BYU Online High School offers students a unique and personalized learning experience for students. Whether you’re interested in history, geography, or science, you will be able to have fun and learn in a way that works best for you.
Mrs. Elise Hatton, a secondary science teacher for BYU OHS, has taught both in-person and online. Her favorite part of being an online teacher is seeing how online technology allows BYU OHS to become a true “worldwide campus.”
"We have, this year, students on all six habitable continents,” Hatton said.
Despite the time differences, distance, and virtual classroom, Mrs. Hatton has seen how connection can be fostered online.
“My favorite aspect [of online learning] is that the majority of my interactions become one-on-one.” Hatton said. “I get to know my students more than I might have in a traditional environment; we get to work together a lot and have one-on-one conversations.”
She also described how virtual learning has improved her relationship with students’ parents and how she has been able to connect with them more than she ever did in an in-person school environment.
While online technology has helped with instructor/student connections, it has also helped foster learning experiences for students across the globe.
“We have this ability to reach students worldwide, to reach students who wouldn't have that opportunity otherwise because of where they’re located or what their situation is, but we can make that a global approach to science,” Hatton said.
No matter where they are located, students can choose from a semester-based class format or can choose Open Enrollment. The latter allows students to work more independently and choose their own pace, while semester-based classes can function more like a traditional high school.
For students who are hesitant to try the online high school format, Hatton suggests considering important questions:
- What are my goals from this experience?
- What am I hoping to get out of my high school education?
- What kind of high school student do I want to be?
- What kind of high school experience am I looking for?
“Look at what your goals are for your education or what you want as an outcome,” Hatton said.
She also encourages students to consider the Four Aims of BYU education as part of a unique high school experience. The Four Aims state that a BYU education should be (1) spiritually strengthening, (2) intellectually enlarging, and (3) character building, leading to (4) lifelong learning and service.
See if BYU OHS is the school for you or your student by visiting BYU Online High School today!
