Homeschooling in the Cyber Age

Once upon a time, homeschooling was a homespun operation.  When people pictured homeschooling families, they saw mothers sitting by the fireplace, surrounded by beaming and attentive children.  Perhaps there was spinning, or sewing, or other such domestic activities.

And in the beginning, that might not have been so far off from reality.  Many homeschooling families did seek to recapture a certain lost era of togetherness and simplicity.

Things have changed.  Welcome to homeschooling in the cyber age.

When I began considering homeschooling, I read many books about those families who were pioneers in the homeschooling movement.  They talked about meeting together at churches and in homes, putting together co-ops and support groups.  There was still some of that in the early part of the 21st century, but it pretty quickly segued into a brave new world.

I found support not only in local groups who communicated via email but also with people from around the world.  I made friends from all across the USA and Canada, too.  We shared the triumphs and frustrations of our homeschooling journey.

Now I can't imagine having to homeschooling without my computer and the internet.  I order curriculum on line.  I ask questions of people who have used that curriculum, people I've never met.  Some of very best, closest friends I don't see regularly; if we're very blessed, we might see each other once a year.  So we adjust.  We chat on the computer, via Skype.  We text and we phone.  We gripe about kids with bad attitudes and the challenges of being homeschooling moms.

This year, we've taken it just a bit further:  Catie is doing a cyber co-op with two of our friends.  When we were together in May, we all bought the same geography curriculum, and now Shawn, Franklin and Catie 'meet' once a week on the computer--using their web cams--to review the lessons, check their answers and discuss vocabulary words.  It's pretty cool that our co-op spans three states:  California, Georgia and Florida.

Every day we hear about the dangers of the internet, and it's true that we have to take precautions.  But how wonderful is it that this incredible world wide web also offers us tremendous opportunities for learning, friendship and discovery!