Group+4+Writing

As our society advances in technological uses of education, so do the opportunities expand for unconventional uses of online learning. Some potential uses include bringing higher quality education to those who are at the highest risk for being left behind in the academic climb. We have brainstormed three non-conventional uses for online learning. Our first topic is implementing online educational programs into the juvenile correctional facilities, adult correctional facilities for incarcerated mothers and/or adult male correctional facilities. Our second topic, is using online learning for students whose first language is other than English, students who may have problems in the classroom keeping up with native speakers, but who can benefit from an online program that caters to non-native speakers, and helps to build confidence and accuracy in linguistic skills. Our third topic would be young or teenage mothers who are faced with the limitations and demands of motherhood. Online learning could easily create possibilities for each of these non-traditional students to help keep them on academic course, when they may otherwise give up, as the challenges they face limit their ability to access education on an equal level.
 * INTRODUCTION**


 * CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES**

The advantage of online learning is it takes education out of the classroom and makes it accessible to those who might otherwise struggle with a traditional classroom. The possibilities for promoting education while a person is incarcerated could have the advantage of laying a foundation for that person to begin to reconnect in society when they get out and have new opportunities on the "outside" that were previously unavailable. Ironically, while the corrections systems emphasizes rehabilitation, that is rarely the case as the statics point out that most offenders will in fact retain their Inmate I.D. number and re-offend. The possibilities of bringing online learning into a correctional setting are endless for overcoming traditional insecurities, that take place in face to face learning, and could well be life threatening in a face to face correctional setting. Additionally, online learning could help to awaken and develop individual talents and contributions without the inmate stigma, creating possibilities for achievement and contribution by a person, who would otherwise be isolated, neglected and ill- prepared to re-enter a social climate on the "outside." Additionally, online learning has limitless possibilities for incarcerated mothers to prepare for motherhood and the workplace, to gather skills, insight and perspective that go hand in hand with education. It may additionally awaken them to some of the institutions in place that have contributed to the adverse result of their own incarceration, as happened to the notable figure Malcolm X during his incarceration.

Potentially of course, online learning has the potential for corruption within the system. It could be used as a type of Morris Code to organize gang hits, race wars and riots, but as these things already take place, and as the power of education may redirect this drive into more positive results, it's worth the risk. Particularly, as most offenders in the California Correctional Facilities today are sentenced to severe terms under 3 Strikes, due to problems with drug addiction and not addiction to violence. Not to mention the extreme cost effectiveness of E-learning to a huge population of incarcerated persons. www.britannica.com/.../Learning-Management-System-Implemented-at-Corrections-Institute; www.aca.org/onlinecorrections/


 * ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LEARNERS**

Online classes for English as a second language learners is not adequate. Students might effectively learn reading and writing of English through online learning, but not speaking. Communication is the most important part of learning a language. It would be hard to communicate with others, if students //only// take online classes, because they are not face to face. At the beginning, an English learner cannot speak the complete sentence, so they use body language, but it would be impossible to interpret body language if they are //only// online. English learners who live in non-English speaking countries would have great use for online learning, since English speakers would not be common. However, students in the United States do not need online learning for language learning. Public schools are offering ESL programs for students who have difficulty in English. They offer classes only for English learning students and extra tutoring before and after school. ([])

While ESL does compliment the learning barrier, it is still not a replacement for academic classes such as math and science where non-native speakers are expected to perform at grade level. Online learning again provides a way to assist in the classroom on an individual level. While a traditional classroom provides an educational structure that works for most students, it is clearly not effective for all students. Online learning has the capability of adapting to the needs of an individual, who may struggle with issues of self-esteem and isolation if they are unable to ease into the material in a social learning structure due to a language barrier. Online learning provides a degree of anonymity to the student, and with freedom from personal insecurities, shifts the focus from social culture to learning. Additionally, many students in other countries could benefit enormously from online learning for other languages, as online learning has audio/video capabilities, which could in many ways compensate for the loss of body language. www.usingenglish.com/; www.englishclub.com/


 * ONLINE LEARNING AND MOTHERHOOD**

Another group at risk when it comes to education are young or teenage mothers. As the demands of motherhood settle in going to school for eight hours a day may no longer be possible with a new born or a toddler. Online learning gives mothers access to education without having to leave their children. This allows the individual to maintain the integrity of the demands of mothering, and also keep their education a priority. It no longer puts a young mother in the predicament of having to choose. This could potentially help them to graduate high school, go on to community college and attend a four-year institution without having to wait 4 or 5 years for their children to grow in order to attend school. http://www.edutopia.org/teen-pregnancy-social-school-support


 * CONCLUSION**

Education is ultimately not possible without the student. It exists for the student and while there is much to be said for community building in order not to loose high risk students, online learning acts a bridge filling the gap of social class and economy. Online learning takes education out of the classroom, but who is the classroom if not the student? Online learning still provides the structure of learning in which a non-traditional student can achieve and have access to the same benefits of a traditional student, who may not be faced with many of the barriers to education that we have summarized above in this wiki. Education at its core, is for the student, online learning is a means to an end with the greater good in mind, catering to those students who have been left behind.