The Key Differences Between ONLINE HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS AND TRADITIONAL HOMESCHOOLING

Posted on February 25, 2016December 13, 2022 by Matt Hillesland

Online Homeschool Programs

If you are a parent, then you are aware of the fact that your child needs to attend school to get an education. Traditionally, parents were left with three educational options: have their child attend classes in their local school district, pay private school tuition, or homeschool their children. While homeschooling regulations can drastically vary from state to state, these three options were essentially the only forms of getting a primary education. However, as time has progressed, another option emerged in the form of online cyber charter schools where parents could allow their child to learn virtually via the computer.

While there are numerous reasons as to why a parent would want to explore other educational options for their child, many are unaware of the clear differences between homeschooling and online homeschool programs. With that said, let’s take a look at the key differences between both of these educational options and the advantages one may have over the other.

Teachers & Faculty

While the concept of getting an education at home is relatively the same, the structure of education can be vastly differ between homeschooling and online homeschool programs. For instance, at 21^st Century Cyber Charter School (21CCCS), all the teachers are highly qualified, certified by the state of Pennsylvania, and hold college degrees. Plus, there are other certified faculty members from guidance counselors to staff administrators and more.

However, when it comes to homeschooling, parents may find themselves teaching subjects they are not very experienced or familiar with. On top of that, the parent acts as the administrator, guidance counselor, advisor, subject matter expert and any other educational role when necessary.

Curriculum

Public cyber charter schools implement a curriculum that is set and approved by the state, in which 21CCCS specifically bases their programs on the Pennsylvania Core Standards. Furthermore, online cyber charter schools can individualize the curriculum to suit the students’ learning style and varying academic level. In addition, they provide for a full range of courses that can encompass not only the core subjects, but delve into world languages, honors/AP level studies and much more.

When it comes to a curriculum for homeschooling, it’s left up to the parent to find and research an appropriate curriculum that adheres to state and national standards, then develop plans to teach that curriculum.

Attendance & Academic Policies

It is important to understand that online homeschool programs follow the same state attendance and academic policies that are already set in place, so the educational accountability is already established. This also accounts for other records like grades, testing and other requirements that are maintained from day one within the online learning management system. Additionally, cyber charter schools follow a traditional school year calendar but there aren’t any snow days or buses to catch to attend class.

On the other hand, homeschooling parents are responsible for understanding the local attendance and academic policies and are accountable for reporting those records to the state while also preparing for yearly evaluations.

Socialization

Online homeschool programs provide students with many opportunities to socialize with other students, both online and offline. They regularly schedule local activities, events, trips, clubs and other meetings that are designed to encourage and support socialization among the student body. Additionally, they offer students with activities found in traditional school settings like a yearbook committee, literary magazines and virtual drama presentations to promote creativity. Lastly, students who meet graduation requirements are eligible to attend a formal graduation ceremony to receive a diploma with the school’s name on it. They also have the traditional cap and gown experience with fellow students, faculty, staff and family members.

Socialization activities for homeschooled children are often challenging as the parent must research and find socialization opportunities on their own. It should also be noted that homeschooled children may miss out on the opportunity to participate in clubs like yearbook and other group-driven activities. Additionally, the parent is responsible for creating a diploma and graduation ceremony and some choose to receive a GED as a record of high school equivalence.

With the above information, you now understand the key differences between homeschooling and an education from online homeschool programs. At the end of the day, it all comes down to providing your child with an education because they need to learn important skills in order to succeed. However, with all the above points, cyber charter school have numerous advantages and benefits that cannot be replicated through homeschooling. Set your child up for success today by enrolling them in 21^st Century Cyber Charter School for the best online education in Pennsylvania.

Socialization in Cyber School? No Way! Well, Guess Again!

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Ben Ozgur

“You don’t socialize in cyber school. How can you? It’s just you and your computer all day!”

Does this sound familiar to you? If so, you’ve most likely found yourself on the defense, explaining to friends and family that your beloved cyber school choice does involve a community and social learning experience. At 21CCCS, one of the most frequently asked questions our enrollment team fields from prospective families is, “What opportunities are available for my child to socialize?” We explain that it is true that 21CCCS provides an asynchronous, cyber learning environment, which means we do not require students to log into classes at any specific time of day. However, our students come together for lots of things! We’ve developed many ways to offer social outlets for our students. Let me share a few.

1.) Community Outreach Events

These events are held throughout Pennsylvania on a weekly basis and are attended by our teachers, students, family members, and friends. Students are often given a chance to work on schoolwork and tutoring for the first half of the evening. Then, they are given time to play games, meet with their friends, and get to know their teachers. Next month we have cooking class on the calendar. Don’t miss it! The schedule for these events is posted weekly in Moodle and if you have any questions, ask Ms. Hoyt, Mr. Kinsch or your learning coach.

2.) Field Trips

Our field trips are most often educationally minded opportunities for students to come together and share a common learning experience. Ms. Elder and Mr. Chu work to schedule and organize the trips on a monthly basis. In the past we have ventured to Philadelphia, Gettysburg, and the Carnegie Center. Smaller scale field trips have been scheduled to welcome students back to school, or to celebrate the end of the year! If you have ideas for new field trips, let us know! We are happy to explore and schedule new visits.

3.) Clubs

21CCCS offers a variety of cyber clubs each year. We change them when needed, depending upon the interest and needs of our students. In the past, we’ve had a Literary Magazine, Radio-Drama Production, Chess Team, Debate Team and Photography Club. Be sure to ask your learning coach about club opportunities, and if one doesn’t exist that fits an interest, we will work with you to create it.

4.) Live Class and the the Virtual Office

Live class and the virtual office are a great way to reinforce learning materials. But, they are also a great way to get to know teachers and classmates and where most daily socialization happens at 21CCCS. Through one click on the computer, our cyber community is transported to a virtual room full of fellow teachers and classmates, and the learning and discussion opportunities are endless.

The power to get involved and socialize lies within each one of our students at 21CCCS. We believe that socialization in our cyber school is thriving, growing and most certainly possible!

October is Bully Prevention Month!

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Ben Ozgur

It’s October, and that means a lot of things! Breast Cancer Awareness, Fall Festivals, and Bully Prevention Month. This is a time of the year in which people come together to raise awareness about bullying. Here are some quick facts about bullying and the things you can do to help when you know others are being bullied!

The Facts:

An estimated 160,000 children miss school every day because they are fearful of intimidation, taunting, and ridicule by their classmates.

1 in 7 students in grades K-12 is a bully or a victim of bullying.

90% of 4^th through 8^th graders report being victimized by bullying.

4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC, are caused by suicide. It is the 3^rd leading cause of death among young people.

61% of students said they shoot others because thy have been victims of physical abuse at home.

Types of Bullying:

Verbal: teasing, name calling, insulting

Social/Indirect: spreading stories/rumors, exclusion from groups, embarrassing someone in public

Physical: hitting, kicking, punching, spitting, tripping, pushing, breaking someone’s things

Cyber: using social media (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Blogs, etc) or other technologies to bully

Prevention:

So, what can you do about bullying? Some of these ideas might be helpful to you.

Make sure your school has a clear policy in place to define and deal with issues of bullying.

Start a school club or program for Anti-bullying.

Use social media for good! Help to spread the word about the negative repercussions of bullying.

Talk to someone! Your teachers, guidance counselors, friends, and others are here to help you!

Continue to educate. Knowledge is power. Spread the word about bullying, what it is, and how it can be prevented. Become an advocate today!

Time Management!

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Ben Ozgur

We are well into Quarter 1! Great job to everyone who has been working hard in classes. Your teachers are glad and excited to see such great progress!

In an effort to help you keep on track, we wanted to share some great tips. What is time management all about? How can you get on the right track and organize your day in the best possible way? Read below to learn more about time management.

1.) Discover Your Schedule.

What do you do everyday? How is your schedule currently arranged? The first step to designing a time management plan that will work for you is to recognize and then analyze what you are currently doing. Then, you can start to break down how you work. You can ask yourself questions such as these:

– Do you spend several hours each day working at all once?

– Do you need to take frequent breaks?

– What are the biggest distractions for you?

2.) Build Blocks of Time

Are there certain things that you would like to do in specific chunks of time? Perhaps you love art and would like to spend at least two hours each day working on that. Perhaps you struggle with science and need to dedicate a lot of time to that. Whatever you need to schedule in order to complete your work should live on a schedule, broken into feasible chunks of time. Perhaps 2 hours of science or math will not work for you. That’s ok! Maybe 15 minute chunks will work better. Trial and error will help you decide. Piece together something that you can feasibly see yourself completing, and take it from there.

3.) Create Breaks!

It is unrealistic to work all day every day. You need to make sure to include appropriate break times. That means just the right amount of them, and breaks that last for the right amount of time. Maybe taking a two-hour break will become too distracting, making it harder to get back to work. Figure out what is feasible for your learning style and stick to it!

4.) Study Space

Be sure that the area in which you are working is appropriate for your work. Your study and work space should be quiet, comfortable, temperature appropriate, and productive. Setting up shop in your living room with the television on may not help! Sitting in a space that is too cold or too hot can even become distracting! Ask your parents/guardians for help. Make your study space someplace you’d like to be each day.

5.) Make Time for Review

Your attempt at time management may not be successful the first time around. That is OK! This means that you may need to map out a new plan or a new schedule. Talk with your learning coach, teachers, and parents/guardians for assistance. Trying a new schedule, blocks of time, break routine, or study space is completely acceptable! Evaluating your needs on a regular basis is important. Be sure to openly communicate your learning needs so that you can become successful!

Getting Back in the Swing

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Ben Ozgur

If you’re reading this blog today, you’ve probably had a fantastic summer, chock full of great memories and things to fantasize about. Summer offers so many wonderful opportunities to explore new things, catch up on needed R&R, spend time with friends, or travel. Coming back to school after such a whirlwind is not easy for anyone. It has been said that adjusting yourself to a new habit can take anywhere from 2-3 weeks. So, that means adjusting back to your school-working self is going to take time.

Here are a few helpful hints that may ease the transition! If you have some suggestions of your own, don’t hesitate to contact us at kely@21cccs.org.

1.) Create a schedule. Making your game plan is a great way to consider what you want to accomplish and how to accomplish it. Your learning coach is especially good at this and can help you to construct something to get you off on the right foot. Consider what worked for you last year. Repeat what worked and consider changes that can help you to get ahead. Maybe you’ve learned that you need more time for math homework than you do for social studies. Maybe you need to write more than one draft of your English assignments. Whatever the case, create a schedule for yourself that reflects your own strengths and weaknesses so that you can achieve what you want to this year!

2.) Contact your teachers! Your teachers and learning coaches want to know you! Something as simple as a telephone call, a chat through the VO, or an email will help you get to know your instructors. They want to know not just how they can help you instructionally, but what your dreams and aspirations are as well!

3.) Make a list! Lots of times when we begin a new school year, the workload looks unbearable! The best thing to do is create a list for yourself and start at the top. When you check things off, you will feel accomplished and proud to know you’re getting things done. Starting small will pay off in the long run. You can do anything you put your mind to.

4.) Don’t get down on yourself! Remember that everyday is an opportunity to do great things. Think of every morning as a new beginning. You have the power to learn, question, explore, and grow. School can be overwhelming, especially when you can see an entire quarter’s worth of work staring at you on a computer screen. (Oh, Moodle! You crazy cat!) Remember, you are not the first student, and you will not be the last, to complete what is there for you. Take one day at a time and treat everyday like a fresh start. You can do this!

5.) Make an effort to get to know your classmates. Each member of this school feels pretty darn lucky. We have some incredible students! Get to know your classmates in the VOs. Join us for field trips and community outreach events. You never know how special your classmates are until you take the time to get to know them!

Have a great school year everyone! Ahh, to be young again! We are excited for you!

Improving Keystone Exam Scores

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Ben Ozgur

This year for the first time, consideration of the Keystone Exams and its results were added to our school’s discussion of standardized tests. When we received test scores for the testing completed throughout April and May, a lot of information was revealed about student performance.

This year, teachers were given time during the week of professional development, scheduled the week before the start of school, to really consider what they can do to help improve test scores. Teachers were broken into groups by grade level and tasked with identifying patterns or reasons for the test results. Then, they systematically thought about the things that can be done to help make a difference in student learning. Areas in which students performed the worst, along with areas in which students scored proficient and above proficient were analyzed. It is very easy for teachers to concentrate efforts more so on areas of weakness. But, students also need continued efforts on areas of strength, so they do not lose those skills over time.

Here are some of the key factors teachers noted that can improve this year’s learning objectives:

1.) Pay more attention to vocabulary! The Keystone Exam incorporated a lot of vocabulary. Teachers hope to spend more time focused on building stronger vocabulary with students across a variety of content areas this year.

2.) More face time with students! Our time together may be virtual, but many teachers feel confident that the more time they have to work with students, the better they are able to grasp concepts. Our Live Class schedule has been enhanced with more direct instruction, work sessions, and test prep sessions. Building attendance for these sessions will continue to assist students. So, in talking with your children, encourage them to pop into our sessions when they can!

3.) Get more writing practice! Teachers have recognized that because our current Classroom Diagnostic Tool does not offer open response practice for students, they need to incorporate more open-response practice into lessons throughout the school year. Teachers are excited to bring new sorts of assignments into their classes that meet the needs of students.

Good luck on your studies this year! You’re all off to a great start!

Health Tips from Ms. Kennelly!

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Ben Ozgur

It’s back to school time! One of the most critical things you can do to help get back in the saddle is reboot your mind and body! Here are some quick and helpful hints from our fabulous physical education teacher, Ms. Kennelly.

1.) 30 Minutes a Day!

It is recommended that you have some type of physical activity that lasts for up to 30 minutes, for at least 5 out of the 7 days in each week. Your physical activity does not have to last for 30 minutes straight. You can break it up here and there throughout the day if you need to. Some great ways to incorporate a little movement into your day can be as simple as walking around mealtimes. Go for a walk for 10 minutes in the morning and in the afternoon before or after dinner. You’ll be surprised by how much extra energy you can gain from a quick walk!

2.) Recognize and Deal with Stress!

Returning to school can be stressful for most people. It is important to recognize signs of stress in your life and develop coping skills to work through it. A good start to coping is learning to manage your time. You can easily develop a plan to distribute your workload evenly and avoid feeling overwhelmed. See your learning coach for help!

3.) Avoid Bad Snacks and Other Eats!

Try to stay away from heavily caffeinated drinks (coffee) and energy drinks. These things will not help you, but may lead to a crash later on. If you’ve got a case of the munchies, try something natural like bananas and Peanut butter! It’s a great way to combine potassium and protein in a healthy way!

The Best Questions to Ask

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Ben Ozgur

Today in the state of Pennsylvania there are 16 active cyber charter schools offering tuition free, public education for children who reside within the commonwealth. This means that shopping cyber schools with and for children is a much more common endeavor.

Asking questions and inquiring about the best things cyber charter schools can provide is important because for the first time, there are choices. Having choices means having options. What is perhaps more important than having those options is what a person decides to do with those options. It is the opinion of 21CCCS that making a well-informed decision is not easy, but IMPORTANT!

We like to help make things easier for our families! Based on our own conversations and experiences, here are the top five questions you might want to consider asking as you contact cyber schools and communicate with their enrollment team members:

1.) What type of curriculum does your school use?

a- Who writes your curriculum?
b- Who teaches your curriculum?
c- To what standards is your curriculum aligned?

2.) Does the school offer an on-ground component?

a- Who teaches at those sites?
b- Are all teachers highly qualified and/or certified?

3.) What is course scheduling like?

4.) How often are your teachers available?

a- Will I have a direct line to my teachers?
b- How do I contact my teachers?

5.) What happens if my child has a problem with classes or technology?

a- Whom can we call?
b- What supports are available?

Happy hunting! Please let us know how we can further assist you with this process!

Who is Successful in a Cyber School?

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Ben Ozgur

What makes our students successful? This is a question we are asked time and time again because it has been noted that cyber school may not be the best educational option for everyone. Well, who is it a great option for? What makes cyber school difficult? What makes it a winning educational option?

Like so many other things in life, there is no simple answer to this question. Students come to our school for a variety of reasons, with a variety of ability levels, learning needs, and study skills. We are all different and we wouldn’t want to be the same. But, this means that a school must adapt so that it can provide a variety of learning models for each of its students.

One thing you’ll hear from various staff and faculty members here at 21CCCS is that a successful student is a self-advocate. This means he or she wants to learn and wants to actively participate in his or her education. How can that occur? A student can actively reach out to teachers when help is required with a given lesson or assignment. A student can communicate regularly with learning coaches and teachers, to ensure understanding and appropriate pacing of coursework. A student can also request changes when an assignment is not quite resonating. Sometimes a lesson simply does not make sense. A self-advocating student will likely take note of that and ask for help.

We’re also a great option for students in need of specific scheduling. For example, some students are athletes, dancers, gymnasts. These activities can often occur during a traditional school day. The struggle of traveling back and forth between school, practice, and other responsibilities can create a stressor in a family. For students with these kinds of demands, cyber school can be a perfect fit!

There are plenty of students for whom we are an ideal learning option. The best way for us to successfully determine this is to give us a call! We want to get to know you and your student. We are happy to answer questions, get to know you, and help you to make the best decision possible for your family. Call us today!

Summer is Here!!!

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Ben Ozgur

Yesterday marked the last day of school for our teachers. If you were in the building with us today, you would hear teachers whirling through the office, finishing their tasks for the end of the year. They have worked with their students to get them through the end of the year. They have entered final grades, mailed out report cards, and attended the end of the year party and graduation ceremony. So, what’s next?

805 Springdale Drive has been busy with the sounds of shuffling, taping, box moving, and cleaning! Our teachers have spent the last two days organizing their desks, clearing out closets and supplies, and checking off checklists to be sure that everything will be ready for next year!

But our school will not close entirely! Several staff members (including our Enrollment Team!) will be available to answer questions for next year, enroll new students, and to help those enrolled in summer school courses! We are just a phone call or email away! Our office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday of each week! Your teachers will miss you, and a few of us will be here, thinking of you!

So, where will your teachers be this summer? Here are a few things that will keep them busy:

I’ll be Teaching at Bryn Mawr’s Summer Institute for the Gifted. I’ll also be working on our new house in Ardmore.
I will attend carnivals and fairs with my family. I love to fish at Blue Marsh Lake. I’ll take my kids there!
I will catch up on my sleep and work on community theatre shows in my area!
I’ll get to the beach in Ocean City, MD. I can’t wait!
We are planning to camp on Assateague Island and spend a week in Ocean City, Maryland! Personally, I’ll be spending lots of time as a chauffeur for my daughters–taking them to camps, swim meets, and to visit friends!
We are going to see the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, and a few cities in California. We will be gone for two weeks straight.
I am traveling to Spain to explore the country and practice Spanish!!!
We have a family vacation to the Delmarva Peninsula planned. I will also be teaching social studies for summer school.
My kids and I will be spending 2 weeks in Maine, going to the beach, eating lobster, and having a blast!
We are headed to New England. We stay in a lovely little house on the beach in Plum Island. We will be spending July 4th in Boston. After that, it’s just horse shows and flies!
I’m teaching an ESY program for high school students with disabilities. It’s like school and summer camp all wrapped in one!

21st Century Cyber Charter School

Category: Parents