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November 1, 2002
The Home School Dilemma
By Paula Swanson
Is it possible to educate a student at home so he or she is prepared to meet the challenges of the digital age?
According to an article reporting the trends of home school statistics, there may be as many as two million children being educated at home. As home schooling gains widespread acceptance as a means of educating children, this phenomenon is expected to increase as much as 15%-20% per year.
In the last ten years, the requirements for educating students have been evolving, and currently a well-rounded education demands skills that may be nearly impossible to posses in a home environment. Computers and the Internet are changing the way that knowledge is transmitted, processed and disseminated. The current social and economic environment requires a new way of thinking, but even licensed teachers are having difficulty implementing technology in the classroom to augment and enhance curriculum. So common sense would dictate that home school parents endeavoring to teach a child the core curricular components will have difficulty acquiring the skills and abilities that have so far been elusive to the teaching profession as a whole. The need for collaboration among learners, and other requirements of a digital curriculum, mean that a person providing instruction must be an expert in many programs and understand how and when to use technology in order to prepare students for the 21st century.
Many home school students are taking advantage of distance learning opportunities for core curricular classes, but a large majority are not learning the technology skills that will help them be competitive in this digital economy. According to national statistics, 41% of all home schooled 11th graders never use a computer in the process of their education, and 29% only use the computer once a week. These students are completing their education and will presumably take two courses of action: enter the job market or apply to college. They will face dismal job opportunities if they have no knowledge of any computer application programs or know how to acquire that information. Local universities and colleges no longer publish their course guides in paper format. This information must now be attained on-line. In addition, many classes are web assisted, and at the very least will require that the student be able to do research using the Internet, and write papers using a word processing program. Whether bound for college or the job market, computer skills and the ability to think in digital and global terms are a must for survival.
It is important that we first recognize some needs: the need for increased learning opportunities, the need for access to more information, and the need to develop well-rounded individuals who will be prepared academically to face the challenges of the technology age. By including technology, as a component of well-balanced K-12 program students will develop problem-solving strategies, become effective communicators, and life long learners. By using technology, parents and home school leaders will become more effective in facilitating communication with parents and stakeholders, while better managing the learning environment. The Internet is an excellent avenue for sharing and cultivating many resources.
While it is recognized that technology as a whole is not the answer to problems encountered, the use of technology empowers new solutions. It is the learning environment that transforms student learning, creating an opportunity to reach beyond the linear thought process to create actively engaged, digital thinkers, who are capable of organizing and analyzing information.
It is imperative that parents consider long-range goals and develop a technology vision that can easily and practically be assimilated in today's environment. Finally, and most importantly, the technology plan must be connected to improved learning outcomes and be adequately assessed using the curriculum standards and established benchmarks for authentic learning.
The most important benefit of educating a student in a technology rich environment is to create students who are:
- Engaged learners-responsible for their own learning, energized by learning, strategic and collaborative.
- Digital thinkers-understand when and how to use technology for problem solving.
It is the goal of the educator, whether parent or teacher, to empower students with the ability to think creatively, deeply, and globally. Narrow linear thinking is no longer rewarded in the economic market. Workers are given projects to complete by given deadlines. They must work with others collaboratively towards a commonly defined goal and must be able to determine when and how technology plays a part in completing the project. They must be able to learn and incorporate application programs, the resources of the Internet and Intranet, and most importantly, communicate their ideas given the multi-media platforms of the day. There is not one profession that will not be re-defined in the next ten years in the context of emerging technologies. It is for this environment that we must prepare our children.
Email: Paula Swanson
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