How do students socialize in an online high school?
The level of socialization a student wants is a decision of the family and the student. However, Beacon offers both virtual and face-to-face opportunities to interact with other students and families. The classes that students take provide many opportunities for interaction through discussion threads and ‘virtual classrooms’ where students are together at the same time communicating through two-way voice over IP, instant messaging, and application sharing. Virtual socialization also includes participation in clubs (e.g., debate, newspaper, student government, chess) organized and run virtually. Face-to-face socialization includes periodic events organized by Beacon and held in different locations across throughout the region. Students have told us that they found they could build great relationships with other students through the community-building opportunities we provide.
