Trending Toward Designed Education
In recent years, many parents have embraced the flexibility of homeschooling, recognizing the potential to tailor education to their children’s unique needs and learning styles. This educational approach allows parents to take control of their children’s academic path, ensuring they receive a personalized learning experience. By designing a curricular plan around children’s passions and curiosities, parents can give them the support they need to thrive academically.
We are witnessing a growing community of homeschoolers, who are advocating for an education by design. This trend is not simply about working through textbooks at the kitchen table; it’s about creating a rich, engaging educational environment that prepares children for success in an ever-changing world. By way of homeschooling, we can provide one-on-one attention and craft an approach that challenges and inspires students, leading to impressive academic outcomes.
Choosing to homeschool is a powerful statement about the importance of education and the belief in children’s potential. With studies suggesting that homeschooled students often perform well academically and may even have higher rates of college attendance, parents are empowered to continue taking education into their own hands. The ultimate goal is to shape a generation of learners, who are not just educated but also lifelong learners, equipped with the skills and confidence to tackle life’s challenges.
A Real Life Example
One might wonder what a typical education by design looks like for a student. For every child it will be different, because each design is personally crafted for the specific child. An example of a student, who is educated by design, participates in a golf lesson each week, from a golf expert, at his local course. Molding clay on the wheel, he creates one of a kind masterpieces, at a local pottery teacher’s workshop. He decides to try sailing and learns to sail a boat independently, at only ten years old. He is coached on all the parts of boat, the rules of the boating in the ocean/harbor, and he masters capsizing and righting his boat in the event of an emergency. A different semester, he tries manufacturing and learns the basics of hydro dipping, wood working, laser etching, welding, and 3D printing, at a local manufacturing shop. As a 4th grade student, he knows how to do more in manufacturing than most adults.
These are just a few of the opportunities for students that have been given the gift of a designed education plan.
His academics take place just a few short hours a day. He works independently through core subjects and reads books that are hand picked for him based on his interests and reading level. He gets help from siblings or a parent as needed. He also participates two days a week with other home schooled students to experiment in science and learn about history.
Immediate feedback is provided on his lessons so he can move more quickly through the concepts and is constantly challenged. Regular assessment, both formal and informal, are engaged in and targeted review of missed concepts commence. Adjustments are made as his interest changes and new opportunities are introduced. After only a few hours of his day, he is finished with the academic portion of his day. Can he extend his lessons and spend more time, should a specific interest capture his attention? Yes, he can use as much of the day as he chooses to dive deeper into a project, experiment, art piece, or any other pursuit. He is free to experience life without the confines of a desk, fluorescent lighting, or needing to raise his hand just to use the bathroom. He is liberated because his parents have given him his freedom, by providing him with an education by design.
You might think this is only for the rich but it is possible for every child. Technology has placed teachers, professionals, and experts in each field, only a click away. Many independent study charter schools provide instructional funds, for students, to choose from hundreds of curriculum options, enrichment activities, tutors, and more. The open exchange of ideas and immediate access to information, has revolutionized the possibilities for students. Don’t let your child miss out on an education by design, not default.