Demands for a more personalized approach to education as well as flexibility have spurred parents and students to seek alternatives to the traditional public classroom, said Earl Grier, principal of Commonwealth Connections Academy in Pennsylvania, a "public cyber charter school" in which classwork is done at home and online. (Online classes click with students)

"We meet with the parents at the beginning of the school year and design a direction for the student to go in," said Grier, who had spent more than 30 years at "brick-and-mortar" public schools. "In a classroom with 25 kids, you can't individualize the lesson on 25 different levels."

The students who benefit most from this kind of education tend to be either significantly ahead of or lagging behind their peers, Grier said. Flexibility also serves as an important factor for participating families.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/08/13/b2s.overview/index.html

This sounds pretty good at first reading. One thing that has really soured me on home schooling has been some of the parents I've met that were inadequate to the task of imparting knowledge to their offspring.

The problem I have with homeschooling, is the child (I sound like I'm not one myself) doesnt get the social development he or she deserves.

I dont think you can say "they are doing better than their peers"....when they probably dont have any peers.

The problem I have with homeschooling, is the child (I sound like I'm not one myself) doesnt get the social development he or she deserves.

I dont think you can say "they are doing better than their peers"....when they probably dont have any peers.

There are many, many public schools in this country that have only a handful of students that attend. I'm talking about graduating classes of 3. Not 30. 3. So do you have a problem with those schools?

I'm going to answer for him, becasue I have the same opinion about homeschooling, and say that a graduating class of three is almost as bd as being homeschooled. being exposed to even a few kids ones age is better thna nothing, but i wouldn't exactly call it anything significant.

its such a misconception perpetuated by the left that omehow homeschool kids are recluses and hermits. It really the only bad thign they can say about it. What is to stop kids who are home schooled from having friends? are the public school kis gong to ridicule him? its so dumb and so transparent in its shallowness. a lot of times home school kids are actually home schooled in groups. Parents of home school kids make sure their kids do interact with other kids. the great thing about it is they do have some control over who they interact with. if they dont want their kids interacting with gang members tehy dont have to.

Originally posted by Travh20
its such a misconception perpetuated by the left that omehow homeschool kids are recluses and hermits. It really the only bad thign they can say about it. What is to stop kids who are home schooled from having friends? are the public school kis gong to ridicule him? its so dumb and so transparent in its shallowness. a lot of times home school kids are actually home schooled in groups. Parents of home school kids make sure their kids do interact with other kids. the great thing about it is they do have some control over who they interact with. if they dont want their kids interacting with gang members tehy dont have to.

I understand what you are trying to say Trav, but let me put it this way.

Even youll admit, that a kid exposed to, say, 200 kids his own age, will have a better chance to learn to adapt to divesity, better learn how to communicate with different people, learn how to manage time (and friends for that matter, lol.) And a whole slew of things.

I noticed the one thing that everyone is leaving out, both parents work and don't have the time? Also is every parent quilified in schooling{teaching}? Who makes sure these kids are doing what they should? With school comes responsibility, the kids start learning at an early age, what it is like to get up, get ready, and began a day, will they learn this at home or will they learn how to stay in bed and just get by? Public schools are still better then home schooling, I'm not saying home schooling is bad but not every family can do it.

diversity is overrated. you dont need 200 hundred kids to learn how to behave in public and around others. Mad dog, of course home schooling is not for everybody, it is only for very involved parents willing to take the time and effort ot do it. Obviously a parnet who know or even care when report card day is inst going to be a good home school teacher.

although homeschooled kids have the ability to interact with others their age, there's a huge difference between spending all day with ones peers and seeing them for an hour after school and on weekends. also, parents who have complete control over who their kids interact with may be sheltering them far too much.

Two things I would like to add:

1) Many home school programs feature interaction between other home schooled students.

2) It's fairly common knowledge in education that students perform better in smaller schools than in larger schools.

Originally posted by WhammyBar
although homeschooled kids have the ability to interact with others their age, there's a huge difference between spending all day with ones peers and seeing them for an hour after school and on weekends. also, parents who have complete control over who their kids interact with may be sheltering them far too much.

ya, we wouldnt want our kid to miss out on drugs and gangs and sex :rolleyes: I know I want my grade schoolers to interact with those things as much as possible :rolleyes: homeschooler sa re usually littel kids, not seniors in HS, and if you could keep them away form all of that all the way unitl the are seniors then all the better.

I'm taking classes online, it's a way to get ahead in the state of Florida. I got two classes of half credit done last year, and I am working on a half a credit one now. They suck. I hate them more than this one completely incompetant teacher last year who was teaching a computer class to a room full of people who have been using them their entire lives, and she doesn't know how to use Microsoft Office. Frankly, these online class things are dumber than rocks. Teachers ignore you, the work is corny, idiotic and a waste of time. It is a trillion times worse than sitting through class bored out of your mind. I was, at any given time, at least three weeks behind in Economy and American Government, until last three days when I did it all. I didn't learn anything,knew it all already, but it wasn't even structured in a way that could actually teach you. Right now I am at least 5 weeks behind in my PE class, I don't want to waste my time on something so asinine and idiotic. The sole reason I want to do it is to take AP Physics next year. Any person who thinks online classes are a good idea, has my recomendation to jump off a cliff. We don't need dumber students, we have enough of those already.

(As for the online classes, Borg and Idioteque know full well what I'm talking about)

Frankly, these online class things are dumber than rocks. Teachers ignore you, the work is corny, idiotic and a waste of time.

Hm, these complaints sound remarkably similar to the same exact ones that students have in regular school. I would imagine that every single teaching plan that has ever been created has been called "corny, idiotic and a waste of time" at some time or another, probably many times.

Your comments are subjective. I would be much more interested in seeing scores on, say, achievement test from students that were taught online versus students taught in a traditional setting.

I would imagine that your preference in style might also influence your opinion as well....if someone insists that they learn better in person than over the computer, then they will probably perform that way. And vice versa would also be true, of course.

I would be also interested in hearing what the University of Phoenix online students would say about their program.

Originally posted by Blibblob
I'm taking classes online, it's a way to get ahead in the state of Florida. I got two classes of half credit done last year, and I am working on a half a credit one now. They suck. I hate them more than this one completely incompetant teacher last year who was teaching a computer class to a room full of people who have been using them their entire lives, and she doesn't know how to use Microsoft Office. Frankly, these online class things are dumber than rocks. Teachers ignore you, the work is corny, idiotic and a waste of time. It is a trillion times worse than sitting through class bored out of your mind. I was, at any given time, at least three weeks behind in Economy and American Government, until last three days when I did it all. I didn't learn anything,knew it all already, but it wasn't even structured in a way that could actually teach you. Right now I am at least 5 weeks behind in my PE class, I don't want to waste my time on something so asinine and idiotic. The sole reason I want to do it is to take AP Physics next year. Any person who thinks online classes are a good idea, has my recomendation to jump off a cliff. We don't need dumber students, we have enough of those already.

(As for the online classes, Borg and Idioteque know full well what I'm talking about)

Yeah FLVS sucks ass. I took American Government and Economics last year. The assignments were the most boring busywork in the world and I didn't learn a single thing in wither of them. I'm in Life Managment Skills now and I'm like 5 weeks behind. It's not that the workl is hard. It's just so stupid and pointless.

idioteque - what on hell is "life management skills" ?
Quite funny this is supposed to be learned by online class !

IMO school is much, much more than just learning things. Its is a unique place where kids can confront to other kids and to adults other than their family. This is as important as learning things. It is learning how human beings and society works, it is making friends sometimes for life, it is seeing things from a new point of view and relaizing that your partents and family have limits too. All these things seem pretty hard to achieve in your bedroom in front of a computer.

Originally posted by astrapol2
idioteque - what on hell is "life management skills" ?


It's a fancy term for health class. Hehhehe.

Hm, these complaints sound remarkably similar to the same exact ones that students have in regular school. I would imagine that every single teaching plan that has ever been created has been called "corny, idiotic and a waste of time" at some time or another, probably many times.
All I can say to that is: "Ray, post one of the life management assignments"

Your comments are subjective. I would be much more interested in seeing scores on, say, achievement test from students that were taught online versus students taught in a traditional setting.
Oh, I'm 99% sure that 90% of every student who takes a single course makes higher than a B. The reason, they don't teach you anything, and they don't test you on anything that requires you to have actually learned. Besides, anything you don't know, minimize the window and open another one. I got As in Economics and American government, they were even "Honour" classes. But that means jack shit.

I would imagine that your preference in style might also influence your opinion as well....if someone insists that they learn better in person than over the computer, then they will probably perform that way. And vice versa would also be true, of course.
I abhor wasting 6 hours of my life every week day at school. I learn far better just by sitting at my computer and doing things and reading. I would rather take only the classes I want to, and often just in front of my computer. But I do realize that for every course, that's impossible. I would never learn math while sitting at my computer, I'd never learn much of what we do in English, I'd never learn any American history(I think American history is really really boring). Many things are better taught in a traditional way. And while I'd rather take only the classes I want, I know that I'd never be a very well rounded person. Except for PE and Life Management, those can be dropped, the most useless classes I have ever heard of in my life.


It's a fancy term for health class. Hehhehe.
Yeah, and all it says is "Sex bad, be kind to yourself, sex bad, self image is good, sex bad, drugs bad, sex bad, you must have goals, sex bad, drugs bad, sex bad, sex bad, sex bad, drugs bad, sex bad... sex bad"

3.1 Work File Review
Detour for Effective Verbal Communication
Directions:
Review the sentences below. Practice writing the sentences into "I" statements by using the "I" statement patterns provided below. After you feel confident you understand the concept of "I" statements, proceed to the assignment area and take the 3.1 Effect Verbal Communication online quiz. Please use black ink.
"I" Statement Patterns
I feel............when you..........because I........
I think.......when you....because I
I need....for you....because I

Example:
A. "You” had better not cheat on that test!" ("You" statement)
B. I feel angry when you cheat because I have to work hard for my grades. ("I" statement)
1. "You always interrupt me!"
I feel ____________________when you interrupt me, because I_______________.
2. "You won't listen to me, because you are always talking on the phone with her!"
I think ______________when you are always talking on the phone with her, because I ______________________________.
3. "You'd better straighten up or you'll be looking for someone else to date!"
I feel ________________________________when you act that way because I ________________.
4. "You are always telling me that I never clean my room, but I do clean it!"
I need for you to ________________________because I____________________.
5. "You never let me go out with my friends, Mom!"
I think __________________when you won’t allow me to go with my friends, because I ___________________.
6. "You never seem to listen to me. I'm trying to tell you about my day in school and all you do is watch TV. Why can't you ever pay any attention to me?"
I feel ________________when you watch TV, because I ______________________.
7. "You are always late for practice."
I need for you to ______________________, because I ______________________.
8. "You must let me use the car Saturday night, Dad!"
I need __________________, because I___________________.

Originally posted by Idioteque

I feel............when you..........because I........
I think.......when you....because I
I need....for you....because I


LMAO!

I feel "bad for you" when you "live in Florida" because I "don't think this qualifies as legitimate education."
I think "you should move somewhere else" when you "go to college" because I think "you may eventually learn something."
I need "to buy some books" for you "so that you can learn" because I "think you're a lot smarter than your governor."

A Day in My Life as a High School Student in a Traditional Public School

*** 40 minutes- Prepare to go to school (breakfast, etc)
*** 20 minutes- Time it takes to travel to school
*** 15 minutes- No tardies, so you have to be early

15 minutes- Teacher lectures, etc.
30 minutes- Actual work
*** 15 minutes- For the slow pokes, rest of class waits, etc.
*** 05 minutes- Bell, five minutes to get to the next class

(multiply that routine 6 time for 6 classes)

*** 50 minutes- Lunch time
*** 20 minutes- Time to travel back home.


So you're probably asking why an "old" man is posting the times for a routing day when he was in high school. Well....I'm trying to show how much time is wasted EVERYDAY in a traditional school setting. I denoted the wasted time using "***." If you take the time spent preparing, traveling, and wasted in school, you will see that 265 minutes are wasted every day of virtually every student. That is FOUR HOURS AND TWENTY FIVE MINUTES. Wasted. And that's not even taking into account that, usually, at least one of those classes each year is some complete waste of time elective.

This is what we pay for for $7000/year.

Could you imagine how nice it would have been to have four and a half hours of extra time a day?

Just some more food for thought. ;)

OK. You're right, there are some waste of time. But in fact this wasted time is not necessarily a bad thing. IMO a 100% "effective" life where not a minute is "wasted" would be hell.

I have read your list accordingly to my own school memories.

*** 40 minutes- Prepare to go to school (breakfast, etc).
This is still necessary in any case. Having breakfast is not wasting time, it should even be longer.

*** 20 minutes- Time it takes to travel to school

If you walk or ride a bicycle it can be a healthy exercise.

*** 15 minutes- No tardies, so you have to be early

Either you can arrive 1 minute before time, or use this time to discuss and have fun with your friends. On of the best moments of the day, whan you discuss yesterday's TV show, or finish your homework in a hurry with the "help" of the others.
Oh, and saying hello to girls in High school (usually 4 kisses).

15 minutes- Teacher lectures, etc.
30 minutes- Actual work
*** 15 minutes- For the slow pokes, rest of class waits, etc.
Anyway tyhe human brain is effective at learning only 20% of the time. pauses and moments of distraction are necessary.

*** 05 minutes- Bell, five minutes to get to the next class

Great opportunity to chat again with friends and possibly flirt with girls.

(multiply that routine 6 time for 6 classes)

*** 50 minutes- Lunch time

yes ! eat food is good.

*** 20 minutes- Time to travel back home.
again, healthy exercise, plus the possibily of coming back with friends and talking about lots of things.


What I mean is just that the time spent to work is just a part of school life, and that the other parts (making friends, confrontig to adults, even just going out of mommy's home) is just as important.

Just imagine what memories of school years you would have with just a computer screen and a webcam ?

Originally posted by astrapol2
Just imagine what memories of school years you would have with just a computer screen and a webcam ?

Having worked from home for three years before heading back into the office I can say that they don't really compare. I had lots of email and occasional phone contact with my peers and employees, but ultimately interacting with them face to face is much better.

I'm not opposed to home schooling, but I think you really miss out on so much. And this coming from someone that didn't really care for high school.

i work from home three days a week and spend only two days in the office. Honesty working at home is nice but I would be bored to death if I hadn't these 2 days with my colleagues.

Wow, you're day is quite different than mine...

10 minutes to get ready in the morning, no breakfast. Waking up at 5:50am sucks...

30 minute ride to school, the radio sucks...

15 to 20 minutes before the bell... flirting... :D

50 minute first period
Each class is really different in the time we spend, but any time not doing work, I'm reading. And I tend to read during lectures too.

Then at our school we have a 20 minute complete waste of time class, I talk to somebody I know in it. We usually talk about DnD and other nerdy things. And how sexy we are :D

Then the same for first period until after fifth. In which we have a 30 minute lunch. You got 50 minutes? You people fucking suck. I'd rather have a whole 50 minutes to flirt instead of 30... :D

Then the last two periods. I like 7th, I sit at the computer and program the entire time...

Then a 30 minute bus ride home, which consists of more flirting :D. Ah, it's great having a best friend ride your bus...


I'd rather have a day like that at school, than doing it all online at home. Don't get me wrong(and I calculated it), I spent 86% of my time(night time is calculated into that) on the computer over the summer. And I tend not to play computer games often, I tend to debate here and read.

My typical day is as follow...

1. Get up about 15 after 7 and go get ready.

2. Leave the house about 20 til 8, roll into school about 5 til...listen to Bob and Tom on the way.

3. Walk into the lobby, go downstairs, get a bite to eat, come back up and chill until the bell to go to class rings.

4. At about 15 after 8, First Block starts (AP American History for me). I enjoy history, so this class is a breaze.

5. At about 15 til 10, 1st block ends, and we have 5 mins to get to 2nd block, (Geometry)

6. I spend the next hour and a half drawing shapes and crap for no reason, and then at 11:15, class dismisses for 5 mins to third block.

7. Third Block (English 304 (Pre-Ap English)) starts at 11:20...and we are thorougly tortured until 12:14 when we get lunch.....this lasts for 20 mins....then we go back for the 2nd helping of crap from English.

8. Then at 1:35 we go to our 15 minute daily break.

9. After that, its own to Fourth Block (Spanish 2)

10. I just chill in there and read the newspaper....then at 3:15 I come home.

I walk in, eat some crackers with Jalepeno Cheese Dip, drink a couple Ale-8's, watch a little inside politics, and then get on here all night long. (thus putting off homework, like tonight, to about 10)

You get up at quarter after 7, Jere? I get up quarter after 5...which sucks ass...school starts here before you wake up. (7:05)

Yeah, but Im sure you get out a lot earlier too. Right? We get out at 3:15 which is pretty late compared to even most schools in around ours.

Just imagine what memories of school years you would have with just a computer screen and a webcam ?

Just imagine how many more memories you could make with an extra 4.5 to 5.5 hours a day.

It depends on what they use this time to do. If it's just watching TV and playing videogames, I don't see the benefit. Working more does not seem a good idea either. So they should go away from home to meet other kids… and that looks very much like going to school !

Originally posted by mad dog
I noticed the one thing that everyone is leaving out, both parents work and don't have the time? Also is every parent quilified in schooling{teaching}? Who makes sure these kids are doing what they should? With school comes responsibility, the kids start learning at an early age, what it is like to get up, get ready, and began a day, will they learn this at home or will they learn how to stay in bed and just get by? Public schools are still better then home schooling, I'm not saying home schooling is bad but not every family can do it.

I'd like to ask you this mad dog...who taught you to talk, walk, use the toilet, feed yourself, tie your shoes, get dressed and say bedtime prayers? Did your parents hire a teacher to live in your home the minute you were born?

With the exception of parents that don't give a rats ass what their children do, most try to teach them as much as they can as they grow up. Most parents can teach their children at the very least "the basics".
I am a firm believer that schools today cram WAY too much on these kids causing them to fail in areas that they may have naturally excelled.
Read the below items so you can see where homeschoolers come from, or maybe just type in homeschooling and read more about it.
Btw, my mother only made it to grade 8 and my father, grade 6 because they had to help support their families. Both of them were considered intelligent well rounded people and nobody ever knew that they never finished schooling. Not everyone is meant to be a doctor or a lawyer.

Certificate of Empowerment


As bearer of this certificate you are no longer required to depend on the advice of experts. You may step back and view the entire world-not just your home, neighborhood or town, but the whole Earth-as a learning experience, a laboratory containing languages (and native speakers thereof), plants, animals, history, geology, weather (real live weather, in the sky, not in a book), music, art , mathematics, physics, engineering, foods, human dynamics, and ideas without end. Although collections of these treasures have been located in museums for your convenience, they are to be found everywhere else, too.

This authorizes you to experiment; to trust and enjoy your kids; to rejoice when your children surpass you in skill, knowledge or wisdom; to make mistakes, and to say "I don't know." Furthermore, you may allow your children to experience boredom without taking full responsibility for finding them something to do.

Henceforth you shall neither be required nor expected to finish everything you start. Projects, books, experiments and plans may be discontinued as soon as something more interesting comes along (or for any other reason) without penalty, and picked up again at any time in the future (or never).

You may reclaim control of your family's daily life, and take what steps you feel necessary to protect your children from physical, emotional or social harm.

You have leave to think your own thoughts, and to encourage your children to think theirs.

Each person who reads and understands this is authorized to extend these privileges to others, by reproducing and distributing this certificate or by creating another of his/her own design. Those who don't feel the need to obtain approval to experiment, to think, or to do things they've never seen others do are exempt, as they didn't need permission in the first place. - Sandra Dodd


__________________________________________________ __

"to have schools and classrooms in which each child in his own way can satisfy his curiosity, develop his abilities and talents, pursue his interests, and from the adults and older children around him get a glimpse of the great variety and richness of life. In short, the school should be a great smorgasbord of intellectual, artistic, creative, and athletic activities, from which each child could take whatever he wanted, and as much as he wanted, or as little." - John Holt

Originally posted by LionelHutz
LMAO!

I feel "bad for you" when you "live in Florida" because I "don't think this qualifies as legitimate education."
I think "you should move somewhere else" when you "go to college" because I think "you may eventually learn something."
I need "to buy some books" for you "so that you can learn" because I "think you're a lot smarter than your governor."

Yes and now we know the truth behind the Florida 2000 Election Fiasco.