Since the introduction of homeschool software as an education tool, the options that educators and students now have available to them are pretty extensive. Adding a program of effective homeschool software to your educational curriculum has become a very popular option, for many different reasons. There is a long list of benefits for both the parent or tutor, as well as the child.
I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about the effectiveness of homeschool software. As I’ve mentioned, there are a substantial number of options available for programs, which can fall into a number of different teaching styles – informational software, subject specific tutorial based software, interactive activity software … the list of approaches to educational software has become pretty extensive. So how does one rate the effectiveness of a particular homeschool software program?Well, as with many educational techniques, there is no single right answer for every situation. The student, the teacher, the subject … all these factors will play a role in determining whether a particular program will be an effective education aid.
Let’s list a number of factors that you should be looking at when reviewing the homeschool software program options you have.Is it fun for the child? Any activity will have a longer lasting impression and fulfill it’s purpose more effectively if the student is actually interested in participating. Finding software that is educational and fun can be a challenge, but it will be a better investment for both of you in the long run.
Does my child learn through using the software? Now, I’m sure we will all agree, this is the primary goal for implementing computer aided learning approaches. So how do you figure out if your child is learning or not? Many programs offer different levels achievable after successfully completing (learning) the tasks in the previous levels. Others will offer some sort of testing module, so that you are able to gauge the effectiveness of the program that you have made part of the education day.
Do the topics taught match the curriculum that has been determined as the best learning path for your child? There are many useful homeschool software programs out there, but perhaps they don’t all fall into the particular subject stream that you have planned for your child.
Finally, are there any drawbacks to using homeschooling software as a part of your childs’ educational program? The biggest negative factor with using this approach as a tool in your daily education schedule is the very fact that it is missing the human interaction that a parent or teacher can provide. Using the computer as an addition to your childs learning experience has huge benefits, but avoid the temptation to overuse this method and deprive your child of the interactive education time that is essential to proper exploration and learning. Part of the learning process is encouraging your childs imagination and inquisitiveness … software can provide information, but it’s not always the most interactive when it comes time for your child to start exploring subjects in a manner beyond the ‘book learning’.
There are many different qualities of programs available, ranging from free - if you are imaginative with the application of certain online tools … to very expensive. Regardless of what you choose as an online education tool, the bottom line is that you will be adding to the variety and quality of the homeschool education that you can provide to your child. I mean lets face it, computers can hold an enormous amount of information, and the designers of educational software have made huge advances in creating some very spectacular learning tools. If your child doesn’t enjoy using and learning from the first software package you try, there is bound to be something just a little different that will capture their attention, and you will be well on your way to providing a solid education for your child, perhaps even more valuable because of the ‘practical experience’ they will gain from using current technology for their education.
One example of a free tool that I can think of off the top of my head is google sketchup – this is an extremely simple tool that can be used to create objects and scenes as complex as your child can imagine. I think this brings together a great combination of art, geometry and physics.
Hopefully this has given you a better idea of how to figure out whether you are able to find effective homeschool software which will be a part of your childs learning process. There are many choices available, I’m sure that it will be a little easier to look objectively at the options and find one that is right for your homeschool.
I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about the effectiveness of homeschool software. As I’ve mentioned, there are a substantial number of options available for programs, which can fall into a number of different teaching styles – informational software, subject specific tutorial based software, interactive activity software … the list of approaches to educational software has become pretty extensive. So how does one rate the effectiveness of a particular homeschool software program?Well, as with many educational techniques, there is no single right answer for every situation. The student, the teacher, the subject … all these factors will play a role in determining whether a particular program will be an effective education aid.
Let’s list a number of factors that you should be looking at when reviewing the homeschool software program options you have.Is it fun for the child? Any activity will have a longer lasting impression and fulfill it’s purpose more effectively if the student is actually interested in participating. Finding software that is educational and fun can be a challenge, but it will be a better investment for both of you in the long run.
Does my child learn through using the software? Now, I’m sure we will all agree, this is the primary goal for implementing computer aided learning approaches. So how do you figure out if your child is learning or not? Many programs offer different levels achievable after successfully completing (learning) the tasks in the previous levels. Others will offer some sort of testing module, so that you are able to gauge the effectiveness of the program that you have made part of the education day.
Do the topics taught match the curriculum that has been determined as the best learning path for your child? There are many useful homeschool software programs out there, but perhaps they don’t all fall into the particular subject stream that you have planned for your child.
Finally, are there any drawbacks to using homeschooling software as a part of your childs’ educational program? The biggest negative factor with using this approach as a tool in your daily education schedule is the very fact that it is missing the human interaction that a parent or teacher can provide. Using the computer as an addition to your childs learning experience has huge benefits, but avoid the temptation to overuse this method and deprive your child of the interactive education time that is essential to proper exploration and learning. Part of the learning process is encouraging your childs imagination and inquisitiveness … software can provide information, but it’s not always the most interactive when it comes time for your child to start exploring subjects in a manner beyond the ‘book learning’.
There are many different qualities of programs available, ranging from free - if you are imaginative with the application of certain online tools … to very expensive. Regardless of what you choose as an online education tool, the bottom line is that you will be adding to the variety and quality of the homeschool education that you can provide to your child. I mean lets face it, computers can hold an enormous amount of information, and the designers of educational software have made huge advances in creating some very spectacular learning tools. If your child doesn’t enjoy using and learning from the first software package you try, there is bound to be something just a little different that will capture their attention, and you will be well on your way to providing a solid education for your child, perhaps even more valuable because of the ‘practical experience’ they will gain from using current technology for their education.
One example of a free tool that I can think of off the top of my head is google sketchup – this is an extremely simple tool that can be used to create objects and scenes as complex as your child can imagine. I think this brings together a great combination of art, geometry and physics.
Hopefully this has given you a better idea of how to figure out whether you are able to find effective homeschool software which will be a part of your childs learning process. There are many choices available, I’m sure that it will be a little easier to look objectively at the options and find one that is right for your homeschool.
