Share your pics! Online Learning Day celebrates virtual education

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If you’re a fan of online learning, share your experience on social media channels using the hashtag #OnlineLearningDay.

Have you taken an online course—or taught one? Learned a new language online? Participated in blended learning—online and in-person instruction? Graduated from an online school?

Share your story to observe Online Learning Day, Saturday, Sept. 15. Use your favorite social media channel to post a photo, add a comment, celebrate a teacher, or share a favorite resource. Include the hashtag #OnlineLearningDay.

Online Learning Day, #OnlineLearningDay, online learning, virtual school, distance learning
Raising Arizona Kids magazine joins with online learning supporters across the country to celebrate National Online Learning Day.

National Online Learning Day was created to showcase the ways students of all ages use Internet technology to learn — anywhere, anytime — and cultivate support for this ever-growing community of learners.

Online learning supported by a teacher/mentor has taken off in recent years. And it’s not all happening at home. Many online schools have brick-and-mortar learning centers and labs where students can get hands-on experience, confer with teachers in person and enjoy the social aspects of school.

Plenty of Arizona’s private, public charter and district schools offer some level of online learning — from the EGUMMP online grammar program used at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Elementary School in Avondale to the vast array of classes offered at Scottsdale Online Learning (a program of the Scottsdale Unified School District).

And despite early concerns that this type of learning lacks some of the important interpersonal connections of a traditional classroom, some Arizona online instructors say they feel more connected to online students and their families than they do in a regular classroom.

Whether in a traditional, blended (part digital), or fully online classroom, online learners can broaden their horizons by studying nearly any subject and exploring their interests. And it’s rapidly reaching across all age ranges — from programs that supplement kindergarten readiness to those that help older children acquire skills, certifications, high school diplomas or college degree, according to supporters of the #OnlineLearningDay campaign, including K-12 Online Education, which operates Arizona Virtual Academy for grades K-12 and Insight Academy of Arizona for grades 7-12.

“National Online Learning Day is about students learning, educators teaching, and family members supporting this type of education, says Angela Guzman, an editor at Learningliftoff.com. “The power of technology has knocked down barriers and built bridges in education. With online learning, adult students can balance working with furthering their education. With online learning, today’s youth can receive an individualized education and learning environment.”

Related: Browse our list of online schools in the metro-Phoenix area.