Technology and its uses have greatly evolved over time. One hundred years ago, the concept of the radio was just being introduced while today we have forms of portable communication such as phones, tablets and laptops. As this technology advances, so do its uses. These types of technologies have increasing use in businesses and in schools. With the new developments of technology in schools comes the debate over whether or not students should be able to attend their classes online and at home instead of at school. Students would benefit from being able to attend classes from home as seen through the different environment, the access to supplies, and the freedom it provides.

First, working on schoolwork at home vs. in school creates two very different environments. While the school environment is crowded and strict, the home environment is more comfortable. As a student who works on my schoolwork both in and out of school, I find that I am able to focus better when at home. At school I am distracted by friends, conversations, and other students, while at home I am able to focus more on my schoolwork than the distractions around me. My home environment is also much more comfortable than school, which clears my mind and helps me focus as well. Because some students are able to learn more efficiently in a more comfortable environment, the option to take classes online would greatly benefit their education. A student who is more focused and able to work hard on their schoolwork generally gets better grades, which will open up more possibilities for his or her future.

While the home environment can be easier to focus in, it also allows a greater access to supplies. At school, students have to bring the supplies that they want to use. However, this can be a problem because of limited space and forgetfulness. Many friends of mine often ask if I have certain supplies such as a stapler, colored pencils, or erasers. While I sometimes do have these supplies, I don't always because of the limited space in my backpack. However, taking classes online at home would eliminate this problem. Instead of having to remember and worrying about having enough space to bring supplies to and from school, students could always have the supplies available in their own home. This way, students also wouldn't have to worry about forgetting notebooks, textbooks, or folders at home when they need them for school because the supplies would always be in one place.

Finally, taking classes at home online would offer students the freedom to work at their own pace. In the classroom, different students have different abilities and different levels of understanding in various subjects. For example, while I tend to have a higher understanding in math, some of my friends do better in history and others in science. However, at school we are all forced to work at the same pace, no matter our ability level, because all the classes need to stay together. Taking online classes would allow students to not worry about others and their ability and instead only focus on their own work. This greater focus on themselves rather than others could also improve students' grades in classes they are struggling with.

While some people may think that students wouldn't learn well without face to face lessons from teachers, this is not true. Last summer, I took the online course of Economics and Personal Finance. While I admit that I was a little hesitant at first about how much I would learn in an online course, my fears were quickly swept away as I began the course. I learned a lot through the online class, and when it came time to come in and take the final test for the class at school, I did really well. While I did not learn face to face with a teacher, if I had any questions, the option was always open to email the teacher, and he would answer any questions I had.

The option to complete classes at home and online would greatly benefit students. It would offer more opportunities and lead to a better focus on the course because of the different environment, the access to supplies, and the freedom to work at your own pace. Allowing students to take online classes is a good way to improve education as well as assimilate new technologies into the school environment.