franco b wrote:Wow! And double Wow! I have always thought of homeschooling as teaching reading riting and rithmetric, the three Rs, but now you are into college level.
Yes, my kids and the majority of homeschoolers we associated all started their 2 year degrees at the Community College when they turned 16. They do not have High School Diplomas but they have an Associates Degree and a Bachelor Degree from the University
of their choice.
My middle daughter chose to finish her Bachelor Degree completely on line. It is from a fully accredited University that the DoD uses for their long distance learning. Her cost for this degree was under 15,000. The independent learning we practiced in homeschooling as teenagers enabled her to excel with distance learning.
franco b wrote:Jpete's mention of the acquisition of a building seems to point to an evolution towards a private school and something beyond simple homeschooling of basics.Your use of the word "alternative" begins to fit better. Public schools with increasing emphasis on political correctness, alternative history, and rejection of science in human development are bound to fall behind those that emphasize the individual rather than the group.
Some homeschool groups have evolved toward group learning but that gets tricky. As you may have guessed, homeschoolers are closely watched by the educational establishment and if not careful can find themselves in court for not having the proper certification of a teacher. Our group always maintained a clear distinct line between reading, writing and math which are required by the state and enrichment activities which are not. The enrichment activities such as art, music, engineering, etc. are led by parents who are also leaders in the field. For instance, my kids were in a Wind Symphony which was conducted by the retired Director of County Public School Music. How are you going to beat that experience? The Daytona Beach Homeschoolers are another example. Their dad is a PhD in engineering. You're not going to get that attention in a Public School.
Here's a thought for you - is the current 6 hours a day, 5 days a week school we currently have going the way of the dinosaur? Is the advent of online learning and Skype capabilities going to change the face of education in America? Some of the teachers I talk with seem to think so. I guess we'll see.
