For Cleverly, virtual school was a perfect fit. But even proponents of online learning admit the teaching method doesn't work for everyone.

Some students need the structure of a traditional classroom, said David Wiley, founder of Utah Open High School, which is scheduled to start offering classes this fall. Some children need to eat lunch with their friends and work on projects in groups.

"I don't see online learning as some kind of miracle cure for everything wrong with public education," he said. "Online is just another option. It will be great for some people and poor for other people."

Wave of the future?

"Quite simply, the Internet is the future of schooling," said Jeff Herr, head of school for Utah Virtual Academy, which is wrapping up its inaugural year.

Instead of building a school house, the academy supplies students with a computer system. The school's 17 teachers live throughout the state and keep in touch with students using cell phones, instant messages and e-mail. Most teachers have a chat room-type Web site where they host office hours and class.

"The speed information is being given out worldwide accelerates everyday," Herr said. "In order to stay competitive with and work with entities around the world, our students need a technology-rich education."

Academically, online school is comparable to traditional public school.

Online schools are still required to comply with Utah's No Child Left Behind standards. Students still take standardized tests like the CRT and the IOWA. Classes are offered in nearly every subject, including art, physical education and foreign language.

It's just the method of delivery that's different.

In Mary Dangerfield's online classroom, the K-8 teacher from Eagle Mountain, posts PowerPoint presentations on a white board where she and students can draw using virtual dry-erase markers. There is a chat feature that allows students to ask questions and talk back and forth with their peers.

"In this lesson, we'll learn about proportions," Dangerfield said through the computer's speaker on a recent day, her voice bubbling, perky and enthusiastic.

A pointer showed up on the computer screen, moving — seemingly by magic — to point at the math problem she was going to solve.

Dangerfield plans a class at least once a month addressing curriculum she feels her pupils, who range in age from 5 to 14, are struggling with. Most of the time, she uses the classroom to work one-on-one with children who aren't grasping a particular concept.

"If a kid is having a hard time they just give me a call and I jump online," she said. "It works great."