I have pursued online education several times in the past. First, when I graduated from high school and again when I decided to go back to college (I now attend a traditional school, but started with various online colleges). When we were making the decision to homeschool CT due to the problems he was having with his disabilities and the school’s reaction to them we also considered online school.
photo credit: The-Lane-Team
These days, online school, especially high school is becoming a mainstream option for non-traditional learners. Depending on your state, you can seek out state sponsored online schools, which are free and run on a similar school schedule (they are just done at home) or you can choose a private accredited option that gives you more flexibility, but does require payment upon enrollment.
Online school is perfect for kids that learn differently or that feel stifled by the traditional environment. Learning at your own pace has more advantages than the average person considers. For instance, I am a night person. My best work has always been done at night. However, when I am in school I take day classes. I still do well because I have trained myself to succeed in these situations, but my best work is still done in the evenings. This is when I do most of my work and when I write my papers for school. In grade school, I used to force myself to go to school because I just wasn’t interested in learning and working during the day. I am sure I wasn’t the only one.
The most important thing to remember with online schools is that they certainly are not all the same. Look for accreditation above all. There is no sense in paying hundreds of dollars per year to finish with no diploma, or worse, a diploma that won’t get you anywhere. Make sure that the institution’s credentials are accepted by colleges. After you’ve done this you would be wise to compare curriculum plans at the schools that you are considering. Sure, free is nice, but it doesn’t make it the best option, especially if you can afford to pay.
Look at the selection of classes they offer and consider the learning styles that are presented. Do you think your child will excel in the school environment? If not, perhaps you need to consider other schools. When you’ve narrowed it down, ask to see a preview of the materials that your child might be using. If they use online classrooms, message boards, and chat rooms then you should ask to preview these environments in order to see the environment that your child will be using. This environment will allow some children to soar, but others are likely to sink.
Make sure you know what you’re paying for or what you’re getting yourself into. If the school doesn’t want you to preview these areas, keep looking. If they can’t allow a look (when a traditional school would allow a walkthrough) then it’s best you find a school that will value your money and your child’s education.
Finding the right school is the hardest step. There are a number of websites that will put the schools in one spot for you so that you can start at one point and go from there with ease. I consider these sites similar to an educational search engine. Unfortunately, a lot of those sites are nothing more than landing pages or affiliate earners that get money every time a person signs up for a class. One of these sites, created by KC Distance Learning allows parents to find the available online learning solutions by state. I have to assume that either Online School Solutions is a new site or they are an affiliate site. The reason for this is that upon doing one or two seconds of Google research you can easily find several schools that are not listed here.
For example, we are moving to Ohio so I clicked Ohio to see the options that they have listed. The only option available on the Online School Solutions website is Keystone Academy (something that comes up for every state I clicked). However, going to Google and looking up the term “Online High School Ohio” produced six online charter schools in Ohio that are free of charge. This was what I found without doing an exhaustive search. While free isn’t always the best option, it’s worth checking out the six available schools rather than signing up at the one available option on Online School Solutions and paying hundreds of dollars per year (more if you’re interested in AP classes).
Online School Solutions is one option in finding the right online school for your child. However, it’s worth pointing out that there are several better available options to help you in your search.
Do you currently send your child to an online school? If so, let us know which one you chose!
DISCLOSURE: This post was written at the request of KC Distance Learning to promote their website Online School Solutions. It was a compensated post, though the opinions here of Online School Solutions and the tips about finding the right school for your child are my own.
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Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
