LEARNING ZONE

Every year, more and more teens study at online high schools. They don’t go to school like other students. They stay at home and connect to classes via the Internet. So, what is a typical day for an online student?

The fact is, it depends. Students have lessons, but they can study when they want. Jack wakes up at seven and reads for an hour before breakfast. He starts his lessons at nine. Abi prefers to start school early, so she has free time for sports and other activities in the afternoon.

‘I get up and log on for my first lesson at eight’ she says. ‘I read the notes on the whiteboard on my computer.’ Abi doesn’t see her teachers, but she can hear them. Later, she can ask questions online or by phone.

Both Jack and Abi have four lessons in the morning. After lunch, they do homework and class projects. ‘I don’t sit at the computer all day,’ says Jack. ‘I make robots, or I go to the library and learn about the things I like.’

Of course, online students don’t see their classmates every day. They sometimes go on school trips together, but they only meet friends in after-school clubs. They also need to be motivated, because they spend a lot of time studying alone.

In other ways, online schools are the same as ordinary schools. ‘We do all the normal subjects like maths and history,’ says Abi. ‘We do tests and we get grades for our work.’

Click here to find out what other students say about online learning.