Either you’re new to homeschooling and looking or you’ve been homeschooling for a while, but you’ve decided you are looking to go digital. There are many benefits to moving your homeschooling endeavors to a digital format. Maybe you prefer the ease of an all in one curriculum, or maybe the thought of the grading and report cards being done for you appeals as a time saving factor. Whatever the reason, there are some important things to consider when choosing your online education provider.
ONLINE CURRICULUM VS. ONLINE SCHOOL
There is a big difference between an online curriculum and an online school. Let’s go over a few of the options for you.
Public Online Schools are very similar to public brick and mortar schooling except it is done from home. They are state run online schools. Many of them are free, but they are not available in every state at this time. The other thing to consider is that they may have significant added costs that are only disclosed as you look deeper into the program. There is teacher support and the grading and reporting is done for you. The parent does not have control over the curriculum or any modifications they would like to make for their student.
Private Online Schools are very similar to the online public schools. They are also usually associated with a brick and mortar school. There is teacher support and the grading and reporting is done for you. Private online school parents also do not have control over the curriculum or modifications they would like to make for their student. These schools can be very expensive so it is important to thoroughly research any private online school you are interested in to make sure you are getting your money's worth.
Online Curriculum Providers are businesses that provide curriculum to homeschool parents, not an online school. There are 2 ways homeschool parents can utilize curriculum providers.
A la carte curriculum- parents research each of the individual businesses providing curriculum for different subject matters and mix and match the online curriculum they would like for each subject matter. This gives parents flexibility in the curriculum, but adds a lot of work. Parents are then responsible for creating lesson plans, grading and keeping records themselves on top of making sure they are meeting all the homeschool requirements for their state. The cost of creating a digital homeschool program this way varies because you pay for each class separately.
All inclusive curriculum provider- Entities that provide the homeschool family with everything they need to homeschool their student in the digital world. Parents get all their curriculum from the same provider so there is consistency on course content delivery. Parents are not responsible for creating lesson plans, grading and keeping records themselves. The cost of creating a digital homeschool program this way is not free, but it is significantly less expensive than the private online schools. This is your middle of the road option.
Now that you have the basic information on the types of digital homeschooling, it’s decision time. This boils down to what your homeschooling goals are. Homeschooling means a parents choice to be involved in their student’s education. Finding an online curriculum provider is the best way to stay involved in your student’s education and current with today’s form of content delivery. Adirondack Learning Academy provides you with the curriculum you need with the added services you are looking for to make homeschooling online an ideal option for your student. Adirondack Learning Academy uses a top of the line curriculum called Odysseyware, does all the grading for you, creates a degree plan for your high school student, provides report cards, transcripts and student support. There is a learning coach for each student that answers all your homeschooling questions along the way.