Homeschooling Your Children: The Basic Facts!

Lots of articles about why people homeschool approach it from a negative angle. Usually, they focus on what parents don't like about public school.

Wikipedia states that Home education, also called homeschooling or home school, is an educational alternative in which children are educated at home by their parents, in contrast to the compulsory attendance which takes place in an institution with a campus such as a public school or private school. 

Around the world Homeschooling has been increasing quite substantially over the last 4 years. In 2003, in the United States, approximately 1.1 million children were Home Schooled, up 29% from 850,000 in 1999. Recently, homeschooling has increased in popularity in the United States, and the percentage of children 5-17 who are homeschooled increased from 1.7% in 1999 to 2.9% in 2007  Recent figures show that Homeschooling in other Western Countries are also continuing to grow. For example, an estimated 50,000 children are considered "home-educated" in the United Kingdom; Australia - 26,500; and in Canada (as at 2001) it was estimated that 80,000 children were educated at home with the numbers continuing to increase.

Most home education advocates have individual motivations to home-educate.  Academic and social results of home education are varied and are the source of vibrant debate. Some feel that they can more effectively tailor a studentТs academic program to suit an individual strengths and weaknesses, especially children who are gifted or have learning disabilities. Others are religious parents who see non-religious education as contrary to their moral or religious systems. Still others feel that the negative social pressures of schools, such as bullying, drugs, school violence, and other school-related problems, are impacting negatively to a child's development. Many parents simply like the idea of teaching their own children rather than letting someone else do so.

A common concern voiced about home-educated children is they lack the social interaction with students and society that a school environment provides. Many home-education families address these concerns by joining numerous organizations, including home-education cooperatives, independent study programs and specialized enrichment groups for physical education, art, music, and debate. Most are also active in community groups. Home-educated children generally socialize with other children the same way that school children do: outside of school, via personal visits and through sports teams, clubs, and religious groups.

The academic effectiveness of homeschooling is largely a settled issue. Numerous studies have confirmed the academic integrity of home education programs, demonstrating that on average, home-educated students outperform their publicly-run school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. The performance gaps between minorities and gender that plague publicly-run schools are virtually non-existent amongst home-educated students.

Notable home-educated individuals 

• Thomas Edison, United States, scientist and inventor 

• Alexander Graham Bell, Scotland, Inventor (Telephone, Hydrofoil) 

• Dakota Fanning, United States, actress 

• Hilary Duff, United States, Actress/Singer 

• Charles Evans Hughes, United States, Governor of New York, United States Secretary of State, and Chief Justice of the United States 

• Frankie Muniz, United States, Actor 

• Rosa Parks, United States, civil rights activist 

• Susan La Flesche Picotte, United States, first American Indian woman physician 

• Woodrow Wilson, United States, the only United States President to hold a Ph.D. 

• George Washington, United States, First United States President 

• Abraham Lincoln, United States, President during American Civil War

Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything learnt in school - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Always we can remember about positive reasons to homeschool:

• Fun - we can learn to play and play to learn.
• Lifelong learning  - learn everywhere and everytime about all what interesting for us.
• Learn with People who love it - taking classes with teachers who do it because they really want to, not just because it's their job.
• Free to learn and Free to play - Homeschooling allows families to learn anywhere, even on the road. And it gives them the flexibility to do the important things in their lives, on their own schedule.
• We feel competent - Just as it has done for my kids, homeschooling has helped me learn that I can do a lot of things I never would have dreamed were possible. 

5 years for new education

Education system  is changes. New education will be personalized and oriented for children

With the help of e-learning platforms and cloud analytics, teachers will learn more about each student and her learning styles.

“The classroom of the future will give educators the tools to learn about every student, providing them with a tailored curriculum from kindergarten to high school and on to employment,” the report reads. “In the next five years, the classroom will learn about each student using longitudinal data such as test scores, attendance and student’s behavior on e-learning platforms, not just aptitude tests.”

Cloud analytics will also predict which students need more help and then suggest measures to overcome challenges based on how they learn best.

Children and parents: media use

Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes came out in October, and has masses of data on how British children are getting their entertainment across different devices.  
And it have nice information about kids: 

Smartphone ownership has remained stable for 8-11s (18%) and 12-15s (62%). But there has been a decline in the number of 5–15s owning a mobile phone (43% vs. 49% in 2012).
This reduction in ownership of mobile phones that are not smartphones comes at the same time as a sharp increase in the use of tablet computers at home, which has tripled among 5-15s since 2012, and a decline in TVs, radios and games players in children’s bedrooms.

Four in ten (41%) 12-15s with an active profile say they mostly use a mobile phone to visit their main social networking site profile - which makes this the most popular device for accessing their profiles.

Smartphone users send an estimated 184 instant messages (IM) in a typical week and smartphones are the most popular device for accessing social networking sites among 12-15 year olds.



 For the first time there has been a decrease in the number of children with social networking profiles, and there appears to be greater diversity in the types of social networking sites being used. However, there has also been an increase in the number of children who can potentially be contacted by people unknown to them via their social networking profiles. Parental awareness of the minimum age requirement for Facebook has increased among parents whose child has a profile on this site.

Most parents of 5-15s say that they know enough to keep their child safe online, but around half of parents continue to feel that their child knows more about the internet than they do, as do 14% of parents of children aged 3-4. This may reflect the fast pace of technological change and the ease with which younger children in particular can embrace and explore new mobile technology and apps, and suggests that parents need continuing support to build their own skills and confidence.

Tablets are becoming the must-have device for children...
Around one quarter of children aged 12– 15 (26%) and 18% aged 8-11 have their own tablet computer, while household ownership of a tablet has more than doubled since 2012 (51% vs. 20%). Use of a tablet computer at home has tripled among 5-15s since 2012 (42% vs.14%) while one-quarter (28%) of 3-4s use a tablet computer at home.


...while older children opt for smartphones...
Ownership of mobile phones among children aged 5-15 has decreased to 43%. This is a decline of 6 percentage points since 2012, driven by a 10 percentage point decline in ownership for 8-11s (33% vs. 43%) and a 5 percentage point decline for 12-15s (82% vs. 87%). However, smartphone ownership has remained stable for 8-11s (18%) and 12-15s (62%).


Among 12-15s, schoolwork/ homework is the most commonly-mentioned internet activity (84%), followed by information (79%) social networking (68%) and watching audiovisual content (68%). A majority of 12-15s also go online weekly for other communication (66%) for games (54%) and for music (53%).

And about tariff....


Personal information for sharing...

Youngsters and Tech All Over The World

It's amazing facts you can find  at ITU Report about young people and technology. Over 250 million people came online over the last year, and almost 40 per cent of the
world’s population will be using the Internet by end 2013. Mobile technology and services
continue to be the key driver of the information society, and the number of mobile
broadband subscriptions is close to 2 billion. Young people all over the world are the most active users.  While 30 per cent of the youth population are digital natives today, the report shows that within the next five years, the digital native population in the developing world is expected to double.

The most impressive facts of research:

• only about 5.2% (363 mln) are digital natives, out of a world population of 7 billion

• the largest number of digital natives at China 

• the largest % of population (13.9%) of digital natives has Iceland

But you can learn even more from the infographic.

   

How kids use devices!

Can Online Education Replace Classrooms?

Today, the internet is widely regarded as a major bridge linking the small and big, the possible and impossible, hidden and open and creating extensive possibilities across a wide spectrum. It strategically empowers the small guy to set up home-based business and pose like a giant concern. Even charities organizations are now thriving better through application if Internet resources. In reality, the whole world, on a daily basis, is currently under the spell of phenomenal growth of Internet. And one of such areas that Internet has drastically changed forever is EDUCATION - yes, education is now being carried out online and popularly called E-Learning! Unlike in the days of yore, a young man can now stay in the Hinterland of Africa and attend a school in England or Australia without qualms.

Needless controversy?

However, despite the beautiful advantage of online education painted in the above paragraph, there are raging controversies against it. While others are shouting about which is superior to the other? While this article will not make an armchair judgment on this issue, however, you shall be presented with the facts on the ground. Firstly, realize that online education is being used by both secondary and tertiary students. But due to the fact that secondary students still require adult guidance, E-Learning is not yet as deep at this level as it is for tertiary level. How the E-Learning changes the live of young students worldwide. It's proven that majority secondary students are presently hob-knobbing between classrooms and sitting in front of computers undergoing intense lectures and prep-work with great successes. Also, E-learning enable young students to sit for international exams and pursue scholarship, while learning foreign languages have become as simple as enrolling for community classes. The only exception is practical and laboratories guidance from teachers at schools. It should also be noted that online education is making it possible for hitherto, rural-based schools to favorably compete in, arm to arm with those in the urban centers. It also allows rural schools improve academic curriculum to meet international standards. On a general scale, the worry of overcrowded classrooms has become a thing of the past. How? Because a well-laid E-learning program can admit hundred of students from many countries to access same course at the same time.

Can online classes ever replace physical classrooms?

From what has been said so far, it is clear that supplanting online education to physical classroom can not be possible. Just as Internet can't supplant our cultural ways of life, but meant to add more benefits and opportunities to them. The same way has online education help the growth of basic classroom education - it is presently widening inherent opportunities of education.

Choosing Educational Software For Children

In recent years, computers have become an integral part of everyday life.  Now, more people own computers than ever before, and the numbers continue to rise.  As a result, children are learning how to use computers in school at a much earlier age than ever before.

There is a wide array of educational software available for children of all ages. This provides you, the parent, with many options when choosing educational software for your children.  Since many educational games have been shown to help children learn and improve their skills in many subjects, these games have become an important part of a child's learning experience.  But choosing the right educational software makes all the difference.  For this reason, it is essential to take care when choosing computer software for your children.

The best educational software is designed by people who know how children think.  By nature, children like to see, touch, and interact with a thing in order to learn about it.  This same concept also applies to computer software.  For this reason, interactive applications have become so prevalent.  Among these, there are many different types of software applications.  Some are actual simulations, while others are open-ended creativity tools.  There are also a number of structured activities available for the computer such as puzzles, tutorials, and reference titles.  They are made by the 700+ publishers that specialize in educational items.

Because there are so many options available to you, selecting those that will truly help your child to learn may seem like an overwhelming task.  This, however, does not have to be the case.  When choosing computer software for your child, there are a few factors you should consider.

First, make sure you choose software that your child will be able to operate.  This is especially important if you have a small child, as he or she will probably only be able to use the mouse.  Be sure the application you choose accommodates this, as your child's attention span will probably not last very long, otherwise.

When choosing software, you should also take care to select programs and games that best fit the interests of your child.  While it is wonderful to encourage the learning of new skills and acceptance of new ideas, your child is less likely to take part in something of which he or she has little or no interest.  Introducing your child to newer concepts and skills more gradually, however, may peak their interest and help build character and skill.