There are many amazing “non-traditional” education opportunities available today.
From unschooling to virtual education, how do you know which is the best option for you and your children?
We just ended our first year of blended cyberschool. Our kids had teachers and live online instruction. We did most of the work at our own pace on and offline).
We’ve come up with our top five considerations when choosing a non-traditional education route. We hope it helps you if you are considering alternatives to traditional school.
- How much time are you realistically able to devote to your child’s education? With unschooling or homeschooling, you will be responsible for teaching all of the lessons and keeping your child’s school records for the state. With a virtual live class, your participation is not likely any greater than it would be with “traditional” school. With the blended option, my kids have a few hours of live, virtual class a week. But they have access to their teachers and other tutoring options outside of that class. Their teachers grade all of the exams and papers, and the school keeps track of all of the necessary records and standardized tests. I underestimated how much time I would spend, but that was mainly of my own choosing. My job was the facilitator. I ensured they had the necessary supplies, review the material together, keep pace, and that assignments were submitted properly. Once I saw exactly what they were working on, we supplemented several additional activities and lessons (like memorizing poems and songs). I loved it, but the amount of my hands-on involvement definitely increased.
- How disciplined/motivated is your child? Obviously, your child’s personality will have a lot to do with his success in any educational setting. Some children need external discipline, whether it comes in the form of traditional school, live virtual school, or home school; while some are self-motivated and will be able to thrive with minimal supervision. This is especially true in the older grades (as younger children are still going to need a significant amount of your attention).
- How disciplined/motivated are you? It’s time to take a look at yourself. I’ve read many bloggers who choose to homeschool because they are not particularly disciplined or motivated. They enjoy starting their morning whenever they are up an moving. Others keep very strict schedules and have everything done by noon. Just like our children, some of us benefit from having some external supervision. Others are perfectly capable of doing everything on their own. Know thyself, and avoid the frustration of choosing an option that works against your personality.
- How objective can you be when it comes to your own child? Unless you are unschooling, you will likely be using some sort of curriculum. Most of these will provide learning objectives and answer keys. Some will provide rubrics, and you will be responsible to grade based on that. Depending on your background, you may be better equipped to know what your child at a given grade level should be able to do. I greatly appreciate that the teachers in the cyber school option, whether a virtual or blended class, grade the papers. I do not have a background in education. I have found that I’m harder on them than their teachers are. My expectation of what they should be able to do that is not always in-line with their grade level. The opposite may also be true. You may think your child is a genius, but in reality, may be falling short of benchmarks.
- What is your budget? There is very little cost associated with unschooling, beyond your normal household expenses. Homeschool curriculum can be expensive, but it is often possible to buy used materials. Some cyber options are quite pricey too. Beyond the curriculum, what additional materials will you need? A computer, school supplies, science equipment, etc. We are very fortunate in that our cyber school option provides all of the necessary computer equipment, curriculum, books, and supplies at no cost. You may also see some savings as compared to traditional school. Cafeteria lunches (and those extra snacks); fundraisers that often ended up being a donation on our part; and buying birthday presents for every kid in the class will be eliminated. Don’t worry… your child’s close friends will remain close, and they will make new friends). Analyzing all of the associated costs before choosing is very important.
What other considerations factored in your non-traditional school choice? Read more about why we made our choice in What About School when You’re Traveling?
