Since their earliest memories, today’s “iGeneration” has been wired, Wi-Fied, mobile, virtually augmented and i-computed like no other generation before them. A recent “Beyond the Classroom” online survey of 13- to 17-year-old students commissioned by Aventa Learning™ revealed, not surprisingly, that these teens are turning to outside resources and technology to stay challenged and engaged.



“Our data shows that more than half of the students said that the easiest way for students to learn something new is by practicing and watching, which is one of several critical reasons why we need to re-wire our educational approach,” said Dr. Caprice Young, President and CEO of KC Distance Learning, which owns Aventa Learning, and former President of both the California Charter Schools Association and the Los Angeles Unified School District.



With students constantly competing for attention in the classroom – a mere 18 percent said they get the attention and the help they need all of the time – online learning has been gaining momentum in overcrowded and underfunded schools across the U.S.  Instead of being bored or falling prey to distractions, which nearly 50 percent said they were, online learning has helped more teens get the individual, immediate instruction and mentoring to allow them to consistently practice and watch what they need to learn.



Teens are College-Bound, but are They Ready for the 21st Century?

The good news for parents and teachers is that nearly 90 percent of teens said they are planning to enroll in a four-year college, community college or technical program when they graduate from high school and 43 percent ranked going to college at the top of the list when asked if they could do anything when they graduate.



But as the number of classrooms shrinks and the student population grows, middle and high schoolers feel like they are being lost in the shuffle. Sixty percent said that when they fall behind in their classes, they have to ask for help or don’t get the help they need to catch up, and more than one-third confirmed that they have to ask to be challenged when they are doing well.



Preparation for “21st Century” skills is limited as well, as a majority of students are using technology for online research or to use PowerPoint and Excel, but not much else.



“Ninety percent of the teens surveyed said that their schools have computers that are connected online, yet teens are only directed to take advantage of what’s at their fingertips at a very basic level,” Young continued. “The potential to take the activities that students are using on a daily basis, apply critical-thinking skills and turn them into age- and generationally-appropriate learning opportunities is limitless.”



Young believes that online learning is the “great equalizer” because it ensures that teens in every location have access to high quality teachers and consistent curriculum. Programs like Aventa, which in conjunction with school districts, give students new options to learn at their own pace and have a one-on-one relationship with educators whether they’re in need of more assistance, looking for more accelerated classes or simply prefer to learn in a medium that they have grown up with. For more information about online learning, visit  www.aventalearning.com.

See Also: 

-iPhone Apps for Toddlers: Brilliant or Brutal?

-Is Technology Hurting Our Kids Socially?

-Life Experiences: Do They Count as Education?