They say that extreme situations need extreme solutions, and in the last three months, we’ve seen the extreme situation of the global health pandemic in the novel coronavirus, and how it has forcedmany into extreme new ways of working, and quickly.
Where working from home used to be something that only 5% of Americans did on a regular basis, it’s now estimated that nearly half of all currently working Americans are working from home.
It’s not just America’s workers, though. With many schools closed for the foreseeable future, kids are now learning from home at rates never seen before, and some are absolutely thriving due to it.
Online Learning Benefits
Whether adult or child, online learning opens a new world that may not have been available before or in a traditional setting, and with flexible start and finish times and pacing to suit the individual learner’s needs. Many more people are discovering a love for learning they thought had long since died.
For teachers, it’s important to understand how online learning will affect the future of teaching. Fresno Pacific online courses for teachers offer teachers the chance to take accredited professional development courses in many aspects of childhood learning and development.
The twofold bonus here is that teachers can expand their skills and knowledge base, and they will also gain an insight into how online learning can be an excellent tool for future learners.
Flexible Learning and Flexible Working for the Benefit of All
Whether it’s working from home, distance learning, telecommuting, remote working, — whatever way you like to put it — not being in an office (or school) provides some incredible benefits for employees, employers, teachers, and students.
A recent survey found that 86% of workers believe themselves to be more productive and more able to concentrate when they work alone or remotely. And the impact that online flexible learning has had on children who may have normally fallen through the cracks of society has been incredible.
There are many reasons for this apparent change of personality for both employee and student, but mostly it comes down to the fact that there are fewer distractions and less pressure at home. The lack of pressure to “fit in” and “be normal” for both students and employers on the neurodiversity spectrum — a collective terminology for disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and Autism Spectrum Disorder — has been one of the few positives to come out of this enforced stay in place order that many states are facing.
Of course, the benefits for neurotypical students and employees cannot be understated either. Many adults are reporting lower levels of stress and feeling overwhelmed by work pressures. They are finding it easier to prioritize their days, ignoring interruptions form colleagues. And of course, the lack of pointless meetings is a big bonus.
For kids, the slower pace in their schedules with many social, sporting, and extracurricular activities canceled has proven to be a huge benefit to their schoolwork, giving them time to think and concentrate.
