Response to Articles by Muller, Huett, Foshay, and Coleman-
I gathered from their articles that e-learning is definitely in demand. However, it has received some flack from some naysayers. Such opposers question whether or not learners are getting the quality education that those that attend traditional schools are getting. I do not believe that the quality of education suffers on many cases. For instance, being a teacher, I have a busy schedule. I do not have the time to drive to a campus, and listen to someone lecture me on readings. I need to be able to work at my own pace; and be able to chose when I can spend time studying. On the other hand, I am not sure if I agree that distance learning is the best choice for K-12 sectors. I wonder if the students miss out on social skills and recreations that play an important part in a child's life. However, I do see the authors' point when dealing with possible budget cuts, for example, e-learning may make it possible to not have to hire a certain number of teachers (as a teacher, I personally do not like this idea). Also, children learn differently. Therefore, a teacher must differentiate his or her lesson to accommodate the children's unique learning styles. How can a teacher make sure that each child fully understands a concept? I like the idea of e-learning as a supplement. I think that it can serve as a reinforcer of what is taught in the classroom, but not take the place of the classroom. Therefore, I am pro-distant education in various settings as long as the learners' educational needs are fully met.
Thank you,
Nicole Harris
