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Poll on outsourcing


Poll on Outsourcing  

  1. 1. Poll on Outsourcing

    • Enrichment co-op 1 day a week
      26
    • Academic Tutorial 1 day a week
      12
    • Univ.Model School -2-3 day a week classes
      7
    • Small family co-op (2-5 families)
      9
    • Dual enrollment
      9
    • none- stay home teach it here!
      47


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We have used and will continue to use our local ps's program for homeschoolers. It is set up like a college catalogue so you can pick and choose the classes you want.

 

I am a very poor writer, so I want my kids to learn from someone who knows what they are doing. That was the original reason we started. They also enjoy some fun classes like art, chess, PE, Spanish.

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I've always been a "stay home and do it myself" kind of gal. But the last two years the boys went to an enrichment co-op every two weeks. (That option was available.) And they went to a weekly homeschool PE hour.

 

This year, I'm just teaching science classes at home and the boys will go to PE. (which is really just a social fun time with orgnaized play)

So my kids aren't outsourced...but they have extra students over 3 times a month. Mine are looking forward to staying home and having friends over. They like that idea better than co-op.

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I wasn't sure what to vote, because our church has a 1 day a week rather serious classical academic co-op, although there is a bit of enrichment involved (drama, chess, etc). We have, I don't know, 12-15 families? Frankly, it adds a lot of stress to my life. I am an introvert, and would prefer to stay home. The kids have gotten so much out of it, though, that it is worth the trouble to me. There are closer co-ops that I am not interested in because they are not as serious, I feel I could do a better job at home, and I couldn't afford them anyway. Ours is free, but everyone has to teach or assist all day.

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Leaving the house that much on a regular basis would make me a crazy person.

 

I did allow my dc to take classes at the community college (we didn't call it "dual enrollment"), but at that point I figured dc had learned as much at home as they were gonna and I quit teaching at home.

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I didn't vote, because we haven't yet done any outsourcing (other than Aikido and other physical activities). In the shorter term, we plan to utilize Saturday Academy and bring in language tutors. When the girls are older, they can take college or university courses, either on campus or via correspondence/Internet. I'm also open to online classes for writing (Bravewriter or EPGY), Latin, and math (Art of Problem Solving, etc). When choosing a curriculum, I strive to balance quality and fit/appropriate challenge; if that means outside teachers, so be it.

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Do you consider on-line classes taken at home as outsourcing?

 

If so, we'll outsource for the first time this year as my 8th graders will participate in online classes for Lingua Latina and CW: Diogenes. We will also participate (with me as teacher for some of the weeks) in a weekly online dialectic-level history discussion for some of their TOG readings.

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I voted on three choices and would have actually selected a 4th, but it wasn't an option.

 

For my under high school crowd, we do everything at home. For my early high school kids, I use a mixture of at home, university model schools, and the choice not offered--online classes. For older high school kids, I add in dual enrollment.

 

I don't fit in in co-op environments, different sets of expectations.

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The only things we have done (can't afford it this year) are extras, like music, reading clubs, art, sewing, PE, etc. We were going to do a bunch this year (Math, Latin, Writing) but $ was not there. It was a one day a week thing and still more enrichment than anything else. So besides dd12 drama classes (which are made of public, private, and homeschooled kids), we are home this year.

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Please share your experiences.

 

Years and years ago, we took part in a small co-op-type thing with some other families at a local church. My kids took part in Spanish and P.E., but they also offered other classes. (Art, some Oklahoma history, I think, among other things.)

 

That lasted for, I think a year. Since then...nothing. Wait! The kids did an art class (Littles) and a drama class (Bigs) for a semester while we were in Virginia. It wasn't exactly a co-op, but a paid class thing, with hired teachers. (Organized by homeschoolers).

 

Other than that, we've done everything at home.

 

I wanted to have the kids take part in a science lab for homeschoolers, run by our capital city's science museum, but they changed the set-up for ninth graders from Physical Science (which we're doing at home, with Apologia) to a mishmash of various stuff. With a price tag of around $600.00. So...no thanks.

 

I'd like to hire a friend of the family to tutor the kids in algebra (I'm okay teaching it, but not really as confident as I'd like to be), and find a tutor for Spanish, as well. (And French, if I thought it was possible). But I don't know that it will happen.

 

In my perfect world, lol, by this point, I'd be paying a private tutor to teach the kids upper level math and foreign language. By the tenth grade, I'd have them either dual enrolled, or in a group class (homeschool or other) for science. But...we'll see. One of my kids won't meet the age requirement for dual enrollment at the CC by then, so I'll have to search out a group opportunity for him, if I don't feel that I can do Biology justice here at home.

 

I toyed with the idea of applying to a pretty rigorous parttime homeschool 'school' this year, but the cons outweighed the pluses, in my mind. (The interaction probably would have been good for my older kids, but the running around and shuffling about of my Littles likely wouldn't have been. With gas prices what they are now, it's also good that I didn't do it because of the effect it would have had on our budget). I'm hoping to connect with one closer to home, by next year, but it would have to be pretty rigorous for me to deem it worthwhile, and I'd much rather have a situation where I just pay a fair price for the class, and walk away, as opposed to teach, volunteer for a certain number of hours, etc., as seems to be the case with most 'co-ops'. (Not saying anything against those of you who have the energy and wherewithal to go that route...it's just not something I can do. It stretches me just to handle our own business, academically, here at home, lol.)

 

Anway, all that to say that we aren't academically venturing out of the home this year (have other, non-academic stuff going on, though), but that's not totally by choice.

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This year we're going to go to a bi-weekly co-op - so I chose "weekly" but it's not really. :) We've done a weekly co-op in the past, but it was too much - I'm excited that we found this one.

 

I think most of the topics will be science-related, which is nice. We will still do our own science, but I know the kids will like it.

 

I like having the contact with other homeschoolers. The kids enjoy making friends. It's nice that they will get science, too. :) However, I'm not depending on it for our homeschool.

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I didn't vote enough - I voted just "small family coop", but I'm actually doing two or three separate things that could be considered that, plus a homeschool chorus (would that be considered an enrichment coop?)

 

They were taking Spanish with a tutor and some friends, but we quit that this year and I'm taking over, but still including one other family. (honestly I do much better prepping lessons when I have someone else other than myself to be accountable to :blushing: which is the main reason for all the small family group stuff). They also go to German Sat. School wihich is kind of "other" from the choices listed. Oh, and a writing class. And we're not including ballet or music lessons, right?

 

Gee - am I ever home???

 

But I have noooo interest in joining the big enrichment coop that's nearby. That seems like a huge time (and money) suck for little payback. And obviously we're not hurting here for socialization... :D

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We've had great experiences with outsourcing! My younger kids take enrichment classes while I attend a Bible study. We've done small co-ops with other families we know. In middle school, they start once a week tutorials. They take many more once-a-week tutorials in high school. Once oldest ds turns 16, we'll do dual enrollment.

 

So far, we haven't had any bad experiences. The outsourcing is a must imo once high school hits.

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So far, we have only outsourced things that I really don't have the ability to teach them well or learn with them efficiently on my own. In the past this has just meant that we took the children to a local gym to take gymnastics classes. This year it also means that we will be hiring a piano teacher to come to our house and give us lessons once a week.

 

We will be taking ds to playschool three mornings a week this year, but not for academic reasons, just so that he can play with little friends. Two of his buddies from gymnastics will be attending as well, and he's hoping to make some new friends.

 

If we had good co-op/cottage school/enrichment day options we might consider it, but they're too far away to make it worthwhile for us. And we're gone so much with dd being on the gymnastics team now that we really enjoy days that we can just stay home!

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Last year for 5th and 7th I used a homeschool tutorial ('academy') for Art and Acting. This year the 6th grader will also do Science because it was scheduled in between the others and she was very excited to do it, and the 8th grader is doing Writing and Greek along with the Art and Acting. (Now, should those be capitalized?...)

 

I have mixed feelings about it. The classes are really good, but it can be hard when we are so scheduled. We actually have two 5 hour days and a quick 1 1/2 hour day this year. This is my test semester to see if everything else can get done at home. And to make sure my 2nd grader and I don't go insane.

 

My kids love taking the classes. They actually did better work at home last year with more outside involvment.

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I outsource with writing and humanities classes at Regina Coeli academy. As a math science person I teach that myself, but through my classes there at the academy. My kids enjoy the class room atmosphere and interaction while still being home and having more time for other things.

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I think our area is outside the norm because dual enrollment isn't unusual here. My kids take classes outside the home, a few they've take are once a week classes of gym & Swim, art, science a writer's workshop and Spanish are just a few. Oh...and my dd is looking forward to driver's ed. :001_huh:Oy...

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We attend two co-ops, both on the same day of the week. My oldest ds will be taking Physcial Science and Intro. to Lit. in the first co-op. We pay for each of these classes.

 

Our afternoon co-op is a true co-op. There are 11 families, and each mom teaches a class. We only pay for building use and materials. No one charges for their actual classes. Ds#1 will take Algebra (over 2 class periods) and Writing. Ds#2 will take Writing, Logic (Art of Argument) and Art. Ds#3 will take Writing, Art and Science. Ds#4 will take Science, Latin and Greek Roots (ala Vocabulary from the Roots Up) and Geography/Art History.

 

I will teach Writing this year....Ack!

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