Ten Lessons from The Lost Online Homeschooling Mama
The worldwide web is just that and you can easily get lost in the overload of information and myriad of resources available for HS. In my previous post, I talked about why you should consider using online homeschooling for your child and how you can choose which programmes are most suitable for them.
To make it easier for you, these are some lessons I learned from my experience HS online for my children.
1. Place your desktop or laptop where you can easily see what your child is doing. I think this is relevant for any of your child's usage of the computer.
2. Set online safety precautions. This can be through your internet settings and also teaching your child online safety rules. The child can be attracted to pop-up ads that are quite common in free sites. While subscribed sites are generally free of these, your child can still surf elsewhere without your knowledge.
3. Monitor your child's usage time. It is easy to fall into the trap of allowing your child more time online because he is doing something "educational".
4. Set aside time for online HS. As every HS mum should know, the day can whizz past you easily and before you know it, the school year is over and that online subscription you paid for has barely been used. Also, don't forget to unsubscribe if your child no longer finds the site helpful. Check if the site has a time-off function for when you go on holidays or just need a break.
5. Monitor your child's progress. You can make use of the site's tracking function if it has one or his internet history (Ok, I'm no techie but you get the drift). Alternatively, set up timely review sessions or assessments to keep him on track.
6. Complete assignments on time. Go through the marked assignments. Also, review and put into action any feedback from his tutor.
7. If your child is using a site geared towards a specific exam, make full use of other information and support that the site may have with regards to the exams apart from the educational materials and lesson support such as syllabus changes and registration of exams.
8. Align the online curriculum with your local system. There might be subjects done at grades different from yours and differences in syllabus depth.
9. Get feedback from your child about what works and doesn't about the programme. Determine whether this is something technical (like typing skills or navigating the different parts of the site) or a learning process or content problem.
10. Make full use of discounts. Some sites have sister sites where you can have discounts when you are subscribed to one. Also, check if there are sibling or group discounts.
I think you would have figured out by now that there is no such thing as leaving the child to learn on his own even if you are not the one who has to teach him : )
I will share some of my favourite sites at the Muslim Homeschoolers Fair this 29th May. Can't wait to meet other HS mums or future HS mums soon.
To make it easier for you, these are some lessons I learned from my experience HS online for my children.
1. Place your desktop or laptop where you can easily see what your child is doing. I think this is relevant for any of your child's usage of the computer.
2. Set online safety precautions. This can be through your internet settings and also teaching your child online safety rules. The child can be attracted to pop-up ads that are quite common in free sites. While subscribed sites are generally free of these, your child can still surf elsewhere without your knowledge.
3. Monitor your child's usage time. It is easy to fall into the trap of allowing your child more time online because he is doing something "educational".
4. Set aside time for online HS. As every HS mum should know, the day can whizz past you easily and before you know it, the school year is over and that online subscription you paid for has barely been used. Also, don't forget to unsubscribe if your child no longer finds the site helpful. Check if the site has a time-off function for when you go on holidays or just need a break.
5. Monitor your child's progress. You can make use of the site's tracking function if it has one or his internet history (Ok, I'm no techie but you get the drift). Alternatively, set up timely review sessions or assessments to keep him on track.
6. Complete assignments on time. Go through the marked assignments. Also, review and put into action any feedback from his tutor.
7. If your child is using a site geared towards a specific exam, make full use of other information and support that the site may have with regards to the exams apart from the educational materials and lesson support such as syllabus changes and registration of exams.
8. Align the online curriculum with your local system. There might be subjects done at grades different from yours and differences in syllabus depth.
9. Get feedback from your child about what works and doesn't about the programme. Determine whether this is something technical (like typing skills or navigating the different parts of the site) or a learning process or content problem.
10. Make full use of discounts. Some sites have sister sites where you can have discounts when you are subscribed to one. Also, check if there are sibling or group discounts.
I think you would have figured out by now that there is no such thing as leaving the child to learn on his own even if you are not the one who has to teach him : )
I will share some of my favourite sites at the Muslim Homeschoolers Fair this 29th May. Can't wait to meet other HS mums or future HS mums soon.
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