Traditional School > Online School | Teen Ink

Traditional School > Online School

April 20, 2021
By KlodinN SILVER, Tirana, Other
KlodinN SILVER, Tirana, Other
9 articles 1 photo 0 comments

“Get up Klodin, it’s time for school,” my dad would yell at me every morning.  


“Just let me sleep, school’s online,” would be my everyday response. My dad would open up the blinds and the sun would come down shining right at me, causing me to wake up. I would go brush my teeth, eat breakfast and join my meetings for schoolwork. Life was very boring and monotonous, because of the corona virus and the lockdown. For me and my friends, online school wasn’t the best. Sure, we could stay up later at night and wake up later in the morning, but the actual learning experience wasn’t great. I’m not complaining about online school back at that time because it was our only option to continue getting our education, and my school and many others did an amazing job at the transitioning part. However, when I think that some kids choose to homeschool over physical or so-called traditional school all year round for many years, I always wonder why they choose it. I believe traditional school is better and way more effective for students because it gives kids motivation, it teaches many life skills, it’s socially interactive and overall, it provides a better learning experience and environment. 


First of all, traditional school keeps students more motivated and engaged in class. The physical presence of a teacher also forces the students to pay more attention to the lesson. Students are empowered to develop their own opinions and acquire the ability to share them through debates and in-class conversations with teachers and peers who all have individual characteristics. If a student is timid, the classroom is an ideal environment for them to learn and resolve their situation. Students are motivated to improve their work and draw upon what they've learned when they receive face-to-face verbal feedback and constructive criticism from their teachers. When students are allowed to perform assignments at their own speed, motivation is an ability that cannot be created. They may complete the job, but it does not teach them how to complete a difficult task under time restraints. This is when students start to procrastinate, they think they have a whole lot of time, and that can do their homework later. A lot of work accumulates, and it causes for the students to stress out, especially because they can’t ask their question directly face-to-face to their teachers.


Furthermore, physical school gives and teaches students so many valuable skills to have in life. Children and students develop social skills by communicating with peers and exchanging with teachers. They also participate in collaborative learning that increases a student's self-awareness and interest in how other students learn, helping them to learn more quickly and efficiently both within and outside the classroom. As a part of this beneficial outcome, students develop greater trust in their abilities to conduct themselves professionally in society. Standard classroom curriculum teaches students and schoolchildren how to improve organizational skills by keeping them accountable for their behavior towards school events such as attending school on schedule and engaging in extracurricular school activities. Homeschool lacks these interactive elements of traditional classrooms that help students develop vital interpersonal skills for the future.

 
Now I’m not saying that homeschool doesn’t have its benefits and perks too. School online, especially in high school can be better in the aspect of scheduling your lessons and fitting them into your daily routine. When you are not expected to be in class at a certain time or for a certain amount of time, your study time can be tailored to your own requirements rather than the school's timetable. As with flexibility, traditional schools can’t offer as much personalization. It's not that the teachers aren't committed or able to help students one-on-one, but the complexities of handling a classroom full of students make this difficult, if not impossible. As a result, traditional education appears to be more "one-size-fits-all," with less options for individualized learning. For qualified students, these schools may deliver advanced and honors courses, but course options may be restricted.

 
There are certain things in society that will resist to time; one of them is education. While I mentioned the argument that online school allows students to study at their own pace having a lot of flexibility, I believe, it doesn't overpower all of the other great things traditional school has to offer such as interaction, motivation, communication, organizational and social skills. So overall, I am in favor of the face-to-face school but never forget one thing; it’s up to the student if he/she is willing to learn and wants to succeed in school, the type of it doesn’t matter. I do think traditional schools are more effective and helpful towards the students in succeeding. For all types of education, it comes down to the question, “Am I going to school to learn and grow, or just to spend time?” 



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