Online Teaching Before and After Covid

As families are scrambling to decide what they are going to do about their child’s education, homeschooling is becoming a part of that conversation. Online teaching platforms are experiencing a surge in new enrollments as parents are looking for supplementary courses, some are deciding to start their homeschooling journey and opting out of sending their children back to school or participating in distant learning offered through their districts. It is important to note that distance learning and homeschooling are very different:

✨Homeschool vs Distance Learning✨

Distant Learning

• Curriculum and learning offered by the state
• Follows state standards
• Online (widening divide for have/have not)
• Standardized testing is mandatory (most states you can opt-out)
• Grades to demonstrate mastery
• 6-8 hours required

Homeschool

• Choice in the curriculum (purchased, pieced together, independently developed)
• Subjects can be outsourced
• Technology isn’t required, virtual learning is still an option
• Parents teach (hired help or share responsibility in a co-op or amongst other homeschoolers)
• You can stay on a subject until it is mastered
• 1-2 hours of direct instruction is all that’s required

✨Virtual Learning (non-district)

• Utilize platforms that offer virtual classes
• Flexibility to choose classes and instructors

This is a short list that is not comprehensive. Distance learning is going to look different across districts and states once it’s determined if schools will reopen or not.

If you don’t want the decision to lie in someone else’s hands, start researching. Check out your options.

There is also a growing demand for educators. Many brick and mortar teachers are trying to decide if they will return to the workplace if their district decides to open schools back up. For those that don’t want to take the risk, they are turning to online teaching platforms such as Outschool, K12, Teachable, etc. If you are one of those teachers, or even if you’re not a teacher and you’re interested in teaching online, check out my guide.

If you are a parent that is planning on homeschooling, here are some tips to help you get started:

Step 1: Check your state laws www.hslda.org
Step 2: Deschool. Step away from what you think School is supposed to look like. Most children only need 1-2 hours of active instruction per day
Step 3: Join homeschooling groups/communities
Step 4: Learn about different types of homeschooling (unschooling, worldschooling, gameschooling, hybrid, co-ops, Montessori, etc)
Step 5: Choose a curriculum or build your own
Step 6: Create a schedule that you and your children can agree to
Step 7: Find out your teaching style and your children’s learning style
Step 8: Don’t be scared to ask questions, take breaks, scrap it all and start all over

This is not a comprehensive list of steps.

There is a lot of information to sift through and it can feel like it’s TOO MUCH. Be patient with yourself.

COVID-19 is going to change how schooling and education look, for families and educators.

Are you prepared?