The Untold Secret to ONLINE HOMESCHOOL in Less Than Ten Minutes

Here are the top secrets to online homeschooling in less than ten minutes:

Interruptions need to be reduced
In the present age, a phone can be a big distraction. At the time of working on your homeschooling course, make sure to switch off your phone.

Consider getting a decent answering machine as well. You can use it at the time when you are learning. You can even consider going for voice mail. You can ask your friends and even family members not to disturb you in your hours of study. That is why it is better if you fix a particular time frame for working on your online homeschooling course. It is only then that your friends and relatives will understand your urgency of learning! Do not go to parties every alternate day! In other words, prioritize your learning. This is the only way to excel in your online homeschooling course.

Parental intervention is required
In the case of traditional homeschooling, parents do need to involve themselves to a great extent. After all, they need to take lots of responsibilities. They need to create a curriculum right from scratch and then stick to it. Not only that, they need to perform the role of teachers.

However, when it comes to online homeschooling, parents can actually shed off a lot of responsibilities. However, still, they need to be involved in some manner in their child’s learning. In the initial stage, their kid might not have the proper sense of responsibility. So, the parent needs to poke his/her child and make sure that he/she is following his/her learning schedule. So, they will have to dedicate some time to their child’s learning. In the least, they will be required to monitor their child’s personal as well as academic progress.

Mix fun with education
One of the biggest advantages of taking online homeschooling classes is that it allows students to learn in a fun manner. This is where traditional school classes lose it! Thus, homeschooling students need to maintain a fun and positive attitude while learning from home. Parents and teachers should make sure that the kids are enjoying the learning process. If not, they should take reasonable steps to ensure the same. After all, a genuine online homeschooling curriculum can be tailored to fit the child’s needs. Little changes can be made to the homeschooling schedule in order to keep the students’ minds stimulated for longer hours.

Parents will have to maintain a positive outlook throughout. Only then students will feel the genuine positivity while learning online from home. Also, parents and teachers should allow students to be open to their concerns and queries. Transparency is the key here!

Trust yourself
Students should be made to believe in themselves. Most of the teachers in online homeschools provide students with instant and honest feedback. In case the child does not perform well in an online activity, the teacher must not be harsh and pinpoint only at the negativities. Same applies to homeschool parents. They should all give genuine feedback but from a positive space. They should give room to the students to improve and work on their shortcomings.

Parents might incorporate tutoring assistance if required. They should try every possible means to make sure that the child remains confident, driven and success-driven. Most of the online homeschooling teachers are given the same training. They are specially trained to instill necessary values and life-skills in online homeschoolers that are required to succeed.

Keep it systematic and simple
The organization is the key to success in online homeschooling. If you are a homeschooling parent, you should not be fickle-minded. Do not change the learning schedule every day! Change it, only if necessary and only if it works for your kid. You need to be systematic and organized. You can even plan to gift your kids with small rewards if they achieve some minor goals related to academics. Do not go too harsh on them. Keep it simple and fun! Else, it will be no better than rigid traditional school classes!

Take short breaks
Breaks are truly important while learning. When you are a homeschooler, you must take out some time to rejuvenate your mind and body. If you wish, take breaks frequently. You can even keep some healthy snacks in your room while studying. Drink ample water in breaks. In short, keep yourself healthy!

If you are getting too clogged up in your mind, you can even take one or two days’ break. You can arrange for a short trip with your friends or family members. Focus on socializing effectively during the time. Never get yourself isolated. Do your work and maintain healthy bonds at the same time. Yes, you can do it!

Do not overdo it
Certainly, it is good to go on field trips and social outings. However, do not overdo it. Maintain a proper balance. Too many outings can ruin it all! Again, focus on your priorities. Spend free time with your family, but not at the cost of your learning! Thus, you need to strike a healthy balance here.

Talk to your mentors
It is important to surround yourself with people who motivate you if you truly wish to succeed in the long run. Socialize online. Make friends with students and seniors who have similar goals and mindset. It will help you to walk on the right path. Whenever necessary, ask questions. Make sure to ask for helpful advice, whenever needed. Just do not try to deal with everything, alone. Talk and open up to others, at least people who you can rely on. You can even go through some home education books. This is sure to boost your confidence, providing you with the right tricks and tips to proceed in your study life.

Visit the library
Of course, you can get everything online. But, there are times when you might just get a little bored of the same study space. This is when you can go to a different place to study. What better place than a quiet library?

Why Parents Shouldn't Be Afraid of Virtual High School?

Even today, there are many parents who are literally scared of online courses for their kids! One major reason is that most of them are misinformed about online education. Some have false notions related to online learning.

Here are some top reasons why parents are afraid of virtual high school and why should they not be afraid:

Online high school course is easier than a traditional high school course
This is a myth altogether. Most of the genuine and accredited online schools make sure to provide challenging online courses. These online courses are highly engaging. Thus, students take a genuine interest in their studies. This helps them finish off their daily online course work in a short time when compared to that of a traditional school student. The other major reason behind this is that the online learning environment is devoid of distractions. Thus, students benefit here since they get a lot of time to work on their own skills.

Online high school courses are unaccredited
There certainly are some online schools that are not accredited. However, most of the genuine online schools are regionally accredited. You will have to do your own research. Try to know the accreditation status of the online school, first and foremost.

When an online high school course is regionally accredited, it implies that the online high school coursemeets the same high standards as on-ground courses. This is required to remain certified and hold the accreditation status.

Employers and Colleges do not accept online high school diploma
This is completely false. When an online high school diploma is regionally accredited, employers and college admission officers hold it in high regard. They surely do accept online high school diplomas, but only those that are regionally accredited.

In fact, many employers recognize that students gain excellent skills through virtual learning. Some of the vital life-skills gained through online learning are time-management, self-motivation, self-discipline, family values, sense of balance, etc.

No proper teacher-student communication
Since online learning involves no face-to-face communication, many parents are of the opinion that it might be a big challenge for an online student. However, it is not so! Students can easily talk to their certified teachers via email, Skype, or chat. Most of the online high school courses include group projects. Thus, even the shy and reticent students get to speak up in a traditional classroom setting. Thus, they readily take part in online discussions, without the fear of getting laughed at! This type of communication and a healthy exchange of ideas also lead to a strong sense of community. Most of the online schools make sure to create an active online community, with extracurricular activities.

Cheating is common at an online high school
The truth is that cheating can happen at any place, whether online or a physical space. However, in an online school, certified teachers know how to take steps to prevent cheating. Many software programs are developed that help recognizes plagiarism.

Online schools make students socially awkward
This is one big myth related to online schools. It is true that the ways of socialization are different in the virtual learning environment. However, these ways are pretty effective that lead to meaningful socialization, in usual. The good thing is that in an online environment, the student has the liberty to choose his/her friends or the one he/she wishes to socialize with. There is no forced socialization here.

Virtual schools are highly technology-driven
It might be true to some extent. However, it does not mean that an online student is required to be technically expert in order to succeed in his/her online high school course. To speak the truth, virtual schools are about curriculum and instruction for students. Most of the virtual high schools have the basic technology to enable students to join a virtual classroom, especially where there’s proper internet access. However, students will have to take the online curriculum and instruction very seriously. They should know the basics of technology. As such, basic technical skills are required everywhere today. So, it is not too big of a demand!

Virtual school students get addicted to their screens
It is a common concern. Now, online high schools provide a lot of flexibility. With this level of flexibility comes a good deal of responsibilities as well. So, students need to put limits on certain things. Parents must make sure that their kids are making limited use of social networking sites or other entertainment-related sites.

Also, many online students actually use textbooks, pencils, microscopes, and interactive curricula to study. In an online learning environment, a computer is a tool for teachers and parents to manage and track assignments. Also, it enables students to communicate and deliver interactive curricular materials. However, students can also complete some assignments off-screen. They can also spend their free time reading textbooks, using workbooks, reading library books and other things. Thus, students and parents need to work it out this way.

Parents need to teach and take a lot of responsibilities
Any online learning mode calls for some parental intervention. However, it might just be little! Most of the online high schools today come with a full-set of certified and qualified online teachers and other resources. They are sufficient to help your high-school kid learn in the most effective manner. Being parents, you would, at least, be required to monitor your child’s progress and attendance. Surely, you would be required to do the same when your child takes conventional high-school classes.

However, parents must do their homework before choosing an online high school for their kids. Not every online high school is credible! There are many fraudulent schools today. So, parents must be vigilant.

Make sure to look for a virtual school that has a track record of delivering student academic achievement. It must have good levels of parent and student satisfaction. Some of the other vital quality benchmarks include accreditation from AdvancED, highly qualified teachers, cutting-edge technology resources, networking opportunities, community activities, extracurricular activities, field trips for students, volunteering opportunities, early graduation courses, etc.

How Parents of Online High School Students Should Prep for Success?

Parent engagement is pretty important in helping online high school students succeed. The extent of parental intervention depends on multiple factors, such as the qualifications of the parents, whether or not the student is an independent learner, whether or not the online school provides proper teaching support, how busy the parents are in their professional lives and many more.

It is up to the parents as to how much involved they want to be in their child’s education. Even if they have a busy schedule, they need to take out some time to monitor their children’s growth and attendance. 

Here are some of the most prominent ways parents of online students can prep for high school success:

Prepare a proper learning space

You, as a parent, need to zero in on a proper study place. It might be an entire room or just a little corner of a room. You must consult your kid, before preparing his/her study space. After all, you must have an idea as to what suits him well and helps him keep focus.

Usually, setting up a simple study space works really well. You must keep a notebook, pencils and other needed supplies that your child might need. Keep in mind that finding a learning space that works for your child may take some trial and error. However, certainly, it worth the time to find dedicated space. Space should be with zero or minimal distractions. There should be proper light and space. The place should be relatively quiet, as compared to the other rooms of your house. It should be maintained clean and organized.

Separate study space is more important for your kid than you think. Taking a plunge into online high school education can be highly baffling for any first-time online student. So, you need to give efforts to create a working environment that will ensure your student’s success. It should allow them to finish off their daily coursework, without fail.

Thus, the workspace needs to be designed for productivity.

Prepare a weekly schedule

Without a proper schedule, a student is likely to proceed in a directionless manner. In this case, there are high chances for the kid to get deviated midway in the online high school course. So, for everything to fall in place, the starting point needs to be a definite one. Preparing a proper schedule is equivalent to marking the starting point!

Parents must help their children to set up a weekly schedule. Doing it all alone might be is time-consuming. Even better if you come up with a weekly routine for your child. This is believed to be more effective. You can make changes whenever and wherever required, as per your student’s learning pattern, style, and pace.

A weekly schedule must be very detailed and feasible. Never keep it too loaded. Else, there are high chances for your kid to get disappointed when he/she will not be able to live up to his/her schedule. Thus, balance is key.

Your student needs to set a start time, daily, and their day should include times for short breaks.
The catch here is that you need to help your child not just block out time for each subject but also set certain personal deadlines to complete course-related tasks. This will help him/her to submit assignments and projects in a timely fashion. Above all, you must be engaged in your child’s learning. You should follow up with them. Make them realize that they need to stick to their learning schedule, no matter what!

Encourage your children to communicate with their teachers

Communication is truly vital in any learning environment. In an online learning environment, communication plays a major role because there is no face-to-face interaction here. It is impossible for the online teachers to get any visual cues in case something wrong has happened with a child that might be hampering his/her learning. So, children need to voice out their queries and worries openly, to their online instructors.

While many kids will be self-initiators right from the beginning, certain kids might need a special kind of “push” to express their issues in front of their online instructors. This is where parents need to get involved and help their introverted children. Parents need to play a huge role in opening the lines of communication between the instructor and the child.

As a parent, you must also communicate with the online teachers, especially who teach your child and monitor him/her. Try to find out how you can support your child in better ways. Ask the teachers whether extra help sessions are available.

An online learning environment can be thriving and success-driven for your child only when he/she communicates with the online teachers.

Setting certain limits

Now, too much freedom can lead to too much comfort. And, getting too comfortable is not a good sign! Parents must set ground rules for breaks. You should make sure that your student is avoiding gaming, videos, or any other technology during break time. These breaks are created to give your student a short time away from the screen. It should be a relaxation time for your kids.

Create pacing guides

You must create pacing guides for your children to learn in the most systematic manner. These will help your student understand what to achieve in each subject area. Accordingly, they can plan out their weekly schedule. This will also help them to complete their courses on time. Keep in mind that pacing guide length and the amount of work will vary on a daily basis. You can ask your student’s teacher for help for creating pacing guides.

Be open to learning

You need to be a good learner yourself, in order to teach your children well. You must be aware of the tools and services available to your student. When you are pretty aware of the online learning tools and resources, you can help your children in their learning, more effectively. Thus, your student can successfully navigate the online world of education.