The internet has brought about incredible transformations to many areas, particularly for learning experiences. Thirty years ago, our education was limited to classroom curriculum and the learning materials the teachers required for the classes. Today, we have the whole world at our fingertips with unlimited access to anything we want to know.

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When you think back to the limitations of classroom learning, you may remember graduating high school remembering a few words from your foreign language studies, and probably none of your trigonometry lessons. The way we are taught impacts what we learn and whether we remember it. In fact, the earlier children are introduced to a foreign language, the easier it is for them to grasp the language and retain the knowledge. An online Spanish class like this one is ideal for young children to get started with an immersive program to establish Spanish speaking skills early on.

Why so young, you may ask? There are few reasons:
1. Neural pathways are still forming and will develop to hold the information taught.
2. Language skills learned at this edge help children develop their cognitive skills.
3. They are more likely to become fluent and retain the knowledge long-term.

Over the past two years, we have seen colleges across the nation transition to an online learning platform for at least part of the calendar year. As student have become accustomed to learning from their dorms, apartments, or their homes, there is less urgency to be present in a classroom. Years ago, you were limited to a nearby community college if you did not have the funds to go away to school. Today, you can attend almost any school through their online learning portal, attaining a degree in any major and from any institution you wish.

The school year has also become more flexible; there is less concern about accounting for snow days when children can attend school from home. Some colleges skipped spring break to play catch up for the time that students were unable to attend any class at all.

We will likely see a continuation of this trend as online learning opens the doors to greater diversity of education, both domestic and foreign, at a much lower cost than if the student had attended in person.

Online learning enables education continuity:
1. Classes continue even when there are snowstorms
2. Students can attend many classes at a time that is convenient for them
3. Classwork gets condensed into a few hours rather than an 8-hour day
4. The educators do not have to commute and thus can save money on gas, work clothes, and meals
5. Education can continue during any health disruption

We will look back on the days of the pandemic as ones that changed the course of education and transformed it at every level from elementary on up to graduate school. Some of these changes were difficult, others introduced improvements. Certainly, saving money on the high cost of education is beneficial for all and opens the doors for more students to obtain degrees.