With the growth of technology, options, other than the traditional schooling, have developed, leaving schools to wonder if they should adapt to the new technologies by allowing classes to be attended online via video conference. Although some may believe otherwise, students can benefit from being able to attend online class from home because students can manage their time and can work at their own pace.

First of all, students will benefit from online class because they can manage their own time. For instance, my friend Generic_Name, who is a dancer and soccer player, takes classes online, so she has more time to attend her ballet classes and club soccer practices everyday. Because Generic_Name does not have to get dressed or commute to and from school, she can focus that additional time to dedicate to her interest in dance and sports while still maintaining her education. In addition, after my ACL and meniscus surgery, I had to take a week off of school to recover, which is a difficult amount of time to miss when being enrolled in all AP and honors courses. In preparation for my surgery, I asked all my teachers for notes and assignments that I would be missing, however, I only anticipated to miss half a week, so I was two days behind on my school work. With online classes, I could have managed more time to allow for a proper recovery and would not have fallen behind. Thus, online classes are useful in facilitating the growth of other interests and compensating for states of emergency where one may not be able to physically attend school.

Secondly, students will benefit from attending class online because they can work at their own pace. In U.S. History, for instance, my teacher Generic_Name would talk through the notes very quickly, so it was difficult for me to keep up, especially since I am a slow writer. Fortunately, Generic_Name makes the powerpoints available on blackboard, so I use that during class, but I am so invested in trying to write down all the notes that I miss the important information that he was explaining. In this situation, it would have been beneficial to attend that class from home because I could listen to his lecture intently and then take the notes afterward, which I would not have been able to do in class because Generic_Name disapproves of people not taking notes. Additionally, precalculus is a particularly easy class for me, so I often find myself sitting at my desk doing nothing after finishing the practice problems early. If I were to attend class online, I would be able to finish the lesson quickly and efficiently, shortening a 90 minute lesson to 30. Therefore, online courses enables students to utilize the time needed to take in and comprehend a lesson.

Some may disagree that students should be able to attend class online because students may easily get distracted at home, making their learning ineffective. This reasoning is plausible, however, in my experience, there are far more distractions at school than at home in isolation. For instance, in my Spanish class, the students were extremely loud and talkative because their was a substitute teacher, which affected me, a student who actually wanted to learn, since my mind could not properly process the information with all the noise in the room. When I got home from school, I worked on the assignment that I couldn't finish in class and was able to do it in only fifteen minutes because I could think more clearly with nothing but the serene silence filling up the room. Furthermore, in AP psychology, I sit next to my best friend Generic_Name, and, despite my best efforts to pay attention in class, I get distracted because the two of us talk and goof around, whereas, at home, I can concentrate on my work for hours when I am alone. Overall, distractions like friends and disruptive classmates can make learning in school difficult, so taking class from home in isolation may be even more effective than physically being in school.

To conclude, students can reap many benefits from online classes that would facilitate their growth both in and out of school. Attending class online gives the student control of learning in a way that is preferrable to them, which is important because then students will comprehend more and learn effectively, and gives the opportunity to explore interests with the extra time at hand to grow as an individual. It would be an absolute waste of resources if schools failed to take advantage of such technologies that could improve students' education and well-being. Not only is the availability of online classes beneficial to the students, but it is useful in an emergency such as a threat of a school shooting, which is unfortunately a prominent issue and possibility in the modern world, or a viral outbreak. Technology has changed drastically from when the school system was first established and normalized and so has society, so it's imperative that the schools take action to adapt to the changing world, especially now in the wake of a global pandemic.