Online Homeschooling with Bridgeway Homeschool Academy

I’m gonna admit right at the start I’m a bit skeptical of computers for schooling.  I’ve seen very mixed results with technology when I was teaching, but I also know we are in a digital age, so when I was offered the chance to let Superman take an online class with Bridgeway Homeschool Academy, I knew this was my chance to see for myself.

{Disclosure: I received the class for free and was compensated for my time by Bridgeway Homeschool Academy}

 

I’ll spare you the suspense, and tell you both Superman and I loved his online homeschool program.

 

How online homeschooling works

First you head over to Bridgeway Homeschool Academy and check out the classes they have next September.  Remember to check out the times for the classes because you are watching them live.  That’s the whole point, the interaction between the teacher AND the other students.

Superman’s classmates were worldwide, okay United States, Germany, AND somewhere in Central America.  Quite a range of kids to interact with.  He even called me over so I could see the kids from Germany, he was a lot more impressed once he found out she was in class after bedtime and got to stay up late to take the class.

Once you’ve picked an online homeschooling class and signed up, we took a class on the Greeks and Romans to work with our current history, you’ll get a supply list, ours was super easy: 2 Magic Treehouse books.  Some classes have more expensive supplies, so keep that in mind.

After you’ve signed up for your online homeschooling class you’ll get an email from your teacher with the class website, how to sign in, and where to turn in your homework.  Yes there is homework (you upload it to the class website).

 

What’s going to happen during an online homeschooling class

Your classes will be conducted through “Jigsaw Meetings,” and once you’ve got the program installed they’re super easy to use, provided you remember your username and password.  This is the screen your kid will see during class once they’ve logged in:

1. A video screen, this is where the teacher will be, or any students who are presenting.
2. This is controlled by the teacher.  Superman’s teacher shared powerpoint presentations, videos, and a couple of other things here.
3. A map, you can zoom and scroll this and Superman spent a great deal of time intrigued by this, she also occasionally shared things there.
4. A class whiteboard, and they were allowed to draw and write on it sometimes to brainstorm and work together.
5. Class chatroom, Superman didn’t participate here too much, but he did read it.  Below there’s also a private chatroom you can participate in with the teacher if you need to.

The elementary online homeschool classes are an hour long, and it’s a combination of teacher lecture, interacting with the teacher and other students, and some videos.  Superman left a couple of lessons singing songs the teacher had shared with them that made him laugh.

Some of your classes will end with homework assignments.  Some were as simple as reading the class books, but some required research to get all of the information.  I appreciated the variety of the assignments, and how supportive she was with her feedback.

Do expect in the semi-near future a post on teaching kids how to research at the library and write a complex report.  Superman learned a lot of skills during this class I hadn’t previously thought to teach.

How did online homeschooling make my life easier?

I was kind of surprised, but it really did.  Superman felt special because he had a class his brother and sister did not have.  The teacher brought in resources I didn’t know about and had him learning things I hadn’t thought to teach yet.  Also the big one for me and most homeschool moms: “socialization.”  He got to interact with kids all over the world, and with widely varying ages, from 7-11, during class.  That’s a big plus for me.

I’ve already had requests from his brother and sister when they get to take their class, they’ll have to wait until September, and then I need to see what the next set of classes are.

Things to be aware of for online homeschooling

Online homeschooling is not for everyone, here’s some questions to think about to decide if online homeschooling is for you:

• Can you make all or most of the classes?  We were traveling, and missed a class, so we missed an assignment until the day before, and missed the interaction.
• Do you have the right technology?  You need a computer that can stream AND a good set of headphones with a microphone to get the most out of the class.
• Will you remember and help your child get his homework done?  Superman had a few assignments turned in late because I did not get it uploaded or scanned in on time.  One I just flat out didn’t get scanned in because I misunderstood the assignment.  Depending on the age of your child this is not 100% hands off.

If you’ve read all of these questions and you think online homeschooling might be for you, here’s your next step:

Signing up for Online Homeschooling

Head over to Bridgeway Homeschool Academy and check out their schedule.  Get $20 off with the early bird sign up (and yes I am looking at the classes already for next year).

Random note completely unrelated to the online homeschooling class Superman just took

By the by I met several of the ladies from Bridgeway at Great Homeschool Conventions and found out so much about their company, you really should browse around, for instance they have a learning assessment your child can take to see how best to teach them (and it’s FREE!).  I also learned they take that assessment and help you pick the best curriculum for your child AND they can help with the assessment and accreditation stuff many homeschoolers have to deal with in their states, that’s a HUGE help.