Monday, August 15, 2022. Today, our daughters returned to their public school for the first time since March 13, 2020.
Yes, I’ll remember those dates. For us, those mark the beginning and end of the homeschooling adventure necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have always supplemented their education at home, but the last two years were all-homeschool, all-the-time. The girls, Mommy Susan, and Dad were all exhausted and ready for a return to normal. It was with some relief that I watched the girls board the bus at 6:50 a.m. and head to their third-grade and fifth-grade years on campus.
Both girls made significant progress during the two years and five months of homeschooling. The youngest learned to read, began writing short paragraphs and showed an interest in science. The oldest kept right on moving forward in all the academic subjects, as well as art and music. For them, homeschooling worked well.
We homeschooled to avoid the “online/on-campus” yo-yo that many schools experienced during the pandemic. For students with anxiety, ADHD, autism, and other differences, stability and predictability provide a better learning environment. Yes, many students do better with classroom instruction. Our daughters were fortunate enough to have us guiding them.
Since this blog is (loosely) about technology, I also want to remind readers that we relied on technology to make homeschooling successful. Some of the technology highlights include:
- Amazon Fire HD tablets, which offered a great value compared to similar devices.
- BYOPC Windows computer, which we assembled early in the pandemic and continue to use.
- Raspberry Pi 4, which the youngest assembled and used for virtual classes early in the pandemic.
- Mac mini M1, which replaced an aging Intel-based Mac mini.
- Adventure Academy online virtual academy, which feels like an MMOG (Massively Multiplayer Online Game).
- IXL.com, which provides good review exercises and assessments aligned to stated standards.
- Khan Academy, which remains the best online K12 learning supplement available.
The pandemic revealed to many parents that K12 systems fail to meet the needs of their children. Our children were among those that didn’t thrive in public education, so their return to campus concerns us. Although the girls returned to campus today, we will continue using technology at home to ensure they steadily progress through the academic standards. We will also continue to favor good-ol’ paper books and physical projects.
Our youngest has significant differences. I’m concerned that the school assessments will not match the diagnoses she has received. Thankfully, technology can help students with learning differences.
Our oldest will use technology to learn at her pace, instead of the slower pace of the traditional classroom. For her, boredom is a problem that can lead to talking and fidgeting in her seat.
I am not glad we had the pandemic experience. However, I’m glad we did homeschool for two school years and throughout those summers. We learned a lot about our daughters and their needs. We also learned how to use technology to support their educational differences effectively.
Let us hope we don’t end up with another pandemic parenting emergency. At least we’ll be prepared.