How Online School Helps Kids Pursuing Talents
By Abigail M.
Since joining online school last year, I noticed that I have been able to pursue my talents more. I have become a better artist, seamstress, and I have achieved my red belt in taekwondo. Before joining online school, I didn’t have much time to do these things, but now I have plenty. Many other students just like me have also experienced this since joining online school, and I think that online school is an invaluable tool for helping kids pursue their talents.
There are many student athletes who have excelled in their sport due to online school. Figure skater Alysa Liu won the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championship in Detroit, Michigan, and attends the California Connections Academy, a virtual online school. Her constant traveling to competitions is accommodated by her ability to log on and do schoolwork from any device through online school. Mackenzie H., an online school student and avid dancer, is able to teach a youth dance class at four o’clock, even though her local middle school gets out at half past four. She is also able to take vacation days off of at her virtual school for competitions instead of missing school, which is what she would be doing in a brick-and-mortar school. Another student, Janae G. is a sports enthusiast and loves online school because she can finish her schoolwork early to make tryouts or do other sports-related things. I am an online student dedicated to taekwondo. I take classes 450 minutes a week, and practice my skills every day, even when I don’t have class. I am now currently training for my black belt testing, and the flexibility of my schoolwork means I can practice my taekwondo longer. I often do push-ups in between lessons, something I would not be able to do in a public school.
Online school doesn’t just help athletes, it inspires artists. For one artist, Alex S, online school helped her share her talent with others. Before she started online school, she was scared of sharing her talents with others, but after joining an art club offered by her virtual school, she was able to share her art and receive honest feedback, as well as give feedback to others. Some other artists such as Willow B. and Teresa B. are glad for online school because it gives them the flexibility they need to create their art, though, as Willow B. remarks, “as an artist you run out of paper real quick.” Artists are not just people who draw. One writer, Mariam N. found that online school helped her write more, and to communicate her feelings to others. The flexibility is a great advantage for Mariam N. As she says, “If something is going on in my life and I’m doing schoolwork, I can just get up, take a breath, and take 5 minutes to write. Kids in normal schools don’t get this privilege.”
Regardless of their talents, kids of all ages can pursue their talents better through online school. Whether it’s the clubs, the flexibility, or the lessons themselves, kids can and will benefit from online school.
Works Cited
Christina, Weishaar. “California Connections Academy Student Alysa Liu Makes History.” Connections Academy Virtual Learning Connections Blog, 4 Feb. 2019, blog.connectionsacademy.com/calca-student-athlete-alysa-liu/.
