Traditional vs. Virtual

For the past 6 years, I've taught public school for a virtual public school.  Prior to that I taught in a traditional setting for a public school in the Long Beach Unified School District.  Each year, when families enroll their students into our school, I always inquire as to why they chose to transition from the more traditional, face to face teaching environment to one that is on line/virtual. 


The reasons they provide do vary, but one common theme is they would like to be more involved with their children's education and they feel that the traditional setting is far too distracting for their children's ability to learn what they are supposed to throughout a school year.  Distractions that are mainly caused by too many students in a classroom, students that do not behave appropriately throughout the school day, and schools requiring an overwhelming amount of homework each night.

Many families do raise valid concerns, some of which I do remember having to navigate through while I was a "classroom" teacher, but often times I don't know if what they are telling me is entirely accurate.  The reason for this thought is because a few times there were kids in my classroom who did make it difficult for others to learn or even feel safe, but the parents at times of those who were distracting to the group, would never hold their children accountable for their behavior.  So, it always had to be someone else's fault. 

Whatever the actual cause for the transition is and no matter whose fault it may be, I can say that I've definitely observed a lot of positive outcomes for students and families that have succeeded in the virtual environment.  I've seen positive results occur due to the fact that students can focus more on the material and retain the information.  Students who were once easily distracted now have better skills regarding staying on task and completing their work on time.  I've also observed students improving in areas that they were weaker and/or behind grade level because of a combination of factors.  So, no matter the reason for the transition there are positive outcomes and different opportunities in a virtual educational setting.