How technology is ruining snow days for students

A "Snow Day" doesn't always mean a day off from school. Sometimes, students are still expected in class.

"Schools are still closing, mostly, when the weather is frightful. But now more and more districts are setting up what they call virtual classrooms; requiring students to work from home on laptops and tablets."

Lucky for schoolkids, the technology isn't everywhere. For one, online learning requires students be able to get online, and that's not always possible.

The New York Times says New York public schools don't offer Web classrooms because students might not have reliable Internet access at home.

When Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, for example, its million-odd students had a week off school when city officials suspended classes.

But in some smaller markets, school administrators make online classes work with a little low-tech help.

"The superintendent says about 84 percent of students have Internet access. For the remaining 16 percent without, they'll get a paper copy of the assignments and about 10 days to complete them."

The online classes are a bummer for kids, but long snow delays can end up costing students otherwise. When a district exhausts its scheduled snow days, it has to draw from vacation time to make up the difference.

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