Back to (home)school?

The dog days of summer are upon us: hot days, warm nights, last-blast summer vacations and, yes, planning for another academic. It's true. Many homeschooling families actually do plan their academic year. And the 'net is bustling with homeschool planning activities.


I've written about various aspects of homeschooling past from legal concerns (here), social concerns and others (here), favorite early education links (here), favorite reading-related links (here), holiday curriculum links (here), some fun geography links (here), and what it looks like when a day just falls together (here),

In an effort to help others looking into alternative schooling resources here on the Central Coast, I've compiled some information I hope will serve. Alternative Education Resources on the Central Coast will be expanded and edited as needed, and may include information outside the area as well. There is also helpful general information links regarding alternative schooling including homeschooling, unschooling, charter schools, private schools and particularly unique public school programs.

I recently was made aware of MyTech High, an online high school option. I really don't know how it differs from K-12 (or in California, California Virtual Academy), or Stanford's Online High School or Laurel Springs or any number of others. But it's important to know these options are available to everyone, some to people who are well monied, others free of charge.

I know. It seems odd to be offering our children online courses. My girls, now nine and 12, will not be taking online courses this year, but perhaps they are in their future. They are, after all, part of this new, technological generation. And chances are really good that no matter where they choose to seek their  higher education, they'll be taking some of those courses online. And why wait until college? Some of the world's most-prestigious universities are already offering online, open education FREE! Check out MIT's open courses, or Yale's. NYU offers it as does Harvard, and the United Kingdom's Open University. Are they all great courses? Master courses? Probably not. But there's a lot of education available out there, whether it's via the brick-and-mortar library, the neighbor, the school around the corner or the university around the world.

Home education is daunting to many considering the option. What does it look like? What are my options? Will my kids learn from me? Am I making the right decision? There are countless answers to each of these questions, and the internet is full of them. Here are some blog posts that may provide a glimpse into the array of options:
Hyperventilating Homeschooler
A Guide to Choosing Homeschool Curriculum
Starting School with Multiple Grades
The Classic Housewife's Curriculum Plan
On Being Black and Homeschooling
One Journey with Charlotte Mason

Be brave! Jump in! The water's fine!