Online schooling is growing in popularity but many parents may have heard some of the discouraging myths; these are the top 3 myths debunked!
South Africa (30 November 2022) – South Africa’s first-ever “Pod” school, which sees eight learners per online class, has been busting the myths of online schooling to highlight just how great it can be for learners. For South African youth, online schooling is an excellent opportunity to explore a more flexible learning style.
Koa Academy is an online school for South African learners in grades four to twelve. The team can give a well-rounded education by leveraging material from all around the world that leans into each child’s strengths. However, this is done in partnership with the South African curriculum (CAPS), so there is a way to track educational progress.
Online schools offer a range of choices families have never had before. While geography has been a traditional limitation when it comes to choosing a physical school for your child, online schools have no such boundaries. This frees parents to pay closer attention to the online school’s philosophy and values, model and offerings in order to find a school environment that is truly optimal for their child.
There are still many myths today about online schooling but we are ready to debunk them. For Mark Anderson, Principal and Co-founder of the school, it’s not a case of online versus brick-and-mortar, but a question of who delivers relevant, quality teaching and learning that works best for your family.
Three common myths about online schooling
Myth #1 – I will have to teach my child
“Online learning has a distinct pedagogy and online teachers have particular skills to facilitate learning on the digital platform. It is the professional teacher’s role to guide your child through the school curriculum, and this does not change at all in the online environment. Parents have the same role when it comes to their child’s learning whether they are in a physical school or an online school.”
Myth #2 – My child will not get socialisation
“Parents need to choose a school, online or physical, that suits their values and aims for their child’s education and school experience. Socialisation at school comes through the intentional creation and maintenance of a high-engagement environment. There are physical schools that do well at this, and others that don’t. Same applies to online schools. At Koa, children come together in small 8-person Pods with their teacher which makes socialisation a key part of every school day. Our kids are learning how to be responsible, sociable digital citizens as well, which is preparing them for a very real world where our activities and work are increasingly digitalised.”
Myth #3 – The qualification is not equal or as robust
“Online schools offer the same curricula and recognised qualifications as physical schools. Like every aspect of our lives in these fast-changing times, schooling and tertiary studies are transforming and being disrupted by better ideas and improved tools. As parents, we are challenged to keep abreast of these developments and to recognise that our child’s education and further studies will and should be different from what we experienced. The world has, and continues to change rapidly and dramatically, and it is the role of school to prepare our children for the real world they will encounter as adults.”
With these myths busted, it is easier to decide if online schooling is the right choice for your child. If the means are there to do so, it could be the next best step for your child.
Anderson adds, “We also have to properly consider that we’re educating the generations who are digital natives. We want to prepare them for participation and success in the real world – that’s the goal of education, no matter the era. Well, the real world for this generation, and those that will follow, is a world that encompasses a significant digital realm. Their education needs to include instruction, guidance and experience about how to be a responsible digital citizen because their reality, and their future of work, will not be confined to the material world. An online or blended learning approach is completely appropriate and beneficial in these times, and it is an advantage to families to have this range of choices when they are making decisions about their children’s education.”
If you would like to learn more about the Koa Academy, you can check out the website here.
Good Things Guy has partnered with Koa Academy to give one lucky reader, a one-year scholarship to the school. You can find out more about that here.
by 