Expand Your Child’s Horizons: Course Choice & Electives in Online Education

Online electives give students the chance to explore interests, gain real-world skills, and personalize their education for future success.

In today’s ever-changing world, having a diverse set of skills is super valuable. That’s why it is essential to have a broad variety of courses tailored to your children’s interests and aspirations. When your school program cannot or does not offer the courses you’re looking for, online courses can help expand your options.

This article shares the benefits of accredited online courses (whether your children are enrolled in a brick-and-mortar school or learning at home) and provides guidelines for exploring and enrolling in online courses. Plus, download the  FREE Course Choice Planner so you and your children can think through goals, requirements, and interests and make a plan to take courses that align with these.

Course Choice

Today’s families are increasingly seeking course choice: access to a broad variety of courses. This movement is revolutionizing traditional education models by emphasizing the importance of electives to enrich students’ educational experiences and help them chart their future paths.

Whether you’re currently enrolled in a school or are learning in a home-based environment, you may face limitations when it comes to available courses. For students in schools, parameters like physical space and staff make some wished-for courses unavailable to students. For homeschoolers, finding or planning a wide variety of high-quality courses and electives takes time and effort. Online programs can offer your family access to an extensive online catalog, delivered on a virtual platform, with a wide range of courses.

Benefits of Online Courses

When looking for more or different classes beyond what your brick-and-mortar school or current education settings can offer, a virtual education provider offers breadth and depth of courses. A virtual school can offer both core classes (like required math and science courses) plus electives and harder to find classes (like coding, fine arts, and world languages). They even include Advanced Placement (AP®) and credit recovery classes.

Online learning broadens your children’s educational opportunities. Not only do they benefit from a wide selection of courses, but they’re better prepared for their future. If your child plans to attend college, they’ll benefit from taking an online class because colleges and universities are increasingly offering online and blended courses. It is sometimes required that college students take at least one online class. In addition, online learning is often used in job training and professional development. Taking a virtual course can support your children with post-secondary readiness.

The Power of Electives

Electives offer an opportunity to explore subjects beyond the core curriculum, allowing your children to delve into areas of personal passion or curiosity. This exploration not only fosters intellectual growth but also helps them uncover their interests, strengths, and potential career paths. Whether your children are interested in coding, ready to master a new language, or want to explore the vast array of career options out there, electives are here to help make it happen!

In an ever-evolving job market where specialized skills are highly valued, the significance of electives cannot be overstated. Exposure to diverse subjects equips your children with a versatile skill set, enabling them to adapt to changing demands in the workforce. Moreover, electives provide a glimpse into various industries and fields of study, empowering your children to make informed decisions about their academic and professional pursuits.

Examples of Online Courses and Electives

By embracing course choice and offering a wide range of electives, Catholic Virtual meets the diverse needs of their students and prepares them for success in an increasingly competitive world. From technology-focused classes to career exploration and preparation courses, the possibilities are endless.

Explore the transformative power of electives in helping your children reach their potential. Our Course Choice Planner helps you and your child consider their goals and select courses that will expand their education and open their eyes to new career possibilities.

Here are just some of the options available through Catholic Virtual in elementary, middle, and high school. To see more, browse the entire catalog.

Technology-Focused Classes

Understanding technology is essential for our children’s future. Creating and keeping up with technology courses is a challenge; the curriculum needs to adapt quickly and often to adjust for innovations. Expertise is essential, and teachers need to be able to impart understanding at a technical and big picture level. From computer basics and web design to the history of gaming and coding in Python, Scratch, Minecraft, and Roblox, you’ll find a wide array of courses that your children will be eager to learn.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Recent advances in technology have allowed augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) systems to become extremely sophisticated and realistic. Virtual and Augmented Reality Applications introduces the technologies that underpin AR/VR systems. Walk through five applications of AR/VR and how they will change and impact numerous aspects of our lives and the economy. Learn about and discuss the risks and side effects of these systems on health, privacy, and ethical implications.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence in the World is an introductory course that will guide students through the concepts, tools, and building blocks of artificial intelligence. This course provides a broad overview of how AI is used in decision-making and problem-solving worldwide. Learn how ethics impacts AI and explore the various parts of AI with hands-on activities through the use of chatbots and other exciting interactives.

Coding

Lua is a programming language used in the popular Roblox game. In Roblox Worlds Coding with Lua, use Roblox studio to create obstacle courses and learn how to write custom Lua scripts. Lua programming includes loops, variables, if statements, and other logic statements. Create scripts like leaderboard, death script, custom images, AI, and much more.