Kathy Asper, Keller Texas

When I first started homeschooling, I ran my kids classes like a public school; and as a teacher, it came easy to do.  We would use traditional text books and paper curriculum.  I even had a desk for each kid and decorated the walls as a teacher would.  But in recent years we've discovered the incredible transforming value of online learning!  Sites like Khan academy and Learners Online provide information for students that's safe for the kids because they don't have to navigate into the vast unknown of an often inappropriate internet universe.

My youngest of four is now a senior and he does all of his research on line.  I have thrown out the traditional text books in favor of the awesome knowledge he can now find at the click of his mouse.   Through the vastness of the  internet and a tried and true filter system, a whole new world of learning has opened up to him that my older children did not experience.   He can read not only about a certain topic but also find a video clip explaining more about the topic at hand then also click on a link that will take him to an even more extensive search, something text books could never do.  There are many web sites out there now that are primarily for homeschool learners and they have made learning a lot more fun.

The information highway has changed homeschool for the better; for the student as well as the parents.    No longer do I have to buy this book and that book, that workbook and that CD.  Almost everything my child has need to do his Math, Science, History or English he can find on line.  Now, let me say, there are a lot of inappropriate sites out there and just one word typed wrong can lead your child to a place you would never want them to be.  I would suggest a filter system to lock your child out of sites that are not fitting for your family. There are many out there that will fit your family's needs.    Also, keeping the family computer in a common area of your home where everyone can see what it open on the screen is another safe guard.  With these safe guards in place you will feel free to let your child explore online education and watch his horizon explode.