Education Methods

Technology Based

Technology based learning can be used to supplement a single subject or as an entire curriculum. Some math and science textbooks have accompanying DVDs to explain concepts. Children can learn to use word processing and other office tools for assignments. 

Popular subjects to teach or supplement with the computer include keyboarding, math drills, music theory and foreign languages. Online courses are commonly used by high school students. These are offered publicly or privately. Synchronous scheduling requires students to stream lectures, take exams or hand in assignments at set times, while asynchronous scheduling allows students to log in or submit assignments at their convenience, sometimes with a course completion deadline.

Father helping son with homework on laptop

Strengths

  • Can be used in combination with most other homeschooling methods.
  • Useful for those who are pulling together their own curriculum.
  • Some online academies or virtual schools offer accreditation.
  • Some parents feel more comfortable having a third party oversee their child’s education, for some high school subjects in particular.
  • Good choice for families who need their children to work more independently.
  • Good for students who have a more visual learning style or simply prefer a high-tech learning environment.
  • Websites can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, a good option for families that travel or participate in activities out of the home.
  • Learning about a topic in a video format can help children understand things in a way that might be harder to visualize with just words or pictures (e.g. science experiments, historical settings, or the sound an instrument should make).

Points to consider

  • Having children work independently can reduce the opportunity for parents to learn alongside their children.
  • Watching DVDs or videos doesn’t allow for the two-way communication with the teaching parent that children, especially younger children, benefit from.
  • Concepts might be explained too quickly or too slowly to keep the student interested.
  • Level of technical, educational or teaching support varies.
  • Cost for tuition or use of some websites can vary from free to costly.

 

Resources*

 

Back to Education Methods

* The Resources on this page are examples of resource options that many homeschooling parents have found helpful. Note that they are not created or distributed by HOMESCHOOL.TODAY. For your convenience we occasionally add links to helpful websites, books, etc. but these will open in a separate tab.

Stay Informed