Recent school closures have put a lot of added stress on parents and students, but education doesn't have to stop just because everyone's at home. There are ample opportunities for students to continue building their skills and earning credits. Here, we explore ways for students at all three levels - elementary, secondary, and post-secondary - to keep on track while schools are closed this spring.
Audiobooks for Elementary School Learners
Learning doesn't have to stop when children have access to whole libraries of entertaining and informative audio titles.
A membership with Audible or a similar provider gives you access to over 100,000 titles, with popular titles narrated by celebrities from Neil DeGrasse Tyson to Claire Danes.
During continued school closures, Audible is even offering a free service meant to help parents keep their kids engaged while at home. The Audible Stories service is free to all users and requires no prior membership. Titles like Anne of Green Gables (narrated by Rachel McAdams) are a fantastic way to keep elementary kids learning outside the classroom.
e-Learning for High Schoolers
For secondary school students looking to stay on track while schools are closed, e-learning through a virtual high school is a terrific tool. Virtual high schools have long offered flexible educational opportunities, and now with school closures across North America, e-learning is an even more vital way for students to stay on the path to graduation.
Online courses, like those offered at Ontario Virtual School, are extremely beneficial to students who prefer self-regulated learning, or who want to study at their own pace. With the right virtual high school, students can earn a credit in as little 4 weeks or can take up to 12 months. This flexibility allows students to spend more time on the concepts they struggle with and less on those they understand easily.
e-learning also eliminates the negative and unnecessary distractions that often come with traditional day schools, including social drama, bullying, and peer pressure. Online courses allow students to plan school around their lives, rather than planning their lives around school.
Virtual Study Groups for University Students
University students who suddenly find themselves studying remotely don't need to give up all the perks of the traditional campus experience.
Whatever subject you're studying, you're not alone, and there are other students just like you trying to adjust to the sudden changes. If you crave the scholastic and social benefits of sharing course information, why not form a virtual or online study group?
It will take a bit of initiative, but it will pay major dividends. Groups can keep each other accountable for deadlines, create study benchmarks, cram together before exams, and support one another throughout the semester.
Study groups also help students develop new skills. Over years of schoolwork, students develop ingrained study habits that for better or worse can be hard to shake. By joining a study group, students are able to observe a much wider pool of study methods and even make improvements to their own systems.
As governments continue to keep school doors closed, students and their parents will need to look to other educational models. Students of any age can ensure they stay on the path to success provided they have the right roadmaps at their disposal.
