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By Dan
The homeschooling world is a diverse place. Students learn to adapt to whatever schedule, curriculum, and learning style that suits them best. Parents utilize everything from open-and-go materials to eclectic smorgasbords of curriculum and even online schooling to help their kids learn.
In 2020 the online schooling option, in particular, became a heavy favorite as countless individuals flocked into the online school space during quarantine. Many students and parents alike have seen this intense use of online schooling as a challenging, difficult, and even wasted period of time.
However, before you write off the 2020 school year as a loss, consider the upside to getting comfortable in an online learning space. With the work world rapidly moving toward a remote-first long-term model, there are a handful of positive takeaways that come from spending so much time learning online.
Online Learning Teaches You to Be Effective from Anywhere
With our world becoming increasingly digital, students are learning that most of their work, now and in the future, can be done from anywhere. Online learning has no boundaries — at least, geographically speaking. Learning online means you can be effective from virtually anywhere that has a plug and an internet connection.
This flexibility also teaches students from a young age how to be dedicated to their work in any environment which will easily translate to the workplace. From checking emails on your phone to working in a local coffee shop, this ability to function outside of a dedicated work environment is essential to surviving in the modern workplace.
Online Learning Develops Crucial Soft Skills
Modern remote-first workplaces also expect several other soft skills beyond productivity such as:
- Adaptability: Online learning is contingent upon the ability to stay flexible and to adapt as you adjust to various tools, other’s schedules, and so on.
- Communication: As students interact across various learning platforms they develop crucial remote communication skills that they can take with them into the workplace.
- Collaboration: Remote strategic planning is challenging at the best of times and knowing how to effectively interact with others is an essential ability.
Fortunately, all of these can be enhanced and developed in an online learning environment.
Online Learning Increases Diversified Interactions
Online classrooms are not restricted to local cultures and proclivities. It’s common to virtually rub shoulders with individuals from across a region, nation, or even the world when learning online.
The same can be said for the modern workplace. Many jobs that have remote options involve working with a highly diverse group of individuals. Remote learning is a great way to prepare to successfully and respectfully interact with others in this kind of environment.
Online Learning Makes Continuing Education Easier
Whether you’re planning on fully attending college right out of high school or you want to chip away at a bachelor’s degree while you’re on the job, having online learning skills makes continuing education much easier.
It’s difficult to fit on-campus school in with a full-time work schedule. However, the flexibility of online courses makes it much easier to keep your education rolling right into adulthood.
Online Learning Teaches Responsibility
When a student needs to be present in a classroom each day, it’s fairly easy to track their behavior. Either they’re there or they’re not.
On the other hand, online schooling requires a different level of responsibility. Students are accountable for proactively logging in and being present for class. They’re left on their own in their own homes to do their homework and turn assignments in on time.
This added level of responsibility can be instrumental in preparing them for a workplace that increasingly values empowered and engaged employees.
Online Learning Broadens Your Horizons
As you or your kids prepare to choose a career path, learning online can feel like a restriction. After all, how can you choose a career when you barely ever leave your home while learning?
The truth is, though, learning online actually has the opposite effect. As you remain plugged into the online world, you can become increasingly aware of the incredible variety of options that remote work has created. From freelance writing in a local co-working space to working as an RN from the comfort of your couch, the professional horizon has only gotten bigger thanks to the online experience.
Finding the Silver Lining in Online Education
For some, the online education experience is brilliant. It fits their learning style and is a great way for them to absorb information. For others, virtual learning is a struggle from beginning to end.
If you’re amongst the ranks of the latter, it’s easy to feel like online schooling is a waste of time. You may look back on the last year of experiences and consider them a black hole in your educational journey.
Before you do that, though, consider the silver lining that comes with your remote education. You aren’t just learning facts and information each time you sit down at your computer or turn on your tablet.
You’re also exercising critical remote work skills that will serve you for decades to come. From collaboration to time management, continuing education, and much more, the responsibilities and capabilities that you learn through online schooling will likely be a key factor in your future success.