If you homeschooled without a computer, what would you do?

[Sahamamama]

I've been thinking about this thread ALL DAY. :glare: Seriously.

 

I was taking the laundry out of the washer to put into the dryer, and all I could think about was:

 

 

1. My grandmother didn't have a dryer at all. The clothesline worked just fine.
   
2. My great-grandmother didn't have a washer at all. The wash tub worked just fine.
   

 

And that kept bringing me back to the OP's comment about HSing in the 90s -- "We did NOT print." :001_huh:

 

I mean, I am still wrapping my head around that, and the fact that I remember the computers people had (maybe) in the 80s and 90s. Remember that little blinking orange square on the black screen? :tongue_smilie:

 

So, what WAS homeschooling like -- not just before the INTERNET -- but what was it like BEFORE COMPUTERS?

 

:bigear: If you had to homeschool completely without a computer, what would you do?

[veggiegal]

Live at the library. :D

[chiguirre]

:bigear: If you had to homeschool completely without a computer, what would you do?

 

I'd buy Calvert and follow it without tweaking.

[aggieamy]

Buy Sonlight and spend a lot of time at the library. I don't think I'd be able to provide as good an education and I do with the internet. I know the quality of books has improved since I started reading reviews and getting more reommendations. I don't know how I'd do that without the internet.

[black_midori]

Pick from a much smaller selection of potential programs & not tweak nearly as much. Get lots of things at the library and hopefully interact much more face to face with other homeschoolers for their ideas.

 

Really, the main thing I use the computer for in homeschooling is researching what books & curricula to get!! :)

 

The only actual classes that we do on the computer are Rosetta Stone Spanish (I'd likely use a Spanish DVD or books) - and computer programming & typing (which we wouldn't need!!).

[missmoe]

I started out homeschooling without a computer. I used books that I bought! (imagine that--;)) The internet changed things in that I could research different curriculum. When I started out, I learned about curriculums from what was available at the local homeschool store. We used Saxon math because I didn't know about anything different. I bought the homeschool all in one workbook at the local Kmart, and we worked throught that to cover all our bases. The orginal TWTM blew my mind!--as did the orginal WTM board! So many choices available--who knew?!

 

Recently, I have homeschooled without the internet. Three years ago we didn't have internet due to financial reasons. We spent one afternoon a week at the library and had internet access there. We checked out tons of books each week. I would usually sneak off once a week to a coffee shop to use the internet, but my time was limited to the time I had until my laptop died.

[Ester Maria]

I would waste considerably less time online, for starters. :D

 

However, I would also not have all the great resources that we use and that are online. I would have to rely almost exclusively on my own knowledge and understanding of things, which would mean it would have to be fairly strong. Lots of plain-text work, less distractions, better concentration. I would not tweak nearly as much, the kids would have to adapt more rather than be adapted to more. Same goes for me.

 

Lots of library time and investing into a high quality family library.

[Mommyfaithe]

When we started homeschooling we did not have a computer...and I don't think ere was Internet available to regular people. :D

 

My oldest used books...lot of them....we used the library a lot. We somehow survived.

 

Faithe

[FO4UR]

I would waste considerably less time online, for starters. :D

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

I would have TWTM, CM's books, a Rainbow Resource catalogue...and we would get along just fine.

 

I would get lonely for fellowship with other HS moms. Sometimes just hearing the banter on this board is comforting after a long day of HSing (and night of ignoring the mess from the long day of HSing).

[tricia]

Live at the library. :D

 

 

Me too!

[TxMama]

Hs'ing in the 90's...

 

You met hs'ers at the library. They were the people at the library in the middle of the day with the KONOS vol. searching for the books you wanted.

 

Park days were a BIG DEAL. I miss park days. A weekly park day and a monthly field trip was all we needed.

 

Nobody was trying to figure out how to hs in 3 days because of multiple outside commitments.

 

Less distractions. Period.

 

Somehow we managed to hs our kids without 3 LA programs or trying to merge two completely different math programs.

 

If I didn't know the answer to a question, instead of google, I would look for the answer at the library.

 

Computers and the internet are a nice addition to homeschooling but not essential. We would get along just fine without it. Sometimes I feel that the internet and computer is too much of a distraction. Occasionally we have internet free months just to get back on track.

[threelilbirds]

Prolly be much less confused than I am about all of the choices out there, TBH..:confused:

[Ellie]

We started hsing in 1982. "Computers" consisted of Commodor Vic 20 and 9-pin printers. :-)

 

I can't imagine homeschooling *with* computers. They seem superfluous to me. :001_smile:

[Ellie]

Buy Sonlight and spend a lot of time at the library. I don't think I'd be able to provide as good an education and I do with the internet. I know the quality of books has improved since I started reading reviews and getting more reommendations. I don't know how I'd do that without the internet.

And yet people managed to be educated long before computers, didn't they? Think about it. :001_smile:

[Ellie]

In answer to your question: :D

 

We just used, you know, books. We went to the library weekly, so if I wanted to research anything, I did it at that time. No biggie. Have you *seen* the stuff in there? :lol:

 

We shared things we learned with each other at park days, or on the telephone. Eventually there were homeschool magazines, and Mary Pride and Cathy Duffy, who reviewed *everything.* And conventions, with lots of workshops by people who didn't sell a product or hadn't written a book, and exhibit halls with lots of cool stuff to look at.

 

If I were homeschooling again, I'd probably still use KONOS, and Spalding. :001_smile:

[Lara in Colo]

Unfortunately, my library is getting rid of a lot of stuff!!!

 

But I think we would do fine w/o the internet, sometimes the amount of different stuff is mind boggling. Right now I am trying to find a way to teach 6-7th grade math online, yet desperately wanting to afford TT and just get on with it already.

 

Plus the internet is 50+ dollars a month--I can buy a lot of books for that!!

[nov05mama]

I would waste considerably less time online, for starters. :D

 

However, I would also not have all the great resources that we use and that are online. I would have to rely almost exclusively on my own knowledge and understanding of things, which would mean it would have to be fairly strong. Lots of plain-text work, less distractions, better concentration. I would not tweak nearly as much, the kids would have to adapt more rather than be adapted to more. Same goes for me.

 

Lots of library time and investing into a high quality family library.

 

:iagree: In some ways, it would be better...

A) I wouldn't be online nearly as much...it's my vice.

B) I wouldn't be as 'tempted' by curriculum threads like I am on here (curriculum junkie)

C) it would almost 'force' us to dig for the info if we needed to find it, instead of relying on 'oh, we can look that up' convenience.

 

We spend ample time at the library as it is (we are there at least once a week, if not more) so it would result in MORE library time I am sure. As far as curriculum goes, I doubt anything would change there, but I also don't rely on much needing to be printed anymore, which could always change.

 

I really do want to get to a point where I, personally, don't even log onto the computer for several days...as it is, I am here in short intervals all throughout the day...:glare:

[Hunter]

I read EVERY word of EVERY catalog. We ordered the catalogs by phone, from lists in the back of homeschooling books. Nothing was discounted. There were no free shipping coupons.

 

We FINISHED books instead of curriculum hopping. American School was a popular high school option.

 

There were no park days, field trips or conventions for us. I couldn't afford the gas and fees. We were truly on our own, except for contact with one other family. We went to Plimoth Plantation a LOT because it was free for us. It was a great place to use The Handbook of Nature Study.

 

And everyone owned this

Edited July 28, 2011 by Hunter

[Joyofsixreboot]

:iagree:

 

 

I would get lonely for fellowship with other HS moms. Sometimes just hearing the banter on this board is comforting after a long day of HSing (and night of ignoring the mess from the long day of HSing).

 

My kids would be fine. I might lose my mind.

[8filltheheart]

I would waste considerably less time online, for starters. :D

.

 

:iagree:

 

I did start homeschooling before home computers were normal. I had to be incredibly organized b/c photocopiers weren't normal either. I had to go to a printers to get things copied! I had to have every needed resource on hand b/c I couldn't just look it up on the internet. Even when we had a computer, the internet wasn't what it is today.

 

But most of all, I felt far more isolated. THe computer helps me feel connected.

[8filltheheart]

Well to be fair your grandmother might have thought her grandmother beat her clothes on a rock just fine. I don't see this all as a bad thing.

 

What would I do? I shudder to think. ;)

 

:lol: I actually think not having a washing machine/dryer, AC, and dishwasher would be far more traumatic!!

[mom&nana]

:iagree: In some ways, it would be better...

A) I wouldn't be online nearly as much...it's my vice.

B) I wouldn't be as 'tempted' by curriculum threads like I am on here (curriculum junkie)

C) it would almost 'force' us to dig for the info if we needed to find it, instead of relying on 'oh, we can look that up' convenience.

 

I really do want to get to a point where I, personally, don't even log onto the computer for several days...as it is, I am here in short intervals all throughout the day...:glare:

 

Oh yes, this is me definitely! When we started homeschooling we had a computer but not the internet. I used Bob Jones, because I only knew of Abeka and BJU....lol. Shortly after, we did get the internet and that opened up too many possibilities and sucked up a lot of my time. :tongue_smilie: I wish I had enough self control to keep me away from the computer.

[Sahamamama]

When we started homeschooling we did not have a computer...and I don't think ere was Internet available to regular people. :D

 

My oldest used books...lot of them....we used the library a lot. We somehow survived.

 

Faithe

 

:lol: Faithe, this made me laugh out loud this morning. Thank you!

 

As I read this, I thought back to my own high school days, lo, these many years ago. :tongue_smilie:I hated high school, not because I was a poor student, but because I was a studious (but bored) one. I hated taking seven weeks to sit around reading A Separate Peace, talking about how it made me feel. Like jumping off a tree? Gag. My high school was so anti-intellectual, it was amazing. In fact, they used to play Pink Floyd's We Don't Need No Education every morning over the loud speaker as we entered the school. Imagine that! I used to walk into the school building each morning, and I passed the library on my way to homeroom (another waste of time).

 

"If they would only let me spend the day in there," I thought, "then school might be worth doing." I've often thought that high school should basically be... (drum roll) reading! Imagine that!

 

I wish I had been in your homeschool. :)

Edited July 28, 2011 by Sahamamama

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I just read through the whole Little House series, and I always think of Laura sitting at the table by lamp light, reading the same grammar book her mother had when her mom was a student. She turned out ok. :-)

[kalanamak]

I

 

:bigear: If you had to homeschool completely without a computer, what would you do?

 

Yes. Aside from "curriculum research" :D, we use it less than 1% of of school work time.

[Ellie]

Unfortunately, my library is getting rid of a lot of stuff!!!

Bummer. However, I don't think I used the library for much more than acquiring stuff to actually read, not really for research and whatnot. Although we would have missed going to the library, lack of a good one would not have impacted us that much.

[ChicoryChick]

Yes. Aside from "curriculum research" :D, we use it less than 1% of of school work time.

 

:iagree:

[elegantlion]

When I was in high school they started offering the first computer classes. I laughed and said, why would I take that, I'll never use computers. :lol: It was 1984.

 

Anyway, I could do the actual homeschooling just fine. We do very little work on the computer, except watch some videos. I like books.

 

However, my son's education would suffer. Until I started looking online about homeschooling I had no clue what was available for homeschoolers. In our area 90% of the people used Abeka or BJU, maybe SOS, and Saxon for Math. If they used something different, they weren't talking about it.

 

Without the internet, we might still be struggling with Abeka. I might have put him back in public school, I don't know.

 

Computers and internet have made me a better teacher. Like anything, it's a tool we utilize.

[SunD]

I think I would spend far more time combing used book stores and thrift stores for vintage books. As it is now, I browse online when I have free time and find lots of older stuff that way. So I guess I'd do more physical shopping!

 

There are no curriculum stores, homeschool groups, etc, here. I would be using a lot of my connections inside the PS system to get old unwanted textbooks.

 

I would need a lot more bookshelves and a lot more reference books. Our library doesn't have those, and I don't come across them often at the thrift/used book stores. Everything there is fiction. We'd be set for literature but I'd need to own a lot of nonfiction.

[Guest]

I am an older mama than some of you. I was a kid in the 70's and even though I was not homeschooled I remember and crave those simpler days. I wish I could give them to my sons. We were able to learn so much just by going to our neighborhood parks, ponds, petting zoos.

 

I remember the day I got my own library card. I was about 7. I no longer needed to wait for my dad to take me to the library. I just walked over on my own. I would bury myself in books and felt like I was in a whole different world each time. Wish I could have been homeschooled back then and I wish I could give that world to my kids today. Now, I would never let my child walk to the library much less go to the park on his own. Much of what my kids experience of the *real* world is through computer images and You Tube videos and the occasional field trip. Wish it did not have to be that way... :(!

 

To answer the original question, since I have not personally experienced it, I can only say... you manage with what you have. I have lived different experiences between two continents (at the time, three now) and many moves. When you have less you manage with less and you are better for it because you appreciate what you have more ;).

Edited July 28, 2011 by Guest

[Hunter's Moon]

It would definitely help me to better manage my time :glare:

 

I'll be using a lot of free courses (NROC) and two online CC courses this year, so my plan would be completely different without the internet, but I don't think it would be impossible.

 

I remember when we didn't have a computer and I was stuck on one math problem in middle school. My dad drove me to the only open library at 7PM (about 30 minutes away) and we sat on the floor looking through math books for the answer. That memory has never left my mind and I could see myself doing that now if we didn't have internet at home.

 

Yes, I admit, it would be harder. Impossible? No. I think the pros and cons even out in my mind, though.

[Hwin]

I probably wouldn't be homeschooling if the internet hadn't convinced me it was okay ;)

 

Let's say I decided to homeschool anyway... I would be using the Abeka stuff my sister in law offered me. I am hopeful that I would find my way to a Rainbow Resource catalog at some point and, in that case, HSing would end up looking similar :) Depending on how helpful their customer service people are!

 

TBH the curriculum choice is all I use the computer for. My son is 5 and occasionally I'll do starfall (as in once every couple of months), or I'll print out some addition worksheets... but just as often, I'll write problems on a piece of paper by hand and have him do it.

 

I think that, with an older child, you would want to be very good friends with your librarian.

Edited July 28, 2011 by Hwin

[Angie in VA]

The 3R's. Very old fashioned. My dd uses the computer and internet a lot right now, but it only got that way in the last 10 months. Ds lost computer privileges a while back, so school couldn't be on the computer at all. Now he's getting some computer time back. The old ways really do work.

 

Angie

who has a clothesline, uses it, adores it and calls it the "last symbol of freedom in America!"

 

http://www.laundrylist.org/

Edited July 28, 2011 by Angie in VA

[mama25angels]

 

Angie

who has a clothesline, uses it, adores it and calls it the "last symbol of freedom in America!"

 

http://www.laundrylist.org/

 

:lol:

[Joyofsixreboot]

Well to be fair your grandmother might have thought her grandmother beat her clothes on a rock just fine. I don't see this all as a bad thing.

 

What would I do? I shudder to think. ;)

 

We don't have a dryer, ac or a dishwasher. I can live without all that but the computer? That's my lifeline!:tongue_smilie:

[sunflowerlady]

I didn't have a computer when I first started researching about homeschooling. It was about 2003, but we just hadn't wanted to spend the money to have one because until then we hadn't seen the need for it.

 

I checked out books about homeschooling from the library. I still remember reading that Mary Pride book and being so impressed with all the curriculum that was available. I used the toll free phone numbers in the book and called and requested catalogs.:)

 

Right before we started to hs, we did get our first computer.

 

So, I guess I would just buy some curriculum and homeschool. Simple as that.

 

I would also probably be a lot more productive because of less wasted time.:tongue_smilie:

[mo2]

 

Angie

who has a clothesline, uses it, adores it and calls it the "last symbol of freedom in America!"

 

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

mo2, who also has a clothesline, uses it, adores it, but would give almost anything to have a dishwasher. Or even rural water, so we wouldn't have to worry about the well running dry in the summer.

[BatmansWife]

And everyone owned this

 

:lol: This is the one I had.

 

I didn't have a computer/internet when we first started homeschooling either. I had a big pink (or was it blue?) book by Cathy Duffy to read reviews. There was a.lot.less available to choose from then there is now.

 

Does anyone remember when Homeschool Classifieds was really an actual classified newspaper? It was yellow and we'd get it in the mail once a month. You would be waiting for it to arrive in the mailbox and when it did you had to look through those for sale ads quick. You had to call the seller on the phone, hoping that they didn't already sell the item. Wow...things have changed.

 

People have been homeschooling without computers much longer than they have with computers.

[Sahamamama]

People have been homeschooling without computers much longer than they have with computers.

 

:iagree:Good point and good reminder.

[Mallory]

Well, we don't have a dishwasher, cable, cell phone, we do have a dryer but we don't use it much (and not at all this time of year), or any kind of voice mail/answering machine.

 

And I think this thread has convinced me to get rid of internet for the school year. So wouldn't you like to buy all of my FS and PBS books in the next month????

 

I am glad to have a printer, I never got things copied when I had to take them in somewhere. And I don't think I will put the computer away, we do use if for typing (and then maybe writing, right?).

 

I do wish I had some kind of voice mail, but the phone guy says my lines won't do that, they won't do DSL either, and maybe once I get rid of the internet the voice mail part will be much less important.

[dedossett]

I would use My Father's World Unit Studies Curriculum. LOVE THEM!!!! So unique and creative!

[BatmansWife]

I forgot how I had a big copy machine too. My dh had found a used one and I was soooo excited. :lol:

[Mommy22alyns]

I probably wouldn't be homeschooling if the internet hadn't convinced me it was okay ;)

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

I know, I know, I'm spoiled. The internet is what broadened my conception of homeschooling and homeschoolers. Without it, the girls would probably be in public school. Maybe.

 

I do all my curriculum researching and 99.9% of the purchasing online.

 

Now for day to day schooling, I rarely use it. I do use my scanner/copier a LOT. This year will actually be the first year that the girls have significant lessons on the computer, and that will be TT and typing for Rebecca. The computer won't get turned on until those lessons, and those lessons will be late in the school day. ;)

[BatmansWife]

And I think this thread has convinced me to get rid of internet for the school year.

 

We were without a computer a year or so ago for about 9 months. I went to the library once a week to e-mail my mom and sister and do any homeschool research I needed...any I could do within my 1/2 hour allowed time on the library computer. Actually....I really didn't mind not having internet in the house. We had a lot more time to do other things. Now we have it again and I sometimes wish we didn't. There seems to always be somone online.

 

Oh, btw, we also don't have cable anymore...just local tv (3 channels + the local weather channel). I LOVE it! I would never ever want cable back again.

[BatmansWife]

:iagree:

 

I know, I know, I'm spoiled. The internet is what broadened my conception of homeschooling and homeschoolers. Without it, the girls would probably be in public school. Maybe.

 

I do all my curriculum researching and 99.9% of the purchasing online.

 

Now for day to day schooling, I rarely use it. I do use my scanner/copier a LOT. This year will actually be the first year that the girls have significant lessons on the computer, and that will be TT and typing for Rebecca. The computer won't get turned on until those lessons, and those lessons will be late in the school day. ;)

 

You mean you turn your computer off each day? :confused1:

:001_smile:

[8filltheheart]

We don't have a dryer, ac or a dishwasher. I can live without all that but the computer? That's my lifeline!:tongue_smilie:

 

If I didn't have a dryer and dishwasher, I don't think I would have time to homeschool! It is all I can do to keep up with our laundry, cooking, dishes, and cleaning as it is.

 

And no AC.....I wouldn't be able to function. Our neighborhood pool's water temp is 93 degrees and the kids don't even want to get in. Most of our outside time the last few weeks has been before 930 am or after 7 pm. We have gone swimming a few times, but it hasn't been refreshing.

 

If my house were 100+degrees, I would not be able to concentrate on lesson planning. :tongue_smilie:

[Kinspired]

Since I really learned about homeschooling through research on the internet (computer), I honestly don't think I would be homeschooling, otherwise. I would have just sent my kids to public school because that's what all our friends did. I would still probably view homeschooling as something not viable for our family if it wasn't for online research.

[Mommy22alyns]

You mean you turn your computer off each day? :confused1:

:001_smile:

 

 

:D

 

The main computer and the girls' laptop do get shut down. Once the school year starts, I'll have to start shutting down MY laptop at night! :001_huh:

[TracyR]

When I first started homeschooling it was 2002. My oldest was 4 when I even learned of the word homeschooling. My dad gave us an old computer ( we didn't have the money to get a computer) and AOL was it! LOL My 2nd daughter was a self born vegetarian and we lived about 10 miles from the closest library so I started learning how to use the computer. I had found Vegsource when looking at a magazine and used this website for recipes.It wasn't until one day I noticed on the side the word homeschooling. I had no idea what it was. I had never met anyone that homeschooled my entire life. Never even had heard of the word. My husband and I were dreading sending our first born to school because she was 'advanced'.

 

So without the computer I would have never of heard of homeschooling. I may have eventually hear of it as many years later a few homeschoolers moved into the area ( but we moved 8yrs ago), and even so many homeschoolers out here are recluses. They are very hard to find and we know they exist they just don't make themselves known. We don't have a co-op in our area so its hard for me to find those who homeschool their older children. I know they exist, but I don't know where.

 

I use the computer for maybe about 5% of our schooling purposes. I use it more to find worksheets, resources but I still use our library but even then we have a small one and very little homeschool/teacher resources so our computer is a godsend.

 

So in short had we not had the computer I don't think I'd even be homeschooling because I wouldn't know what it was, and it helps fill in the gap our public library doesn't have.

[BatmansWife]

I had found Vegsource when looking at a magazine and used this website for recipes.It wasn't until one day I noticed on the side the word homeschooling. I had no idea what it was.

 

Funny you mentioned Vegsource. Back in the day (like the early 90's) that was pretty much the most popular homeschool forum website. I was addicted to it. I'm not sure when this WTM site started. Now the Vegsource homeschool forum isn't even close to what it used to be like. Now if you ask a question there....you're lucky if you ever get an answer. It's not even worth it (but the sale boards may have more action). Now I'm just addicted to this site.