Internet Classrooms vs. Traditional Classrooms

張貼日期：Jun 20, 2011 8:14:7 AM

Alyosha Chen

The world is totally different from it was 50 years ago; technology is getting more and more advanced nowadays. Before, we went to school everyday to attend teacher’s lectures, but now, there is possibility for us to learn at home. Still, I believe going to school and having courses with classmates are better for us student.

First, learning in the traditional classroom expands our relationship. According to the research, friends one makes contribute up to 85% of one’s success, and the knowledge one learns only takes 12%. It simply means that the knowledge we learn from the class might not be as important as the relationship we keep in our school days. My father always tells me the most important thing I need to learn is not from the textbook but from the people around me; now I know what my father meant.

Second, learning in the traditional classroom makes us learn more about ourselves. For example, I found out that I could sing in the music class and joined the chorus later on. In the traditional class, we attend not only major subjects but also art, music and PE class; by having these kinds of classes, we understand ourselves better; in other words, we know what we like and what we dislike. If we study in the Internet classroom at home, it will be harder or even impossible for us to find out some of our potentials.

I am not saying that learning in the Internet classroom is bad; actually, it has a lot of advantages like providing people in the countryside an easier way to learn and so on. But if I can only choose one, I will take courses in the traditional classroom.

Human beings are a social animal; we make mistakes and grow while we deal with others. I can hardly imagine that I shut myself home and learn in the Internet classroom all day long. We should learn and interact with “people” around us, not just “commands” or “responses” on the Internet.