How much monitoring do you do of online classes?

[sierramv1]

I know it is going to depend partially on the students age and maturity. Do you correspond with the online teachers, or do you leave it up to your student to do so? Do you go into their online accounts and check emails, etc? It's a hard age with my kiddo because he feels like it's an invasion of privacy, but he still isn't completely responsible for getting all the information he needs. I have let him sink or swim to an extent when practical, but he still seems to need a lot of 'hand-holding' on some things. He is 14, and in 9th grade. 

 

Thank you!

 

Vanessa

[lauranc]

I have a 16 yr old (10th grade) who is taking three online classes.  I leave it completely up to him to correspond with the teacher etc.  I don't go in and check grades nor do I check up on his emails from the teachers. 

 

I check in with him several times a week to see if he needs any help and to just kind of ask what he's been learning or working on.  I want him to own the experience, and so far he's been doing well.

 

When he first started taking online classes, I checked up more--- but never communicated with the teacher.

[freesia]

A lot. I am paying for the class after all.  I have been known to let my ds miss an assignment or a class in order to help him have consequences, though.  But I knew I was doing it. At 14 I did a lot of "scaffolding".  Now, I do less.  So, I'd say--have you completed all of this weeks work?  Is it uploaded? I'd check in daily.  The deal was that as he showed responsibility and kept his grades up we micromanage less.  If he slacks off, we monitor more.

 

I think online is a hard medium bc it's easy to ignore.  Ds has learned so much about setting timers and checking daily and is learning to check what he uploads.

 

He mainly writes his teachers.  I had to encourage him and help him to figure out what to say in the beginning. Now he is great about it.  I will occasionally ask questions if I am confused about a due date or we are going away, but not about the work--that's his job.

 

I would say that he needs to prove to you that he can get it done before you give him the responsibility of doing it alone. But every child is going to be different.  If my son were particularly prideful I might say--ok ds, if you keep at least an A- (or B+ or whatever I think is reasonable for said child to get with diligence) then I will stay out of it.  If you start missing assignments and doing poorly on tests, then I will monitor more until you show me you can handle it.  I would also say that I will check once a week to see how he was doing.  I would let him know that parents of ps kids can do that, too.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Are these CC courses or high school courses?

[Arcadia]

Is this his first academic year doing online class?

 

My oldest has done online classes since 2nd grade. Now all I do is making sure all required materials are purchased as we buy online, and I would proofread his emails to his teacher before he emails. He has sank and had to double up and finish the work he had forgotten so he has gotten more careful over the years. He is generally responsible online and would tell me if he wants to play online games. He is allowed to play online games once work is done.

 

My DS11 needs hand holding in checking for homework, proofreading emails to teacher, checking his class schedule because he doesn't remember when the class is on winter break or spring break. He is a lot better with brick and mortar classes because everything is printed and he has a binder and notebook for each brick and mortar class. This is also the first year he did a WTMA class so he took awhile to figure out the interface like where to go to get old class recordings and where to upload homework. When he did a CTY class a few years ago, it also took him sometime to figure things out. He also sneaks in game time when he is supposed to be in class so I do sit nearby and monitor that he doesn't have a few web browsers open and that he is focusing.

[teachermom2834]

My second ds is really independent and we outsourced because we would butt heads over school. In 10th grade I told him I would stay out of it and assume he had over a 90%. If his average dropped below that he was expected to inform me. I had access to his accounts and I would log in about once a month. I would sometimes see something he missed but generally he kept it over a 90%. If it dropped below I would be hands on until it was back up. He moved on to de this year for 11th and has done beautifully but he really doesn't like to share his work with me. We have the same deal- I assume he has it under control and he is to inform me if he drops below a 90%.

 

My third ds is a 13 yo 8th grader. He takes 5 WTMA classes and three academic co-op classes. I am completely hands off and he handles everything. He has had no problems but I have to say I think he is unusual for that age boy.

 

I have not emailed teachers though I might have helped compose some emails.

 

I really have let mine handle their online classes with the understanding that I will get involved if necessary. I must be really annoying because that threat alone has kept them on course.

 

I do think it is common for kids to be all over the spectrum on the administrative side of these classes and I think that is okay as long as they are working to independence. I have also found the classes with a live component to be easier to manage than asynchronous.

Edited January 24, 2017 by teachermom2834

[dirty ethel rackham]

I pretty much left all correspondence up to the student, unless there were extenuating circumstances (like when K was admitted to the hospital for mental illness or when an instructor was not responding to my student about some missing assignments that I knew were turned in.)

 

However, the first thing I did with my kids is go over the syllabus with them, making sure that they knew what was expected of them and where to find all of the information they needed.  I also had them put any larger projects and tests into their google calendar.  I did that even with my older high school aged kids.  After that, with my kids newer to online classes, each week, I sat with them and helped them plan out the work load for the week.    We would look through the online materials together to make sure that we covered everything. I would also sit down with them and check the grade book weekly. As they got older, I would have them do this themselves, but show me what they came up with.  With my older kids, I would check grades periodically, whether it was through a parent portal or having them sit down with me and show me.  There have been times when I did not do this and didn't realize that they were digging themselves a hole. 

 

Some may think this was too much hand-holding.  But, I figured that their online classes were structured much differently than most high school classes ... more like college classes.  In the public high school, many kids just get their assignments on a daily basis or maybe only a couple of days notice.  We found that the online classes usually had weekly assignment lists rather than daily.  Helping them plan their time was an important skill.  I had them do the weekly plans for all of their classes, not just the online ones.  This helped them in college. 

[rdj2027]

My 11th grader is doing his own thing but this just happened this year.  I need to stay on top of my 9th grader and my inkling is when my daughter will be in 9th grade next year I will have to track her rather closely.

[Julie of KY]

I do as much as needed until they can do it independently.

 

I'm paying for the class and ultimately in my homeschool "I" am the teacher and I am using this online class as part of my schooling. Typically I use it as is, but sometimes I change it as I need to meet my needs. I have one son 15 yo) that does everything independently. I do log into his account to check grades and make sure he's on top of things, but he does fine managing everything. He needed a little help early on deciding when he needed to contact the teacher, now he decides on his own. His OLDER brother is a different story. I'm pushing him to be more independent while keeping a careful watch over him. I have forwarded his emails to mine so that I can see if the teacher emails. I try to simply ask if the work is done for the week, however when I get a yes it's done I already know if everything is marked submitted and I sometimes have to point out that there is more to be done. Last year I had to help micromanage everything so he's come a long ways toward independence. I was still helping him with a lot at the beginning of the year, but now he generally will manage himself.

[Kassia]

My dd has one online class and she does it all on her own, but she is a very organized, mature student.  I think it really depends on the child's personality - some may need more involvement than others.  

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I left communication with the teacher up to the student, although we would discuss what needed to be communicated or how and when to communicate.  I did speak directly with teachers when issues came up that I felt required parental notification, in some cases of illness, absences, technical issues, etc.  In most cases I left initial contact in these circumstances up to the student but if the teacher needed verification my kids were always welcome to include my email in a letter and offer my verification of an issue or if the tone of a response seemed to warrant verification I would send a quick note.  If you need a training period on emails you could always ask that your kid copy you on all emails to an instructor or go over an email with them before they hit send.

 

I took over all communication concerning any tuition payments and other financial issues as well as most registration issues.

 

I recommend partnering with your kids in looking at the class web page, grades, etc. on a regular basis.  We have run into several situations where my kids weren't computer savvy enough (or familiar enough with the course platform) to realize that work they had completed didn't submit properly (or some other technical error) and was marked incomplete.  I also read through syllabi with them. Kids unused to reading documents and managing formatting details, due dates, extra credit opportunities, or resubmission/pre-submission opportunities may miss these details and under-utilize their opportunities.  I rarely checked this information without having them with me so we were looking together.

[RootAnn]

The first year, I help as needed & check up as that particular kid requires. I back off as the kid shows they can handle things on their own. DD#1 is in her third year of online classes. She handles just about everything on her own. I assist with homework as requested (like being a last proofreader, discussing ideas in the rough draft stage if she wants someone to bounce things off of, etc.) and help with technical problems (scanning when the scanner won't talk to the computer, helping get the audio working if she's already tried everything).

 

DD#2 is taking her first (and at her request, possibly last) online class this year. I've written the teacher three times - once for sickness, once to let her know of an excused absence, and once in response to a teacher email about something that happened in class that she wrote to me about first. I've helped with scanning, setting up documents, proofing emails she's sending to the teacher, and proofing final copies of essays. I also sit in on a few minutes of class when I can - usually once but sometimes twice a week, for 15 minutes. I check my parent account once a week or so. This is for an 8th grader. I would assume less hands-on time if she ever took another online class.

[cuckoomamma]

I really think that like others have said, different kids need different things.  Our older dd is very organized and has great executive skills.  Her workload ramped up quite a bit this year, so I do check in with her maybe twice a week asking how things are going.  I'm really looking to assess her stress level and see if there's anything I can help scaffold.  

 

I found that last year she had maybe a weekend of panic when reviewing for APs and feeling overwhelmed.  We came up with a schedule together and I really just talked her off the ledge.  

 

She has always contacted the teacher herself, but I wouldn't hesitate to contact them if I felt the need.  If she mentions needing to email a teacher, I do follow up at some point to make sure that she's done so.

 

Despite dd being very independent, I think that this is the time to scaffold if necessary.

[sierramv1]

Are these CC courses or high school courses?

 

They are all online HS courses. Lit/Composition and Geometry for this year. 

[sierramv1]

Is this his first academic year doing online class?

 

My oldest has done online classes since 2nd grade. Now all I do is making sure all required materials are purchased as we buy online, and I would proofread his emails to his teacher before he emails. He has sank and had to double up and finish the work he had forgotten so he has gotten more careful over the years. He is generally responsible online and would tell me if he wants to play online games. He is allowed to play online games once work is done.

 

My DS11 needs hand holding in checking for homework, proofreading emails to teacher, checking his class schedule because he doesn't remember when the class is on winter break or spring break. He is a lot better with brick and mortar classes because everything is printed and he has a binder and notebook for each brick and mortar class. This is also the first year he did a WTMA class so he took awhile to figure out the interface like where to go to get old class recordings and where to upload homework. When he did a CTY class a few years ago, it also took him sometime to figure things out. He also sneaks in game time when he is supposed to be in class so I do sit nearby and monitor that he doesn't have a few web browsers open and that he is focusing.

 

He has participate in the Center For Lit online book club for a couple of years, but this is the first year he has been graded on anything online. We meet every Monday morning and lay out his schedule for the week, but he isn't great about scheduling time for his online assignments as they come in through the week, and sometimes he ends up scrambling on Sunday night and therefore not handing in his best work. My kiddo likes to play youtube music videos in the background, while he is doing computer work, which drives me crazy!

[sierramv1]

Thank you all! I am also finding that after coming out of public school, where he was used to a lot of busy work, the classes he is taking now do not! The assignments are meaningful and in-depth and he is required to give his best work every assignment. They are specific in what they require and he can't get away with just throwing something together. 

[Susie in CA]

I do check on their online courses, though, how much is different with each students. Interestingly, younger ds is much more responsible than his brother. I check on younger ds much less. 

 

I NEVER communicate with the teacher, instructor, or professor. However, I have told my students to communicate immediately when necessary. :-)

 

As an aside, I do not view looking at their school work as an invasion of their privacy. If they went to a regular highschool I would get reports on progress etc. as well. This is really no different.

[OlgaLA]

I need to stay on top of all online classes with my 9th grader. It seems that the only things that get done are the ones I reminded to do a million times, and even then they will be done at the last possible moment. Interestingly, she deals with her live CC classes beautifully all on her own. I don't know why.

 

She communicates with all her professors herself.

[mumto2]

It's a really good idea to incorporate your child's online syllabus into your calendar. Expecting them to remember to tell you they have a major deadline when the rest of the family has fun spur of the moment plans is a stretch. It's good to know when your dc has a major assignment due......trust me, I know. Part of the problem has been I am used to being able to adjust their due dates around our life because I have always made the due dates now someone else is in charge.

[G5052]

I do as much as needed until they can do it independently.

 

Same here. Earlier on, I'd check with them each Friday to see what the due dates were for the coming week so I could remind them, but over time I didn't need to do that. My 12th grader has a class now where she periodically has to scan a handwritten test, and she does great with checking to make sure that I'm around to help. Our scanner is a bit tricky. That's about the only time she needs any help at all.

 

All interactions with the teacher are handled by them. I'm available if they need help figuring out what to say.

 

The school we did most of our outsourcing to has an option to email a weekly report to the parent of grades, missed assignments, and due dates. That's a big help.

 

For schools without that I just ask them periodically to show me their grades.

 

This year my 12th grader is also a TA for one of the AP classes she took last year. It's been wonderful seeing how she is so responsible with deadlines, emailing the teacher with questions, and meeting online with the other TAs.  All the years of moving her towards independence have paid off.

[Guest2]

Although my students communicate with their teachers , I do ask for a preview of the email before it is sent (for the younger high school students). I have my students copy me on their assignments if it possbile ( Derek Owens, Home2 Teach Writing). We work with the calander with the goal of organizing time for tests/ papers. Sometimes that skill comes early...sometimes not until they are ready for college.

[mirabillis]

It's a really good idea to incorporate your child's online syllabus into your calendar. Expecting them to remember to tell you they have a major deadline when the rest of the family has fun spur of the moment plans is a stretch. It's good to know when your dc has a major assignment due......trust me, I know. Part of the problem has been I am used to being able to adjust their due dates around our life because I have always made the due dates now someone else is in charge.

 

:thumbup1:

For us, outsourcing nearly all of 9th grade is like still me homeschooling, just with new deadlines set by other people and me not having to teach. I'm still 100% involved and completely on top of everything, but OK with that - hoping that will change as we head toward, say, 11th grade. LOL!

[Woodland Mist Academy]

:thumbup1:

For us, outsourcing nearly all of 9th grade is like still me homeschooling, just with new deadlines set by other people and me not having to teach. I'm still 100% involved and completely on top of everything, but OK with that - hoping that will change as we head toward, say, 11th grade. LOL!

 

9th grade felt very much like that here. Sometimes I was even doing lots of teaching in classes that were outsourced...  :huh:  :glare: .   There were myriad reasons for that. A perfect storm sort of situation...

10th grade has been much different. There was a gradual, natural shift toward more independence.  I still check in and help as needed, but it's nothing like last year. 

[mirabillis]

9th grade felt very much like that here. Sometimes I was even doing lots of teaching in classes that were outsourced...  :huh:  :glare: .   There were myriad reasons for that. A perfect storm sort of situation...

10th grade has been much different. There was a gradual, natural shift toward more independence.  I still check in and help as needed, but it's nothing like last year. 

 

Well I've just decided I have to take the reins for AP Human Geo, but you know all about that! ;) That's a whole 'nother issue for a whole other day. :D

 

I'm hopeful we will be in the same boat by next year and 11th grade.... 

[Donna]

Dd is 14 and in 9th grade. I made sure she understood how to use her online course (get into the program, obtain information, hand in her homework, etc...) in the beginning after that everything is up to her. She communicates with her teacher (who often does not respond...but that's an entirely different story, heh...I will not be giving this course a good review), makes sure her work is completed and turned in. If she asks for help with material, I help her as much as I can but since this course is not something I have any knowledge of, it is usually both of us trying to figure stuff out together until she understands it. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

One thing experience has taught me is that, even though a child has matured into being more responsible and self-reliant on organizing their schoolwork, sometimes life situations come up and throw a wrench into things.  Many times, I was lulled into a false sense of security by a kid who had previously been very independent come into a situation they could not handle on their own.  I do wish I had continued to check in (not just asking how things are going, but check their progress.) 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that one benefit of the way most online classes are set up is that you can see if an assignment was submitted, even if it's not been graded yet. My daughter was becoming increasingly frustrated with my constant questions about the status of her homework etc., so I made myself my own binder with the syllabus and/or assignment list from each class so I wouldn't be constantly asking her questions. 

 

I realized that sometimes she needed extra support with prioritizing, but other times I just needed to learn to trust her more as she learned to navigate the waters. It's a tricky dance -- one that we're still learning. I will say that being able to see what is due when and being able to see if assignments are being submitted on time without asking her a single question has been a game changer. 

 

Once I gave her more space and freedom to take some tumbles, she was actually more likely to ask for help in prioritizing before it was too late and several assignments in several classes were suddenly due out of nowhere....  ;)

 

It all seems so simple and obvious now...14 and 9th grade...not so much....  :ohmy: :banghead:  :willy_nilly:   :zombiechase:  :boxing_smiley:

 

Good luck to everyone trying to find what works. It's most likely a time of growth not only for the student, but for the parent as well.  :grouphug: