Homeschool High School - Is Online Learning Leading Your Student Astray?

Distance learning means time on the computer - and teenagers LOVE computers! But what do you do when they love being online too much? One friend of mine has a 16 year old daughter who is taking distance learning with an online Gifted and Talented organization. She is online a lot. They take advantage of a net nanny program but there are still loads of sites that keep her busy doing anything but school work. I think this mom is probably not alone. But what can a parent do to keep their children focused on what they are supposed to be doing? In our home, we called that behavior "falling into the abyss. " It's SO easy to get distracted when you're online! Plenty of wonderful things to do and check out! Especially with very bright students, who may very well be bored with school. When you are not working with an online program, the solutions are more simple. You can do away with all computer time until after school work is finished, and you can set a timer for those intervals when they are allowed to be online, so their computer time is reduced. It's more challenging to do that when school *is* the computer. If your child is gifted, they may be distracted because they are bored. Having kids in a gifted program just isn't good enough. You will need to be sure they are at the PROPER LEVEL for each and every class. Try to identify if your student is bored. Spend some time talking to your student as an adult. Express your battles with limiting your own computer time, and ask their advice concerning how they handle their computer time. Many times when a teenager expresses it themselves, they are more likely to do it. In other words, if you can get them to SAY what you wish them to do, then they are more likely to do it than if you say it to them directly. You may prefer to ask your student if the on-line curriculum is a good fit. Inquire if they would opt for studying away from the computer. While we sometimes *feel* we discovered the perfect choice, sometimes our kids will recognize it's not a good fit before we do. It's possible that your student really doesn't prefer learning that way. You can try having your student do the work on a separate computer, or with paper and pencil, and getting online only when each assignment is complete. I'm uncertain how it would work with an online program, but at times you are able to do the work offline, and then cut and paste (or scan and attach) work that is performed when you aren't on the internet. Ultimately, the online format may be too great of a temptation. Like a chocoholic in a candy store, it could just be too alluring to be productive. Nobody can answer that question but you and your student. This may simply be the problem of any online program. Like many things about parenting, I don't believe you will find "THE solution. " Maybe, these suggestions will offer you some options. So evaluate the overall experience, and see if it's a good fit for your family. Fortunately, there are several learning options for homeschoolers in case distance learning isn't the right choice for you.