This news clip shows how one family can travel the world and not miss a beat of school because they attend virtual school Connections Academy. More online at www.connectionsacademy.com.

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St. Louis Schools are bravely going where no man, or school, has gone before. They’re going virtual. Simply put, they’re offering more classes online for children in the K-12 school system in order to provide distance education and more educational diversity for all the students in their area. What is it? They’re classes online made specifically for different age levels. Content is different for every grade and developed to facilitate learning and pique the interest of students in the St. Louis Schools area.

Is There More Information Regarding Virtual Education in St. Louis Schools?

Of course! St. Louis Schools have provided the answers to a number of different questions because of the newness of virtual education, especially in the lower grades.

Ï Grades and Subjects: Starting in the 2008-2009 school year, St. Louis Schools will be offering virtual education to children in grades K-12. The subject list is easy because it’s the same as in a normal classroom. Language Arts, Math, Science, Health, Music, Art, and History can all be taught in a virtual St. Louis Schools classroom.

Ï Materials: St. Louis Schools provide all their virtual students with the materials they need to be successful in virtual education. The lower the grade, the more books they will have because St. Louis Schools understand that younger students need more educational diversity because their attention span is shorter. It is recommended that no more than 20-25 minutes a day be spent on the computer. Yes, a computer is needed for virtual education. Just how much though, depends on the age of the student. Younger students get less time, older students get more time. A high school aged student in St. Louis Schools will spend almost all of their time working on the computer.

Overall, it seems that St. Louis Schools are providing a better education for all of their students by making virtual education available for all grades in the public school system. But, there is more to be learned in a classroom than just facts and figures. The problem with virtual education in St. Louis Schools is that there is very little interaction between a student and his peers. Since the classroom setting is also a place to learn valuable social skills, a virtual education student would need some sort of an after school program to interact with other children his age. This ultimately the job of the parent since there is very little, if any involvement, by the school itself. Do the positives override the negatives? That’s a question for you and your child to discuss at great length before deciding on enrolling in virtual education. Call your child’s school and discuss it with a professional, they may be able to help guide you more.

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