Most of us are used to the basic classroom: blackboard and chalk, and #2 pencils, but the way we get an education is rapidly changing. There are some great aspects of the traditional education, but the more research I did the more I find online courses give people lots of options. The majority of us all went to a traditional school thru High School, but now there are options younger kids online. This to me seems ideal for kids being bullied at school. If it is easier for some kids to not be in the classroom, for whatever reason, then I say let them. Personally I would have been more inclined to say that online school is not as good as the classroom, but I may have changed my own mind on this because there really seems to be a lot of benefits. On www.xroads.virginia.edu I found a quote by Richard L. Hopkins that stayed with me. He said “Education in its institutional forms is about authority, power, manipulation, and agency; it is about who decides what.” Now I didn’t personally feel this way about the classroom, but I guess I can understand those who do. The old way of doing things has worked for years, so some may be skeptical of the new technological changes. But our whole world is changing and becoming more high tech so it is only natural that our schools would change as well. However, I cannot help but to think that we need some of the old fashioned way to give us balance. Balance between what has worked all these years, and the new ways. Some of the benefits traditional education offers are that children get to interact with each other. This can teach them important communication and people skills. It promotes interaction and provides a balance between educational and social development. Students taking online classes have not shown any signs of retaining less information than students in the classroom. On www.sloan-c.org I found a study by the Sloan Consortium in which they discovered around 62% of chief education advisors thought online education helped students learn just as good if not better than traditional learning. When I first thought about going to school online I imagined I wouldn’t do very well. But after taking a few classes and having most of the work to do online, I find it is very convenient. I did get to go to the classroom one day a week, which helped me a lot. With online classes I can move at my own pace and do the work on my own time, which helps if you have family to tend to! On www.schoolsworldwide.org they talked about new programs they have at high schools. You can go actually go to virtual school, and probably never have to set foot in a classroom to graduate now. I think this is great for the issue with bulling we have now a days. On www.keystoneschoolonline.com I found they even offer a middle school program. Kids that are getting picked on can opt to go to school from home and get just as good of an education. High school to me is so much about the “cliques”, or the clothes you wear, or the money you have or where you come from. These kids getting picked on are not getting a fair chance to learn. For some busy adults the ability to go to school online is the only way they would ever be able to do it. On www.edzayas.com I found a man’s story of how he went back after all those years, and found the online classroom more beneficial for him than traditional school. He was able to attend school from all over the world. However he points out that to do it all online one must be self driven and highly motivated. And regardless of what you might think there is still just as much work to be done. On www.correspondence-courses.us it says that all you need is pen and paper and a willingness to learn. What a bonus that you don’t have to spend money on school supplies and books, or the gas money and wear and tear on your vehicle. This for some can be the determining factor. Online schools are becoming the norm. Open Education - as defined by www.wikipedia.com is “a collective term that refers to forms of education in which knowledge, ideas or important aspects of teaching methodology or infrastructure are shared freely over the internet. “ So is one method better than the other or is it just a matter of personal preference? Face it though, our schools are moving into the future, whether we are ready or not.