Are you or is someone you know homeschooling? Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools in more than 100 countries have shut down to avoid the spread of the deadly virus among kids.
However, this move has impacted the education of approximately 1 billion children worldwide.
Just like businesses have moved to remote work, schools have moved to homeschooling. But this isn’t the type of school most parents are used to — it’s all about online learning.
Schools are increasingly leveraging digital technology to conduct classes and deliver lessons to their students, leaving many parents struggling to keep up with their kids’ education. Handling homeschooling is often more difficult than the actual lessons themselves!
Before the pandemic forced schools to shut down, only a small percentage of children were being taught at home. Out of 56.6 million schoolchildren, only 1.7 million were homeschooled in the US.
If you or a family member or friend is struggling with handling homeschooling, here are some tips to make life easier for the whole family.
Is Homeschooling an Educational Revolution?
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), technology is replacing classroom teaching. As teaching moves to online learning, however, strong connectivity and easy access to digital devices are critical. While it is too early to say that online learning will completely replace schools, homeschooling is empowering both students and teachers in today’s time.
Is Homeschooling a Major Lifestyle Change?
For both parents and students, homeschooling is a major lifestyle change. While parents need to constantly monitor their internet connectivity and motivate their children to focus while learning from home, students are finding it hard to concentrate during long online classes. Internet issues have become “real issues” with parents’ work meetings clashing with their kids’ online classes.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Homeschooling in the Current Scenario
Advantages
Even though both parents and teachers were skeptical about homeschooling at the beginning of the pandemic, it can prove to be beneficial for children if managed properly. Let’s look at the benefits of homeschooling.
● Online classes are more interactive in nature, and garner more attention and interest from students.
● Online classes can help build confidence in shy kids. They provide a certain level of anonymity where kids feel comfortable talking to their teachers.
● Parents can monitor their kids’ curriculum and schedule.
● Teachers can create flexible schedules for students (something that is not possible in classroom learning).
● Teachers can provide students with a more personalized learning experience.
● Teachers can use interesting virtual tools, such as graphics and videos, to explain difficult topics.
Disadvantages
If not implemented correctly, homeschooling can lead to the following disadvantages:
● Both parents and their children can find it difficult to adapt to homeschooling due to a lack of preparation on the digital front.
● Online classes can result in increased screen exposure for children. Therefore, it is important for teachers and parents to create a flexible schedule to reduce the kids’ screen time.
● Technology issues can act as a roadblock.
● Kids can become victims of cybercrimes if their systems are not monitored and protected properly.
Handling Homeschooling Technology
Desktops or laptops used by students inside the school are protected by advanced endpoint protection platforms and firewalls. However, the same is not the case when they are attending online classes at home. In the case of homeschooling, parents are responsible for their kids’ safety. Therefore, ensure you:
● Monitor the online activity of your kids
● Talk to them about the dangers of using the web
● Provide them with different student accounts for online classes
● Use a comprehensive antivirus solution
● Install a reliable and secure internet connection
Troubleshooting Technology Issues
If you are not good with computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, homeschooling can be a challenge. For instance, if you are facing internet connectivity issues in the middle of your kids’ online classes and you do not know how to fix it, you can get frustrated and end up wasting time, especially if you are working from home when it occurs. You also may need to install new applications/software to support your kids’ homeschooling. Therefore, you must make yourself comfortable with technology and learn to fix basic technical issues.
● Assess and identify different areas of technology that you do not understand, and then find ways to familiarize yourself with them.
● Hire a technology enthusiast to learn the basics.
● Make the most of readily available YouTube videos to troubleshoot common technical issues, such as computer crashing, an erratic internet connection, software issues, and so on.
Get Rid of Internet Issues with gotW3
You can bid goodbye to internet connectivity issues with gotW3. It’s not just a cell phone WiFi hotspot or modem; it’s internet at home and on the go. With gotW3, you can attend office meetings and your children can continue online learning without any hiccups. And no contracts, no credit checks!
All you need is a gotW3 router and an active SIM card for reliable, secure, and high-speed internet. The bonus: each gotW3 subscription includes free Identity Guard service, with the option to extend the service to all members in the household at a special rate.