This is a guest post written by Lindsey Wright.
College students all over America are taking advantage of the online revolution in college. They no longer have to sit in class to learn, but can learn via online classes at home with their computers. However, many parents are not aware that their preschool and elementary school-aged children have many online learning opportunities as well.
In the past, rote memorization has been key to success in school. If a child struggled with memorizing math facts, historical dates or spelling words, they were doomed to failure in school. Yet, nowadays, multitudes of sites exist solely to turn learning into a game that a child cannot wait to play.
For instance, English grammar can be a confusing subject for a student to conquer, but the makers of Mingoville hope to help make it easy for children to learn. Mingoville is mainly designed for ESL students, to enhance their fluency and help familiarize them with the language, but could benefit early elementary students as well. All of the prompts on this site are audio, as well as visual, so that students don’t need to have an adult sitting at the computer next to them. This allows them to become comfortable with English on their own.
Math is another subject that many students dread Ironically, many parents often also experience the same exact feelings when it comes to math, causing them to fear hearing the words “I need help with my homework.” However, by using the many tutorials that are available online, parents and children can begin to understand those tricky concepts, such as fractions and percents. Tutorials are fabulous because students who need repetition to learn are able to repeat a lesson as many times as needed. Better yet, they no longer have to feel embarrassed in class for raising their hands once again to have a concept re-explained.
Additionally, using various historical and scientific websites can make formerly tedious subjects come to life. No longer does a student have to rely on memorizing lists of names and dates, or properties of scientific laws. By watching online videos and historical reenactments it can be much easier to put to memory what the student has read about in a textbook.
The beauty of using online learning is that parents no longer have to accept that being in a mediocre school district means that their children won’t get a decent education and struggle to get into college. By simply playing a few interesting, fun, educational games, their children can master the subject matter presented and go on to explore even more fascinating topics. Children who have formerly struggled with school will gain confidence and self-esteem, as they become proficient learners. These children will also gain insights about how they learn best, a skill that is quite valuable in college. It seems that simply logging on to a computer can change a child’s school career forever.
The author of this article, Lindsey Wright is fascinated with the potential of emerging educational technologies, particularly the online school, to transform the landscape of learning. She writes about web-based learning, electronic and mobile learning, and the possible future of education.
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