork if they are home sick, but, it also means that the snow days we lived for are not free time anymore.
I know there are bad schools and nutty teachers but making online classes the norm is not the best thing for our kids. Kids need to get away from the "devices" and learn to make eye contact and interact with actual flesh and blood humans.
I don't think it will ever be the norm because there are people who need the free childcare and to have someone else feed their kids.
11 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
GO3 3/12/2020 8:01:44 AM (No. 343808)
Well said #5.
0 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
PostAway 3/12/2020 8:04:15 AM (No. 343809)
Brooks is long on ideas and short on common sense. Children who are homeschooled have at least one adult in their lives who is willing and able to devote their weekdays to their students in an academic enterprise. Without that adult present very few children would have the discipline to do schoolwork as necessary. The college experience is another thing. Who wouldn’t want to spend at least four years at a pre-paid (by someone else) resort free of adult responsibilities? Every year literally millions of parents fork over their fortunes to send their children to Neverland to become arrogant, confused self-centered jackasses and see it as an act of love. Good luck ending that.
7 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
smcchk 3/12/2020 8:06:44 AM (No. 343812)
If I were paying Stanford’s or Harvard’s tuition and my kid got sent home for online courses, with no room and board refunds, of course, you can bet I would be re-thinking this whole college education system.
5 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Hugh Akston 3/12/2020 8:16:06 AM (No. 343824)
Call me cynical, but I just see the crime rate exploding by the significant percentage of 'students' who would be home alone. This also assumes that every 'student' has access to the tools to study online. How do you account for the difference between audio learners and visual learners. Some need hands on repetition to grasp a concept. And even if school is no more than daycare for certain 'students' as #9 states, it at least keeps them off the streets and away from criminal, delinquent behavior, at least for awhile. If anything, we as a society need to learn to be more civil in our socialization and interaction with each other, and that is not going to happen by being home alone.
And what about trade schools? Certain concepts and skill sets have to be hands on.
6 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
udanja99 3/12/2020 8:16:43 AM (No. 343825)
The teachers’ unions will never allow it. Neither will the demonrat party which relies on funding from the teachers’ unions.
4 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
ROLFNader 3/12/2020 8:18:32 AM (No. 343827)
Will the 'teachers' get full pay and benefits while this BS is going on?
1 person likes this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Rather Read 3/12/2020 8:27:30 AM (No. 343839)
I've taught on-line courses and like brick and mortar schools, you will have students who work hard and do well and students who slack off. The difference is that with on-line classes, the slackers don't bother the hard workers.
7 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Hugh Akston 3/12/2020 8:27:59 AM (No. 343842)
So much for the government trying to get more students on the free and/or reduced lunch program...and breakfast...and dinner. The need for government meals-on-wheels employees will skyrocket. Will they be allowed to conceal carry? On the plus side it might reduce their indoctrination by marxist 'teachers'.
Is it too early to drink?
0 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
RayLRiv 3/12/2020 8:58:14 AM (No. 343873)
It really depends on the institution and the subject matter taught. In 2012 I completed an online MSM in Statistics. Before beginning the Master's track I thought "how hard can this be, this is lame cause it'll be online." I was surprised by all the work I had to do. I was reading an average of 100+ pgs a week, getting graded for weekly online participation, reading extracurricular material assigned on a weekly basis by the instructors, exchanging messages and drafts of my Master's capstone and dissertation with my committee members and chair. It was an interesting and an eye-opening experience.
That said - It's my opinion that certain subjects (hard sciences like chemistry and physics, higher-level math, statistical equation work, accounting principles and examples) are better taught in person in a traditional classroom environment. At least I know I learn better by having it demonstrated or worked on the chalkboard or whiteboard. I'm not a natural mathematician and I got through higher-level courses like differential equations through in-person study groups or classroom work.
7 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
privateer 3/12/2020 8:59:37 AM (No. 343878)
So this author apparently gives no consideration to Band, Chorus, sports, cheerleading, theater,etc. How would these function as online? Or are sports and the arts unimportant? Missing from his bio: over-educated chucklehead.
1 person likes this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
oldmagnolia 3/12/2020 9:12:19 AM (No. 343888)
We need a change in education. It is no longer necessary to spend 4-6 years on campus for the majority of the majors. My daughter in law is doing a degree on line at Purdue Global. It is excellent. She has classes, lectures, discussions with other students and everything else. All from the comfort of home. Since there is no phony baloney and wasted time, the semesters are much shorter and more productive.
3 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
MDConservative 3/12/2020 9:17:04 AM (No. 343893)
It may make for a great academic education, the social aspect is another issue. Just another excuse to withdraw to the parents' basement and stay there. Sure, why not? Do we all get huge tax reductions for doing this? Put it on video and "on demand" and it's just perfect.
0 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
hurricanegirl 3/12/2020 9:22:27 AM (No. 343907)
#5 says: "And he doesn't address how students exchange and explore ideas or immediate feedback and assistance."
The reason the author doesn't address this is because both issues have ALREADY been addressed in online education classes for a while now. Kids exchange and explore ideas through collaborative activities (online discussion boards is one way), and immediate feedback and assistance is often more immediate online than it is in brick-and-mortar schools. Just because it's online doesn't mean there are no teachers for each course.
With that said, online learning isn't for everyone, but it certainly has its place in today's society. For all of you knocking it (and many of you showing your ignorance as you do so), perhaps you should do a little more research before you spout off.
5 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
Hugh Akston 3/12/2020 9:59:40 AM (No. 343956)
So how about this dichotomy...the same government that would arrest the parent(s) and charge them with child endangerment and abandonment now would have them home alone 'attending' school. This is not about post high school, or post grad, this is about K-12, but in particular, K-8. Let's turn a YUGE percentage of the K-5 students, those under 12 yrs old, into latchkey 'students'. And then the fun really begins after ages 11-12 when the hormones kick and...you can imagine the 'study halls' at certain homes. What is the percentage of single parent households or both parents working? Do grandma and grandpa get conscripted to be the students home school monitors? Forced to change their retirement plans and their lifestyles to meet the educational mandates of the state?
0 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
texaspast 3/12/2020 10:19:18 AM (No. 343988)
Online classes in elementary and junior high? Totally insane. Who is going to mind the children while both parents are working? Who is going to make the kids actually do the work? Not the majority of today's parents, I assure you. As for college online, yeah, it works fine for some courses and for SOME students. For the driven ones, highly motivated ones, if - IF - they have a well-designed and taught course to work with, it will be fine. Some courses, however, shouldn't be taught online. (Some should mostly be taught online, though, like Business Computer Information Systems, which is a course that teaches how all the Microsoft programs like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. work together and can be combined). For those of us who were not that motivated the first year or two of college, online would have been disastrous. Now I teach in college. One of the courses I teach is Real Estate Law (not the kind for wannabe real estate agents) that is state-specific for Texas. There is no book that is state-specific for Texas that isn't for wannabe real estate agents, which is too simplistic for my class. Lecture is the best way to explain it. And my classes are very interactive. The student won't get the same level of interaction with an online discussion board. Teachers and administrators are deluding themselves to think that online courses are (with a few exceptions) equal to in-class participation courses. Maybe for the top 20% of the students (if that many), but not for most. Thank God we didn't have it when I started college! And law school online? Give me a break! And do you want a doctor that got his/her degree online, even if it was from the most prestigious med school?
0 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 3/12/2020 10:33:57 AM (No. 344009)
For the two-parent families, it could work. But, for the one-parent families where the divorced mother is having to hold two or three jobs, it won't work. Over 50% of the families in America are one-parent families. So, at-home schooling would be a mixed bag.
3 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
DVC 3/12/2020 10:48:23 AM (No. 344031)
Deep sixing the primary infection sites of leftist dogma and lies in the USA (universities) would be wonderful.
1 person likes this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
Arby 3/12/2020 11:29:49 AM (No. 344088)
Hire some old-school professors who still believe in learning rather than indoctrination to construct the materials. Then keep the students away from the whackos. This could work.
0 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
Starboard_side 3/12/2020 12:20:05 PM (No. 344124)
As far as online education, it would certainly reduce the overall expense of education when considering you would not need as many buildings, you wouldn't need to heat and AC them either, insurance costs would be reduced, and it would address the shortage of teachers, I presume.
Would there be adjustments, yes. Would some not thrive, likely (address those separately).
Would many thrive and find more time, most likely.
Children today are much more open to using computers and technology offers the ability to do a lot of things outside of the typical work and school environment.
1 person likes this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
RedWhite&Blue2 3/12/2020 1:11:56 PM (No. 344193)
Why is everything being canceled?
And why isn’t China at fault for this?
3 people like this.
Reply 31 - Posted by:
BigGeorgeTX 3/14/2020 12:27:39 PM (No. 346170)
That's all well and good until you realize that a primary function of education, for Liberals, is to provide free daycare to working mothers and meals for their children. Performance by the students is secondary to securing the votes of single mothers. Witness the panic when schools are closed for a significant period during the school year, and the mad scramble that occurs as parents have to find alternate sources.
0 people like this.
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