Top Reasons to Quit Homeschooling and Join Online High School

Both traditional homeschooling and online high schooling are the feasible options for imparting education. Both these modes of learning improve the student’s situation by protecting them from regular struggles of the traditional school and from certain questionable social acts like bullying. This kind of learning system allows students to learn from the comfort and safety of their homes. They are also kept a safe distance away from distractions of all forms.

Since this is the Age of Internet, there is no denying that online high schools are a smarter way of imparting education to students as compared to homeschooling. Though both of them require parental intervention, but online schools are not that demanding of massive parental involvement. In fact, for high school students, no parental intervention is required in most cases since the students are matured at this stage. Online schools provide the full-time access of online teachers. So, students get all the support they need from their teachers and do not have to rely on their parents.

There are some people who even use the terms homeschooling and online schooling interchangeably. However, both are pretty different. In case of homeschooling, the parent plays the role of the teacher and in charge of finding curriculum. An accredited private online school is one that provides accredited courses to children along with full-time availability of the online faculty. This cuts down the necessity of parental involvement.

In both homeschooling and online school, the curriculum needs to be built or altered in a way to suit the individual child. So, this involves careful consideration of unique needs and circumstances.Online schools do have an upper hand over traditional homeschooling. Here is a list of the benefits to attending an online school that you cannot avail in case of conventional homeschooling:

Teachers

In case of homeschools, parents need to be in-charge of everything. Most importantly, they need to be the teachers themselves. They take up the task of teaching all material to their kids. This is quite a concern when a parent is not that educated or well-versed himself or herself, even if it is in certain subjects. The parents need to be good in all the subjects to impart overall education of high quality to their kids.

On the contrary, online schools employ state-certified teachers, at least the regionally-accredited ones do. This strong faculty team is usually available full-time, providing instruction, guiding, encouraging, motivating, supporting and resolving the students’ queries. The online teachers hired in genuine online schools are easily accessible via online class sessions, phone, email, one-on-one tutoring, and face-to-face meetings. They focus on one-to-one attention. They also discuss important issues with the child’s parents, in case required. Thus, they play a great role in the student’s success in passing an online course.

Curriculum

Homeschooling parents need to research and find their own curriculum. They need to build effective curriculum right from the scratch. It can be pretty taxing for these parents. They need to invest time, energy and money as well to create the curriculum all by themselves. Also, the parents along with the students make up their own schedule and lesson plans. They always make sure to adapt to the national and state standards.

On the contrary, a virtual online high school comes with its own in-built curriculum. However, the most appealing feature of an online class is that these curriculum are open for customization. Every student has unique needs. Keeping those needs in mind, parents or students can get their curriculum tailored to fit their lifestyle. This is approved by the state. Online schools provide lesson plans. This helps students to create their own unique schedule. This gives structure to students’ learning. It also affects the daily schedule.

Testing phase

Homeschooling parents are responsible for researching state and national testing standards to ensure their child complies. However, online schools require students to take the same state assessments as their conventional counterparts. Online schools usually provide locations where students can take these exams.

Attendance record

Homeschooling parents need to research local attendance and academic policies. It is their responsibility for their reporting requirements. On the other hand, online school makes sure that the educational accountability is already in place. This accountability includes attendance and academic policies. Right from the first day, attendance, grades, testing, and other requirements are accounted for within the online learning platform.

Socialization

For socialization, homeschool parents need to take measures to make sure their children interact with their peers. On the contrary, online schools provide structured socialization opportunities. Many online schools encourage students to make small study groups to promote socialization and exchange of academic ideas as well. These schools also conduct real-time events such as field trips and outings to enable socialization. Thus, all the plans are made by the authority of the online school, keeping the students’ needs in mind.

Technical knowledge

One of the side-effects of taking classes in an online school is that they make the student technically efficient. They provide an elaborate set of smart and easy-to-use online tours and resources to help the students who want to explore more than just bookish knowledge. Thus, while gaining hands-on experience on these tools, they get tech-savvy. This is not the case for traditional homeschooling where textbooks are used mainly.

Cost

Though there is no definite amount that is charged for an online course, fees for these courses are usually less than the total cost involved in preparing a homeschooling course. This is because in case of online schools, no extra cost needs to be paid for textbooks, guide books etc. All the resources are available online itself, so this cuts down the extra expense.

Homeschooling demands a lot from parents. Today most parents are working and it becomes an issue to take out a large chunk of time from their busy schedules to prepare a curriculum from scratch. Online schools are a safer option since they provide every necessary thing to the students, creating a healthy and nurturing education system.

Top Reasons Online High School is Perfect Option for Your career

Here are some basic reasons why an online high school is just perfect for your career:

A great variety of programs and courses
Most online high schools provide you with a high variety of study options. You can select as many electives as possible. The most important thing is that you get to choose exclusive study options in an online high school. When it comes to a traditional high school, the study options are pretty limited due to the lack of infrastructure and budget constraints. However, these factors are eliminated in an online high school.

Online students need to know their own preferences, interests, and needs before choosing a suitable online school course or program. They can also take advanced-level online courses like college-preparatory courses and AP courses if they have some specific goals. In order to score well in these online courses, they need to do a good deal of hard work as well!

Easy-to-transfer credits
Now, you might wish to take some specific summer classes. Taking online high school classes from an accredited school can make it possible for you. You get to transfer your credits easily. While enjoying your summer vacation, you can focus on your learning graph as well! Thus, you can use your summer productively.

Before you choose an online program, make sure to be aware of your personal goals and objectives. Choose an online program accordingly.

High affordability
On average, an online private high school is more affordable than a traditional private high school. Though online private high school courses are not free-of-charge, these are highly cost-effective!

In an online high school, several costs are cut down. Some of the common costs that are eliminated are commuting expenses, cost of textbooks and reference books, library fees, infrastructure-related fees, accommodation costs, food-related costs, etc. However, in order to start your online high school course, you need a good laptop or computer and a good internet connection. Without these, you cannot continue your online education. If you are not budget issues and not ready to spend a lot of money on your high-school education, do consider enrolling in an accredited online high school. Do your research well in order to find an online high school course that is effective and affordable.

A great deal of convenience and flexibility
Most accredited online courses provide students with the opportunity to plan their study time around the entire day. They need not stick to any particular learning schedule or pace. They can follow their own! However, they need to take ownership of their education in order to succeed in their online learning course. They need to identify what works for them and prepare the right learning schedule for themselves. Copying someone else’s schedule won’t help here!

Thanks to online high schools, students can study as well as work at their very own convenience. As usual, the course material is accessible online. Online students are provided with special online study resources like an online library. They can find any study material here! This enables students to expand their knowledge in a convenient manner, without having to depend on others.

Effective interaction
In an online high school class, students are required to interact effectively with their online teachers as well as online class peers. In fact, proper communication is the key to online school success. Since there is no direct communication involved in an online high school course, students are required to be self-starters and start making communications with their teachers. They need to express their doubts and worries, else he/she won’t get help!

Most importantly, online high school courses provide shy or reticent students with the opportunity to take part in class discussions easily. The communication in an online high school class is more direct than that of any traditional high school class. There are some students who tend to report higher concentration in online classes.

A nurturing learning environment
An accredited online high school makes sure to provide you with a great learning environment. This environment is highly thriving and nurturing for students. Students can learn from the safety and comfort of their homes. They can start with their lessons at any point in time. They can complete their daily online school course wearing comfortable pajamas. There are no physical class sessions here. Students are not required to attend any physical class at any fixed time. They need not fight morning traffic to attend online classes!

Advancement of career
Online schooling for high school enables students to advance in their career space. Online school students are able to take online high school courses while working in in-between jobs. They can juggle it all together. Most importantly, online courses look good on the resume. An accredited online high school degree gives an edge to high school students. An employer or a College officer is bound to notice your resume if you have scored well in some advanced online courses while doing your online high school classes.

With an online high school diploma, you are sure to have a lot of study and career options to choose from.

No commuting
There is no commutation involved when you are taking accredited online high schools. You need to travel through snowstorms or thunderstorms to visit your online classes. Also, you do not have any scope of missing important classes. In online high school courses, students are able to attend by taking part in discussion boards or chat sessions. You can attend your online school lectures at any point in time.

Enhancement of your technical skills
You get to enhance your technical skills while doing your online high school course. Keep in mind that even the most basic online school course requires the development of certain computer skills. You would have to learn to navigate various learning management systems (LMS) plus programs. This keeps you updated about technology.

Continuity in profession
Thanks to the flexibility of online school programs, you can pursue your major interests while preparing for your online high school course.

Life of Online High School Students vs. Traditional Students

An online high school student experiences quite a change in his daily life as well as lifestyle when switched from a traditional school to an online one. The daily route is perhaps the biggest difference between the online high school and the traditional high school.

Here is a comparison between the daily routine of an online high school student and that of a traditional high school student:

Wake-up call
Mornings for a traditional school student start with waking up early with the help of an alarm clock in general! They need to get up earlier since they need to catch the bus, van or walk on their own. If the mode of communication is feet, then the kid is real lucky to have his school near to his residence. In many cases, the child’s mom or dad might give him a ride to school.

An online high school student on the other hand needs to wake up not too early. However, if he belongs to a disciplined family, he shall wake up at around 6 or 7 a.m. He freshens up for the day and logs in to start his coursework.

As you compare the two scenarios, you can figure out that online schooling saves the time required for getting ready and commuting. The difference is more striking if the traditional school is pretty far from the child’s residential area. The child nearly has to wake up around 5a.m. in such a case when his school just starts at 7 a.m.

First half of the day
Fir a traditional student, the school hours generally start from about 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The classes predominantly consist of lectures and working on assignments. Any assignment or classwork that is not completed within the school hours become part of your homework.

Online schools follow a curriculum that is as rigorous as that of a traditional school.  You at least need to invest 30-35 hours per week to complete your assignments and other work on time. The major difference here is that the students need not follow a fixed schedule or a fixed learning pace. They are also not tied to a physical classroom. However, such a high level of freedom calls for a high level of discipline.

It is crucial for online students to stay ahead of their schedules. Many of you might get scared hearing that discipline is a must for the online learners. But, in the hindsight, discipline is a must in any job environment, college environment or other higher-level study environments. So, it is beneficial for you if you start inculcating the skill early in your life. After all, old habits die hard!

All the tasks like assignments, quizzes, exams and collaborative or solo projects etc. are completed online. There might be certain tasks that you shall be needed to do offline as well. But, first you need to focus on your online tasks. In general, an online course consists of six units that are divided into five lessons each. Students need to complete at least one lesson in each class every single working day that involves the weekdays. You can do some work on your weekend as well if you wish in order to gain deeper knowledge and moving ahead of your schedule.

Online courses are usually are teacher-guided. These contain several instructional videos, educational games etc. The education is imparted with the help of multiple mediums such as audio books, visual lessons, PowerPoint presentations etc. to make it more enticing and stimulating for the kids.

Thus, online classes are vibrant and focus on variety. On the other hand, traditional classes are highly monotonous and rigid. The latter surely tends to get you real bored.

Lunch break
Whether you are in a traditional or an online school, you need to take the lunch break to rejuvenate your minds and get some fresh air. While in traditional schools, you have no choice but to depend on the cafeteria food. At home, you can afford to have a healthy diet in case you wish for it. You might even get a little nap at home before continuing further to work on specific assignments. This is applicable only for online learners.

Qualification of teachers
Teachers are employed in good schools only when they are proficient and specialized in their subjective areas. This applies both for traditional and online school faculty.

However, the difference lies in the fact that online faculty is available 24x7 for online learners. Conventional school teachers are only available during the school hours. So, in case you have queries, you are more likely to get them resolved the same day only if you are an online learner.

Socialization
Since conventional schools contain ‘live” teachers and ”live” peers, the opportunities for socialization appear to be more apparent. However, this kind of socialization is not exactly productive.

Online learning does not involve a physical classroom. Online schools provide different techniques to students for socialization. Online students connect with classmates differently. The several channels that make Interaction happen are:

•Discussion forums
•Collaborative projects
•Staff-monitored community page.
•Online student clubs or groups usually built for a specific task.

Such interactions are far more meaningful and productive. Bonding and friendship are the by-products. You tend to make more genuine friends here since you get to come across people having similar mindset and goals as you. You need not go for forced friendships under any sort of peer pressure or just to stick to a “cool” group. The friendship built here is much more genuine and natural.

Completion of the pending work
Traditional school students need to complete their pending classroom assignments at home itself. Online school students can continue with their pending assignments in the second half of the day if they wish. They can take the help of several online tools and resources to do so.

Students of an Accredited Online High School feel more at ease to complete their assignments on time. In course of time, they develop self-drive that alone motivates them to follow the ideal daily routine throughout the coursework.

Benefits of Joining an Accredited Online High School

More and more parent-child duos are lining up for good accredited online high schools today. The reason is pretty apparent. This is an age of technophiles. Thus, when there is a computer screen involved in studying, it gets exciting and engaging.

Here is a list of the top benefits of joining an accredited online high school:

Ability to make up for Missed Credits
There are many times when students fall behind in traditional schools due to some reasons. it can be then difficult to make up missed credits while keeping up with the required coursework. However, flexible online high schools allow teens to make up courses in a systematic way. Some teens choose to enroll to take classes online while still attending their regular high school. However, others decide to move completely to the virtual realm to finish their coursework.

Making it easy for motivated students to get ahead and work for an early graduation
At the time when students take online classes, they do not need to be held back by classes that must take four years to complete. They often look for choosing an online high school that allows them to finish courses as fast as they are able to complete the coursework. Most of the accredited online schools come up with specially designed courses that are meant for students who are looking for early graduation. Most of the online high school graduates have earned their diplomas one or two years ahead of their traditional counterparts.

Providing convenience to students with unusual schedules
Present-age students wish to be multitalented. They do not want to get caught up in a single field of interest. They always look for a backup plan beforehand. There are many who are into activities such as professional acting or sports often have to miss classes for work-related events. These students end up constantly juggling work and school while struggling to catch up with their peers. Online high schools have made it extremely easy for these talented teens to complete their mandatory high school courses. They can work on their daily coursework even during their downtime. They can select their study time that suits best to their personal lifestyle. Lack of rigidity in this type of educational system actually benefits these kids.

Teens can control the tempo of their learning in this case. They can speed ahead when they feel confident with the coursework. Also, they can take longer when they are dealing with subjects they find confusing. Thus, they do not have to struggle to keep up. This individual nature of online schools enables teens to progress through coursework at a pace that complements their individual learning pattern.

Making it easier for struggling teens
Most of the troubled teens want to make a lifestyle change. However, they are not able to do so when they are stuck up in the hectic traditional routine. Thus, it gets almost impossible for them to alter their behavior while surrounded by former friends who have not made this commitment.

This is where online high school classes score. Taking online classes, teens are able to get away from the temptations presented by their peers at school. They are not required to withstand and overcome the pressure of seeing these students every day. Instead, they have the opportunity to make new friends based on shared interests rather than shared locations.

Also, they can avoid disturbing social anomalies such as bullying. Bullying is a serious problem in traditional schools. Most of the families choose to withdraw their teen from the situation by enrolling him in an online program. Online high schools are a good option for bullied teens. It can prove to be a permanent solution for these kids.

Helping students to focus more
There are certain students who find it truly difficult to focus on their education when surrounded by the distractions of traditional schools. Online high schools enable students to focus on academics and save socializing for their off hours. Certain times students take online courses for a semester or two to resume back prior to enrolling in a traditional high school once again.

Providing easier access to programs that are not available locally
The online programs give students in rural or disadvantaged urban areas the ability to learn from a good curriculum. Thus, these kids are enabled to get a quality education. Most of the best online high schools have high acceptance rates from elite colleges.

Providing diversity
Online schools are known to have more class options than traditional ones. This is because they are not restricted by a limited number of classrooms or teachers like traditional high schools are. This can help students looking to take specific classes not offered by their regular high school. This includes certain advanced or AP classes. There are some online schools that offer specialized curriculum to tailor your courses to subjects that interest you more.

This is a huge advantage for home-schooled students and their parents. Taking an online class can allow the students to learn about a subject their parent is not an expert in. This allows the students to remain home-schooled and get the benefit of a wholesome education all at the same time.

Providing a nurturing learning environment
There are certain people who choose virtual high schools since they do not enjoy or do well in a traditional school. There might be various reasons behind this. There might be difficulties with classmates, difficulty in coping up with the generalized class pace, trouble with a teacher etc.

Usually, an online high school environment ensures the least number of distractions. At the time of taking classes online, students don’t have to worry about any sort of peer pressure. They can devote their entire focus to learning and doing well in their subjects.

Providing proper faculty support
Accredited online high schools employ only certified teachers who are highly qualified. This ensures that quality education will be imparted to the students. This can be a great relief to not only the students but their parents as well.

The Quickest & Easiest Way to do Online High School

If you are ambitious and want to succeed in an online high school course badly, you go to be self-disciplined. You need to figure out as which is the quickest and easiest way to do online high schooling!

Online high school is a great alternative for kids who are troubled by the rigidity of the conventional education system. The limited access to educational resources in a conventional high school gets many students frustrated.

Learn to avoid scams at the time of searching for an online high school. Look into the accreditation. Try to find quality online schools. Try to get a legit education. Make sure to earn a real degree. If you wish to take certain advanced courses or college-prep courses, make sure those are available in your online high school. Thus, know your “wants” and “needs” before jumping into an online high school. Always make an informed decision.

Do proper customization
Most of the accredited online high schools allow you to tailor your online curriculum. This is one of the top features of any online high school that is regionally accredited. So, avail of this facility. However, in order to customize your online curriculum, know your learning needs and objectives first. If you are confused, consult your parents, teachers, and seniors. Your parents sure know you well! So, you can trust them to a great extent!

Keep in mind that it might take some tailoring to achieve the most befitting curriculum. This is more so when it is your very first time! Online learning offers convenience, flexibility, freedom and a lot of things. When you succeed in an online high school environment, it will require you to contemplate. You might be required to adapt and shift your expectations. However, it will be worth it!

Learn to be an independent learner
Independence learning is what an online high school requires, at least to a great extent! Even if you are not an independent learner right from the beginning, you can train yourself to be one! You need to tap into a self-guided learning experience. Keep in mind that succeeding in online classes will require you to work independently. You will have to manage your time effectively. You need to stay on task. You need to exercise proper self-control. Make sure to pay heed to your study materials and lectures. Prepare notes for your own convenience. You must stay focused. Regulate and use your time productively. You need to remain motivated. Try to find ways to stay engaged.

When you have decided to get into online learning, do not keep yourself isolated. Discuss your ideas with your online peers. This will help you to keep your knowledge in check! Also, you will get a reality check as to where you truly stand.

You need to be a self-starter and an independent learner. So, get your mindset framed in a similar manner. You need to set your own pace. Once you find a particular learning pace, stick to it. It would be great if you are able to use your online education as a way to get past the issues of traditional high school.

Get family support
In order to stay away from getting isolated, make sure to be communicative with your family members. Try to find support through a personal network. This is the simplest and easiest way to socialize! Since you will have no “live” interaction with any online peer or teacher in an online environment, you must have proper communication with your parents and other family members.

Let your parents get involved in your learning. Parental involvement can make a good deal of impact. You might have a good deal of homework and assignments to work on. Make sure to consult your parents while you work on those. Try to study for exams. Make sure to explore your subject matter. You can do so with the help of a natural conversation with your parents as well. You can even consider allowing a qualified family member to support and guide you through the online learning process. You might need a good deal of guidance at the time of enrollment or exam preparation.

Keep realistic expectations
Prior to choosing your online high school, you must be aware of your options well. Try to identify your academic needs first. Only then choose an online high school.

When you are considering a private online high school, look into the accreditation first. This surely plays a vital role. These programs are pretty much provided by for-profit education companies. Thus, the quality of education varies. Also, the cost varies. Stay away from diploma mills. Go for a regionally accredited online private school.

Do not overestimate your strengths. Be in touch with reality. Only then choose an online high school program.

Benefits of an online high school
Giving you the ability to follow your own pace
Most of the online high schools allow students to work on their own learning pace. Thus, you are no longer required to skip lessons or topics in order to cope up with a specific learning pace. Thus, in an online learning environment, you will be able to stick to your unique learning pattern. This will help you reach your potential.

Giving you the option to tailor your curriculum
You can alter your online curriculum as per your academic and personal needs and objectives. Identify your learning objectives first. The good thing is that you do not have to follow any rigid schedule.

Offering you the chance to graduate early
Some accredited online high schools provide a specialized curriculum. This curriculum enables you to attain early graduation. However, you need to be motivated to stick to these accelerated courses. Most of the accredited online schools offer other interesting programs such as Dual Enrollment courses, Advanced Placement courses, etc.

Helping you to get technically strong
Most of the online high schools make use of virtual tools and resources like an online library. Using these tools are likely to expand your technical knowledge overall.

Top Benefits of Choosing an Online High School

There are several online learning platforms in the country that are currently making headway in terms of providing high school education to students across the nation at a fraction of what it would otherwise cost them to study in a conventional schooling environment. Having access to an online environment certainly opens up new possibilities for students as well as their teachers. Students are offered facilities like accessing their coursework from practically any place as long as they have access to a computer and the internet. Communicating online also helps interaction with students from any part of the world. Transcending physical boundaries is what online schooling is all about and it certainly opens up new avenues for holistic learning. Globalization is the reason the world is so much closer today, which has also facilitated the easy sharing of information. With new technologies providing cheaper and more economical alternatives, online high schools are now providing more benefits to most families in the United States and around the world as well.

Teachers also have the option of communicating with their students seamlessly irrespective of physical location. Being able to interact with students from different parts of the world is one of the significant advantages offered by an online high school. Regularly monitoring progress and providing timely feedback are significant benefits not just for teachers but for parents too. Furthermore, teachers are no longer required to relocate to other parts of the country in order to be able to teach at a particular school depending on vacancies available. The same concept is applicable to teachers who have opted to teach via online learning platforms. Parents also have been given a second chance at securing a high school education if they missed out on the opportunity for whatever reason. Online high school now offers you the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time. Working professionals too, now have the freedom and flexibility required to manage both, work and study.

Even the added expenses on account of travel are eliminated, which makes it a lot more affordable for most. After all, the cost involved sometimes tends to be a deterrent to those wishing to pursue their education. They are also able to save time, which certainly makes studying online a much more feasible option for earning their high school degree. At The Ogburn Online School, we have always believed that a diploma or a degree is much more than just a piece of paper. It is a path for students to choose on their way to securing the right knowledge and the required skill sets for succeeding in life. It is about gaining access to a world of opportunities, ones that probably never existed before. Furthering their careers is one motive for working professionals to take up distance learning as a serious alternative. Contrary to popular notion, online schooling isn’t limited to only students from online high schools. There are online middle schools as well as online elementary schools that accommodate the needs of younger minds.

For more information you can log on to http://www.ogburnonlineschool.com and also speak to one of our education counselors and clarify all doubts or queries you may have.