Some schools offer distance learning as an option for students to attend classes from home by way of online or video conferencing. I do not believe students would benefit from being able to attend class from home because cheating from websites on the internet would be made easier for them to use, students may not have access to internet or a device that allows them to complete their assignments, and students who are not present in the classroom would miss out on working on their socializing skills with their fellow classmates.

Cheating would be facilitated to the students who are not being supervised and do not have a teacher to go to and ask their questions or concerns. Since the students would not have a teacher explaining and answering their questions, it'll seem easier to them to rely on the internet for a response to their questions, instead of learning and retaining the information. There are countless websites on the internet that will provide students with detailed answers to the questions they have searched and would be easily able to copy and word the answer differently to their responses on the assignment. They could not only access quick and detailed responses from searching them online but by also asking other family member that has already taken the class or the subject.

Students who are absent and who may have limited access to internet at home would be significantly placed at a disadvantage than their classmates. Students not having a device to complete their assignments on, would contribute to placing them behind and without an opportunity to keep the same rhythm the classroom is being taught at. Students may be placed in a situation where internet access is not available or they are physically unavailable to attend the video conference due to family emergencies or illness. Some students might feel like the students who are being taught online are given the advantage of cheating and getting the same grades as them, resulting in tension within the classroom.

Students who attend the class online or by video conferencing would not be able to experience the social interactions that their classmates, who are present in the class, would go through. Interacting and working together to complete group projects or presentations, would help with students with their public speaking and combining the input of different types of students. This kind of social bonding would lead to the students learning new things, not only about the subject of the project or presentation, but of the people they worked with.

All these simple interactions help build up a character in the students that prepares them for when they apply for a job or go to college. The students who are not present in the classroom would miss out on these important lessons and learning experiences that would benefit them in the future.

I believe that students would not benefit from attending online or video conferencing as a way of attending class due to the risk of cheating, limited access to devices or internet at home, and students would be excluded from building social skills that they may need in the future. I understand that some students may learn better alone and in a quiet place like their home. However, these students would be missing out on learning a significant part of attending classes. If your school were to suggest this option of virtual learning, write a letter to your schools Board of Supervisors or your principal, listing these reasons as to why students would not benefit from distance learning.