Imagine the following scenario: you wake up in the morning and there is two feet of snow on the ground. You turn on the television and your local news station reports that your school is closed today, so rather than spending a wasteful snow day doing nothing and having to make up seat time later in the year, you log onto your computer and connect with your teachers and classmates via video chat. In many schools in the United States, this situation is quite common. As technology becomes readily available to more and more people, some schools offer the option for students to learn without being at school by way of the Internet. Those who oppose online school argue that technology is harmful to learning and that the best learning environment is the classroom. While it is ideal that the student be in the classroom, sometimes technology is helpful when the student cannot physically attend class. It is imperative that people abandon their old fashioned ideas about technology and school and recognize the benefits that online school may provide. Distance learning and online school would benefit students and schools because severe weather days would not be wasteful and students with health conditions and responsibilities at home would be able to attend class.

Distance learning is a viable option for students so that when school is cancelled, the missed day is not a complete waste, especially in regions that are succeptable to severe weather. Teachers usually set lesson plans and assessment dates far in advance, but when weather interferes, their entire schedule is thrown off and their plans have to be pushed back. When school is canceled for more than a few days, holidays become regular school days, and sometimes students have to attend extra days in the summer to make up for the lost seat time. Furthermore, sometimes driving buses after a severe weather event can be hazardous due to debris or ice lingering on roadways, even once school is back in session. Online school eliminates these issues with school wide cancellations because the student can simply attend classes at home no matter the weather.

Online school may benefit students that have conditions preventing them from coming to school. For instance, a student may have health conditions that keep them at home or even in the hospital, and that includes mental health conditions as well. Some students may have a disease or disorder so debilitating that they cannot get out of bed some mornings. These afflictions may be long-term and may keep them bedridden or even in the hospital. Many childrens' hospitals have school-like systems already in place and communications with a patient's school so that no one falls behind in their studies while they receive treatment, but most times that is not enough. Additionally, students that come from less fortunate backgrounds may have duties at home to perform, like caring for family members or working to make money for the family. Some schools recognize the responsibilities a student may have at home and supply them their papers and materials, but then again, very few offer that type of compassion. While the student receives the school materials they need, they do not get to participate in discussion or attend lectures that help to solidify the information. But with distance learning, the student is able to participate in class online while they cannot be physically present.

It is proven that students show the most success when they are present in the classroom, but that success is not limited to being physically present. Technology is the solution to wasteful missed school days caused by severe weather, health, and home conditions. Students can get around the things that hinder them from achieving success in school by attending classes online. Of course, the goal of every institution is to make sure that their students receive the information they need for their future so they thrive, so it is absurd that anyone would put down the idea of online school. In fact, technology connects people to one another. The world is constantly growing and changing in terms of technology, so why should our schools be any different?