Your Dream Online School: how to find it

How to provide your child a decent level of education and a balance of recreation? Is it possible? Ourkids.net will find you a school, a dream course, and online schools for you and your child. Learn more about the search criteria in this article.

Online school, online education, online mentor support, online work. This word can now be used in conjunction with any other word, and of course it puts its own imprint on our lives.

It used to be that in order to appreciate something, it was important for us to talk, to see the place, to see with our own eyes. Nowadays, we often entrust other people with significant decisions in life: what restaurant to eat at, where to rest, where to send your child to school? — about all of this, we can simply read a review or an article on the Internet.

In a traditional school you can come: talk to the staff and teachers, see how the classroom is prepared, talk at a parent meeting with other parents in person. With an online school, for all the advantages of the format, it will be impossible to do this. Because there is simply nowhere to come. Online space implies the existence and work in the network, but these connections are still alive and very influential, because we are all human.

So how do you choose? How do you know what school is right for your child? What is the first thing to look for when deciding a school?

Taking the time to search

We’ll start by saying that deciding an online school for your child is time-consuming, and can take a long time. Each school requires time and attention to learn how things work in it. That’s why we suggest that you set aside specific time to look for it. When no one and nothing bothers you, the process itself will go faster.

Taking the time to explore local options is equally important. Start by researching schools in your area to understand the programs they offer and whether they align with your child’s needs. If you’re looking for the top Illinois Virtual School, compare its curriculum and resources with other virtual and traditional schools in your vicinity. Don’t hesitate to reach out for consultations to gain a firsthand perspective on their offerings.

Prioritize

It seems like the same thing is important to every parent. But really, that’s not the case. Priorities about the main strong subject, conditions, having the support of a mentor or, on the contrary, a minimum of control and more independence – all of this greatly influences the choice of school and conditions. So before deciding on a school, consult with your child, understand what he or she wants, what is easy and what is difficult. And be sure to take into account your child’s learning preferences.

Let’s start the search

Once you’ve made your decision about online education, you can start looking for “your” school.

When should you start your search? Of course, it’s best to do it in the spring, when all schools are enrolling. In August, it may already be too late to look for a school because many classes are already formed and teachers have been recruited by workload. However, this is not an excuse to abandon your search altogether.

Many parents are guided by reviews from other parents, but while reviews are very important, they are not at all a single criterion by which to choose a school. Why? Because reviews are often written by frustrated parents – those for whom the school was not a good fit, or those who had a bad experience. The percentage of people who write reviews compared to those who are educated is still small. You shouldn’t believe just what other parents write.

Reading reviews is significant, but it should be done in conjunction with other criteria.

What to look for in picking a school. Here are a few questions you should get an answer to:

    1. Is there a license for educational activities?

This document allows you to carry out educational activities on the territory of our country.

All educational institutions that issue state-issued certificates usually have a license.

    2. Who teaches at school?

The level of knowledge of your child directly depends on the level of specialists. When looking for a school, it’s important for parents to make sure that the best teachers will teach. The teacher should be able to convey the material through the screen in an accessible language and interesting, should interest and teach the child to analyze independently. Do not be disparaging to young teachers – they sometimes better find common ground with students and have a lot of modern approaches in education.

So choose a school where the teaching staff is different in age and experience.

    3. Will the child have a midterm assessment?

• In online education, as well as in traditional schools, one of the most important tasks is to fix the child’s knowledge.

• Assessment is an indispensable part of the process. Interim, current and final forms will allow a fair assessment of the child’s knowledge, and help parents understand what additional help the child needs.

• Typically, online schools work with state educational institutions to administer assessments.

    4. How is the support system set up?

Many parents neglect this point and think that if now the administrators answer questions long and unilaterally, it’s just the way it is, it will be different in the future. In fact, this is not the case. Be sure to pay attention to how they communicate with you, how quickly questions are answered, how clearly and smoothly the technical support works, how well you understand who you have to contact in case of something.

Setting up communication with the school is the only channel through which you can get some information. If the school has difficulties with the technical and communication part so far, you will have a very difficult time learning at that school in the future.

   5. How does the school support the socialization function?

• Many online schools are now actively addressing the issue of socialization and adjustment, and for good reason. Many studies show that learning in a team is much more effective than learning alone.

• To maintain a positive atmosphere in the classroom, it is important that children get not only knowledge, but also experience interaction with peers.

• Always pay attention to projects aimed at increasing the level of socialization in school. Are there additional meetings, face-to-face classes at school?