The situation that I have been dealing with that has been very distressing involves my 14 year old son. We have been challenged for a long time with how he performs in school. He is a very intelligent child and does very well on standardized testing, scoring at or above grade level in all areas. Seeing the test come in tells me that he is more than capable academically.
However, emotionally he has a very hard time in school with peers and in some situations teachers. I have done research to see if sending him to an online school may be a good option. First I had to sit him down and discuss our options, so he was my first source of information. We had to work out all the details; we discussed how he would spend his time in the online classroom verses the play time on the computer. There was also the concern that his lap top was not very reliable, we needed a new computer for him to be successful.
The final concern that had to be addressed was the social aspect. At this point I started researching different school and interviewing them to find the best fir for my son. I found The IQ academy was very helpful in my research. The school offered a laptop so one of the problems was easily worked out. The other main concerns time management and social involvement need more time and research. I first need to find a way that I can be home more during the day to support him during his time at school. Taking responsibility for learning is not something every student can maintain.
The Research paper on Home Schooling Study School Research
... types of knowledge and insight that home schooling research may present concerning the strengths, weakness, and future of American schooling. ... interviews of parents and students, observations of home schools, interviews of school administrations, interviews of college admissions, and a survey ... 15 to 20 percent per year. At the same time, however, home schooling has received little attention compared ...
It can be difficult to self-discipline at a young age, and this is a must in an online classroom. Some students cannot handle the responsibility of taking tests, handing in an assignment, or participating if they are not provided a schedule to keep them on track. I also need to be sure that he is accountable for his time and is willing to complete the work assigned. I think the one thing that I will have to refine so that it will hold up to others criticism is the social problems that will come with online education.
According to “Socialization In Online Programs ” (September 2008) “Socialization is about people being able to mingle and establish connections on one or more levels. They speak [with] one another and confirm the connections made through an agreed upon means. ” So far I have found that online schools’ put major thought into fostering proper social interaction into the curriculum. This is due in large part to the concern that the students may be isolated. My child’s education is one of the most important decisions I have to make as a parent.
Knowing the options is the first step in making the right decision. I have to keep a very close eye on the difficulties that can come up with making a decision to send him to an online school. Having the ability to access the classroom 24 hours a day will provide easy access to, teachers, support staff and administrators. I will be able to see all of his classes on line from anywhere. If difficulties do come up which I am sure will I think the best way to handle them will be to sit down and work the problem out one step at a time.