Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Facing Your Fears as an Adult Returning to School
In case you hadn't noticed, career colleges aren't just for learning a vocational trade anymore. Nowadays, career colleges can help you obtain a Bachelor's, Master's, or even Doctorate Degree in just about any field of study, or they can even help you simply brush up on skills you might already have on your way to earning a certification or Associate's Degree. So while some career schools might still specialize in vocational trades like auto body repair, masonry or hair styling, the majority of today's career colleges are designed to help working professionals meet their career objectives.
Prompted by an inviting and growing selection of career and online colleges, more adults are returning to school than ever before. Whether you're seeking to advance your current career and education, break into a whole new field, or just enjoy studying something you've always wanted to, going back to school can be enjoyable and rewarding.
And yet, many potential students who could clearly benefit from enrollment at a career college are hesitant to do so. The reason? In too many cases, they are being held back by nothing other than their own fear.
The First Step is Admitting It
Let's begin by getting everything out on the table. Some reservations commonly heard from working adults who are considering a return to college include the concerns that :
They won't fit in It's too expensive There isn't enough time in the day It will take forever to complete a degree Employers won't view the degree (or certification) as credible The coursework won't be valuable or useful.
In reality, just about any student who has attended a career college--whether online or on-campus--will tell you that there really isn't anything to fear in a return to school. While they may have once had the same fears as you do now, they learned very quickly that those fears were actually unwarranted.
By taking each fear one by one, we can begin to understand what these current students now know and how glad they are that they didn't let their fears hold them back.
I'm Afraid I Won't Fit In
It is common for a person in their thirties or forties to worry that they'll stick out like a sore thumb in a classroom filled with "kids" from the ages of 18 to 25. However, recent information from the Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education states that adult students are the fastest growing educational demographic, revealing that 40% of college students are now 25 or older. Further information from the National Center for Education Statistics points out that students age 35 and older rose from 823,00 in 1970 to nearly 3 million by 2001.
If you're still worried about fitting in to the classroom as an adult, a few facts that might help allay your concerns include :
With online learning, you'll be working on a more individual basis and won't have to worry about 'standing out' in a physical classroom; Many colleges, traditional or otherwise, have seen a spike in their 'older' students, and it's likely you won't be the tiny minority that you expect; and Many older adults actually find it rejuvenating and refreshing to be in a classroom environment with a younger group that is eager to learn.
In case you hadn't noticed, career colleges aren't just for learning a vocational trade anymore. Nowadays, career colleges can help you obtain a Bachelor's, Master's, or even Doctorate Degree in just about any field of study, or they can even help you simply brush up on skills you might already have on your way to earning a certification or Associate's Degree. So while some career schools might still specialize in vocational trades like auto body repair, masonry or hair styling, the majority of today's career colleges are designed to help working professionals meet their career objectives.
Prompted by an inviting and growing selection of career and online colleges, more adults are returning to school than ever before. Whether you're seeking to advance your current career and education, break into a whole new field, or just enjoy studying something you've always wanted to, going back to school can be enjoyable and rewarding.
And yet, many potential students who could clearly benefit from enrollment at a career college are hesitant to do so. The reason? In too many cases, they are being held back by nothing other than their own fear.
The First Step is Admitting It
Let's begin by getting everything out on the table. Some reservations commonly heard from working adults who are considering a return to college include the concerns that:
They won't fit in It's too expensive There isn't enough time in the day It will take forever to complete a degree Employers won't view the degree (or certification) as credible The coursework won't be valuable or useful
In reality, just about any student who has attended a career college--whether online or on-campus--will tell you that there really isn't anything to fear in a return to school. While they may have once had the same fears as you do now, they learned very quickly that those fears were actually unwarranted.
By taking each fear one by one, we can begin to understand what these current students now know and how glad they are that they didn't let their fears hold them back.
I'm Afraid I Won't Fit In
It is common for a person in their thirties or forties to worry that they'll stick out like a sore thumb in a classroom filled with "kids" from the ages of 18 to 25. However, recent information from the Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education states that adult students are the fastest growing educational demographic, revealing that 40% of college students are now 25 or older. Further information from the National Center for Education Statistics points out that students age 35 and older rose from 823,00 in 1970 to nearly 3 million by 2001.
If you're still worried about fitting in to the classroom as an adult, a few facts that might help allay your concerns include:
With online learning, you'll be working on a more individual basis and won't have to worry about 'standing out' in a physical classroom; Many colleges, traditional or otherwise, have seen a spike in their 'older' students, and it's likely you won't be the tiny minority that you expect; and Many older adults actually find it rejuvenating and refreshing to be in a classroom environment with a younger group that is eager to learn.
I'm Afraid It Will Be Too Expensive
Tuition?books?it all adds up. And many potential students get scared off by the investment it requires to earn their degree. But the key to overcoming this fear is to consider it as just that: an investment in your future. Think long term instead of short term. In almost every case, the career advancement you will get after earning your degree will easily make up for the upfront costs of attending school. Besides, many career colleges--especially those online--may be more affordable than you realize. Do your homework and weigh the long-term benefits before deciding not to enroll in a school for this reason.
I'm Afraid It Will Take Up Too Much Time
For the busy working adult, the notion of taking on any additional endeavors can be downright stifling. It's not always easy balancing work with personal life, and adding school on top of all your other responsibilities might seem virtually impossible.
And yet, it's not. You'd be amazed at how much extra time you can squeeze into a day. Sure, there will be some sacrifices you'll have to make, but if you just try watching a little less television, say, or letting your friends know that you won't be able to make that barbecue next weekend, you'll be amazed at how much time you can free up. Just remember to keep your eye on the prize, and your sacrifices will all seem worthwhile.
One good option for students who might have a hard time committing to a schedule is to enroll in online courses that are "asynchronous." The asynchronous learning model works a bit like email in that you can access the coursework, instructor's lessons and classmates comments at your convenience, then respond whenever you are able. There are no set classes for you to attend, no specific schedules that might conflict with the rest of your day, and, because you'll be taking classes online, no commute time for you to worry about.
I'm Afraid It Will Take Forever To Complete My Degree
Traditionally, a Bachelor's Degree takes up to four years to complete, a Master's Degree requires at least two years, and a Doctorate Degree can take up to eight years or more. That's all fine and good for someone who can dedicate themselves to being a full time student, but for those who can only commit to part-time status, those timelines might appear too far off the horizon.
But the facts of the matter are that most degree programs at today's career colleges are based on accelerated learning, meaning that most degrees take less time to complete than traditional learning environments. Coursework is based on shorter semesters--typically five weeks--and delivering a quality education as rapidly as possible without sacrificing the student's ability to learn and absorb the material. In some cases you can even earn your degree is less than a year!
I'm Afraid That Employers Won't Take My Degree Seriously
Because their degree won't be coming from some top-name university like Harvard or Yale, some would-be students decide that it's not worth getting a degree from a school that employer's won't view as credible.
In reality, however, most employers today do view degrees from career colleges as not only credible, but oftentimes on par with their more traditional counterparts. It wasn't that long ago that many HR professional may have viewed career colleges--particularly online career colleges--as carrying less weight than traditional colleges, but as the online education space evolves and faculty members and curriculums at online schools catches up with those at traditional schools, more and more HR executives are realizing the validity of degrees earned online or through career colleges. In fact, to some, an online degree represents a certain career ambition, technological prowess and commitment to seeing something through to the end on behalf of the applicant.
I'm Afraid I Won't Learn Anything New Or Valuable
Many potential students are fearful of the fact that their trouble to go out and earn their degree might be all for naught--that the classes won't teach them anything they hadn't learned already in their professional experiences.
As anyone who has ever taken so much as a single class at a career college or online school will tell you, however, this perception couldn't be further from the truth. Classes at any accredited university are taught by qualified experts with lots of experience in their chosen field, while you will also be surrounded by classmates who bring their own, unique experiences to share. Whether the "classroom" is physical or virtual, you will learn more than you ever imagined from those around you.
Another point to consider is that most career colleges are centered around a team learning approach, in which students learn not only from their instructors, but from other students as well. With this approach, you'll engage in dialogues with other students who have much to share from their own work experiences, and you'll gain valuable lessons that you can take back and immediately apply to your own work.
Why Make The Move?
In today's modern learning environment, with numerous career and online schools focused entirely on their educational needs, adults have nothing to fear in a return to school - and so much to gain. Here are some of the main reasons more adults than ever are going back to school:
Career advancement or transition. If you're not currently working at the job of your dreams, nothing can change that faster than a more advanced degree and additional expertise.
To complete a degree from years ago. Plenty of first-time college students leave before they earn a degree, and a return to college is a supremely satisfying way to take care of that unfinished business.
To set an example for their children. What better way to encourage your growing children to pursue a college education than getting one of your own?
To fully prepare for running their own business. Whether you're interested in opening a B&B or your own accounting firm, the perfect college program is available online or on-campus.
Returning to school is a big step, but it shouldn't be an overwhelming one. For those who plan the move properly and take aim on getting all they can out of life, it can be the best decision they ever make.
Tuition?books?it all adds up. And many potential students get scared off by the investment it requires to earn their degree. But the key to overcoming this fear is to consider it as just that: an investment in your future. Think long term instead of short term. In almost every case, the career advancement you will get after earning your degree will easily make up for the upfront costs of attending school. Besides, many career colleges--especially those online--may be more affordable than you realize. Do your homework and weigh the long-term benefits before deciding not to enroll in a school for this reason.
I'm Afraid It Will Take Up Too Much Time
For the busy working adult, the notion of taking on any additional endeavors can be downright stifling. It's not always easy balancing work with personal life, and adding school on top of all your other responsibilities might seem virtually impossible.
And yet, it's not. You'd be amazed at how much extra time you can squeeze into a day. Sure, there will be some sacrifices you'll have to make, but if you just try watching a little less television, say, or letting your friends know that you won't be able to make that barbecue next weekend, you'll be amazed at how much time you can free up. Just remember to keep your eye on the prize, and your sacrifices will all seem worthwhile.
One good option for students who might have a hard time committing to a schedule is to enroll in online courses that are "asynchronous." The asynchronous learning model works a bit like email in that you can access the coursework, instructor's lessons and classmates comments at your convenience, then respond whenever you are able. There are no set classes for you to attend, no specific schedules that might conflict with the rest of your day, and, because you'll be taking classes online, no commute time for you to worry about.
I'm Afraid It Will Take Forever To Complete My Degree
Traditionally, a Bachelor's Degree takes up to four years to complete, a Master's Degree requires at least two years, and a Doctorate Degree can take up to eight years or more. That's all fine and good for someone who can dedicate themselves to being a full time student, but for those who can only commit to part-time status, those timelines might appear too far off the horizon.
But the facts of the matter are that most degree programs at today's career colleges are based on accelerated learning, meaning that most degrees take less time to complete than traditional learning environments. Coursework is based on shorter semesters--typically five weeks--and delivering a quality education as rapidly as possible without sacrificing the student's ability to learn and absorb the material. In some cases you can even earn your degree is less than a year!
I'm Afraid That Employers Won't Take My Degree Seriously
Because their degree won't be coming from some top-name university like Harvard or Yale, some would-be students decide that it's not worth getting a degree from a school that employer's won't view as credible.
In reality, however, most employers today do view degrees from career colleges as not only credible, but oftentimes on par with their more traditional counterparts. It wasn't that long ago that many HR professional may have viewed career colleges--particularly online career colleges--as carrying less weight than traditional colleges, but as the online education space evolves and faculty members and curriculums at online schools catches up with those at traditional schools, more and more HR executives are realizing the validity of degrees earned online or through career colleges. In fact, to some, an online degree represents a certain career ambition, technological prowess and commitment to seeing something through to the end on behalf of the applicant.
I'm Afraid I Won't Learn Anything New Or Valuable
Many potential students are fearful of the fact that their trouble to go out and earn their degree might be all for naught--that the classes won't teach them anything they hadn't learned already in their professional experiences.
As anyone who has ever taken so much as a single class at a career college or online school will tell you, however, this perception couldn't be further from the truth. Classes at any accredited university are taught by qualified experts with lots of experience in their chosen field, while you will also be surrounded by classmates who bring their own, unique experiences to share. Whether the "classroom" is physical or virtual, you will learn more than you ever imagined from those around you.
Another point to consider is that most career colleges are centered around a team learning approach, in which students learn not only from their instructors, but from other students as well. With this approach, you'll engage in dialogues with other students who have much to share from their own work experiences, and you'll gain valuable lessons that you can take back and immediately apply to your own work.
Why Make The Move?
In today's modern learning environment, with numerous career and online schools focused entirely on their educational needs, adults have nothing to fear in a return to school - and so much to gain. Here are some of the main reasons more adults than ever are going back to school:
Career advancement or transition. If you're not currently working at the job of your dreams, nothing can change that faster than a more advanced degree and additional expertise.
To complete a degree from years ago. Plenty of first-time college students leave before they earn a degree, and a return to college is a supremely satisfying way to take care of that unfinished business.
To set an example for their children. What better way to encourage your growing children to pursue a college education than getting one of your own?
To fully prepare for running their own business. Whether you're interested in opening a B&B or your own accounting firm, the perfect college program is available online or on-campus.
Returning to school is a big step, but it shouldn't be an overwhelming one. For those who plan the move properly and take aim on getting all they can out of life, it can be the best decision they ever make.
Prompted by an inviting and growing selection of career and online colleges, more adults are returning to school than ever before. Whether you're seeking to advance your current career and education, break into a whole new field, or just enjoy studying something you've always wanted to, going back to school can be enjoyable and rewarding.
And yet, many potential students who could clearly benefit from enrollment at a career college are hesitant to do so. The reason? In too many cases, they are being held back by nothing other than their own fear.
The First Step is Admitting It
Let's begin by getting everything out on the table. Some reservations commonly heard from working adults who are considering a return to college include the concerns that :
They won't fit in It's too expensive There isn't enough time in the day It will take forever to complete a degree Employers won't view the degree (or certification) as credible The coursework won't be valuable or useful.
In reality, just about any student who has attended a career college--whether online or on-campus--will tell you that there really isn't anything to fear in a return to school. While they may have once had the same fears as you do now, they learned very quickly that those fears were actually unwarranted.
By taking each fear one by one, we can begin to understand what these current students now know and how glad they are that they didn't let their fears hold them back.
I'm Afraid I Won't Fit In
It is common for a person in their thirties or forties to worry that they'll stick out like a sore thumb in a classroom filled with "kids" from the ages of 18 to 25. However, recent information from the Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education states that adult students are the fastest growing educational demographic, revealing that 40% of college students are now 25 or older. Further information from the National Center for Education Statistics points out that students age 35 and older rose from 823,00 in 1970 to nearly 3 million by 2001.
If you're still worried about fitting in to the classroom as an adult, a few facts that might help allay your concerns include :
With online learning, you'll be working on a more individual basis and won't have to worry about 'standing out' in a physical classroom; Many colleges, traditional or otherwise, have seen a spike in their 'older' students, and it's likely you won't be the tiny minority that you expect; and Many older adults actually find it rejuvenating and refreshing to be in a classroom environment with a younger group that is eager to learn.
In case you hadn't noticed, career colleges aren't just for learning a vocational trade anymore. Nowadays, career colleges can help you obtain a Bachelor's, Master's, or even Doctorate Degree in just about any field of study, or they can even help you simply brush up on skills you might already have on your way to earning a certification or Associate's Degree. So while some career schools might still specialize in vocational trades like auto body repair, masonry or hair styling, the majority of today's career colleges are designed to help working professionals meet their career objectives.
Prompted by an inviting and growing selection of career and online colleges, more adults are returning to school than ever before. Whether you're seeking to advance your current career and education, break into a whole new field, or just enjoy studying something you've always wanted to, going back to school can be enjoyable and rewarding.
And yet, many potential students who could clearly benefit from enrollment at a career college are hesitant to do so. The reason? In too many cases, they are being held back by nothing other than their own fear.
The First Step is Admitting It
Let's begin by getting everything out on the table. Some reservations commonly heard from working adults who are considering a return to college include the concerns that:
They won't fit in It's too expensive There isn't enough time in the day It will take forever to complete a degree Employers won't view the degree (or certification) as credible The coursework won't be valuable or useful
In reality, just about any student who has attended a career college--whether online or on-campus--will tell you that there really isn't anything to fear in a return to school. While they may have once had the same fears as you do now, they learned very quickly that those fears were actually unwarranted.
By taking each fear one by one, we can begin to understand what these current students now know and how glad they are that they didn't let their fears hold them back.
I'm Afraid I Won't Fit In
It is common for a person in their thirties or forties to worry that they'll stick out like a sore thumb in a classroom filled with "kids" from the ages of 18 to 25. However, recent information from the Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education states that adult students are the fastest growing educational demographic, revealing that 40% of college students are now 25 or older. Further information from the National Center for Education Statistics points out that students age 35 and older rose from 823,00 in 1970 to nearly 3 million by 2001.
If you're still worried about fitting in to the classroom as an adult, a few facts that might help allay your concerns include:
With online learning, you'll be working on a more individual basis and won't have to worry about 'standing out' in a physical classroom; Many colleges, traditional or otherwise, have seen a spike in their 'older' students, and it's likely you won't be the tiny minority that you expect; and Many older adults actually find it rejuvenating and refreshing to be in a classroom environment with a younger group that is eager to learn.
I'm Afraid It Will Be Too Expensive
Tuition?books?it all adds up. And many potential students get scared off by the investment it requires to earn their degree. But the key to overcoming this fear is to consider it as just that: an investment in your future. Think long term instead of short term. In almost every case, the career advancement you will get after earning your degree will easily make up for the upfront costs of attending school. Besides, many career colleges--especially those online--may be more affordable than you realize. Do your homework and weigh the long-term benefits before deciding not to enroll in a school for this reason.
I'm Afraid It Will Take Up Too Much Time
For the busy working adult, the notion of taking on any additional endeavors can be downright stifling. It's not always easy balancing work with personal life, and adding school on top of all your other responsibilities might seem virtually impossible.
And yet, it's not. You'd be amazed at how much extra time you can squeeze into a day. Sure, there will be some sacrifices you'll have to make, but if you just try watching a little less television, say, or letting your friends know that you won't be able to make that barbecue next weekend, you'll be amazed at how much time you can free up. Just remember to keep your eye on the prize, and your sacrifices will all seem worthwhile.
One good option for students who might have a hard time committing to a schedule is to enroll in online courses that are "asynchronous." The asynchronous learning model works a bit like email in that you can access the coursework, instructor's lessons and classmates comments at your convenience, then respond whenever you are able. There are no set classes for you to attend, no specific schedules that might conflict with the rest of your day, and, because you'll be taking classes online, no commute time for you to worry about.
I'm Afraid It Will Take Forever To Complete My Degree
Traditionally, a Bachelor's Degree takes up to four years to complete, a Master's Degree requires at least two years, and a Doctorate Degree can take up to eight years or more. That's all fine and good for someone who can dedicate themselves to being a full time student, but for those who can only commit to part-time status, those timelines might appear too far off the horizon.
But the facts of the matter are that most degree programs at today's career colleges are based on accelerated learning, meaning that most degrees take less time to complete than traditional learning environments. Coursework is based on shorter semesters--typically five weeks--and delivering a quality education as rapidly as possible without sacrificing the student's ability to learn and absorb the material. In some cases you can even earn your degree is less than a year!
I'm Afraid That Employers Won't Take My Degree Seriously
Because their degree won't be coming from some top-name university like Harvard or Yale, some would-be students decide that it's not worth getting a degree from a school that employer's won't view as credible.
In reality, however, most employers today do view degrees from career colleges as not only credible, but oftentimes on par with their more traditional counterparts. It wasn't that long ago that many HR professional may have viewed career colleges--particularly online career colleges--as carrying less weight than traditional colleges, but as the online education space evolves and faculty members and curriculums at online schools catches up with those at traditional schools, more and more HR executives are realizing the validity of degrees earned online or through career colleges. In fact, to some, an online degree represents a certain career ambition, technological prowess and commitment to seeing something through to the end on behalf of the applicant.
I'm Afraid I Won't Learn Anything New Or Valuable
Many potential students are fearful of the fact that their trouble to go out and earn their degree might be all for naught--that the classes won't teach them anything they hadn't learned already in their professional experiences.
As anyone who has ever taken so much as a single class at a career college or online school will tell you, however, this perception couldn't be further from the truth. Classes at any accredited university are taught by qualified experts with lots of experience in their chosen field, while you will also be surrounded by classmates who bring their own, unique experiences to share. Whether the "classroom" is physical or virtual, you will learn more than you ever imagined from those around you.
Another point to consider is that most career colleges are centered around a team learning approach, in which students learn not only from their instructors, but from other students as well. With this approach, you'll engage in dialogues with other students who have much to share from their own work experiences, and you'll gain valuable lessons that you can take back and immediately apply to your own work.
Why Make The Move?
In today's modern learning environment, with numerous career and online schools focused entirely on their educational needs, adults have nothing to fear in a return to school - and so much to gain. Here are some of the main reasons more adults than ever are going back to school:
Career advancement or transition. If you're not currently working at the job of your dreams, nothing can change that faster than a more advanced degree and additional expertise.
To complete a degree from years ago. Plenty of first-time college students leave before they earn a degree, and a return to college is a supremely satisfying way to take care of that unfinished business.
To set an example for their children. What better way to encourage your growing children to pursue a college education than getting one of your own?
To fully prepare for running their own business. Whether you're interested in opening a B&B or your own accounting firm, the perfect college program is available online or on-campus.
Returning to school is a big step, but it shouldn't be an overwhelming one. For those who plan the move properly and take aim on getting all they can out of life, it can be the best decision they ever make.
Tuition?books?it all adds up. And many potential students get scared off by the investment it requires to earn their degree. But the key to overcoming this fear is to consider it as just that: an investment in your future. Think long term instead of short term. In almost every case, the career advancement you will get after earning your degree will easily make up for the upfront costs of attending school. Besides, many career colleges--especially those online--may be more affordable than you realize. Do your homework and weigh the long-term benefits before deciding not to enroll in a school for this reason.
I'm Afraid It Will Take Up Too Much Time
For the busy working adult, the notion of taking on any additional endeavors can be downright stifling. It's not always easy balancing work with personal life, and adding school on top of all your other responsibilities might seem virtually impossible.
And yet, it's not. You'd be amazed at how much extra time you can squeeze into a day. Sure, there will be some sacrifices you'll have to make, but if you just try watching a little less television, say, or letting your friends know that you won't be able to make that barbecue next weekend, you'll be amazed at how much time you can free up. Just remember to keep your eye on the prize, and your sacrifices will all seem worthwhile.
One good option for students who might have a hard time committing to a schedule is to enroll in online courses that are "asynchronous." The asynchronous learning model works a bit like email in that you can access the coursework, instructor's lessons and classmates comments at your convenience, then respond whenever you are able. There are no set classes for you to attend, no specific schedules that might conflict with the rest of your day, and, because you'll be taking classes online, no commute time for you to worry about.
I'm Afraid It Will Take Forever To Complete My Degree
Traditionally, a Bachelor's Degree takes up to four years to complete, a Master's Degree requires at least two years, and a Doctorate Degree can take up to eight years or more. That's all fine and good for someone who can dedicate themselves to being a full time student, but for those who can only commit to part-time status, those timelines might appear too far off the horizon.
But the facts of the matter are that most degree programs at today's career colleges are based on accelerated learning, meaning that most degrees take less time to complete than traditional learning environments. Coursework is based on shorter semesters--typically five weeks--and delivering a quality education as rapidly as possible without sacrificing the student's ability to learn and absorb the material. In some cases you can even earn your degree is less than a year!
I'm Afraid That Employers Won't Take My Degree Seriously
Because their degree won't be coming from some top-name university like Harvard or Yale, some would-be students decide that it's not worth getting a degree from a school that employer's won't view as credible.
In reality, however, most employers today do view degrees from career colleges as not only credible, but oftentimes on par with their more traditional counterparts. It wasn't that long ago that many HR professional may have viewed career colleges--particularly online career colleges--as carrying less weight than traditional colleges, but as the online education space evolves and faculty members and curriculums at online schools catches up with those at traditional schools, more and more HR executives are realizing the validity of degrees earned online or through career colleges. In fact, to some, an online degree represents a certain career ambition, technological prowess and commitment to seeing something through to the end on behalf of the applicant.
I'm Afraid I Won't Learn Anything New Or Valuable
Many potential students are fearful of the fact that their trouble to go out and earn their degree might be all for naught--that the classes won't teach them anything they hadn't learned already in their professional experiences.
As anyone who has ever taken so much as a single class at a career college or online school will tell you, however, this perception couldn't be further from the truth. Classes at any accredited university are taught by qualified experts with lots of experience in their chosen field, while you will also be surrounded by classmates who bring their own, unique experiences to share. Whether the "classroom" is physical or virtual, you will learn more than you ever imagined from those around you.
Another point to consider is that most career colleges are centered around a team learning approach, in which students learn not only from their instructors, but from other students as well. With this approach, you'll engage in dialogues with other students who have much to share from their own work experiences, and you'll gain valuable lessons that you can take back and immediately apply to your own work.
Why Make The Move?
In today's modern learning environment, with numerous career and online schools focused entirely on their educational needs, adults have nothing to fear in a return to school - and so much to gain. Here are some of the main reasons more adults than ever are going back to school:
Career advancement or transition. If you're not currently working at the job of your dreams, nothing can change that faster than a more advanced degree and additional expertise.
To complete a degree from years ago. Plenty of first-time college students leave before they earn a degree, and a return to college is a supremely satisfying way to take care of that unfinished business.
To set an example for their children. What better way to encourage your growing children to pursue a college education than getting one of your own?
To fully prepare for running their own business. Whether you're interested in opening a B&B or your own accounting firm, the perfect college program is available online or on-campus.
Returning to school is a big step, but it shouldn't be an overwhelming one. For those who plan the move properly and take aim on getting all they can out of life, it can be the best decision they ever make.
Financial Aid Options For Adults Who Want To Continue Their Education
Approximately 90 million adults in the United States are now enrolled in some kind of training or educational program. Four out of every ten college students are over twenty-five years of age. Another 800,000 take the General Educational Development (GED) test every year to earn high school diplomas. Adult education and re-training is a big trend!
Some of the pressure to get more education is coming from a job market that demands up-to-date skills, especially in technology. The workers with the best and most current skills are in the most demand and earn higher salaries. A college degree often opens the door for a better job or promotion. The United States Bureau of Census estimates that a college degree is worth about $1.2 million over the course of a person's career.
Colleges have adapted to the growing market of returning adult students by changing the way they offer their courses. Many big-name universities now offer their most popular degree programs, such as the Masters of Business Administration, in classes that meet evenings and weekends. Others are providing a combination of weekend, evening and online courses to accommodate the schedules of busy professionals.
One of the biggest trends of all is the emergence of the online university. Tens of thousands of adults are now earning "online" college degrees. They can log into a chat room and discuss assignments with other students and their professionals. They can study online whenever it's convenient. Many of these online schools do not follow formal semester schedules and thus can allow students to take classes whenever they want to start.
Adult students, sometimes called "re-entry students," can qualify for traditional government financial aid if they are enrolled at least half-time. This usually means that they must be taking two full-credit courses at once. Their schools must have the proper accreditations to participate in Title IV programs in order for them to be eligible for aid.
If a re-entry student is taking enough credits to qualify at a Title IV school, he or she then goes through the traditional financial aid process. The first step is to fill out a FAFSA, an abbreviation that means Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You can download a FAFSA and instructions at http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/ english/fafsa.jsp. Students need to fill this out to qualify for programs.
If a student demonstrates financial need, he or she may qualify for government grants, which do not have to be paid back. The Perkins Loan program, also for low-income students, provides loans at very low interest rates that are paid back over a period of ten years beginning nine months after graduation.
College students who are enrolled at least half-time and who can maintain a C average may apply for government loans, also at low interest rates and long payback periods. Sometimes you will owe the money directly to the government. In other cases, a student will have a loan from a private lender who acts as a middleman.
Re-entry students should always contact their financial aid officer at the college of their choice. Their counselor can help them with their FAFAs and other forms, as well as find them a bank to loan them money through a government program.
A good knowledgeable financial aid officer will help students find private scholarship money, too. Although the majority of scholarships are for undergraduates in traditional campus programs, there are over 1800 for re-entry students over twenty-five years of age. While there are private scholarship search companies, most students should be able to do this task themselves for free on the Internet or through their financial aid office.
If you are now serving or have served in the military, you should ask your college financial aid officer about military benefits for continuing education.
Sometimes employers will pay for continuing adult education. Many employers just want an employee to pick up a certain course to enhance job performance in one area. Other employers will pay for the completion of college degrees and even advanced degrees.
Some universities try to pressure students into enrolling before the students know how much financial aid they will receive per semester. To avoid this problem, you can go online and plug in your FAFSA numbers to get a rough estimate of your financial aid package. Your financial aid officer can help you get this estimate before you sign up for tuition payments.
It is also important to understand your school's refund policy. Some students enroll and find out that they cannot carry a half-load of college work plus their professional and family responsibilities. Then they find out their schools will not refund their tuition money either in whole or in part, and that they will have a problem getting out of their federal loans. Investigate all these areas before you sign up for any continuing education program.
Some of the pressure to get more education is coming from a job market that demands up-to-date skills, especially in technology. The workers with the best and most current skills are in the most demand and earn higher salaries. A college degree often opens the door for a better job or promotion. The United States Bureau of Census estimates that a college degree is worth about $1.2 million over the course of a person's career.
Colleges have adapted to the growing market of returning adult students by changing the way they offer their courses. Many big-name universities now offer their most popular degree programs, such as the Masters of Business Administration, in classes that meet evenings and weekends. Others are providing a combination of weekend, evening and online courses to accommodate the schedules of busy professionals.
One of the biggest trends of all is the emergence of the online university. Tens of thousands of adults are now earning "online" college degrees. They can log into a chat room and discuss assignments with other students and their professionals. They can study online whenever it's convenient. Many of these online schools do not follow formal semester schedules and thus can allow students to take classes whenever they want to start.
Adult students, sometimes called "re-entry students," can qualify for traditional government financial aid if they are enrolled at least half-time. This usually means that they must be taking two full-credit courses at once. Their schools must have the proper accreditations to participate in Title IV programs in order for them to be eligible for aid.
If a re-entry student is taking enough credits to qualify at a Title IV school, he or she then goes through the traditional financial aid process. The first step is to fill out a FAFSA, an abbreviation that means Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You can download a FAFSA and instructions at http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/ english/fafsa.jsp. Students need to fill this out to qualify for programs.
If a student demonstrates financial need, he or she may qualify for government grants, which do not have to be paid back. The Perkins Loan program, also for low-income students, provides loans at very low interest rates that are paid back over a period of ten years beginning nine months after graduation.
College students who are enrolled at least half-time and who can maintain a C average may apply for government loans, also at low interest rates and long payback periods. Sometimes you will owe the money directly to the government. In other cases, a student will have a loan from a private lender who acts as a middleman.
Re-entry students should always contact their financial aid officer at the college of their choice. Their counselor can help them with their FAFAs and other forms, as well as find them a bank to loan them money through a government program.
A good knowledgeable financial aid officer will help students find private scholarship money, too. Although the majority of scholarships are for undergraduates in traditional campus programs, there are over 1800 for re-entry students over twenty-five years of age. While there are private scholarship search companies, most students should be able to do this task themselves for free on the Internet or through their financial aid office.
If you are now serving or have served in the military, you should ask your college financial aid officer about military benefits for continuing education.
Sometimes employers will pay for continuing adult education. Many employers just want an employee to pick up a certain course to enhance job performance in one area. Other employers will pay for the completion of college degrees and even advanced degrees.
Some universities try to pressure students into enrolling before the students know how much financial aid they will receive per semester. To avoid this problem, you can go online and plug in your FAFSA numbers to get a rough estimate of your financial aid package. Your financial aid officer can help you get this estimate before you sign up for tuition payments.
It is also important to understand your school's refund policy. Some students enroll and find out that they cannot carry a half-load of college work plus their professional and family responsibilities. Then they find out their schools will not refund their tuition money either in whole or in part, and that they will have a problem getting out of their federal loans. Investigate all these areas before you sign up for any continuing education program.
Online education and the challenge of motivation
Getting an online education is both a very thrilling proposition and a challenging one as well. It is quite exciting to learn through a very new and non-traditional form of education and it offers a set of new challenges that would compel individuals to really immerse themselves in what they are doing.
Unfortunately, even with an educational format as new as online education, the same old problems that plague students would usually crop up. The most common difficulty a student encounters is losing the motivation to continue studying. This feeling is further exacerbated by the unique environment that a student must contend with in an online education course. Being alone with no real classmates to act as real-time sounding boards and given the free rein to handle your time it becomes a challenge to really get into the groove of studying. Since online education classes are a new education format, it also does not possess many of the known support systems that we can find inside a traditional school structure. These support systems are what helps keep students motivated. The lack of social interaction can also be a significant contributing factor for online education students easily losing the motivation to study.
Losing motivation is quite difficult because it could become difficult to stay focused on what needs to be done. Losing the impetus to study will make it very difficult to prepare for exams or tests, complete assignments and finish projects. Motivation is what drives a person to study through the boredom, the tedium and the difficulties. Without motivation, the whole purpose of taking online education classes loses meaning. It would be just so easy to quit and stop taking the classes at the risk of losing the tuition paid for the online classes.
For those who may be worried that they may lose their motivation, the good news is that it can be restored or reinforced. Below are some tips given by many education experts as a way of keeping motivated.
* One way to stay motivated is to identify a goal and work towards its attainment. Try to focus on small goals that can be easily fulfilled. You can mark off a calendar with daily and weekly goals that you are required to accomplish. As you fulfill each goal cross it out with a pen. This process helps you build up your pride in your accomplishments.
* Try to talk to other people about what you are learning in your online classes. This process is usually done with your classmates in a traditional school system but because of the nature of online education, you really do not have classmates in the traditional sense. What you can do is talk to family members and friends about what you have learned in your online classes. One other thing you can do is to try to arrange a chat with your instructor so that you can have some time to discuss the subjects and/or curriculum with him.
* Try to be active in forums related to your course or classes. Even though there are no real physical ways of meeting fellow students in an online course most educational institutions that offer online education provide chatrooms or forums where you can chat with other people taking the same courses. These chatrooms or forums provide ample opportunity for different kinds of interactions with fellow students. You can use it to get to know other students personally and if you find one that lives near you, then you can probably arrange to meet with them regularly to discuss your subjects. You can set up online study groups that other students who taking the same course can use.
Unfortunately, even with an educational format as new as online education, the same old problems that plague students would usually crop up. The most common difficulty a student encounters is losing the motivation to continue studying. This feeling is further exacerbated by the unique environment that a student must contend with in an online education course. Being alone with no real classmates to act as real-time sounding boards and given the free rein to handle your time it becomes a challenge to really get into the groove of studying. Since online education classes are a new education format, it also does not possess many of the known support systems that we can find inside a traditional school structure. These support systems are what helps keep students motivated. The lack of social interaction can also be a significant contributing factor for online education students easily losing the motivation to study.
Losing motivation is quite difficult because it could become difficult to stay focused on what needs to be done. Losing the impetus to study will make it very difficult to prepare for exams or tests, complete assignments and finish projects. Motivation is what drives a person to study through the boredom, the tedium and the difficulties. Without motivation, the whole purpose of taking online education classes loses meaning. It would be just so easy to quit and stop taking the classes at the risk of losing the tuition paid for the online classes.
For those who may be worried that they may lose their motivation, the good news is that it can be restored or reinforced. Below are some tips given by many education experts as a way of keeping motivated.
* One way to stay motivated is to identify a goal and work towards its attainment. Try to focus on small goals that can be easily fulfilled. You can mark off a calendar with daily and weekly goals that you are required to accomplish. As you fulfill each goal cross it out with a pen. This process helps you build up your pride in your accomplishments.
* Try to talk to other people about what you are learning in your online classes. This process is usually done with your classmates in a traditional school system but because of the nature of online education, you really do not have classmates in the traditional sense. What you can do is talk to family members and friends about what you have learned in your online classes. One other thing you can do is to try to arrange a chat with your instructor so that you can have some time to discuss the subjects and/or curriculum with him.
* Try to be active in forums related to your course or classes. Even though there are no real physical ways of meeting fellow students in an online course most educational institutions that offer online education provide chatrooms or forums where you can chat with other people taking the same courses. These chatrooms or forums provide ample opportunity for different kinds of interactions with fellow students. You can use it to get to know other students personally and if you find one that lives near you, then you can probably arrange to meet with them regularly to discuss your subjects. You can set up online study groups that other students who taking the same course can use.
5 Reasons Why You Should Learn a Foreign Language
During the modern age, with globalization at its height, knowing one or two secondary languages has become more than a simple feat of high class and intelligence but also a strict requirement in many occasions. Whether it’s for professional, social or personal reasons, learning at least one foreign language is a must for anyone that wants to keep his or her head up high in today’s society. Let’s take a focused look on 5 of the main reasons that should turn you towards learning a foreign language.
1. Professional Requirement
This is probably the main reason for which one would learn a foreign language. Many professions require the knowledge of at least one or two foreign languages, depending on the field of the job. Most jobs may ask that you know an international language such as English, French, Spanish or German or a business-specific language such as Chinese, Japanese, Russian and so forth. If you’re a native English speaker you may have it a bit easier, since English is the main international language (and one that is present the most often in job descriptions) but knowing a secondary might also prove vital.
2. Social Bonus
Yes, knowing a foreign language (or more) is definitely a social bonus. There’s definitely a steep hill to climb between being presented as someone that doesn’t know any foreign language whatsoever against being presented as a polyglot. Another case when knowing a foreign language can be literally a social blessing is when meeting a foreigner whose language you can speak. They’ll be extremely impressed by your ability to talk with them through their own native tongue, although you’re on home grounds and this fact can single handedly create a great impression around you. If the foreigner happens to be part of a business meeting, this impression can turn to a successful business partnership, bringing you both professional and social satisfactions.
3. Family Communication
It’s often the case where a couple formed out of persons of diverse nationalities understand each other through a commonly known international language such as English. However, they’ll soon want to start learning the other person’s mother tongue, not only for a better communication, but also out of respect for them.
4. Personal Satisfaction
Learning a foreign language is one of the highest intellectual goals that one could have, on a personal scale. Think about a difficult puzzle, or math problem that takes months if not years of constant studying in order to be solved. The process of solving it may be a hard, arduous one but the yell of joy at the end is well worth it. It’s the same case with learning a foreign language: the learning process is not easy and you’ll have many small issues and problems to tackle along the way. You’ll have to focus on various aspects of the problem, such as spelling, grammar, reading, pronunciation and so forth. If you keep the problem in sight however and if you don’t lose interest in it, the chances of solving it are extremely high and the intellectual fulfillment that you get at the end is incomparable to anything else.
5. Keeping Your Mind Healthy
It’s been scientifically proven that by learning a new language, the process stimulates your brain in such a way that it will make you more keen on understanding and learning other subjects, including “real” disciplines such as math, physics, chemistry and so forth. Learning a new language requires the memorizing and understanding of several thousand new words and concepts, which offers your brain a good training for future occasions where memorizing is a must. After studying a foreign language you’ll have better results with studying for exams, with information assimilation and generally, with keeping your mind healthy and “active” even at older ages.
1. Professional Requirement
This is probably the main reason for which one would learn a foreign language. Many professions require the knowledge of at least one or two foreign languages, depending on the field of the job. Most jobs may ask that you know an international language such as English, French, Spanish or German or a business-specific language such as Chinese, Japanese, Russian and so forth. If you’re a native English speaker you may have it a bit easier, since English is the main international language (and one that is present the most often in job descriptions) but knowing a secondary might also prove vital.
2. Social Bonus
Yes, knowing a foreign language (or more) is definitely a social bonus. There’s definitely a steep hill to climb between being presented as someone that doesn’t know any foreign language whatsoever against being presented as a polyglot. Another case when knowing a foreign language can be literally a social blessing is when meeting a foreigner whose language you can speak. They’ll be extremely impressed by your ability to talk with them through their own native tongue, although you’re on home grounds and this fact can single handedly create a great impression around you. If the foreigner happens to be part of a business meeting, this impression can turn to a successful business partnership, bringing you both professional and social satisfactions.
3. Family Communication
It’s often the case where a couple formed out of persons of diverse nationalities understand each other through a commonly known international language such as English. However, they’ll soon want to start learning the other person’s mother tongue, not only for a better communication, but also out of respect for them.
4. Personal Satisfaction
Learning a foreign language is one of the highest intellectual goals that one could have, on a personal scale. Think about a difficult puzzle, or math problem that takes months if not years of constant studying in order to be solved. The process of solving it may be a hard, arduous one but the yell of joy at the end is well worth it. It’s the same case with learning a foreign language: the learning process is not easy and you’ll have many small issues and problems to tackle along the way. You’ll have to focus on various aspects of the problem, such as spelling, grammar, reading, pronunciation and so forth. If you keep the problem in sight however and if you don’t lose interest in it, the chances of solving it are extremely high and the intellectual fulfillment that you get at the end is incomparable to anything else.
5. Keeping Your Mind Healthy
It’s been scientifically proven that by learning a new language, the process stimulates your brain in such a way that it will make you more keen on understanding and learning other subjects, including “real” disciplines such as math, physics, chemistry and so forth. Learning a new language requires the memorizing and understanding of several thousand new words and concepts, which offers your brain a good training for future occasions where memorizing is a must. After studying a foreign language you’ll have better results with studying for exams, with information assimilation and generally, with keeping your mind healthy and “active” even at older ages.
Adult Learning Theory
It goes without saying that nowadays we are all confronted with an environment of continuous change and speedy shifts. Technology has altered the very nature of business and this had greatly influenced the employment market. Jobs requiring expertise and technical skills are growing in nearly every sector of the economy. The continuous change in what employees need to know and be able to handle suggests that learning, training and education will occur over the length of a career and, in fact, a lifetime. In light of this, adults have had to become life-long learners by consistently challenging themselves to pursue learning opportunities.
Thus, a large and growing segment of the education industry more so for the post graduate courses are made of "non-traditional" students. These are working adults who are interested in enhancing their job skills, retooling for new positions and careers, and pursuing other customized learning experiences. With the changing trend in the employment market, higher learning institutions are experiencing increased demand for a larger variety of rapid paced educational resource options for the adult learning community.
However, one of the greatest challenges faced by higher learning institutions is identifying instructional or delivery methods that enhance adult learning process. Thus the objective of any higher learning institutions should be to provide and establish learning objectives which are attainable by students and to use the appropriate instructional method in order that these objectives be met. This paper will explore the opportunities available for working adults to further their studies and also identify the instructional methods in delivering lessons.
Education helps in the development of the human mind, and it increases the powers of observations, analysis, integration, understanding, decision making, and adjustment to new situations. In other words, education is concerned with increasing one's knowledge and understanding the total environment. Among the major research areas of learning are the self-directed learning, critical reflection, experiential learning and learning to learn.
The first, self-directed learning is one that uses past experience as a resource base for learning, fitting new knowledge into current work and personal life situations. This brings with it real-life problem- solving and time-management advantages for the time-conscious student. The second, known as critical reflection, Brookfield observes it as the psychological development of an adult. This would relate to a host of constructs such as embedded logic, dialectical thinking, working intelligence, reflective judgment, post-formal reasoning and epistemic cognition which explain how adults come to think contextually and critically. As for experiential learning introduced by Liademan, the emphasis is on the experience of the working adult. Adult education is therefore a continuing process of evaluating experience, which is central to the concept of andragogy that has evolved to describe adult education. The fourth; learning to learn, is about the ability of adults seen in a range of different situations and through a range of different styles. Both the concepts of epistemic cognition and reflective judgment were introduced in this process of learning to learn.
The pedagogical model of instruction is the foremost instructional method used in delivering lessons. This mode of teaching is also known as the traditional or teacher-directed approach. Knowles, mentions that pedagogy is derived from the Greek word "paid" meaning child plus "agogos", meaning leading. Thus, pedagogy has been defined as the art and science of teaching children. The traditional teaching in this context is teacher centered instruction in which teachers do most of the talking and instructing while students do a lot of passive listening and memorizing. This type of teaching is best characterized by the phrase; the teacher is the sage on the stage. Teachers define terms, give directions, explain problems, answer questions, and otherwise present information to students.
In contrast, non-traditional teaching is student instruction in which teachers have a very different role, one best characterized by the phrase; the teacher is the guide on the side. Knowles, carried out extensive research into adult education and highlighted the problems of inappropriate learning for mature age students. He revived the use of the term "andragogy" and defined it as the "art and science of helping adult learn". The emphasis in andragogy is that the teacher takes the role of facilitator rather than teacher, and allows student to realize his or her own potential. In such an environment, students do lots of investigating, exploring, solving, discussing and explaining to their peers and teacher. As a result of researches by Brookfield and Knowles, adult learning is now strongly identified with personal growth and social change. This point is particularly relevant for adult students who return to tertiary education at postgraduate level to prepare themselves for senior positions within their professional communities. However the andragogy model asserts that five issues be considered and addressed in formal learning. They include: (1) letting learners know why something is important to learn, (2) showing learners how to direct themselves through information, and (3) relating the topic to the learners' experiences. In addition, (4) people will not learn until they are ready and motivated to learn. Often this (5) requires helping them overcome inhibitions, behaviors, and beliefs about learning.
Adult Learning Pursuits The traditional educational model was well suited to the industrial age society where individuals had rigidly defined roles in which carrying out certain actions under certain circumstances would generally yield the desired results. However, the information age has replaced the relative predictability of the industrial age with an increase of uncertainty that will require greater levels of flexibility and adaptability in order to survive and thrive. Education would need to change from being a process of conditioning to one of empowerment. Learning would need to change from being a homogenous commodity to a customized experience tailored to the needs and characteristics of the individual. In this aspect, the executive MBA (EMBA) which is also known as the non-traditional MBA would appeal to the working adults who wish to continue their studies. The EMBA programs are delivered via the non-traditional educational model, which is related to the andragogy learning concepts. These programs are also designed specifically for the middle or upper level managers with some working experience. However, this perception no longer holds true as more working adults from different executive levels are enrolling for these MBA programs. The wide acceptance for this is because of its customer-suited packaged which offers greater flexibility to better serve the needs of students, particularly the working adults.
Non-traditional Format Prospects The education industry has been profoundly affected by the emergence of communication and information technologies which provide opportunities for learning programs to deliver in ways that better serve the needs of students, particularly working adults and non-traditional students. Conventional service patterns are becoming obsolete as a growing number of education providers use interactive video, Internet and other distance-learning technologies to reach students. However, a point to note is that technology does not determine learning outcomes as it is merely a tool used to support new ways of delivery; non-traditional systems. It is therefore clearly seen that the traditional lecture format used in higher learning institutions has greatly changed with the integration of technology. In light of modern research and technology, the traditional format use is limited. The educational literatures do suggest a number of new educational delivery systems that could be used to improve teaching methods both in terms of learning outcomes and the efficiency with which these outcomes are achieved. With the integration of new educational delivery, the teaching format is transformed to meet the new competitive trends that are found to be more prevalent in post-graduate courses.
With this brief explanation on the evolution of the education system, we will look at the advantages as well as the disadvantages faced by students (with particular attention to working adults) enrolled in courses that are offered via the non traditional format. Time and location are the main barriers that hinder working adults' from continuing their studies. Due to their commitment to work, they are usually hard-pressed for time. Many of them do not have specific available time blocks which they can reserve or allocate for their studies. They also do not want to travel long distance in order to attend classes. Here, distance learning via the online mode provides learning opportunities that free students from the constraints of time and distance while increasing their flexibility in accessing courses. At the same time, working adults prefer self-paced and self-directed learning opportunities delivered by these web-based teaching that meets their needs. On-line or web-based MBA programs also offer the potential of delivering a personalized learning experience to individual learners. People have different strengths and weaknesses and learn in different ways. In a classroom setting, the same experience is delivered to every student. In a non-traditional learning environment, a unique learning experience may be presented based upon individual characteristics and performance. These would improve their overall level of comprehension and commitment to study. The non-traditional learning environment such as e-learning, online and video conferencing is never static, but reflects the dynamism of the working adult communities. The technology used in the delivery system provides near-instantaneous access to vast qualities of information and learning materials at a low cost (Internet charges). The dialogue of the online classroom stimulates the learning environment in which students interact with each other to expand their ideas via electronic forums and communication tools such as learning group discussions, bulletin boards, Internet relay chat, E-mail, etc. The e-learning module is also a social activity and learners tap the learning network to verbalize their thoughts. The technological advantages of online classrooms promote active group learning through technology-mediated dialogues. In addition, the somewhat impersonal online medium promotes greater student reflections. According to Cordell, online learning provides; greater cognitive development, critical thinking skills to challenge assumptions, exploration to further professional practice, empowerment of professionals to heighten personal responsibilities towards creating social change, and discovery of new knowledge. The ability to meet people, to forge professional networks and personal friendships around the world is one advantage that simply cannot be found in a traditional class. Time and distance aside, distance learning students discover the valuable benefit of online learning which is supported by a world wide network that far surpass that of the somewhat limited interpersonal relationships of a traditional face-to-face classroom.
Theories of learning that undergrad much of adult and tertiary education also calls for a different emphasis, one that is more learner-centered and one that depends on contextualized learning opportunities. Under the more traditional teaching-learning paradigm, such goals have not always been easily achieved. The emergence of some of the new technologies, particularly the Internet and the Worldwide Web which is actively used in the non-traditional teaching system, supports the use of these more collaborative contextualized approaches. Thus, the benefits of the use of non-traditional format in providing opportunities for working adults to continue their studies can be summarized as: instantaneous material access; convenience; improved learning retention; real world application; practicality, flexibility and learning consistency; timely information for career-active students; minimal disruption of family and work life responsibilities; elimination of time and geographical constraints and increased peer interaction.
As with any medium, there are disadvantages. By its nature, distance education relies heavily on the individual students' ability to manage and control their personal and situational circumstances to be successful. In fact, excellent time management skills are mandatory in online courses as most of the students have a full time job. The structure of a traditional class is not present in an online class and sometimes distance learning students fall behind in their work because there is no requirement to 'attend class'. In distance education, the learners (especially those using online and web programs) are usually isolated despite a wide network of friends and peers through Internet interaction. The motivational factors arising from the contact or competition with other students is absent. These students also lack the immediate support of a teacher who is present to motivate, and if necessary, to give attention to actual needs and difficulties that surface during studies. Therefore, academic achievement co-relates with more positive internal beliefs, which relates to the competitiveness and motivations to learn and excel.
Apart from the human factor, technology plays an important part in information and communication flow. At present, limited bandwidth (the capacity of communication links) and slow modems hamper the delivery of sound, video and graphics, although technology is advancing. Reliance on learner initiative can be a drawback for those who prefer more structure. Learner success also depends on technical skills in computer operations and Internet navigation, as well as the ability to cope with technical difficulties. Information overload is also an issue; the volume of E-mail messages to read, to reflect on and to respond to can be overwhelming while the proliferation of data bases and websites demands for information management skills. Access to the Internet is still a problem for some rural areas.
Society is moving into a new era. An era of rapid change and inherent unpredictability are driven by ongoing advancement in information and communication technology. This new era will impact upon every aspect of society. Individuals of the information age will need different kinds of skills compared to those that serve them in the industrial age. They will need to be managers of their own destiny. They will need to find relevant information from the morass of freely available data. They will need to interpret and evaluate their findings. They will need to adapt to every changing condition. And they will need to learn throughout their lives.
Traditional Behaviorist approaches to education will no longer be sufficient in the information age. Education will need to adopt Constructivism principles to empower learners through an individualized and active learning experience. However, constantly improving technology can provide for exciting new ways of delivering such learning. In conclusion, for working adults who are eager to engage in the advantages and stimulation of an active adult learning environment, distance learning education programs, like the executive MBA, is highly appropriate.
Thus, a large and growing segment of the education industry more so for the post graduate courses are made of "non-traditional" students. These are working adults who are interested in enhancing their job skills, retooling for new positions and careers, and pursuing other customized learning experiences. With the changing trend in the employment market, higher learning institutions are experiencing increased demand for a larger variety of rapid paced educational resource options for the adult learning community.
However, one of the greatest challenges faced by higher learning institutions is identifying instructional or delivery methods that enhance adult learning process. Thus the objective of any higher learning institutions should be to provide and establish learning objectives which are attainable by students and to use the appropriate instructional method in order that these objectives be met. This paper will explore the opportunities available for working adults to further their studies and also identify the instructional methods in delivering lessons.
Education helps in the development of the human mind, and it increases the powers of observations, analysis, integration, understanding, decision making, and adjustment to new situations. In other words, education is concerned with increasing one's knowledge and understanding the total environment. Among the major research areas of learning are the self-directed learning, critical reflection, experiential learning and learning to learn.
The first, self-directed learning is one that uses past experience as a resource base for learning, fitting new knowledge into current work and personal life situations. This brings with it real-life problem- solving and time-management advantages for the time-conscious student. The second, known as critical reflection, Brookfield observes it as the psychological development of an adult. This would relate to a host of constructs such as embedded logic, dialectical thinking, working intelligence, reflective judgment, post-formal reasoning and epistemic cognition which explain how adults come to think contextually and critically. As for experiential learning introduced by Liademan, the emphasis is on the experience of the working adult. Adult education is therefore a continuing process of evaluating experience, which is central to the concept of andragogy that has evolved to describe adult education. The fourth; learning to learn, is about the ability of adults seen in a range of different situations and through a range of different styles. Both the concepts of epistemic cognition and reflective judgment were introduced in this process of learning to learn.
The pedagogical model of instruction is the foremost instructional method used in delivering lessons. This mode of teaching is also known as the traditional or teacher-directed approach. Knowles, mentions that pedagogy is derived from the Greek word "paid" meaning child plus "agogos", meaning leading. Thus, pedagogy has been defined as the art and science of teaching children. The traditional teaching in this context is teacher centered instruction in which teachers do most of the talking and instructing while students do a lot of passive listening and memorizing. This type of teaching is best characterized by the phrase; the teacher is the sage on the stage. Teachers define terms, give directions, explain problems, answer questions, and otherwise present information to students.
In contrast, non-traditional teaching is student instruction in which teachers have a very different role, one best characterized by the phrase; the teacher is the guide on the side. Knowles, carried out extensive research into adult education and highlighted the problems of inappropriate learning for mature age students. He revived the use of the term "andragogy" and defined it as the "art and science of helping adult learn". The emphasis in andragogy is that the teacher takes the role of facilitator rather than teacher, and allows student to realize his or her own potential. In such an environment, students do lots of investigating, exploring, solving, discussing and explaining to their peers and teacher. As a result of researches by Brookfield and Knowles, adult learning is now strongly identified with personal growth and social change. This point is particularly relevant for adult students who return to tertiary education at postgraduate level to prepare themselves for senior positions within their professional communities. However the andragogy model asserts that five issues be considered and addressed in formal learning. They include: (1) letting learners know why something is important to learn, (2) showing learners how to direct themselves through information, and (3) relating the topic to the learners' experiences. In addition, (4) people will not learn until they are ready and motivated to learn. Often this (5) requires helping them overcome inhibitions, behaviors, and beliefs about learning.
Adult Learning Pursuits The traditional educational model was well suited to the industrial age society where individuals had rigidly defined roles in which carrying out certain actions under certain circumstances would generally yield the desired results. However, the information age has replaced the relative predictability of the industrial age with an increase of uncertainty that will require greater levels of flexibility and adaptability in order to survive and thrive. Education would need to change from being a process of conditioning to one of empowerment. Learning would need to change from being a homogenous commodity to a customized experience tailored to the needs and characteristics of the individual. In this aspect, the executive MBA (EMBA) which is also known as the non-traditional MBA would appeal to the working adults who wish to continue their studies. The EMBA programs are delivered via the non-traditional educational model, which is related to the andragogy learning concepts. These programs are also designed specifically for the middle or upper level managers with some working experience. However, this perception no longer holds true as more working adults from different executive levels are enrolling for these MBA programs. The wide acceptance for this is because of its customer-suited packaged which offers greater flexibility to better serve the needs of students, particularly the working adults.
Non-traditional Format Prospects The education industry has been profoundly affected by the emergence of communication and information technologies which provide opportunities for learning programs to deliver in ways that better serve the needs of students, particularly working adults and non-traditional students. Conventional service patterns are becoming obsolete as a growing number of education providers use interactive video, Internet and other distance-learning technologies to reach students. However, a point to note is that technology does not determine learning outcomes as it is merely a tool used to support new ways of delivery; non-traditional systems. It is therefore clearly seen that the traditional lecture format used in higher learning institutions has greatly changed with the integration of technology. In light of modern research and technology, the traditional format use is limited. The educational literatures do suggest a number of new educational delivery systems that could be used to improve teaching methods both in terms of learning outcomes and the efficiency with which these outcomes are achieved. With the integration of new educational delivery, the teaching format is transformed to meet the new competitive trends that are found to be more prevalent in post-graduate courses.
With this brief explanation on the evolution of the education system, we will look at the advantages as well as the disadvantages faced by students (with particular attention to working adults) enrolled in courses that are offered via the non traditional format. Time and location are the main barriers that hinder working adults' from continuing their studies. Due to their commitment to work, they are usually hard-pressed for time. Many of them do not have specific available time blocks which they can reserve or allocate for their studies. They also do not want to travel long distance in order to attend classes. Here, distance learning via the online mode provides learning opportunities that free students from the constraints of time and distance while increasing their flexibility in accessing courses. At the same time, working adults prefer self-paced and self-directed learning opportunities delivered by these web-based teaching that meets their needs. On-line or web-based MBA programs also offer the potential of delivering a personalized learning experience to individual learners. People have different strengths and weaknesses and learn in different ways. In a classroom setting, the same experience is delivered to every student. In a non-traditional learning environment, a unique learning experience may be presented based upon individual characteristics and performance. These would improve their overall level of comprehension and commitment to study. The non-traditional learning environment such as e-learning, online and video conferencing is never static, but reflects the dynamism of the working adult communities. The technology used in the delivery system provides near-instantaneous access to vast qualities of information and learning materials at a low cost (Internet charges). The dialogue of the online classroom stimulates the learning environment in which students interact with each other to expand their ideas via electronic forums and communication tools such as learning group discussions, bulletin boards, Internet relay chat, E-mail, etc. The e-learning module is also a social activity and learners tap the learning network to verbalize their thoughts. The technological advantages of online classrooms promote active group learning through technology-mediated dialogues. In addition, the somewhat impersonal online medium promotes greater student reflections. According to Cordell, online learning provides; greater cognitive development, critical thinking skills to challenge assumptions, exploration to further professional practice, empowerment of professionals to heighten personal responsibilities towards creating social change, and discovery of new knowledge. The ability to meet people, to forge professional networks and personal friendships around the world is one advantage that simply cannot be found in a traditional class. Time and distance aside, distance learning students discover the valuable benefit of online learning which is supported by a world wide network that far surpass that of the somewhat limited interpersonal relationships of a traditional face-to-face classroom.
Theories of learning that undergrad much of adult and tertiary education also calls for a different emphasis, one that is more learner-centered and one that depends on contextualized learning opportunities. Under the more traditional teaching-learning paradigm, such goals have not always been easily achieved. The emergence of some of the new technologies, particularly the Internet and the Worldwide Web which is actively used in the non-traditional teaching system, supports the use of these more collaborative contextualized approaches. Thus, the benefits of the use of non-traditional format in providing opportunities for working adults to continue their studies can be summarized as: instantaneous material access; convenience; improved learning retention; real world application; practicality, flexibility and learning consistency; timely information for career-active students; minimal disruption of family and work life responsibilities; elimination of time and geographical constraints and increased peer interaction.
As with any medium, there are disadvantages. By its nature, distance education relies heavily on the individual students' ability to manage and control their personal and situational circumstances to be successful. In fact, excellent time management skills are mandatory in online courses as most of the students have a full time job. The structure of a traditional class is not present in an online class and sometimes distance learning students fall behind in their work because there is no requirement to 'attend class'. In distance education, the learners (especially those using online and web programs) are usually isolated despite a wide network of friends and peers through Internet interaction. The motivational factors arising from the contact or competition with other students is absent. These students also lack the immediate support of a teacher who is present to motivate, and if necessary, to give attention to actual needs and difficulties that surface during studies. Therefore, academic achievement co-relates with more positive internal beliefs, which relates to the competitiveness and motivations to learn and excel.
Apart from the human factor, technology plays an important part in information and communication flow. At present, limited bandwidth (the capacity of communication links) and slow modems hamper the delivery of sound, video and graphics, although technology is advancing. Reliance on learner initiative can be a drawback for those who prefer more structure. Learner success also depends on technical skills in computer operations and Internet navigation, as well as the ability to cope with technical difficulties. Information overload is also an issue; the volume of E-mail messages to read, to reflect on and to respond to can be overwhelming while the proliferation of data bases and websites demands for information management skills. Access to the Internet is still a problem for some rural areas.
Society is moving into a new era. An era of rapid change and inherent unpredictability are driven by ongoing advancement in information and communication technology. This new era will impact upon every aspect of society. Individuals of the information age will need different kinds of skills compared to those that serve them in the industrial age. They will need to be managers of their own destiny. They will need to find relevant information from the morass of freely available data. They will need to interpret and evaluate their findings. They will need to adapt to every changing condition. And they will need to learn throughout their lives.
Traditional Behaviorist approaches to education will no longer be sufficient in the information age. Education will need to adopt Constructivism principles to empower learners through an individualized and active learning experience. However, constantly improving technology can provide for exciting new ways of delivering such learning. In conclusion, for working adults who are eager to engage in the advantages and stimulation of an active adult learning environment, distance learning education programs, like the executive MBA, is highly appropriate.
It Is Never To Late To Learn
There are people who do not pursue college education during their early days. For those who do, some of them do not continue with graduate education immediately after completing their first degree. These people have several reasons for not pursuing their studies at that time.
Firstly, they may lack the financial support for their study. Secondly, they may not be able to meet the entrance criteria set by the college. Thirdly, they may lack the interest to study. Fourthly, they may not be able to find their desired course in any of the colleges. Hence, they started looking for a job with whatever qualification they have, eventually found a job and began to work.
After working for some time, some of these people start to show interest in pursuing their education to a higher level-something that they did not do previously. They are keen to pick up where they had left off. There are several compelling reasons why they want to do this.
Firstly, they now have the financial capability to take up the course. After working for a period of time, they could have saved a substantial sum of money and want to invest in their education. Secondly, their learning ability could have improved and they have succeeded in meeting the entrance requirement set by the college. Some people excel in their studies later. Thirdly, they could have developed interest in a particular subject during their course of work or personal encounters. Sometimes, certain encounters in our life may uncover our deep rooted passion or interest in a certain subject and we want to further our knowledge in that area.
Fourthly, these people could have been promoted to a higher position after working in the industry for a period of time and they need to acquire more knowledge in the field they are working. When a person is given a higher position, the demand for knowledge in a certain subject also increases. Hence, he or she needs to learn more about that subject in order to perform his or her duties efficiently. For example, if an engineer is promoted to be a chief engineer, he or she should increase his or her engineering knowledge. Perhaps, in another case, if an engineer is promoted to be the head of the engineering department, he or she should learn more about management skills. In either case, the person has to acquire more knowledge in order to perform the new responsibilities well.
Is it too late for these people to learn again? The answer is no. It is never too late for them to learn as long as they have the means and the opportunity to do so. If they are interested to learn, and have the money and time to do so, they should take the chance to learn.
As long as they can apply the new knowledge, they should go forth and take up a course. They should not deprive themselves from enjoying the benefits of learning. Moreover, with so many distance learning programs available, they can study without having to quit their jobs. Many colleges provide distance learning programs for various disciplines specifically for working adults who want to study but do not wish to leave their jobs.
Distance learning programs provide people the flexibility and freedom to study at any place and any time. These programs are gaining more popularity and credibility. Some research studies have shown that distance learning education can be as effective as campus-based education and distance students can perform as well as or better than campus-based students.
Are you keen to further your education? If you are, then there is no reason why you should not proceed to take up a course and learn. At any point of your life, it is always not too late to study a course and gain additional knowledge. Besides, with distance education, learning is made possible now for those who want to study as well as continue working. You can carry on with whatever you are doing and learn at your own pace and at any place. Furthermore, with so many courses available, you will definitely be able to find the course you want to study. You can get a free catalogue and find out more about the courses that interest you at Distance Learning Degree.
Firstly, they may lack the financial support for their study. Secondly, they may not be able to meet the entrance criteria set by the college. Thirdly, they may lack the interest to study. Fourthly, they may not be able to find their desired course in any of the colleges. Hence, they started looking for a job with whatever qualification they have, eventually found a job and began to work.
After working for some time, some of these people start to show interest in pursuing their education to a higher level-something that they did not do previously. They are keen to pick up where they had left off. There are several compelling reasons why they want to do this.
Firstly, they now have the financial capability to take up the course. After working for a period of time, they could have saved a substantial sum of money and want to invest in their education. Secondly, their learning ability could have improved and they have succeeded in meeting the entrance requirement set by the college. Some people excel in their studies later. Thirdly, they could have developed interest in a particular subject during their course of work or personal encounters. Sometimes, certain encounters in our life may uncover our deep rooted passion or interest in a certain subject and we want to further our knowledge in that area.
Fourthly, these people could have been promoted to a higher position after working in the industry for a period of time and they need to acquire more knowledge in the field they are working. When a person is given a higher position, the demand for knowledge in a certain subject also increases. Hence, he or she needs to learn more about that subject in order to perform his or her duties efficiently. For example, if an engineer is promoted to be a chief engineer, he or she should increase his or her engineering knowledge. Perhaps, in another case, if an engineer is promoted to be the head of the engineering department, he or she should learn more about management skills. In either case, the person has to acquire more knowledge in order to perform the new responsibilities well.
Is it too late for these people to learn again? The answer is no. It is never too late for them to learn as long as they have the means and the opportunity to do so. If they are interested to learn, and have the money and time to do so, they should take the chance to learn.
As long as they can apply the new knowledge, they should go forth and take up a course. They should not deprive themselves from enjoying the benefits of learning. Moreover, with so many distance learning programs available, they can study without having to quit their jobs. Many colleges provide distance learning programs for various disciplines specifically for working adults who want to study but do not wish to leave their jobs.
Distance learning programs provide people the flexibility and freedom to study at any place and any time. These programs are gaining more popularity and credibility. Some research studies have shown that distance learning education can be as effective as campus-based education and distance students can perform as well as or better than campus-based students.
Are you keen to further your education? If you are, then there is no reason why you should not proceed to take up a course and learn. At any point of your life, it is always not too late to study a course and gain additional knowledge. Besides, with distance education, learning is made possible now for those who want to study as well as continue working. You can carry on with whatever you are doing and learn at your own pace and at any place. Furthermore, with so many courses available, you will definitely be able to find the course you want to study. You can get a free catalogue and find out more about the courses that interest you at Distance Learning Degree.
Adult Learning Disabilities
You have to deal with a number of issues if you have a learning disability, even if that disability was diagnosed in the childhood. The issues will be different and many more in adulthood than they were in your childhood years. Hence you will have to find new ways to cope with these challenges and issues posed by the learning disability.
Most children plan on marrying, having children, and being a productive member of their society. If you have a learning disability, you will have to incorporate it into your life-plan. You will need to learn ways of handling the milestones in your life and still deal with your disability. You can lead a successful life with a little by taking some small steps.
Learning disabilities come in many forms, but usually affect how a person thinks, talks, hears, reads and writes. These problems impact how you process thoughts and perform tasks such as mathematics. Since we use these skills everyday, you will have to find ways of coping with daily tasks.
It can be extremely difficult to be an adult with a learning disability. Other adults expect you to have the same skill sets that they do and may become angry and frustrated when they have to repeatedly explain something to you. They don't realize that you need extra time to make sense of certain things. You may even drop out of classes you're taking because others don't understand your needs. Doing this will most likely jeopardize your career plans.
You need to find the balance between having a disability and changing your goals. You do need to know your limitations but at the same time there is no reason for you not to live a full and happy life. You should be able to enjoy relationships and being a parent, even with your learning disability.
Being a parent with learning disability can be tough and stressing. To reduce the stress of being a disability parent, you can do a number of things like take care of your time and manage it properly.
One of the many tricks that you can implement so that you don't forget important family information is to have a calendar prominently displayed in the kitchen or other room in your home. Keep track of dates and times when you and your children need to be somewhere. This way you have a constant visual reminder to refer to so that you don't miss appointments and pick up times.
Keep your home as organized as possible so that when you need to find something it will be in a permanent location inside your home. This ensures that you don't spend unnecessary time searching for something that you need since this can often lead to your frustration and anger.
Remember that it is very important to remain calm and patient even when things are not going the way you may want them to. Everyone, even those who don't have a learning disability will have moments that are frustrating and trying. Do not blame everything that goes wrong on your learning disability.
Most children plan on marrying, having children, and being a productive member of their society. If you have a learning disability, you will have to incorporate it into your life-plan. You will need to learn ways of handling the milestones in your life and still deal with your disability. You can lead a successful life with a little by taking some small steps.
Learning disabilities come in many forms, but usually affect how a person thinks, talks, hears, reads and writes. These problems impact how you process thoughts and perform tasks such as mathematics. Since we use these skills everyday, you will have to find ways of coping with daily tasks.
It can be extremely difficult to be an adult with a learning disability. Other adults expect you to have the same skill sets that they do and may become angry and frustrated when they have to repeatedly explain something to you. They don't realize that you need extra time to make sense of certain things. You may even drop out of classes you're taking because others don't understand your needs. Doing this will most likely jeopardize your career plans.
You need to find the balance between having a disability and changing your goals. You do need to know your limitations but at the same time there is no reason for you not to live a full and happy life. You should be able to enjoy relationships and being a parent, even with your learning disability.
Being a parent with learning disability can be tough and stressing. To reduce the stress of being a disability parent, you can do a number of things like take care of your time and manage it properly.
One of the many tricks that you can implement so that you don't forget important family information is to have a calendar prominently displayed in the kitchen or other room in your home. Keep track of dates and times when you and your children need to be somewhere. This way you have a constant visual reminder to refer to so that you don't miss appointments and pick up times.
Keep your home as organized as possible so that when you need to find something it will be in a permanent location inside your home. This ensures that you don't spend unnecessary time searching for something that you need since this can often lead to your frustration and anger.
Remember that it is very important to remain calm and patient even when things are not going the way you may want them to. Everyone, even those who don't have a learning disability will have moments that are frustrating and trying. Do not blame everything that goes wrong on your learning disability.
Who Home Schools Their Children and Why?
I am a tutor broker, I match private tutors with children of all ages. I have been in the tutoring business for eight years. Home school tutoring is extremely popular and accounts for almost 20% of my business, compared to only 3% eight years ago. Here are my observations, from an educational consultant point of view :
1) THE LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOL IS TOO CROWDED
Many of my clients choose not to send their children to their neighborhood school because class size frequently exceeds thirty kids. The parents want their child to have a more individualized approach to education which can only be met in the home environment, often coupled with private tutors to assist with the instruction.
2) THE PARENT WANTS TO CONTROL THE CURRICULUM
Many, but not all, home school curriculums are Christian-based. For many families, this is important because they want their children to study religion and bible verses beginning in first grade. Public schools are obviously very secular and religion is sometimes not offered at all, even as an elective in middle or high school. There are several excellent curriculums offered today that relate religion to every subject, even math!
3) PARENTS WHO HAVE THREE OR MORE CHILDREN FREQUENTLY CHOOSE TO HOME SCHOOL
Usually it is the mom who is in charge of the children?s education. When there are several kids in the family, some of them toddlers, it makes more sense from a time perspective to home school the older ones. This allows mom to be home and tend to the different educational needs of all of her children. My observation is that education is truly a ?family affair.? The older kids help the younger ones and there is a high level of respect for each other. There seems to be much less sibling rivalry in families who home school every child; they all support each other.
4) THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IN PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOL CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE AND NOT ACCEPTABLE TO PARENTS
My home school clients are involved in a variety of social activities sponsored by home school support groups. There is an entire network of home school families who regularly get together to enrich their children?s lives beyond school work in a controlled, safe environment. They plan field trips to local museums and many other educational venues. A group of parents are the chaperones and they ensure their children are experiencing a high quality of stimulating extra curricular activities of their choice that relates to what their children are studying at the current time.
Home schooling a child is not easy. Many states have complicated laws that need to be followed in order to home school. It is important for parents to thoroughly understand the laws and choose an accredited home school curriculum to assure their child?s education will be recognized by an accredited university should the student continue their education beyond high school.
More and more home school curricula is online with a virtual counselor and/or teacher so students can submit assignments and exams online and get feedback and grades immediately. Reading, writing, math, history, science are always offered and required but so are a variety of electives. Home schooling is not boring and the choices are overwhelming, especially as the internet is frequently used to find a program that meets the parents? objectives for their children.
Home schooled kids are no longer outcasts or considered ?weird.? Due to the increasing amount of active home school organizations, communities have formed within neighborhoods across the country comprised of home schooled children that participate on the same sports teams, music lessons and more. These children have a network of social outlets which provides an excellent balance in their lives.
1) THE LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOL IS TOO CROWDED
Many of my clients choose not to send their children to their neighborhood school because class size frequently exceeds thirty kids. The parents want their child to have a more individualized approach to education which can only be met in the home environment, often coupled with private tutors to assist with the instruction.
2) THE PARENT WANTS TO CONTROL THE CURRICULUM
Many, but not all, home school curriculums are Christian-based. For many families, this is important because they want their children to study religion and bible verses beginning in first grade. Public schools are obviously very secular and religion is sometimes not offered at all, even as an elective in middle or high school. There are several excellent curriculums offered today that relate religion to every subject, even math!
3) PARENTS WHO HAVE THREE OR MORE CHILDREN FREQUENTLY CHOOSE TO HOME SCHOOL
Usually it is the mom who is in charge of the children?s education. When there are several kids in the family, some of them toddlers, it makes more sense from a time perspective to home school the older ones. This allows mom to be home and tend to the different educational needs of all of her children. My observation is that education is truly a ?family affair.? The older kids help the younger ones and there is a high level of respect for each other. There seems to be much less sibling rivalry in families who home school every child; they all support each other.
4) THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IN PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOL CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE AND NOT ACCEPTABLE TO PARENTS
My home school clients are involved in a variety of social activities sponsored by home school support groups. There is an entire network of home school families who regularly get together to enrich their children?s lives beyond school work in a controlled, safe environment. They plan field trips to local museums and many other educational venues. A group of parents are the chaperones and they ensure their children are experiencing a high quality of stimulating extra curricular activities of their choice that relates to what their children are studying at the current time.
Home schooling a child is not easy. Many states have complicated laws that need to be followed in order to home school. It is important for parents to thoroughly understand the laws and choose an accredited home school curriculum to assure their child?s education will be recognized by an accredited university should the student continue their education beyond high school.
More and more home school curricula is online with a virtual counselor and/or teacher so students can submit assignments and exams online and get feedback and grades immediately. Reading, writing, math, history, science are always offered and required but so are a variety of electives. Home schooling is not boring and the choices are overwhelming, especially as the internet is frequently used to find a program that meets the parents? objectives for their children.
Home schooled kids are no longer outcasts or considered ?weird.? Due to the increasing amount of active home school organizations, communities have formed within neighborhoods across the country comprised of home schooled children that participate on the same sports teams, music lessons and more. These children have a network of social outlets which provides an excellent balance in their lives.
Creating, Maintaining And Presenting A Homeschool Portfolio
Many school districts now require homeschoolers to present portfolios showing their student's progress in an organized fashion. This is actually a very convenient method of recording whenever it is done properly. Here are some ideas on how to create, maintain, and present your homeschool portfolio for a successful assessment, evaluation and review.
First of all, it is important to have a firm grasp on precisely what a homeschool portfolio is. Basically, a homeschool portfolio is a collection of materials that are used in order to showcase what your child has learned over the course of the "school year." This is important because numerous states require an annual assessment of homeschooled students either via testing or the presentation of a portfolio. While it may seem that keeping a portfolio is only good in so far as you need to comply with the law. This is not the case however. Portfolios can also help parents and their children to record their progress and achievements. This becomes even more important once a child has reached high school and needs a diploma.
Now that we understand the importance of a portfolio, it is also important to understand that there is no right or wrong way in which to create a portfolio. It is up to the parent and/or child what materials the portfolio will contain. However, it is a good idea to choose a variety of material in order to reflect what the child has learned, experienced and accomplished throughout the year. Some items that should be included in your portfolio are: Suggested items to include are:
(1.) A journal which contains notes about activities and the progress that has been made.
(2.) A list of resources (ie books, computer software, games, toys and outside classes).
(3.) Samples of the child's work (ie samples of creative writing and drawings, text book or workbook pages, and if possible you may include audio or video tapes of your child singing, playing a musical instrument, reading aloud, or taking part in a a dramatic performance - pictures will also sometimes work well in place of audio or video tapes).
(4.) Photos of field trips, artwork, projects and family life.
(5.) Brochures and booklets from field trips and other activities.
(6.) A list of books that the child has read including both the title and the author.
(7.) A list of your goals for the year.
While this may seem quite overwhelming, you'd honestly be surprised at how easily you can accomplish this when you start preparing your portfolio at the beginning of the year. Simply use a three ring binder and add paper for your journaling. Start off by listing a few of your goals for the year and what resources you'll be using to achieve those goals (these can be modified throughout the year as needed). Then begin collecting samples of work, organizing them by subject, and punching holes in them to place them in your binder. Always have at least a throw away camera at hand so that you can take pictures of anything that you'd like that your child does (ie reading, playing, dancing). You'll also want to take pictures at field trips as well as pictures of your child's projects and creations. These pictures can either be placed in a photo album or if you're feeling really craftsy you could organize them into a scrapbook. You'll also want to make sure to hold onto any brochures or other paper items that you collect while on an educational outing. These can be easily placed in clear see-through sheet protectors. This is also a good time to begin accumulating a list of books that are being read.
Once you have put together the beginnings of your portfolio, don't stop there. Regular maintenance (I suggest weekly as it will help you to write your lesson plans for the following week) should include regular journal entries and an ongoing collection of work samples, photos and whatever else you wish to include. Some school districts will require a quarterly assessment throughout your homeschool year. This is a time for parents and children to reflect upon their progress and accomplishments from the previous months. Yet, even if your school district doesn't require a quarterly review, you won't want to wait until the end of the year to scramble and race to put together a portfolio that your school district will approve of. Neither you nor your child deserve having to go through the unneeded stress of having to sort through all of the material that has been collected throughout the year.
When it is time for review you may choose to remove some of the materials from your portfolio. You will find that some of these things simply do not properly reflect what you've accomplished throughout the year. If/when you decide to weed through your portfolio, you need to remember that the purpose of the review is to provide a general overview of the homeschool year, demonstrate that the child is engaged in homeschooling and that progress is being made.
The portfolio review can be exciting since it provides both parents and children with a time to talk about what they've been doing at home. When discussing this with your child, you may find it helpful to write down a summary of the items that you wish to highlight during your year before the review. For instance, if your child learned to read or master a skill you may wish to point this out to the reviewer. Of course, you should never view your portfolio review as a time for you to be judged or ridiculed. It is a time to listen, learn and support from your reviewer. Your child does not need to be present during this time. However, if your child wants a chance to "brag" about their accomplishments and progress to other homeschoolers, then this review is a perfect opportunity for them to do so.
First of all, it is important to have a firm grasp on precisely what a homeschool portfolio is. Basically, a homeschool portfolio is a collection of materials that are used in order to showcase what your child has learned over the course of the "school year." This is important because numerous states require an annual assessment of homeschooled students either via testing or the presentation of a portfolio. While it may seem that keeping a portfolio is only good in so far as you need to comply with the law. This is not the case however. Portfolios can also help parents and their children to record their progress and achievements. This becomes even more important once a child has reached high school and needs a diploma.
Now that we understand the importance of a portfolio, it is also important to understand that there is no right or wrong way in which to create a portfolio. It is up to the parent and/or child what materials the portfolio will contain. However, it is a good idea to choose a variety of material in order to reflect what the child has learned, experienced and accomplished throughout the year. Some items that should be included in your portfolio are: Suggested items to include are:
(1.) A journal which contains notes about activities and the progress that has been made.
(2.) A list of resources (ie books, computer software, games, toys and outside classes).
(3.) Samples of the child's work (ie samples of creative writing and drawings, text book or workbook pages, and if possible you may include audio or video tapes of your child singing, playing a musical instrument, reading aloud, or taking part in a a dramatic performance - pictures will also sometimes work well in place of audio or video tapes).
(4.) Photos of field trips, artwork, projects and family life.
(5.) Brochures and booklets from field trips and other activities.
(6.) A list of books that the child has read including both the title and the author.
(7.) A list of your goals for the year.
While this may seem quite overwhelming, you'd honestly be surprised at how easily you can accomplish this when you start preparing your portfolio at the beginning of the year. Simply use a three ring binder and add paper for your journaling. Start off by listing a few of your goals for the year and what resources you'll be using to achieve those goals (these can be modified throughout the year as needed). Then begin collecting samples of work, organizing them by subject, and punching holes in them to place them in your binder. Always have at least a throw away camera at hand so that you can take pictures of anything that you'd like that your child does (ie reading, playing, dancing). You'll also want to take pictures at field trips as well as pictures of your child's projects and creations. These pictures can either be placed in a photo album or if you're feeling really craftsy you could organize them into a scrapbook. You'll also want to make sure to hold onto any brochures or other paper items that you collect while on an educational outing. These can be easily placed in clear see-through sheet protectors. This is also a good time to begin accumulating a list of books that are being read.
Once you have put together the beginnings of your portfolio, don't stop there. Regular maintenance (I suggest weekly as it will help you to write your lesson plans for the following week) should include regular journal entries and an ongoing collection of work samples, photos and whatever else you wish to include. Some school districts will require a quarterly assessment throughout your homeschool year. This is a time for parents and children to reflect upon their progress and accomplishments from the previous months. Yet, even if your school district doesn't require a quarterly review, you won't want to wait until the end of the year to scramble and race to put together a portfolio that your school district will approve of. Neither you nor your child deserve having to go through the unneeded stress of having to sort through all of the material that has been collected throughout the year.
When it is time for review you may choose to remove some of the materials from your portfolio. You will find that some of these things simply do not properly reflect what you've accomplished throughout the year. If/when you decide to weed through your portfolio, you need to remember that the purpose of the review is to provide a general overview of the homeschool year, demonstrate that the child is engaged in homeschooling and that progress is being made.
The portfolio review can be exciting since it provides both parents and children with a time to talk about what they've been doing at home. When discussing this with your child, you may find it helpful to write down a summary of the items that you wish to highlight during your year before the review. For instance, if your child learned to read or master a skill you may wish to point this out to the reviewer. Of course, you should never view your portfolio review as a time for you to be judged or ridiculed. It is a time to listen, learn and support from your reviewer. Your child does not need to be present during this time. However, if your child wants a chance to "brag" about their accomplishments and progress to other homeschoolers, then this review is a perfect opportunity for them to do so.
Tips For Successful Homeschooling
There are many reasons why parents choose to homeschool their kids. For many it is because they want to add religious content to their children’s learning experience.
Making the decision to home school is usually a very difficult not and it is not one to be taken lightly. It is a personal decision that no one can make for you, but maybe I can help in the thought process by providing you with a comprehensive guide to making the choice to homeschool your kids a successful one.
When making the homeschool decision, you must first consider these things:
1. Time commitment that is involved. Homeschooling has a tendency to take up a lot of time in your day. It involves more than just sitting down with books for a couple of hours. There are experiments and projects that have to be done, lessons to prepare, papers to grade, field trips, park days, music lessons, and the list just keeps on going. You can go online and search for some sample schedules that will help to give you an idea of a typical day.
2. Personal sacrifice. The homeschooling parent has very little personal time or time alone and away from their children. If a lot of care is not taken to set aside time for yourself, it is easy for the parent to feel overwhelmed. Basically, the parent and child are together 24 hours a day and this can get frustrating on both sides.
3. Financial problems can arise. Homeschooling can be accomplished with very little cost to you; however, it usually requires that the teaching parent will not be working out of the home. Some sacrifices will need to be made if the family is used to two incomes. Of course, if you are a single parent, this could pose an even bigger problem.
4. Time for socialization. More attention will need to be given to getting your children together with his/her peers. The best part of homeschooling is being able to have more control of the social contacts your child makes. However, the downside is that you must prepare your child yourself on how to socialize with other kids. Homeschooling has a tendency to make your child feel isolated.
5. Household organization is harder. Housework and laundry and other house work will still have to be done, but it probably won't get done first thing in the morning. If you are a neat freak, you might be in for a big surprise. Not only does housework need to be let go at times, but homeschooling creates messes and clutter on its own. You will have to get organized so that you can keep your home together.
6. Both parents must agree to it. It is important that both parents agree to homeschooling. It is very difficult for this to work if one of the parents is against it. If your spouse is against it at this time, try doing more research and talking to more people so that you can be absolutely certain it is something that both of you can agree upon. Otherwise, the chances for success are much smaller.
7. Your child has to be willing. A willing student is crucial to the success of homeschooling. Ultimately, the decision is the parents to make, but if your child is dead against it, you might have a very difficult time in teaching them. The fact of the matter is that an unwilling child can sabotage his/her own school efforts.
8. Know that it works one year at a time. It isn't a lifetime commitment and doesn’t have to become one. If you find that homeschooling just isn’t worth it, you can choose to go the regular route.
There is a lot more to homeschooling than to just do it. As a parent, you must know that your child’s education is the most important factor in his/her future. You need to be thoroughly prepared for all of the time and commitment that is involved. If you are thinking of choosing homeschooling for your child (ren), this guide will help to make it a successful transition.
Making the decision to home school is usually a very difficult not and it is not one to be taken lightly. It is a personal decision that no one can make for you, but maybe I can help in the thought process by providing you with a comprehensive guide to making the choice to homeschool your kids a successful one.
When making the homeschool decision, you must first consider these things:
1. Time commitment that is involved. Homeschooling has a tendency to take up a lot of time in your day. It involves more than just sitting down with books for a couple of hours. There are experiments and projects that have to be done, lessons to prepare, papers to grade, field trips, park days, music lessons, and the list just keeps on going. You can go online and search for some sample schedules that will help to give you an idea of a typical day.
2. Personal sacrifice. The homeschooling parent has very little personal time or time alone and away from their children. If a lot of care is not taken to set aside time for yourself, it is easy for the parent to feel overwhelmed. Basically, the parent and child are together 24 hours a day and this can get frustrating on both sides.
3. Financial problems can arise. Homeschooling can be accomplished with very little cost to you; however, it usually requires that the teaching parent will not be working out of the home. Some sacrifices will need to be made if the family is used to two incomes. Of course, if you are a single parent, this could pose an even bigger problem.
4. Time for socialization. More attention will need to be given to getting your children together with his/her peers. The best part of homeschooling is being able to have more control of the social contacts your child makes. However, the downside is that you must prepare your child yourself on how to socialize with other kids. Homeschooling has a tendency to make your child feel isolated.
5. Household organization is harder. Housework and laundry and other house work will still have to be done, but it probably won't get done first thing in the morning. If you are a neat freak, you might be in for a big surprise. Not only does housework need to be let go at times, but homeschooling creates messes and clutter on its own. You will have to get organized so that you can keep your home together.
6. Both parents must agree to it. It is important that both parents agree to homeschooling. It is very difficult for this to work if one of the parents is against it. If your spouse is against it at this time, try doing more research and talking to more people so that you can be absolutely certain it is something that both of you can agree upon. Otherwise, the chances for success are much smaller.
7. Your child has to be willing. A willing student is crucial to the success of homeschooling. Ultimately, the decision is the parents to make, but if your child is dead against it, you might have a very difficult time in teaching them. The fact of the matter is that an unwilling child can sabotage his/her own school efforts.
8. Know that it works one year at a time. It isn't a lifetime commitment and doesn’t have to become one. If you find that homeschooling just isn’t worth it, you can choose to go the regular route.
There is a lot more to homeschooling than to just do it. As a parent, you must know that your child’s education is the most important factor in his/her future. You need to be thoroughly prepared for all of the time and commitment that is involved. If you are thinking of choosing homeschooling for your child (ren), this guide will help to make it a successful transition.
Homeschool Children And Mass Society's Values
How do homeschool children get exposed to values other than the commercial values of a mass society?
Schools may be able to prepare children to fit into the mass society or to help them find a set of values with which they could resist and reject the values of mass society. What this really means is that schools can teach children to believe what most people believe and to like what most people like. However, they cannot do both: prepare children to fit into mass society while helping them find a set of values with which they could resist and reject the values of mass society. Why? Because, if you stop to think about it, you will see that these 2 items actually cancel each other out. Usually this means that educators opt to believe that they, and they alone, hold out to the young a vision of higher things. They seem to believe that they spend the majority of their time and energy defending children from the corrupt values of the mass media and TV. They also seem to believe that without them children won't hear about good books, Shakespeare, and culture. To them, they (the educators) are the only ones who are thinking about what is good for our children while everyone else is simply trying to exploit them. However, if you look close enough, you'll see that most schools are far more concerned with having children accept the values of mass society rather than helping children resist them. It's actually become so ingrained within society to think that in order for children to to live reasonably happy, useful, and successful lives they have to be considerably like most other people.
In reality, the schools' efforts to sell children the higher culture seldom work because it is quite obvious that these educators value it so little themselves. Today's schools are filled with people who are obsessed with the media-inspired worship of dominance, luxury, and power. This anticulture has done great harm by fragmenting, degrading, and corrupting them. If the schools had a true and humane culture of their own, which they really understood, believed in, cared about, and lived by, then they would put up a stiff resistance which would be able to win at least some of the children over. Yet, since the culture of the school is only a pale and somewhat more timid and gentle version of the culture of the outside world, nothing changes. So, today's schools are not only unable to guide our children away from greed, envy, and violence, the schools cannot even protect them against each other. Instead, today's schools, regardless of affluence, are filled with children who are only interested in money, sex, and drugs. Where are the children who want to do something to make a better world?
I honestly don't think that we should be surprised that our children are most interested in those things which most interest their parents, and other adults. I also don't think that it's the school's fault either. Today's schools are finding themselves being attacked from all sides. They weren't the ones who invented these values. However, to the extent that the schools have tried to combat these values they've failed. Therefore, they cannot claim that they're teaching children to accept and also resist these dominant values of our commercial culture.
Schools may be able to prepare children to fit into the mass society or to help them find a set of values with which they could resist and reject the values of mass society. What this really means is that schools can teach children to believe what most people believe and to like what most people like. However, they cannot do both: prepare children to fit into mass society while helping them find a set of values with which they could resist and reject the values of mass society. Why? Because, if you stop to think about it, you will see that these 2 items actually cancel each other out. Usually this means that educators opt to believe that they, and they alone, hold out to the young a vision of higher things. They seem to believe that they spend the majority of their time and energy defending children from the corrupt values of the mass media and TV. They also seem to believe that without them children won't hear about good books, Shakespeare, and culture. To them, they (the educators) are the only ones who are thinking about what is good for our children while everyone else is simply trying to exploit them. However, if you look close enough, you'll see that most schools are far more concerned with having children accept the values of mass society rather than helping children resist them. It's actually become so ingrained within society to think that in order for children to to live reasonably happy, useful, and successful lives they have to be considerably like most other people.
In reality, the schools' efforts to sell children the higher culture seldom work because it is quite obvious that these educators value it so little themselves. Today's schools are filled with people who are obsessed with the media-inspired worship of dominance, luxury, and power. This anticulture has done great harm by fragmenting, degrading, and corrupting them. If the schools had a true and humane culture of their own, which they really understood, believed in, cared about, and lived by, then they would put up a stiff resistance which would be able to win at least some of the children over. Yet, since the culture of the school is only a pale and somewhat more timid and gentle version of the culture of the outside world, nothing changes. So, today's schools are not only unable to guide our children away from greed, envy, and violence, the schools cannot even protect them against each other. Instead, today's schools, regardless of affluence, are filled with children who are only interested in money, sex, and drugs. Where are the children who want to do something to make a better world?
I honestly don't think that we should be surprised that our children are most interested in those things which most interest their parents, and other adults. I also don't think that it's the school's fault either. Today's schools are finding themselves being attacked from all sides. They weren't the ones who invented these values. However, to the extent that the schools have tried to combat these values they've failed. Therefore, they cannot claim that they're teaching children to accept and also resist these dominant values of our commercial culture.
Public School vs. Homeschool Socialization
Many public school parents often ask homeschool parents, "If children are taught at home, won't they miss the valuable socialization that takes place in school?" Truth be told, most homeschool parents feel that the public school's social life is enough of a reason for them to homeschool. This is because, in the majority of schools, the social life that takes place in public schools is mean-spirited, competitive, exclusive, status-seeking, snobbish, full of talk about who went to whose birthday party and who got what Christmas presents and who got how many Valentine cards and who is talking to so-and-so and who is not. This begins as early as first grade. You'll see classes divide into leaders (usually the popular kids), their bands of followers, and other outsiders who you can tell have been excluded from these groups for one reason or another. Many parents will even note that they haven't ever seen their children doing anything really mean or silly until their child(ren) went away to school.
Many homeschool parents have realized that their children already know most of what is being taught in school: how to be quiet, how to listen to children's stories, and how to sing. They have realized that their child(ren) want to learn about the adult world. Public schools restrict these children to a world which adults believed children wanted. This causes many children's enthusiasm to die an early death. Why? Because shame is one of the first lessons that children learn in school. Oftentimes this happens when children want to be "different" from those around them. These children want to be recognized as individuals. However, public schools shun this.
Another characteristic that is shunned in public schools is spontaneity. Why? Because it conflicts with the teacher's view of how children should act. When children learn this lesson, they also learn that lying is a valuable survival technique. They often discover that it's better to lye their way out of "trouble" than to stand up for themselves because of the dire consequences that they may face in that case.
Children are also taught, at an early age, not to question anything that happens in the school. Schools are very authoritative, leaving NO room for creativity or imagination. Instead, children are left standing in awe of the authoritarian system. This is why many homeschool parents compare public schools to jails. In public schools, even a child's ability to use the restroom is restricted to when and how the teacher feels the child should use the restroom. Then when a child has an accident they often are humiliated and even punished. These incidents of fear and humiliation are numerous in public schools.
If you have a timid child they will probably face a lot of bullying, especially as they grow older. They face physical as well as verbal taunting. Since children often sucumb to peer pressure, children will often join in with the group to bully the other children. While this may just seem like a prank to the children, it's really quite sadistic and even the most kindest child will find themselves drawn into participating in this taunting. These children will not stop until they themselves become the victim, even though they may feel empty and unhappy inside. The beginning and ending of this sadistic behavior can often only be traced to the public school system.
I'm sure by now that you can see the damage that public school socialization causes. Most children in public schools will openly admit that they don't see kindness. Instead, they say that they see meanness, name calling, hurt feelings, etc. This is because the social life of most schools and classrooms is mean-spirited, status-oriented, competitive, and snobbish. Even the majority of public school parents will admit that the social life at school is not kind, generous, supporting, democratic, friendly, loving, or good for children. Of course, most of these parents will also counter, "But that's what the children are going to meet in Real Life."
I say that this is untrue. Why? Because we tend to force children into "peer groups" which have many powerful and harmful effects. Peer pressure often leads children to try such things as smoking, drinking, and even drugs. In fact, we are hearing a lot more about drinking, drunkenness, and alcoholism among our youth today. We're also seeing a lot more youth smoking. While some states have tried to deal with this problem by raising the minimum age, it doesn't help. In fact, usually the problem only gets worse. These children will often admit that these things taste terrible but they do it because "all the other kids" are doing it, or soon will be, and they have to stay ahead of them, or at least not fall behind. These children are enslaved, even addicted, to their peer group. We might even go so far as to call them "peer group junkies." When parents make a fuss, these children are already master liars who know how to sneak around and do things behind their parents' backs.
Of course, these are just a few of the fringe benefits that public school children derive from their public school experience. What do we expect though? Public school children spend the majority of their time in groups of other people their own age. They have almost no contact with any adults except those who are watching them (ie teachers). This leads them to think and feel that what "all the other kids" are doing is the right, the best, the only thing to do. Is this what you want for your child(ren)?
Many homeschool parents have realized that their children already know most of what is being taught in school: how to be quiet, how to listen to children's stories, and how to sing. They have realized that their child(ren) want to learn about the adult world. Public schools restrict these children to a world which adults believed children wanted. This causes many children's enthusiasm to die an early death. Why? Because shame is one of the first lessons that children learn in school. Oftentimes this happens when children want to be "different" from those around them. These children want to be recognized as individuals. However, public schools shun this.
Another characteristic that is shunned in public schools is spontaneity. Why? Because it conflicts with the teacher's view of how children should act. When children learn this lesson, they also learn that lying is a valuable survival technique. They often discover that it's better to lye their way out of "trouble" than to stand up for themselves because of the dire consequences that they may face in that case.
Children are also taught, at an early age, not to question anything that happens in the school. Schools are very authoritative, leaving NO room for creativity or imagination. Instead, children are left standing in awe of the authoritarian system. This is why many homeschool parents compare public schools to jails. In public schools, even a child's ability to use the restroom is restricted to when and how the teacher feels the child should use the restroom. Then when a child has an accident they often are humiliated and even punished. These incidents of fear and humiliation are numerous in public schools.
If you have a timid child they will probably face a lot of bullying, especially as they grow older. They face physical as well as verbal taunting. Since children often sucumb to peer pressure, children will often join in with the group to bully the other children. While this may just seem like a prank to the children, it's really quite sadistic and even the most kindest child will find themselves drawn into participating in this taunting. These children will not stop until they themselves become the victim, even though they may feel empty and unhappy inside. The beginning and ending of this sadistic behavior can often only be traced to the public school system.
I'm sure by now that you can see the damage that public school socialization causes. Most children in public schools will openly admit that they don't see kindness. Instead, they say that they see meanness, name calling, hurt feelings, etc. This is because the social life of most schools and classrooms is mean-spirited, status-oriented, competitive, and snobbish. Even the majority of public school parents will admit that the social life at school is not kind, generous, supporting, democratic, friendly, loving, or good for children. Of course, most of these parents will also counter, "But that's what the children are going to meet in Real Life."
I say that this is untrue. Why? Because we tend to force children into "peer groups" which have many powerful and harmful effects. Peer pressure often leads children to try such things as smoking, drinking, and even drugs. In fact, we are hearing a lot more about drinking, drunkenness, and alcoholism among our youth today. We're also seeing a lot more youth smoking. While some states have tried to deal with this problem by raising the minimum age, it doesn't help. In fact, usually the problem only gets worse. These children will often admit that these things taste terrible but they do it because "all the other kids" are doing it, or soon will be, and they have to stay ahead of them, or at least not fall behind. These children are enslaved, even addicted, to their peer group. We might even go so far as to call them "peer group junkies." When parents make a fuss, these children are already master liars who know how to sneak around and do things behind their parents' backs.
Of course, these are just a few of the fringe benefits that public school children derive from their public school experience. What do we expect though? Public school children spend the majority of their time in groups of other people their own age. They have almost no contact with any adults except those who are watching them (ie teachers). This leads them to think and feel that what "all the other kids" are doing is the right, the best, the only thing to do. Is this what you want for your child(ren)?
Booster Shots.... For Homeschooling Parents
No, we’re not talking about immunizations. We are talking about booster shots for those families that have homeschooled for so long, or so in depth that they have lost the joy of why they started this journey in the first place.
You may be one of those families that has been homeschooling for 9 years or so and now are on the home stretch, or you may be new to the journey and have gotten in over your head and wondered if this is the right choice. Any and all of us could use a Booster Shot at some point.
Here my top 10 ideas:
10. Field Trip! Just a short one or maybe even a day long adventure - your choice, but there is nothing like a field trip to break up the week and breath life into a student’s schedule.
9. Read Aloud! If you don’t already do this, it’s a good time to start when your battery is low. You can read to them, or they can take turns reading to you and each other. It’s a great way to bond and relax. Yes, even high school kids like this still!
8. School Outside! The weather is turning warmer in most parts of the country! Take the books, the art, the portable CD player and learn outside. Even better, just walk and study what is about to bloom and discuss the science of this blessing!
7. Combining 8 & 9! One booster for us, all the way up until mid high school, was to take a huge blanket out under the sun or shade tree and read. We would watch clouds, pet new baby chicks or kitties and just enjoy hearing a good story in the fresh air.
6. Year-round School Schedule! This SOUNDS awful to some people, but it doesn’t ‘t really mean school every single day! It means for each month of the year, you have school for 3 weeks and then one week off. These schedules can often be planned around holidays. If you and your student knew that every three weeks you both got a significant break, there is time to plan fun or just do NOTHING every month!
5. Find a Co-op! Many area support groups have some co-op learning classes. Often it will require that you volunteer a bit of your time once in a while, but the change of pace and learning surroundings can be invaluable to both you and all students involved!
4. Let the Student Plan - not You! One of my children wanted the freedom to plan her own Senior year completely. She chose an extra science and an extra social studies. She also planned every weeks’ work and is doing so that she can be finished WELL before her graduation ceremony date - by her 18th birthday! This has motivated her and also taught her accountability. It has also lightened my load to simply grading!
3. Let a Science Experiment ‘evolve’ into more! This was always one sure fire way for my kids to get a little giggly or off track - but boy it is memorable and it was worth the side track! Take the science experiment to any lengths your child’s questions or curiosity will let it go (but let’s be safe about it). Not only do they learn more by not having to fit into a science ‘box’ - but you will ignite the joy of learning again - and you will LOVE to see how their minds work when unhindered by steps preordained by someone else!
2. Talk with others! When you get the chance, ask other parents for ideas that may be inviting to your homeschool to use. You may also be surprised how your kids react when they find out what other kids do for their homeschool. My kids were actually pleasantly pleased when they heard the schedule and weight of some other homeschooled students their age. I became a ‘cool’ mom (for a little while anyway).
1. My number 1 favorite! Just take the day off (or the week) when you know you’ve all reached your limit! Bake a big ole batch of chocolate chip cookies, play with the pets, make a mess, don’t grade, don’t file and don’t worry. Mix this in with prayer and thanksgiving that you have the chance to be home with your kids and I’ll guarantee that an attitude of gratitude will renew that joy to your homeschool heart!
You may be one of those families that has been homeschooling for 9 years or so and now are on the home stretch, or you may be new to the journey and have gotten in over your head and wondered if this is the right choice. Any and all of us could use a Booster Shot at some point.
Here my top 10 ideas:
10. Field Trip! Just a short one or maybe even a day long adventure - your choice, but there is nothing like a field trip to break up the week and breath life into a student’s schedule.
9. Read Aloud! If you don’t already do this, it’s a good time to start when your battery is low. You can read to them, or they can take turns reading to you and each other. It’s a great way to bond and relax. Yes, even high school kids like this still!
8. School Outside! The weather is turning warmer in most parts of the country! Take the books, the art, the portable CD player and learn outside. Even better, just walk and study what is about to bloom and discuss the science of this blessing!
7. Combining 8 & 9! One booster for us, all the way up until mid high school, was to take a huge blanket out under the sun or shade tree and read. We would watch clouds, pet new baby chicks or kitties and just enjoy hearing a good story in the fresh air.
6. Year-round School Schedule! This SOUNDS awful to some people, but it doesn’t ‘t really mean school every single day! It means for each month of the year, you have school for 3 weeks and then one week off. These schedules can often be planned around holidays. If you and your student knew that every three weeks you both got a significant break, there is time to plan fun or just do NOTHING every month!
5. Find a Co-op! Many area support groups have some co-op learning classes. Often it will require that you volunteer a bit of your time once in a while, but the change of pace and learning surroundings can be invaluable to both you and all students involved!
4. Let the Student Plan - not You! One of my children wanted the freedom to plan her own Senior year completely. She chose an extra science and an extra social studies. She also planned every weeks’ work and is doing so that she can be finished WELL before her graduation ceremony date - by her 18th birthday! This has motivated her and also taught her accountability. It has also lightened my load to simply grading!
3. Let a Science Experiment ‘evolve’ into more! This was always one sure fire way for my kids to get a little giggly or off track - but boy it is memorable and it was worth the side track! Take the science experiment to any lengths your child’s questions or curiosity will let it go (but let’s be safe about it). Not only do they learn more by not having to fit into a science ‘box’ - but you will ignite the joy of learning again - and you will LOVE to see how their minds work when unhindered by steps preordained by someone else!
2. Talk with others! When you get the chance, ask other parents for ideas that may be inviting to your homeschool to use. You may also be surprised how your kids react when they find out what other kids do for their homeschool. My kids were actually pleasantly pleased when they heard the schedule and weight of some other homeschooled students their age. I became a ‘cool’ mom (for a little while anyway).
1. My number 1 favorite! Just take the day off (or the week) when you know you’ve all reached your limit! Bake a big ole batch of chocolate chip cookies, play with the pets, make a mess, don’t grade, don’t file and don’t worry. Mix this in with prayer and thanksgiving that you have the chance to be home with your kids and I’ll guarantee that an attitude of gratitude will renew that joy to your homeschool heart!
5 Homeschooling Mistakes That Are Easy To Make, And Easier To Avoid
1. Setting the Bar Too Low
Research has shown that one of the greatest determining factors in a student’s performance is teacher expectation. This is no different for your homeschool student. You may think the world of your little angel, but every parent has their biases. Admit it. Maybe it has crossed your mind that while Bobby is a genius in math, he really struggles at reading. Perhaps Emma loves to read aloud, but she isn’t the best with numbers. Don’t feel bad, every parent has preconceived ideas about their child’s ability and you are no different. However, in order for your student to reach their full potential, it is imperative that you set aside any notions you have about their ability and go into every lesson knowing that they will succeed. When you expect the best, you get the best.
2. Teaching the Way YOU Liked to Learn
You may have heard from others, or experienced yourself, that certain types of teaching styles are more successful than others. I understand this firsthand. Those of us with a lesser ability to navigate the roads may need to look at a map to find our way. Other may not retain those directions until they have driven the route themselves. You might find that when you read something it doesn’t “stick”, but when you attend a lecture or have a friend explains it to you, everything becomes crystal clear. Everyone learns differently. Don’t expect that because you learned best when shown pictures, that the same is true for your child. Experiment with different styles of teaching and ask for your child’s input to help you figure out what works best for them.
3. Ignoring Classroom Management
-“I want the classroom to be a place where my child can explore and learn freely, I don’t want the rules to prevent them from exploring.”
-“I don’t need to go over the rules! My child is always well behaved.”
Parents think that because they have already established a discipline system in their home, with rules and consequences, that there is no need to come up with similar strategies for class time. Well they are wrong. Class time needs to be separated out from your regular at home activity. Rules and routines specific to the classroom need to be put in place so that it is clear for both the student and teacher what is acceptable during learning time. School rules and routines provide for maximum learning time, so don’t leave them out of your plans.
4. Teaching 1 Thing at a Time
When you plan your schedule for each day, do you break up your time by subject? Reading from 8-9, math from 9-10, etc. Of course you do, who doesn’t? This isn’t a bad way to schedule your time either, as long as you have a big picture in mind. Your child will be better able to retain all the subjects that you teach if they are interrelated. If you design units of study with a big picture or theme that applies to math, reading and science, they will retain more and have more fun in the process. For example: if you want your 7 year old to understand that animals have predictable lifecycles don’t just teach it during science time. Use books on the topic during reading. Teach multiplication using frog legs (5 frogs with 4 legs each…how many legs in all).
5. Teaching is Telling
This is a pretty basic mistake, but one that I still hear about all the time. Parents explain a something new to their student and don’t understand why it doesn’t “stick”. The simple answer is that teaching is not just telling. If you want to be a good teacher, as we all do, you need to learn a variety of ways to teach your child. There is hands-on learning, inquiry learning, visual aids, reciprocal teaching, and technology-based learning. I could go on and on with different ways of instructing that can improve your child’s learning, I have a great deal of training and experience in this area that I use on a daily basis in my own home, but the important thing is that you know that part of teaching is learning. You need to constantly be seeking out new techniques and tools to improve your skills. As you improve so will your child.
Research has shown that one of the greatest determining factors in a student’s performance is teacher expectation. This is no different for your homeschool student. You may think the world of your little angel, but every parent has their biases. Admit it. Maybe it has crossed your mind that while Bobby is a genius in math, he really struggles at reading. Perhaps Emma loves to read aloud, but she isn’t the best with numbers. Don’t feel bad, every parent has preconceived ideas about their child’s ability and you are no different. However, in order for your student to reach their full potential, it is imperative that you set aside any notions you have about their ability and go into every lesson knowing that they will succeed. When you expect the best, you get the best.
2. Teaching the Way YOU Liked to Learn
You may have heard from others, or experienced yourself, that certain types of teaching styles are more successful than others. I understand this firsthand. Those of us with a lesser ability to navigate the roads may need to look at a map to find our way. Other may not retain those directions until they have driven the route themselves. You might find that when you read something it doesn’t “stick”, but when you attend a lecture or have a friend explains it to you, everything becomes crystal clear. Everyone learns differently. Don’t expect that because you learned best when shown pictures, that the same is true for your child. Experiment with different styles of teaching and ask for your child’s input to help you figure out what works best for them.
3. Ignoring Classroom Management
-“I want the classroom to be a place where my child can explore and learn freely, I don’t want the rules to prevent them from exploring.”
-“I don’t need to go over the rules! My child is always well behaved.”
Parents think that because they have already established a discipline system in their home, with rules and consequences, that there is no need to come up with similar strategies for class time. Well they are wrong. Class time needs to be separated out from your regular at home activity. Rules and routines specific to the classroom need to be put in place so that it is clear for both the student and teacher what is acceptable during learning time. School rules and routines provide for maximum learning time, so don’t leave them out of your plans.
4. Teaching 1 Thing at a Time
When you plan your schedule for each day, do you break up your time by subject? Reading from 8-9, math from 9-10, etc. Of course you do, who doesn’t? This isn’t a bad way to schedule your time either, as long as you have a big picture in mind. Your child will be better able to retain all the subjects that you teach if they are interrelated. If you design units of study with a big picture or theme that applies to math, reading and science, they will retain more and have more fun in the process. For example: if you want your 7 year old to understand that animals have predictable lifecycles don’t just teach it during science time. Use books on the topic during reading. Teach multiplication using frog legs (5 frogs with 4 legs each…how many legs in all).
5. Teaching is Telling
This is a pretty basic mistake, but one that I still hear about all the time. Parents explain a something new to their student and don’t understand why it doesn’t “stick”. The simple answer is that teaching is not just telling. If you want to be a good teacher, as we all do, you need to learn a variety of ways to teach your child. There is hands-on learning, inquiry learning, visual aids, reciprocal teaching, and technology-based learning. I could go on and on with different ways of instructing that can improve your child’s learning, I have a great deal of training and experience in this area that I use on a daily basis in my own home, but the important thing is that you know that part of teaching is learning. You need to constantly be seeking out new techniques and tools to improve your skills. As you improve so will your child.
The Different Methods Of Home Schooling
There are a variety of methods that can be applied in the area of homeschooling. The method you select will have an impact on the curriculum and style of teaching. The following are some of the most popular homeschooling methods.
The Charlotte Mason method is named after Charlotte Mason, who is known as the originator of the homeschooling movement. She herself was a homeschooler, and she wanted to establish a basic plan for a complete and effective homeschooling program. The Charlotte Mason method emphasizes poetry, fine arts, classical music, crafts, and classical literature. This method is designed to encourage an awareness of literature and involves reading to the child every day. The child is then asked to tell what he or she has heard. This starts at the age of six. By the age of ten, the child is expected to write narrations in a book. Mason encouraged the use of nature diaries as well. The child writes observations of nature in the book as well. This creates a sense of respect for the environment in the child. Mason thought that good behavior and character were critical for a child's complete personality development.
The Eclectic Homeschooling method is a combination of several techniques. Innovative parents rely on their own judgment to select topics that make up the curriculum for their own child. These parents are always looking for the best products they can find to help them meet the needs of their home schoolers. Many of the curricula in this method are improvised. This means that, while the basic curriculum is established, parents change it to adapt to the individual needs and interests of their children. The curriculum is generally established according to the temperament, learning style, and interests of the children. These programs typically include visits to libraries, factories, and museums.
John Holt, a public educator in Boston, developed the 'unschooling' method. Holt believed that children learn best when they learn at their own pace and are guided by their own interests. He wanted to 'unschool' the child by requiring parents to take their cues from the children. This approach has no set curriculum, schedules, or materials. It is the most unstructured of the homeschooling techniques.
The Montessori method had its start in Italy. It was found that children go through extremely sensitive periods in which they experience periods of intense concentration. In these phases, children will repeat an action until they receive some measure of self-satisfaction from it. This method relies on prepared environments to facilitate learning. All materials utilized in this method are meant to satisfy the child's interior desire for spiritual development. Materials for this method range from simple to complex, and they are relatively costly.
Whatever method is selected, the underlying concept is flexibility and a strong interest in the child's own desires. The key is to use children's desire for knowledge to further their education.
The Charlotte Mason method is named after Charlotte Mason, who is known as the originator of the homeschooling movement. She herself was a homeschooler, and she wanted to establish a basic plan for a complete and effective homeschooling program. The Charlotte Mason method emphasizes poetry, fine arts, classical music, crafts, and classical literature. This method is designed to encourage an awareness of literature and involves reading to the child every day. The child is then asked to tell what he or she has heard. This starts at the age of six. By the age of ten, the child is expected to write narrations in a book. Mason encouraged the use of nature diaries as well. The child writes observations of nature in the book as well. This creates a sense of respect for the environment in the child. Mason thought that good behavior and character were critical for a child's complete personality development.
The Eclectic Homeschooling method is a combination of several techniques. Innovative parents rely on their own judgment to select topics that make up the curriculum for their own child. These parents are always looking for the best products they can find to help them meet the needs of their home schoolers. Many of the curricula in this method are improvised. This means that, while the basic curriculum is established, parents change it to adapt to the individual needs and interests of their children. The curriculum is generally established according to the temperament, learning style, and interests of the children. These programs typically include visits to libraries, factories, and museums.
John Holt, a public educator in Boston, developed the 'unschooling' method. Holt believed that children learn best when they learn at their own pace and are guided by their own interests. He wanted to 'unschool' the child by requiring parents to take their cues from the children. This approach has no set curriculum, schedules, or materials. It is the most unstructured of the homeschooling techniques.
The Montessori method had its start in Italy. It was found that children go through extremely sensitive periods in which they experience periods of intense concentration. In these phases, children will repeat an action until they receive some measure of self-satisfaction from it. This method relies on prepared environments to facilitate learning. All materials utilized in this method are meant to satisfy the child's interior desire for spiritual development. Materials for this method range from simple to complex, and they are relatively costly.
Whatever method is selected, the underlying concept is flexibility and a strong interest in the child's own desires. The key is to use children's desire for knowledge to further their education.
Homeschooling Becoming A Viable Alternative ?
Last year alone, more than one million children in the United States choose homeschooling over traditional education. This stunting figure was released according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Homeschooling is a recent development in education. Not that long ago, it was considered too radical by many education experts. Nowadays, it is legalized in every state and more than 1 million children has undergone homeschooling and I suspect many more parents are seriously considering homeschooling.
The interesting thing was what prompted such a change? There have been many recent surveys to suggest that parents are getting impatient and fed up with our public schooling system. It is seen as being superficial with no real-life skills being applied and taught.
Parents are also concerned about the negative publicity often portrayed in news. Examples are school students taking drugs in schools, abusing fellow students physically and even students bringing guns and knifes to school. Parents are concerned about the negative peer influence these students cause to their child.
Homeschooling offers an opportunity to end all that and allows parents to bring up their children in a natural and loving environment. I believe homeschooling is especially important in the early years of a child's development (between three to twelve years old) as this is the period where they are prone to negative influences and peer pressure and cannot differentiate what is right and what is wrong. Homeschooling helps to protect them from such negative influences.
Another benefit of homeschooling is an inevitable bond between the child and the parents. The parents and the child spends more time together forming an unique bond. The bond gets stronger as time passes and later you will find that you can connect with your child better than you never thought before.
Parents can also have better control over the kind of moral and religious beliefs a child should have. Parents can impart their moral values and beliefs to their child easily since they spend more time together.
So what's stopping parents from adopting homeschooling? For one thing, homeschooling requires a lot of time and money. For most families, both parents needs to be working full-time to support the family. Most homeschooling families I know of is dependent in one parent for the income. The other parent has to devote full-time in homeschooling the child. Therefore in some cases, it is not possible to adopt homeschooling unless you are financially stable.
The other interesting phenomena is that more and more homeschooling support groups are cropping up in your neighbourhood. They help to guide and support each other. Some homeschooling support groups have even gone online. If you do decide to go homeschooling, find a homeschooling support group in your area.
Homeschooling is a recent development in education. Not that long ago, it was considered too radical by many education experts. Nowadays, it is legalized in every state and more than 1 million children has undergone homeschooling and I suspect many more parents are seriously considering homeschooling.
The interesting thing was what prompted such a change? There have been many recent surveys to suggest that parents are getting impatient and fed up with our public schooling system. It is seen as being superficial with no real-life skills being applied and taught.
Parents are also concerned about the negative publicity often portrayed in news. Examples are school students taking drugs in schools, abusing fellow students physically and even students bringing guns and knifes to school. Parents are concerned about the negative peer influence these students cause to their child.
Homeschooling offers an opportunity to end all that and allows parents to bring up their children in a natural and loving environment. I believe homeschooling is especially important in the early years of a child's development (between three to twelve years old) as this is the period where they are prone to negative influences and peer pressure and cannot differentiate what is right and what is wrong. Homeschooling helps to protect them from such negative influences.
Another benefit of homeschooling is an inevitable bond between the child and the parents. The parents and the child spends more time together forming an unique bond. The bond gets stronger as time passes and later you will find that you can connect with your child better than you never thought before.
Parents can also have better control over the kind of moral and religious beliefs a child should have. Parents can impart their moral values and beliefs to their child easily since they spend more time together.
So what's stopping parents from adopting homeschooling? For one thing, homeschooling requires a lot of time and money. For most families, both parents needs to be working full-time to support the family. Most homeschooling families I know of is dependent in one parent for the income. The other parent has to devote full-time in homeschooling the child. Therefore in some cases, it is not possible to adopt homeschooling unless you are financially stable.
The other interesting phenomena is that more and more homeschooling support groups are cropping up in your neighbourhood. They help to guide and support each other. Some homeschooling support groups have even gone online. If you do decide to go homeschooling, find a homeschooling support group in your area.
Homeschooling (Home Education) And Teens : How To Survive !
The teenage years can be quite a challenge, however you decide to educate your child. If your child has been home educated for at least a few years before reaching adolescence, then they will probably be accustomed to the lifestyle. If you are lucky, your teenager will also have learnt how to educate themselves with support from you and others and will be reasonably self-motivated and confident in their abilities. But what if that doesn’t happen or if, for whatever reason, you decide to withdraw your child from school once they reach their teenage years? Many parents who approach me when they are in this situation feel they are in crisis and that there are many obstacles to their ensuring a suitable education for their child. This article identifies some of those challenges and explores how to move from crisis to opportunity.
What are the challenges and opportunities?
Changing responsibilities
Deciding to home educate your teenager changes the way you handle your responsibility to ensure that they receive a suitable education. Rather than delegating a large part of that responsibility to a school, you are now directly in control of all of it. Or are you? How do you do that when your teenager knows exactly what they do or don’t want to learn and it bears no resemblance to your ideas of what constitutes “an education”? What about if your teenager doesn’t appear to want to engage with anything? Parents in the latter situation have told me that this seems to be a normal reaction to stress. Many teenagers go through this when they are first removed from school as they need time to de-stress and find themselves again. A few may react in the opposite way and study manically, because they feel they “ought to” and will need additional encouragement to take a break for a while.
If you find your teenager happily occupied but in activities that you do not consider to be “educational” then I believe this is another one of those opportunities for us to reassess our perspectives as parents. What is “education?” What constitutes a “suitable education” for our child? If you question your own assumptions on this then you may well find that your beliefs stem from how you yourself were educated. Many parents equate gaining an education with gaining qualifications and exam success. Do you still want to hold those beliefs now? How have your ideas changed with the benefit of your experiences as an adult?
From my experience with working with many parents, the key here is to reassess your role as parent/educator/facilitator and keep the communication between the two of you going. Educate yourselves on learning styles and methods and broaden your horizons beyond what was expected by the schooling system. Above all, remember this is team work. Between the two of you, you will find a way to proceed which suits you both.
Battle of wills
One of the challenges of living with a teenager can be that they seem to be programmed to rebel! It’s at this point in their childhood when just about all our values and beliefs as parents can be put in the spotlight and questioned by them. Discussions can become heated and personal and may lead to large amounts of stress for all concerned. This can be tough enough to deal with when our teenagers are attending school and being supervised by others for a large part of the week. Once we are home educating them, however, the thought of spending much more time around them can seem very daunting to say the least!
The opportunities that can arise from these situations are many. Perhaps we ourselves haven’t examined our behaviour traits, beliefs and values for a while and having them highlighted is proving painful! Reassessing how we lead our lives can be a very enlightening and fruitful endeavour and may well lead to some positive and useful changes.
Whilst many teenagers may not be adept at communicating with compassion and respect, these are qualities we can model for them, once we let go of our immediate reactions to being challenged. When we are consistent in this approach, our children will learn these more acceptable and wholesome behaviours from us and they are much more likely to do so by interacting with someone who models the behaviour than just by being told that’s how they should conduct themselves.
We can use these time to develop our listening skills. When teenagers feel they are being heard, they are more likely to feel loved and respected. We can view this as an opportunity to strengthen or re-establish a bond of trust with our child and encourage their self-confidence.
Emotional and Physical Growth
Of course, at the same time as your teenager is engaged in learning and studying, they are experiencing marked growth both physically and emotionally. Just about any book on the psychology of learning will emphasise that your emotional state is critical for you to learn effectively. This is something many of us will have experienced as adults. Our teenagers may not be sufficiently self-aware to acknowledge or understand all of their feelings and physical strengths and weaknesses. This is another opportunity for us to aid them with their self-awareness and to model it ourselves. By cultivating self-awareness and self-motivation in yourself and in them, you will help them to empower themselves.
Conclusion
The prospect of home educating a teenager can seem daunting and indeed there may be many challenges we are asked to face. The opportunities are the learning experiences embedded in those challenges. For those who choose to embrace those challenges, the rewards will be the emergence of a happy, self-confident and well-adjusted teenager, whatever!
Further Reading
Unqualified Education. A Guide to Learning at Home for 11-18 year olds.
The Teenage Liberation Handbook. Grace Llewellyn
Parent-Teen Breakthrough. The Relationship Approach. Mira Kirshenbaum and Charles Foster
Non-violent Communication. Marshall Rosenburg
Listening to our Children.
Free-Range Education and it’s Lessons for the Adults.
What are the challenges and opportunities?
Changing responsibilities
Deciding to home educate your teenager changes the way you handle your responsibility to ensure that they receive a suitable education. Rather than delegating a large part of that responsibility to a school, you are now directly in control of all of it. Or are you? How do you do that when your teenager knows exactly what they do or don’t want to learn and it bears no resemblance to your ideas of what constitutes “an education”? What about if your teenager doesn’t appear to want to engage with anything? Parents in the latter situation have told me that this seems to be a normal reaction to stress. Many teenagers go through this when they are first removed from school as they need time to de-stress and find themselves again. A few may react in the opposite way and study manically, because they feel they “ought to” and will need additional encouragement to take a break for a while.
If you find your teenager happily occupied but in activities that you do not consider to be “educational” then I believe this is another one of those opportunities for us to reassess our perspectives as parents. What is “education?” What constitutes a “suitable education” for our child? If you question your own assumptions on this then you may well find that your beliefs stem from how you yourself were educated. Many parents equate gaining an education with gaining qualifications and exam success. Do you still want to hold those beliefs now? How have your ideas changed with the benefit of your experiences as an adult?
From my experience with working with many parents, the key here is to reassess your role as parent/educator/facilitator and keep the communication between the two of you going. Educate yourselves on learning styles and methods and broaden your horizons beyond what was expected by the schooling system. Above all, remember this is team work. Between the two of you, you will find a way to proceed which suits you both.
Battle of wills
One of the challenges of living with a teenager can be that they seem to be programmed to rebel! It’s at this point in their childhood when just about all our values and beliefs as parents can be put in the spotlight and questioned by them. Discussions can become heated and personal and may lead to large amounts of stress for all concerned. This can be tough enough to deal with when our teenagers are attending school and being supervised by others for a large part of the week. Once we are home educating them, however, the thought of spending much more time around them can seem very daunting to say the least!
The opportunities that can arise from these situations are many. Perhaps we ourselves haven’t examined our behaviour traits, beliefs and values for a while and having them highlighted is proving painful! Reassessing how we lead our lives can be a very enlightening and fruitful endeavour and may well lead to some positive and useful changes.
Whilst many teenagers may not be adept at communicating with compassion and respect, these are qualities we can model for them, once we let go of our immediate reactions to being challenged. When we are consistent in this approach, our children will learn these more acceptable and wholesome behaviours from us and they are much more likely to do so by interacting with someone who models the behaviour than just by being told that’s how they should conduct themselves.
We can use these time to develop our listening skills. When teenagers feel they are being heard, they are more likely to feel loved and respected. We can view this as an opportunity to strengthen or re-establish a bond of trust with our child and encourage their self-confidence.
Emotional and Physical Growth
Of course, at the same time as your teenager is engaged in learning and studying, they are experiencing marked growth both physically and emotionally. Just about any book on the psychology of learning will emphasise that your emotional state is critical for you to learn effectively. This is something many of us will have experienced as adults. Our teenagers may not be sufficiently self-aware to acknowledge or understand all of their feelings and physical strengths and weaknesses. This is another opportunity for us to aid them with their self-awareness and to model it ourselves. By cultivating self-awareness and self-motivation in yourself and in them, you will help them to empower themselves.
Conclusion
The prospect of home educating a teenager can seem daunting and indeed there may be many challenges we are asked to face. The opportunities are the learning experiences embedded in those challenges. For those who choose to embrace those challenges, the rewards will be the emergence of a happy, self-confident and well-adjusted teenager, whatever!
Further Reading
Unqualified Education. A Guide to Learning at Home for 11-18 year olds.
The Teenage Liberation Handbook. Grace Llewellyn
Parent-Teen Breakthrough. The Relationship Approach. Mira Kirshenbaum and Charles Foster
Non-violent Communication. Marshall Rosenburg
Listening to our Children.
Free-Range Education and it’s Lessons for the Adults.
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