Is a Virtual School the Right Choice for your Child?

A virtual school or cyberschool is a school that teaches courses entirely or primarily through online methods. They are descendants of the correspondence courses that have been around for a long time and utilized the postal service for communication. Using the internet for communication seems to be a much more effect way of communicating and may be the reason for the growth explosion of virtual schools. A virtual school differs from the traditional school by linking administrators, teachers, and students together utilizing the internet. Accredited schools must meet rigorous standards designed to insure that students are receiving the highest quality instruction and education, however many virtual schools are not accredited at this time.

Virtual Schools are now available to all grade levels and can provide a full curriculum to your child or an al carte type menu where they can choose to attend some classes through a virtual school. It is important to note that not all Virtual Schools provide your child with the ability to receive a diploma, so be sure to research the guidelines governing the schools in your area. There are many different models of virtual schools available. Instructional models range from fully independent self paced courses to teacher facilitated courses, so you’ll need to do some research on what model will best suit your child’s needs and abilities. Keep in mind that it will take a lot of will power to stay on track and focused in an entirely self-paced course. Class sizes range widely with anywhere from 25 students to as many as 200 students in each class section. Students keep in contact with teachers and collaborate with other students through web communication tools. In some cases students communicate by phone with instructors.

A link is beginning to develop between Public and Virtual Schools. Many districts either have their own Virtual Schools or have linked together with an already existing Virtual School. Some Public Schools are providing computer labs where students can take online courses right on their campus. Typically if there is this connection between the two types of schools there will be no charge to the parent for the course or for materials required for the course. Check with the schools in your area about fees and supplies since they will differ greatly from school to school.

Some advantages of attending a virtual school are: not being required to attend and travel to face-to-face classes so students are able to set their own schedule and the daily use of digital media in the curriculum keeps these students up to date on the latest technological advances. In addition, I think that it provides a student with the ability to work at their own pace in a subject that they may be struggling with.

Disadvantages of this type of schooling include: lack of social interaction with the teacher and their peers, the challenge of staying focused while in the home environment and that these schools are not held up to the standards of other types of schools. The lack of socialization can be addressed through participation in group activities held outside of the schools just like it is addressed with home school students. Standards are being developed for these types of schools and they do have some accrediting agencies but they are still in the growing phase. It is important given this information that you conduct your own research on the Virtual Schools available to you before jumping into this choice. As far as the focusing issue, that is all on you and your child. Do you both have the ability to stay committed and focused to the tasks at hand or like me are you a major procrastinator? That is a question that only you can answer.

Is a Charter School, a Magnet School or a Choices School Right for Your Child?

The first thing that you need to know is that charter schools, magnet schools and choices schools are all public school choices and do not have any tuition payments which gives you some school options that wouldn’t break the bank in these tough economic times. Although they may have different names in different districts, most districts have similar choices available. These types of schools are gaining popularity and new school options are popping up every year.

Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to all of the rules that other public schools must follow. In addition to the district rules, Charter Schools are held accountable for producing certain results as outlined in the school’s charter. Class size is usually smaller than a public school and they are perceived to be safer because of the smaller size of the school population. Many Charter Schools have a waiting list and admission can be based on a lottery, so you may experience difficulty getting your child into these schools. Some charter schools provide a curriculum that specializes in a certain field such as the arts, technology, or mathematics. Others provide the opportunity for innovative teaching practices like cooperative learning, or self-paced learning.

Magnet Schools are Public Schools and therefore must adhere to all the rules and regulations of the district that they belong to. They provide an expanded list of classes in an area of focus. This is particularly beneficial to a student who has an area of interest that they want to explore further. It provides them the opportunity to gain experience in that area while at the same time letting them explore whether this is the right field for them. Some of the Magnet Schools in my area have focuses in: science & technology, government, theater, music, and medical.

A Choices School is not really a different school type, it is the option that districts provide parents at certain schools which allows the parents to choose between a set list of public schools that their child can attend instead of attending their zoned school. These transfers are offered for a number of different reasons. The main reasons that the district in my area does it is capacity, diversity and class size.

A Special Thanks to All Soldiers, Veterans and their Families

On a day like today, when we honor all soldiers and veterans for the sacrifices that they have made to make this country so great, I also want to send out a special thank you to their parents, spouses and chidren for the sacrifices that they have made. Hope you enjoy both of these two videos, they really tugged on my heart strings. They contain lessons that we can all learn from. Hopefully, you'll share them with your children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTb6qdPu8JE

How Peers Influence our Children

There comes a time in every parent's life that they are no longer the center of their child's world.  Chiildren begin listening to what their peers are telling them and not what you are saying.  Being involved early on in helping your children with picking out friends can save you a lot of headaches when this time arrives.  In addition, I suggest that you meet your children's friends and if possible their parents.  This may give you some presence in your child's life at a time when they are doing everything they can to rebel against your beliefs and rules. 

Hope this gives you some peace of mind, the teen years will end and it does get a little better as they approach the driving years and you have control over the keys to the car.

Parent Sharing-Episode 2-Traveling

Check out our second regular episode of Parent Sharing (available on iTunes or through the player to the right of this post).  In this episode we talk about traveling with children (with as few tears as possible).  Whether your traveling by plane, train, or automobile, a little pre-planning can help make your trip a whole lot better. 

As always, you can get in touch with us here at this blog, through our e-mail ParentSharing@aol.com, or on Facebook at Parent Sharing.

Author's Thoughts About This Blog

My name is Kathy and I have been a School Guidance Counselor and a Mental Health Counselor for the past twelve years. Although book learning and college courses in these fields are helpful, most of my knowledge in this area comes from my combined 55 years of parenting. Two very different children: 29 year old male and 26 year old female. I have held many parenting workshop over the years and they all have one thing in common, they have not been well attended. Feedback on these workshops suggest that the information is valuable but there is not enough time in the day to attend a workshop. I am hoping that providing this information through a blog may reach out and help more parents.