Idaho recently became the very first state to require high school students to take at least two online credits to graduate: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/idaho-could-become-first-state-to-require-high-school-students-to-take-2-online-credits/2011/11/03/gIQAtZlHjM_story.html

Do you think this will soon become a requirement of more states and high schools in the USA? More and more high schools and even K-12 systems in general are looking at this due to the deep cuts in education nationwide. Have you taken an online course in high school yet? What about completing your entire high school diploma online? There are of course both pros and cons to this.

Online programs and classes at the high school level have been under criticism recently just as online classes at the college level have been. Like online college programs and classes, online high school programs and classes do save a lot of time and money. One of the cons is the lack of face to face interaction that many believe is still needed in our ever decreasing face to face global world. Another one of the pros is that it will allow students who live in more rural areas to be able take more advanced placement and other critical college preparation classes. Also, more and more jobs are allowing their workers to telecommute as well as requiring them to work in online teams. Having extensive experience with online programs and classes will only help with this for so many people in the future who take online classes and complete online degrees.

One of the advantages I see with online high school programs is the early introduction of students to online classes which will only help them be more successful when they go to college where online classes are becoming even more popular and widespread. As an online faculty member, I often find myself spending a lot of time helping students with some basic online class skills. I feel if these students could learn many of these skills in high school, they would be so much more successful taking online classes in college.

And finally, online high schools and classes are nothing new. They are just now becoming more and more popular. Just do a Google search for “online high school”  and you will be surprised how many you will find. Some poplar online colleges like Kaplan University and The University of Phoenix have their own online high schools as well.  The Keystone School: http://keystoneschoolonline.com/ is another all online high school that is popular while searching on Google.

What are your thoughts on online classes in high school? Would you take them? Would you have liked to take them? Want your kids to take them? All online? hybrid (some online and some in the actual face to face classroom)? Just advanced placement classes for college online? Please let me know via Twitter @onlinefac

Stay tuned until next week when I blog on another topic in online education.