I have a younger brother (4th or 5th grade) in a virtual charter school currently. It seems to be working out for him even better than I would have thought. My mom has always been pro-homeschooling, and as others have said my observation is that the cyber model really does seem to build on that. They love the flexibility of having a fixed curriculum but also being able to build on it themselves, as well as being able to do the computer-work at any time of day (often at 11PM! sheesh.) Though, it also does seem true that some (not all) kids really need the support of a parent (or just another party) to work with it.
There's another component to his school, however. The have a "Center for Performing and Fine Arts" which is an optional program (You can use their cyber program without enrolling in the arts center.) This, I think is the other key to what's really working well for my brother. Having someplace to go (and be creative!) two days a week breaks any monotony.
As a completely aside, I would like to recommend to anyone who's interested in "Alternative Education" A. S. Neill's book Summerhill. It's written about a democratic school very much like the one I attend today.
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He put the sun behind his neighbor's house? I wanna meet this guy.
I have a younger brother (4th or 5th grade) in a virtual charter school currently. It seems to be working out for him even better than I would have thought. My mom has always been pro-homeschooling, and as others have said my observation is that the cyber model really does seem to build on that. They love the flexibility of having a fixed curriculum but also being able to build on it themselves, as well as being able to do the computer-work at any time of day (often at 11PM! sheesh.) Though, it also does seem true that some (not all) kids really need the support of a parent (or just another party) to work with it. There's another component to his school, however. The have a "Center for Performing and Fine Arts" which is an optional program (You can use their cyber program without enrolling in the arts center.) This, I think is the other key to what's really working well for my brother. Having someplace to go (and be creative!) two days a week breaks any monotony. As a completely aside, I would like to recommend to anyone who's interested in "Alternative Education" A. S. Neill's book Summerhill. It's written about a democratic school very much like the one I attend today.
All under OS/2?!