On Demand Learning for Today’s iGeneration

One of the reasons we have chosen to homeschool year round is the continuity of learning it provides.  With more frequent shorter breaks throughout the year, we find Amber retains much more of the things she has learned. 

Of course continuity comes in all forms not just how many school days you have and the vacation interspersed among them.  It comes in the form of planning and curriculum too.  Assuming that you are able to keep as much as possible the same from year to year, there shouldn’t be a lot of hiccups within the student’s progress.  Once you know how your child learns, continuity is the key.

I’m noticing that more and more as Amber gets older.  She is definitely part of the ‘iGeneration’, at least in the sense of computers.  She prefers much of her schoolwork to be done on the computer.  The last couple of years she’s done all of her math that way, and this year we have also added some English and Electives to the mix.  The subjects that she is able to do online she excels at, and doesn’t complain as much about, I might add!

So when I was asked to do a review of Online School Solutions as a homeschool parent of a high schooler, I was interested.

I spent an evening going through the material I was sent and perused the website and have a bit to share with you about it.

When you first visit Online School Solutions you’re brought to a map of the United States, where you can click on your state to see what KC Distance Learning can provide you depending on where you live.  There are both private and public options, but not in every state.

I primarily spent the time on the home page of the Keystone School which is the private option, since there was no public option available in my state.

The major benefit of this form of distance learning is that when you enroll full-time students receive an accredited high school diploma when they are done their course work.  Something that essentially you don’t get when you homeschool through to 12th grade on your own.  Other benefits include a wide variety of classes (over 120+), and certified teachers with online teaching experience. 

The parent is not needed to plan, teach or grade the lessons so if that has been an issue in your homeschool because of time constraints due to multiple students or employment that would be something that might be appealing.  Also the ability to school anywhere at any time definitely has its advantages.

There are even options for your student to be part of clubs and organizations.  And just because the parent isn’t teaching doesn’t mean they can’t be involved.  They have an observer account to keep track of their students progress and they can have live online meetings with the teachers.

Educating children is pricey and while the cost is less than most private school tuition, the private schools that KC Distance Learning operates are still quite expensive, which could factor into a decision for many families.  For that reason it might be feasible to use it as a supplement for certain subjects or electives for your middle or high school students.  Perhaps for courses you can’t find suitable curriculum for or something you yourself are not confident teaching.

A recent survey found that compared to traditional learning environments, online learning is proving to be an effective way in teaching today’s “iGeneration” who live in a world of customized and instant feedback.  Here are highlights from the survey:

• 72% of online students spend three or more hours on homework per week vs. 56% of students in traditional schooling.
• 54% of online students get more challenges when they are doing well in school vs. 49% of students in traditional schooling.
• 58% of online students get more help when they fall behind vs. 40% of students in traditional schooling.
• Online students have more interest in attending a four year college after graduation than students in traditional schooling. 78% vs. 67%

There are many reasons why one might choose online distance learning over text books in the home, or a traditional school classroom.  But ultimately we all want our children to learn the most they can, and for some this is the ultimate solution.

If you are interested in finding out more about what KC Distance Learning provides in your state, visit onlineschoolsolutions.com and click on your state.

I wrote this post as part of a blog campaign by Mom Select.  I was thanked for my time with a gift card.  All opinions in the post are my own and were not influenced in any way.

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