May I substitute the three-page paper analyzing "The Epic of Gilgamesh" with a different project? Since the story is about friendship, I'd like to film a documentary about a day in my life, and how my best friend's death affected me.

The e-mail came from one of my 10th-grade world-literature students, the same week Time magazine published a short piece examining the viability of online education. In her Nov. 29 article, Time writer Deborah Fowler presents two virtual schools for consideration - the University of Miami Online High School and the Laurel Springs School in Ojai, Calif., which offers K-12 curriculum.

Many students at these schools are aspiring professional athletes who compete around the world, and thus need a flexible education plan. At the conclusion of her article, Ms. Fowler quotes Kevin Roy, director of education for the Elite TNT Tennis Academy in Montgomery, Texas, on his views regarding online schools which some of Elite's students attend. "You will never have that wonderful teacher who inspires you for life," Mr. Roy says. "But the virtual school offers endless possibilities."

By Melissa Hart

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Article source: The Christian Science Monitor