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Health & Fitness

The Evolution of Educational Tools

Remember the old saying, “When I was growing up, I walked to school uphill, both ways, in a snowstorm?” Yes, education has evolved over the years, but the mission of a school remains the same – providing students with the resources and tools necessary to succeed academically and emotionally.

In our modern times, nothing has revolutionized the types of resources available to students like technology.  Technology allows increased communication and information beyond a teacher.  Students are now able to research and contact inventors, experts, or senior officers to learn first-hand about various interests.  They are able to collaborate with others in their peer group about similar topics or ways of approaching a problem.  They are no longer an island learning on their own, but part of a learning community.

New educational technology has removed the walls of the traditional classroom.  It has created a surge in virtual schools— like Great Lakes Cyber Academy, a new tuition–free, online public school option available for students in grades 9–12 throughout the state.  With virtual school, students can learn online without being limited to the resources of one particular location—they can learn anytime, anywhere.  Virtual learning can easily allow a student’s learning process to become a global perspective, interacting with students from all walks of life, and engaging with professionals.

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With the Internet, the amount of available information far exceeds anyone’s imagination from those one-room schoolhouse days.  Gaining a solid grasp of how to sort through online information and finding valid data becomes essential for today’s youth.  Practicing online networking with professionals and peers helps students prepare for modern careers in a global economy. 

Virtual education potentially allows students from all over the globe to live, work, and learn together as they protect and design a better world.

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What do you think? Do you believe virtual education has an important role in the progression of education? 

Kristen Wilkerson is a math teacher at Great Lakes Cyber Academy

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