Deciding to homeschool is the first step in an amazing journey. Now that you’ve taken this step, you are probably wondering what legal requirements you have to fulfill so you can start educating your child at home. The important thing to keep in mind as you work through the legal requirements is that you have the right to make decisions about your child’s education. All states recognize, in one way or another, the right of parents to homeschool their children. However, the laws regulating homeschooling vary between states, and it is important for homeschooling families to read and understand these laws, to know their rights, and to ensure they are complying with the relevant regulations.

Students taking technical courses online face different challenges in an online learning environment. Parents, teachers and students are familiar with the traditional, ‘brick and mortar’ approaches to education. It’s what we were raised with. In that environment, students are gathered into an assigned space at a specific time where a teacher provides the instruction. The teacher leads in the presentation of the content and then moves to a lab-based activity. This is a linear focused approach that has instructional milestones and sets evaluations (i.e. quizzes or exams) to confirm student understanding and mastery of a set of objectives over a fixed period of time.

What model and approach works for the students today?

Part 2: How to prepare for a successful online school year

I promised to return with some more things to keep in might throughout the new school year.

Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”

This Bible verse says it all. The most important thing to remember this school year is Who you are working for. Here are some helpful thoughts.

Part 1: How to prepare for a successful online school year

At the beginning of each school year many parents and students are asking many “how to”questions. How to get a good grade? How to write a good essay? How to prepare for a quiz or test? And the big one: how should I prepare for a successful online school year?

Instructions for how to prepare for the school year are often read then quickly forgotten. As the weeks go by the enthusiasm of starting a new school year fades in and out. This year will be the same, but I would like to emphasize some tips for preparing for a successful school year that are especially relevant to online students: 

Common Core standards have been adopted by the many states and the District of Columbia. In light of their widespread adoption and implementation, you might expect general agreement on what they are, their benefits, and their acceptance. Unfortunately, the debates surrounding the Common Core standards often serve to confuse those they affect most deeply: you and your students.

Here are some basic facts about the Common Core Standards in the high school years to help you gain a better understanding of the system your school is using, and the possible alternatives.