About Online School

Every online school has its own system of interaction between students which can include email, message boards, live chat, virtual classrooms, blogs etc.

Socializing in an online school setting is a trite more difficult than in an offline school setting–due to the physical separation of students. Yet, remember you’re not alone–like one fish in a group of starfish, you’re surrounded by people just like you! Use any of the technological means available at your disposal to connect with peers and teachers!

Tools for Connecting (Socially) in an Online School

Listed below are some of the tools you can use to connect. Some online schools operate more than one of these communications systems enabling the students to choose a method they are already familiar with or what they find works best for them.

1. Email: Email between student and teachers within an online school is promoted by the online school itself as it allows each student to write the equivalent of a letter but it is delivered instantly. Email is slower than other services offered as it does not allow you to have a conversation with other online school students in real time, like a messenger service would. Online schools always offer this service if nothing else as they require you to use email to send and receive work, assignments, notes and even homework.
2. Live Chat: Not all schools offer this facility as it does require some acute programming to accomplish and add to the online school site. If you are lucky enough for your online school to have this facility then you will be able to chat to your other class-mates in real time. This makes question and answer time, brainstorming and general getting to know each other a breeze.
3. Message Boards: Message boards are slower than live chat but are faster than email. It is where you log into a central forum provided by the online school and also monitored by the online school, you then post messages back and forth. This is a safe way to communicate if you are worried about safety as the boards are monitored by an online school teacher at all times. No bad language, harassing comments or racism is allowed.
4. Virtual Classrooms: This is when a lesson is scheduled and all the students on the online school course log into a chat room as such and a lesson begins. It allows the teacher and the students to talk all together about the lesson topic, their ideas, and thoughts and also ask for guidance. This is a fabulous idea if incorporated into the online school as it allows the students to get to know each other in a more formal setting as some students may be shy and the idea of mailing a total stranger fills them with dread. This way they have had some kind of introduction to each other and that leap will seem much, much smaller!
5. Blogs: A blog is where a person writes down their thoughts and feelings, their experiences and their achievements. Other people can read it and follow that person. Some online schools do provide this service as they feel it brings people together and allows them to express themselves.

All of these different types of communication that are provided by your online school are all monitored. If you feel that you are being discriminated against, bullied etc them report that person. It is not acceptable to make you feel inferior in anyway. Your online school will have their own guidelines on how to deal with unfortunate events like that; some online schools even automatically expel students for any kind of misconduct. Check the online school website for more details.