For many of Canada’s best and highest-paying jobs, students will need a university degree to be in serious hiring contention. Some professions, like university or college instructors, lawyers, or medical professionals require a number of post-graduate degrees and certificates, while employers in media or communication will often be content with an undergraduate degree.
Whether your child eventually wants to land a job in medicine or media, linguistics or law, they’ll nevertheless need a university degree.
And with COVID-19 still a reality, many parents are looking to remote learning as their child’s primary means of pursuing credits and making the grades necessary for a top-tier university application. Especially in areas where traditional day schools remain closed, this will continue to be the case for the remainder of the school year.
With so many parents looking to virtual high schools in Toronto and other major North American cities to ensure that their children stay on the academic track, it’s no surprise that schools bringing 10+ years of experience to the table are often the top picks.
Virtual high schools that understand the eLearning journey and deliver the one-two punch of self-paced learning alongside teacher support are those you should be looking at when you’re considering enrolling your child.
The merits of self-paced learning
When students looking to finish high school online are first introduced to the virtual high school space, there is obviously going to be a period of adjustment. This is why self-paced learning is so effective — it not only allows students to slow down or speed up their study depending on how comfortable they are with the subject, but it also naturally provides a buffer to the transition to eLearning itself.
Self-paced learning doesn’t put the entire impetus of course completion in the student’s lap. In fact, with remote learning comes round-the-clock lesson availability, allowing students to listen and relisten to interactive lessons as much as they need in order to succeed.
Further, most virtual high schools will have supplemental learning tools such as Gizmos for STEM subjects, that are available around the clock — 24/seven. This means that students who fill their days with extracurriculars or do volunteer work can confidently come home in the evenings or study on the weekends and know they have access to every tool necessary.
Furthermore, if teacher support is required, students know that their instructors keep regular office hours and will often respond to emails within a day.
Teacher support is a top priority
Self-paced learning does not mean learning alone. That’s why the most reputable virtual high schools will have guidance departments to help students through the transition to eLearning, as well as help them with college and university applications. Furthermore, the best virtual high schools will have student success teams on hand — made up of counsellors, teachers, administrators who closely monitor student progress to make sure they’re staying on track.
If the portal shows that a student hasn’t been keeping up with their assignments, or are not falling in line with the schedule they set for themselves, educators can gently intervene to keep students motivated and on track.
With eLearning continuing to gain in popularity through the 2021 high school year, many parents are now even more discerning when it comes to choosing the right education options. Whichever virtual high school you choose for your kids, be sure that self-paced learning and teacher support go hand-in-hand.
Story by Rob Teitelman
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AFP
