In this modern era of easy access to technology, children are heavily influenced by the electronic world into which they immerse themselves. Thus, the younger generations are growing more familiar and comfortable with technology than their own parents and grandparents will ever be. In well-endowed school districts, students often have Chromebooks, Macs, or another brand of a small, portable laptop. It becomes easier to teach students with online material when each and every child has his or her own school-issued device, and other schools have gone as far as to implement distance-learning, a form of education offered through the accessibility of technology. Distance-learning, while heavily reliant on electricity and technology, is greatly beneficial to students because it would both allow those who are not able to attend school due to sickness and reach those who live far away from a learning institution.

Sickness spreads easily in a crowded, public environment where many tools, like pencils, scissors, and desks are shared. Students often cannot afford to miss school due to illness, so they will attend anyway, no matter the severity of their sickness. Even with the addition of laptops into education, missing a day of learning has the potential to impact student learning because he or she is not present for the teacher's lecture and explanation of material. Through distance-learning, students who are sick would be able to connect with the class and teacher in real-time and be able to ask questions to further his or her understanding. If the student was in the hospital, having come down with a more serious illness, like pneumonia, he or she would likely miss out on a few concepts from class but later video chat with a teacher while simultaneously not missing out on medical attention.

Students who live far away from their school would also benefit from in-home learning. Those who live in more rural parts of a school district often have an early wake-up call for a long commute riddled with morning rush-hour traffic. Then, in school, the student is already mentally exhausted and must prepare for the long trek home. Distance learning would eliminate the commute for faraway students, saving them money in gasoline and time in transit. They would also not need to wake up as early and go to bed as late, allowing for a healthier sleep schedule. Many students take part in before- or after-school activites, like a sport. Elite swimmers practice before the sun comes up each morning, hurry off to school for a few hours of learning, then head back to the pool for a second practice or weight routine. Balancing athletics, school, and sleep can prove difficult, especially during end-of-season competitions that run during school days or weeks. But with distance-learning, student-athletes would be able to catch up on missed work while they were absent and have the oppurtunity to ask their teachers questions when they return.

However, distance-learning is not a perfect solution; it sets up a heavy dependence on electricity and wireless connectivity. In times of inclement weather, like a thunderstorm, high winds, or heavy ice, power lines can be knocked out, disconnecting students reliant on their laptop to learn. While inclement weather always carries with it the chance of a school cancellation, some school districts are more prepared for such catastrophes. For example, Minnesota and New York are often slammed with horrendous snowstorms that bring several feet of snow, but these northern states come prepared, bringing their snowplows out in full force and working around the clock to ensure that the roads are safe. Students who live in areas of extreme temperatures and weather are prepared to brave the dangers of the outside. So, students learning from remote areas will then be missing out because are unable to learn, while those physically in school will continue on unaffected. Furthermore, learning at home can prove difficult for those who find it hard to focus. Going to school provides a different, somewhat unfamiliar environment in which students are not constantly distracted by everything. At home, the television, fridge, and bed can all take students' focus from learning. Students who decide to learn from home ought to be dedicated, keep themselves engaged in their virtual classrooms, and able to ignore the pulls of the soft bed with fluffy pillows and the fridge with its store of delicious food.

Distance-learning will provide another option for students who are otherwise unable to learn in the traditional classroom setting. It will be not for the lazy but rather the driven, responsible, and committed, since not everyone possesses the level of focus required to drown out the sounds of distraction. Technology has become easy to use and relatively inexpensive, and as a result, it has introduced options that previously did not exist. In the world of education, techonology will increase the quality of learning for those everywhere.