Distance Education

One pro of distance education is that it allows students with a variety of personal situations to take classes that fit their needs. For example, if a family chose to home-school their children rather than sending them through public school, the option for distance education is there for that family to use. Likewise, if a family has a child with autism or Asperger’s, distance education allows that child to have an education and will be modified to fit their learning needs.


A con of distance education is that it requires some technology to use and some people will not have access to the technology they need for distance education. For distance education to work, a family would need a computer that has Internet access. Nowadays, computers have come down in price and one that is needed solely for educational purposes would only cost a few hundred dollars. However, some families cannot even afford that. Internet access also cost money, even dial-up. Internet service providers (ISPs) provide dial-up internet at a low cost per month, however, this can tie up phone lines and depending on where a family lives, and they can have a poor connection. Cable and DSL lines are faster and do not tie up phone lines. They are a more expensive option, though.


To determine the readiness of a student to participate in distance learning, I would look at the student’s needs and the family’s needs (if applicable). The needs of the student come first. If they are not comfortable in a public school, or are not having their needs met in public school, I would want to know that. They need to feel comfortable for them to learn best. I would also want to know why they want a distance education and how it will help them grow in their educational career. Secondly, I would look at their family situation. If the family moves around a lot, such as a military family, they would make a great candidate. If the family wants their children to go through distance education, I would contrast that with the student’s choice.

There are a few things I would need to teach in a virtual school. One of the skills I would need would be to be technologically savvy. I would need to have a good basic knowledge of how a computer works and the various programs I would want to use. I would also need to have gone through an accredited education program, such as the one here at Washington State University. With that, I know I would be secure in the information I am being taught, and with a teaching degree from such a university, I would be very qualified to teach K-8. Also, I would want to be willing to teach in distance education. If I did not want to, I would be an unhappy teacher. If I were an unhappy teacher, that would not reflect well on my students and they would become unhappy. From there, the whole education process for both parties would drag on and not be as effective as it could be.