Home Schooling in the 21st Century: the help of virtual schools

Home Schooling in the 21st Century: the help of virtual schools

Article by Melissa Langley

Some kids need to go beyond conventional schooling if their current lifestyle and dispositions do not allow for the traditional school setting. Home schooling in the past were said to not have been able to cover a holistic perspective of what a learner needs to know in order to compete in the real world. In addition, home schooling 20 years ago only considered the parents as the main educators; however, home schooling programs of the 21st century are now designed to help both the learner and the parents on the road to proper education, even in a non-traditional setting.

Online schools, in particular, are currently the best source of alternative learning for people living unconventional lifestyles such as expatriates and the uniquely-abled. These virtual schools provide updated and academically accepted teaching tools and resources to help learners become fully competent in both the basics and advanced learning.

Parts of the foundation of education are the middle school and high school levels. Middle and high school home schooling-when done without the right support can be a tasking job for parents. Online high schools and online middle school programs which are now available can make all the difference. Regular diploma requirements for high school is 21 to 24 credits of English, Math, Science, World Language, Social Studies, Arts, Physical Ed., Health, and Electives. Online high school courses provide these credits and will ensure the learner of a high school diploma at the end of a program.

Home schooling programs, executed with the help of an accredited online academy or virtual school guarantees the learner of more competitive skills in the real world. Uniquely-abled learners are one group that can gain numerous benefits with online home schools. For instance, kids with autism who cannot cope with the regular school setting and whose parents cannot afford the expenses of a special school can find help with online schools. Special curricula in some virtual academies are designed for special learners. Online schools can provide the parents with learning materials which have been tested and academically-approved to further the existing skills of special learners.

Families who are constantly moving from place to place are also common seekers of alternative school settings. Home schooling programs may not be for everyone but it is the next best tool for getting an acceptable education. The advances of technology have greatly improved online school programs in terms of teaching methods and learning activities, but the more important note to remember is that these virtual schools provide the learner the leeway to accomplish tasks at their own pace. Catch-up online high school and middle school programs also enable the students to stay updated with the level of learning they should be in.

Gulfside Academy is one example of an online school that provides accredited learning for the middle school and high school level. At Gulfside Academy, students can complete a semester course in 4 to 16 weeks. In addition this online academy also offer honors courses where students can accelerate their learning and be more prepared for college. The tuition is 0.00 for an individual course or ,495.00 for two semesters.

About the Author

Contributor for various websites and magazines for over 3 years. Visit http://www.gulfsideacademy.com/