If your children do online classes

[Danestress]

can you give me a picture of what I need to think about in practical terms?

 

Do your children each have access to a different computer?

 

Where do they work? In their rooms? At the kitchen table? What would make a "great work space" in their minds?

 

Do they keep day planners? How do you help them keep track of their work?

 

Do you check assignments before they turn them in/email them? Are you tempted to just sort of make sure they are adequate before they are graded?

 

Next year my 8th graders will have one local class (HS Latin II) and two online classes. I anticipate it will be more as time goes on.

[Jenny in Florida]

Do your children each have access to a different computer?

 

At the moment, I have only one at home. However, when they were both here and doing online work, yes, they each had access to a computer that was "theirs."

 

Where do they work? In their rooms? At the kitchen table? What would make a "great work space" in their minds?

 

We use the fourth bedroom as our office/schoolroom. Each person has a desk or table, and the computers are on those. When my daughter was still homeschooling, she used to like to take her laptop out onto the patio or couch sometimes. My son occasionally uses his laptop on the couch if he's not feeling good but still has enough energy to do school.

 

Do they keep day planners? How do you help them keep track of their work?

 

We've used Florida Virtual School for all of the kids' online stuff. FLVS has a pace chart for each course showing which assignments should be completed in each week of enrollment. I usually print those out and put them in a binder so we can check as necessary. However, at this point, my son is pretty self-sufficient about it. He gets online at the beginning of each week and roughs out on his whiteboard which assignments to do for each class each day.

 

I have a parent account with FLVS. So, when I remember to do it (or I have doubts that my son is on track), I log in and look at his submissions and grades.

 

Do you check assignments before they turn them in/email them? Are you tempted to just sort of make sure they are adequate before they are graded?

 

The first year each of them did FLVS, I did check things now and then. And my son had one course a couple of years ago that he didn't seem to be able (or willing?) to follow unless I read over things with him. So, we would each sit at our computers (which are next to each other) and take turns reading through the lesson material. Once he got to the assignment, though, he was on his own.

 

He asks for help with something now and then, either because he doesn't quite get something in the lesson or because he's stuck on an assignment. But, as I said, he mostly does his own thing.

 

Edit, in case it's of interest: This year, my son is taking 8th grade Language Arts, 8th grade American history, Liberal Arts Math and Earth-Space Science with FLVS. I've mentioned elsewhere that he may not be signing up for the second segment of the history class, because he hates it.

 

Next year, the plan is for him to take Biology, World History and Spanish I with FLVS.

Edited March 2, 2011 by Jenny in Florida

[FloridaLisa]

can you give me a picture of what I need to think about in practical terms?

 

Do your children each have access to a different computer? Where do they work? In their rooms? At the kitchen table? What would make a "great work space" in their minds?

 

 

In middle school no, but we get each dc a laptop in 9th grade. Dd works in her room. Ds sometimes works in his room, but his efficiency skyrockets when he works at the dining room table downstairs. ;)

 

 

Do they keep day planners? How do you help them keep track of their work?

 

Dd does. Ds2 and ds3 just plug along and keep on track. They print out 2 copies of the syllabus at the beginning of the year, put one in their notebooks and give the other to me.

 

Do you check assignments before they turn them in/email them? Are you tempted to just sort of make sure they are adequate before they are graded?

 

No. I've not done this for any of my oldest four.

 

HTH,

Lisa

[ilovemy4kids]

can you give me a picture of what I need to think about in practical terms?

 

Do your children each have access to a different computer?.

 

yes

 

Where do they work? In their rooms? At the kitchen table? What would make a "great work space" in their minds?.

 

In our "schoolroom" It's really a living room, but we only have a large table, my big corner desk, their Target purchased desks, books, a lizard, etc.... It's great for us! It's also where I sew.

 

Do they keep day planners? How do you help them keep track of their work?.

 

Yes, 9th grader uses MFW so everything is in that planner, we put ALL subjects in it.... very convienient. they have it set up so that there are extra grids for everything you could want to add. LOVE IT

 

Yes, my 7th grader uses the large secondary planner from www.godswordintime.com for everything.

 

All extracurriculars, everything is in their planners....just like an adult with a day timer.

 

Do you check assignments before they turn them in/email them? Are you tempted to just sort of make sure they are adequate before they are graded?.

 

Science online live classes with redwagon tutorials.com.... I check study guides, and lab notebooks. They turn in formal lab reports to Mr R, and tests are taken online

 

Writeathome - Nope, I don't do anything....they are taking the classes and the teachers are great!

 

With Science I was tempted to make sure on tests, but decided if I did, would they really have "earned" the grade? Plus, what would I be teaching them? Not something I wanted to do.

 

Next year my 8th graders will have one local class (HS Latin II) and two online classes. I anticipate it will be more as time goes on.

 

My 8th next year will have online:

writeathome

science

possibly french

[choirfarm]

I only have one child taking an online class at the moment. We have one home computer that is in a public place. This paticular child is VERY organized and a checklist kind of guy. He printed out the syllabus and keeps track of everything himself. I check several times a week on the spreadsheet ( the class is AP Stats) to make sure he is keeping track. This was his first AP class and his first online class. The question set part of the tests he was having a hard time with, but I let him flounder for awhile. Finally on one test he got a 14 out of 40, so I stepped in. I made him redo the test neatly. He wasn't answering completely at all ( MOm, this is math not English:glare:) I had him do the practice tests and show them to me. Now, I have absolutely NO idea what the math means or if he is doing it correctly. I just looked those over to make sure he had made a good effort. After that, he was back to doing it on his own. He discovered that doing those practice tests made a difference. In fact, he could tell on the questions sets whether he had just tried one test of all of them. There was a correlation ( though it may not have been statistically valid.:001_smile:) Anyway, he made a 39 out of 40 on his last practice set. :) He just turned in a big project. He worked on it well ahead of time. I asked if he wanted me to look it over, and he said no. I hope he did well.

 

So for us, this year has been a learning year. I only stepped in when he really floundered and then I stepped back out. He likes to work in the study. I give him the test and make sure that he only has his calculator, paper and the sheets he is allowed for the exam. That's it. He submits everything and does everything himself.

 

It has been hard. Like on the last test. We were moving my husband's grandmother to the nursing home. Well, the instructor allowed him to take the test a little bit late. He worked his tail

off the week before and did all of the practice exams. He was SO ready to take the mulitple choice part on that Thursday, but he wanted to wait until after the weekend. Are you sure? Yes. Well, he took it Monday after not having looked at it at all over the very crazy moving weekend. He made a 73 on the multilple choice part. I bet he would have done better taking it on Thursday. Now, the next day he got the 39 out of 40 on the question set because his work paid off and he looked everything back over. But that was a learning part for him. It has been a really good class for him and he's learned a ton of skills this year...some the hard way!!

 

Christine

Edited March 2, 2011 by choirfarm

[Jann in TX]

I teach math online. Here are some of my personal preferences and observations:

 

Students pay more attention to the lesson when siblings are not practicing piano/talking/playing in the same room.

 

As long as the student has access to a distraction free area, I don't think it matters if the student has their 'own' computer or if they use a family computer.

 

I prefer that the student grade their own homework so they can correct missed problems as soon as possible--or e-mail questions to me as soon as possible. I really like the parents to double check that assignments are completed (especially at the Pre-Algebra/Algebra 1 level)-- and to make sure assignments are turned in on time and in proper format. It is fine for parents to grade the assignment WITH the student-- but the students will learn more if they grade their own (from my personal experience)--they are more likely to see/learn the types of errors they make most often...

 

I prefer/suggest that student keep a planner/notebook to write down assignments and due-dates in--I also suggest that all assignments are kept together and copies of tests (or originals) are kept in a folder. Again I like it when parents provide some accountability for this notebook.

[MtnTeaching]

My ds is an 8th grader this year and is currently taking his very first online class. It is an expository essay class and he has assignments pretty much every day. Since this is his first class like this - I am having him do all of his writing in WORD first and then we discuss it before he sends it in. Not so much me correcting him, more of a thoughts/organization discussion (his weakness).

 

He has his own laptop and is as we speak, lying on his belly working on it in his room. He just sent me an attachment of his work via e-mail. As he progresses with his online classes, I will step back more and more. It will be his responsibility to schedule the work and to get it done correctly.

 

We use OneNote for all of our scheduling. I make the schedule of the week's required work and e-mail it to him on Sunday afternoon. He works from this and includes any assignments from the online course and his Friday co-op type classes.

 

He has also learned to use OneNote for notetaking, research and website information. We both love this program.

[2cents]

Mine take FLVS Spanish. Since both do it and are in the same class, we watch the lesson on the big TV via computer and they each do their interactives and assignments on their laptops in the same room. Sometimes I check their submissions (if they have questions) but I urge them to be independent since they have a FLVS instructor. I routinely check their pace and grades via my parent account.

[Stacy in NJ]

It depend on the online school. We're using Potter's school and their site provides a full calendar with due dates for assignments and examples of completed assignments like lab reports and PP research projects. They also provide a detailed syllabus. We keep a big calendar on the frig and write down due dates. I do function as a quality control agent, giving assignments the eyeball to make sure they were completed adequately, that directions where followed. I don't correct work, but I do have ds re-do stuff before handing in if necessary. I'd do this if he were in a public school, too. I also breakdown and schedule out his daily assignments and write them down on our schedule.

 

He has his own laptop and does his class and assignments on it. He moves around with it. Sometimes he's in the kitchen, sometimes at his desk in his bedroom. Whatever's convenient.

[Danestress]

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[Danestress]

You all have been so helpful.

 

If your child has access to a computer that is his or her "own," how do you monitor it's use? Do you have parental controls? Track use?

 

We actually have nothing on our computer - no filters. But we just have one and it's in a public room. I think if we go to individual computers, I need to think about these things.

[2cents]

We monitor and limit access. Haven't installed parental controls (other than limiting the browsing, no nanny programs).

[ilovemy4kids]

You all have been so helpful.

 

If your child has access to a computer that is his or her "own," how do you monitor it's use? Do you have parental controls? Track use?

 

We actually have nothing on our computer - no filters. But we just have one and it's in a public room. I think if we go to individual computers, I need to think about these things.

 

When we had only one computer, we didn't, but should have.

 

Now everyone has their own computer and we do use filters etc... We use covenant eyes on all, including the adults.

 

I can't stress the importance of this. Ad's that pop up on otherwise perfectly wonderful research sites, can sometimes be for something completely different. An ad someone clicked on here, while I was watching, was for an animal planet type website.... it was XXX "animal" behavior by humans. UGH! So we have software now. So worth every penny!

 

Sandra

[debbiec]

Do your children each have access to a different computer? yes. We have a desktop that I and younger child uses. High school son has a laptop.

 

Where do they work? On the kitchen table. When I have let ds do a class in his room, I have happened upon him internet searching during a class, reading a book, or working on homework for another class. I did not think it would be a problem going into this, and it was something we had to work out and now it's kitchen table...always.

 

Do they keep day planners? We have had planner problems here. Each kid is different. So....

 

How do you help them keep track of their work? on a large dry erase board. He writes his schedule for the day of has to be completed. He needs something he cannot easily misplace (paper/planner). You have to find out what works for your kid. Having him do it MY way did not work for him. (I keep an internet planner which would never work for him).

 

Do you check assignments before they turn them in/email them? I should, but don't always. I glance over them to make sure he DID them, but I don't go over the quality of it.

 

Parent controls ~ if you have boys, get it on your home computers. I have yet to meet a parent of a boy that their ds did not have some trouble with the internet. There are free parental controls available on-line.

 

On-line classes we have done ~

1. Veritas Scholar's Academy

2. PA Homeschoolers

[Josie]

Each child has their own laptop.

 

They work in separate spaces. Oldest works in her office space in her room. She has a large table and two books shelves for her school stuff. Youngest works in school room. I usually run back and forth to either help or just make sure they are on task. Their computers are set so they can't access the Internet from 9:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. and we use fairly stringent filters. They can still access Word, Excel, Access, etc. even after 9:00.

 

With the youngest I direct her entire school experience as far as making sure she does what she needs to do. I explain why we do things, but I am in charge, so to speak.

 

With the oldest I supervise, but do not direct, what she does. Has she made mistakes? Yes, and she learns from them and deals with the consequences. Has she done the incorrect math assignment? Yes. Has she failed to take a quiz for one of her online classes? Yes, and she got an "f" that will now be averaged into her grade. Did I remind her to take all the quizzes and check her assignments? Yes. Every day or two I get on her online class site and make note of what she needs to do. I then gently guide/remind her of things, but I don't dictate. In a few very short time she will expected to do it all by herself at college. I want her to know how to do it and to understand the consequences of not doing it before she gets to college. She does often ask me my opinion on what she should do next. I gladly offer my advice and she usually takes it. I also tell her why I would do it this way versus another way. Here I am trying to teach her how to prioritize and, for example, understand that you can't do language or math all at once and expect to gain the optimal benefit.

 

I usually don't go over her assignments before she turns them. I want her to take responsibility for her work. The most I do is tell her that she needs to work on the inrto and closing paragraph on an essay or needs to show all of her work and use the formulas in the math assignment.

 

I bought my oldest a planner, but she doesn't use it. She prefers to write things down as a list on paper. I will work on using the planner though becuase I think it will help her not miss deadlines.

 

I believe that teens need to learn to manage time, organize work, and prioritize before college or they will be at a distinct disadvantage. When she makes a mistake she deals with the consequences. I don't rush in to fix it. I also make her make contact with her teachers if issues arise. I also explain to her that even if she doesn't like a teacher or a book that it doesn't change the fact that she still has to do what is required in the class as long as it isn't against laws of God or the U.S. This is called life.

 

So there you have it. ;)

Edited March 8, 2011 by Josie

[Jenny in Florida]

If your child has access to a computer that is his or her "own," how do you monitor it's use? Do you have parental controls? Track use?

 

We don't have any significant controls on my son's computer, but it lives in our office/schoolroom. So, although he theoretically has free access to it, it's not in a private place. And we have made it clear that we, the parents, always have the right to check the history and see where he's been going.

 

Thus far, it hasn't been a problem. It never was with our daughter, either.

[SweetBean]

can you give me a picture of what I need to think about in practical terms?

 

Do your children each have access to a different computer? My DS, 7th grade, and DD (10th grade) are taking a few on-line classes through the Potter's School. We have three computers. They use the two PCs that are in the kitchen/family room. I also have a lap-top. Everyone has their own password protected user on each computer, and they are on a family network as well. This enables anyone to sit down on any computer, sign into their own user, and access their files, regardless of which computer the files are on.

 

Where do they work? In their rooms? At the kitchen table? What would make a "great work space" in their minds? Kitchen/Family room when they working on the computer. DD is occasionally allowed to take the lap-top to her room if she needs more quiet.

 

Do they keep day planners? How do you help them keep track of their work? They keep track or their own assignments, and are responsible for handing things in on time. I do have to proctor tests.

 

Do you check assignments before they turn them in/email them? Are you tempted to just sort of make sure they are adequate before they are graded? I do not check their work prior to handing it in. I want them to develop Independence, and be accountable to someone else, not just me. This has worked very well for both of our kids. They earnestly try their hardest. If they didn't I probably wouldn't sign them up for another class next year.

 

Next year my 8th graders will have one local class (HS Latin II) and two on-line classes. I anticipate it will be more as time goes on.

 

 

You all have been so helpful.

 

If your child has access to a computer that is his or her "own," how do you monitor it's use? Do you have parental controls? Track use? In addition to having the computers in a public area, we also have Norton Parental Controls installed on all of the computers. It allows me to very individually set controls for each child. I can permit or block individual web-sites, or whole categories. I can also set curfews and time limits, as well as check their internet history (This is through their web-site, and can't be deleted by the user.) It doesn't interfere with the functioning of our computers the way Net Nanny and Cyber Sitter did. It is also free. :001_smile: Ithttps://onlinefamily.norton.com/familysafety/loginStart.fs

 

We actually have nothing on our computer - no filters. But we just have one and it's in a public room. I think if we go to individual computers, I need to think about these things.

:001_smile:

[Tarreymere]

We have a desktop in the kitchen and one in the living room. We also have two laptops. Obviously we have wireless internet and a family network. The only person allowed to take a laptop into a bedroom is the 19 year old still at home because he is the only one we absolutely trust not to destroy the laptop and of course he is an adult. Also, I know that not as much actual work gets done when I am not in line of sight.....

 

The desktops are stationary but the laptops are mostly used in the same areas. I have one laptop stand that gets mostly used at the couch. They seem to go mostly between the kitchen table and the ottoman in the living room right now to do work. Later on it will be more of the laptop on the patio. A big thing to consider is the use of headphones to keep the noise levels down. The online classes are better with headphones with a microphone rather than a stand alone microphone or a built in microphone on a laptop because it seems that less room noise is transmitted when the child speaks on the microphone.

 

We would like to have at least one laptop per child because this would make life a lot easier, but what we have works out. No one NEEDS to be online all day long. I look at who needs to be online when and who needs to be online to do what to decide who gets the computer or which computer. For example, a child with a scheduled online class obviously has priority over a child who needs to do Study Island, who has priority over one who wants to review math facts by playing educational math games who has priority over the one who wants to watch a documentary on Netflix. Do not even approach me about needing to check your email if all of the computers are being used for school stuff!

 

I have a whiteboard that I try to keep all of the scheduled things on to keep track of to help me plan or at least to remind the child of. I do look over some assignments before they are turned in but I am trying not to do that with everything. I am also not supervising every study session or study island session since I can see the scores anyway with the parental review function and if the child performs poorly without my coaching I want to know about it.

 

I try to encourage self-management of schedules as much as possible, starting with allowing a child to choose in what order subjects are covered in a given day(given the limits of needing to do certain things WITH me, which I necessarily have to dictate a time for that I am available) to allowing the child to choose in what order a week's worth of work is done. If work doesn't get done then it is back to being under my control. I do help them with learning to be organized and give them ideas to help them learn to plan.

[KAR120C]

One thing I've learned from DS's online class experience is that there are little things you end up downloading or installing to do the classes - course packs and syllabi, or widgets for inserting accents in text, or software to handle the classroom interaction... It is an excellent idea to install all of that on two computers. And for one of those to be a laptop with wireless.

 

One of two things will invariably happen at the worst possible time. Either the main computer will crash just before (a. class, b. major project due, c. exam), and having a backup of everything will let you handle it more seamlessly. My favorite was with one class DS does he needs a webcam... and the webcam software itself kept crashing his computer. So halfway through class the whole computer would just die. ARGH! He uses my laptop for that one now. The second thing that will happen is that you'll realize that the one day you can't miss will also be the day you're stuck (a. at the airport, b. at a relative's house, c. in between vital errands you can't possibly miss either) and if you can do the class from a laptop, instead of having to get to your house at the appointed time you can just find a Starbucks. Not ideal on a regular basis... but better than nothing.

 

For the rest of your questions I think my answers are pretty much in line with what has already been said. DS uses a family computer in a public area, he uses a day planner and/or google calendar to keep track of things. I peek at his list and make sure he's on track, make suggestions for more efficient work, etc. I do check some of his work... depending on how he's doing in general. I read through his Spanish but not his Latin (I don't speak Latin anyway), and when he did online math I took a look at that too. He generally doesn't need help with content, but I can catch some of the "silly mistake"/ "are you sure you read the question right" type problems.

[J-rap]

I have two high-schoolers taking online courses (one is taking 3, the other is taking 2). I got one laptop for the two of them to share, but the one taking 3 needs it so much, that my other one generally uses our family computer instead. The schools they are doing it through provide a great online account for them, with clear lesson plans, schedules, timelines for assignments, etc. I am not very involved in their online courses, although I do have access to their assignment progress chart, and make sure they're keeping up with everything. I check it about once/week.