Why are their so many children turning to home education on computers?

Answer 1

Many parents prefer to educate their children at home due to their religious beliefs. I home schooled for a few years because I didn't care for the culture at the school. It was a very rough environment with lots of bullying and the teachers did not keep things under control. Also there were a lot of drugs and delinquent behavior which wasn't being checked. I felt that my kids would be better off if I limited who they had for company. This is back before computers existed, except the big ones that took punch cards! I wish I'd had the benefit of the Internet.

There was very little home schooling at the time, no books on the subject, so I had to make it up as I went along. The only other homeschoolers I knew were people who had lived overseas and were forced to teach their children at home. There was the Calvert School in Pa. and a few others which were accredited and would send lessons by mail.

I've also known people who lived in such remote areas that homeschooling was their only option. These were people on remote ranches and homesteaders up in Alaska.

Answer 2

It's a convenient way to deliver lesson plans, lesson content, and progress tools. It can be very interactive - working with teachers and other students in virtual classrooms, doing lessons electronically, all sorts of reasons.

There are also more curriculum companies who deliver their lessons online or through media like CD's, CD-roms, and DVD's - even satellite.

Also, children need to be exposed to the technology because it will be a major part of their future lives and careers. My son started keyboarding at age 7, I started in 10th grade in the 80's. My son has learned all the MS Office programs - I learned in college. It's just a sign of the times.

There are also great hybrid schools with have some face-to-face time and some online delivery. This is a great set up for many - in K-12 education and also higher education.

Many kids also need "prescriptive" courses or they are very advanced and need the option. My son will be taking online high school coursework at age 10 and community college classes by age 12. I do not want to physically put him in those environments, so online instruction is a great benefit!

Answer 3

"Why are their so many children turning to home education on computers?"
Very simple, because it is a lot cheaper than buying a lot of textbooks, there is plenty information available on the internet, there is even "net-schooling." and it is by far more time saving for homeschooling parents as well.

In many schools, computers are taking the place of notebooks and pencils and even taking the place of teachers and spoken conversation between classmates! Why not learn/write/chat with friends on the computer at home rather than going to a classroom and sitting on a computer for hours?

Answer 4

I think one reason is it tends to be a little less expensive and the easiest to customize. Also kids are very computer oriented these days and it is very natural for them to learn that way. Another factor is the ease of record keeping. No piles of papers to keep organized and filed, everything is on the computer.

We used a computer based curriculum this year because last year with Abeka was too many worksheets. Since I am still learning about all the different curriculums and what levels they teach on I felt most comfortable choosing one curriculum for all subjects. Next year I plan to use part Switched on Schoolhouse (the computer curriculum we use) and then use other curriculums that are "paper based" and make our own path. I think it will be more work for me, but will be best for my son.

I think this has been the hardest challenge of homeschooling for us...discovering my son's learning style and finding a curriculum that fits. Good luck with finding what works best for you and your child.

Answer 5

computers, cyber schools, internet based classrooms, online encyclopedias, virtual labs, online tutoring, MAN! it is EXCITING!!!!
There is sooooo much out there for students. A lot of families have figured out that they can give their children a tailor made custom high quality education utilizing these tools, so why not.
I'm continually amazed at the progress I've seen in the last five years alone.
my daughter can type in a web address and access a teacher working problems from her algebra book. It is similar to the old fashioned overhead projectors we had. you hear the teacher talking you through the problem and working it out on a sheet of paper in front of you.
My son has an online tutoring program that helps him with reading fluency and math facts, comprehension, things like that. It talks him through the entire lesson, then he gets to play games once he finishes his lessons.

now, that rocks, in my opinion.

Answer 6

i know alot of parents who are doing this. Alot of people do not believe in the public school ciriculum and choose to educate their children in their own ways. education this way also saves any children from being teased, ridiculed, and any other social harassments that most kids go through.

Answer 7

Because it's a new option. It wasn't there before that's why there is a sharp increase now. It's for kids with jobs, kids, and special situations.

Answer 8

Because some parents are afraid of exposing their children into the external world. The Virginia Tech incident might also make the numbers increase.

Answer 9

SAFETY, i am taking my university business course on line, saves time and but takes longer, lol if that makes sense. also to be with their parents, they can regulate what they are learning and take time teaching as they are one on one.

Answer 10

to learn stuff interested in