You guys. In this season of our homeschool journey, switching to power homeschool has been working for us! Both kids are enjoying it. There has been so much less stress. The kids are doing their work on "their time." The first two weeks were hard for me to see them go all day without doing any formal learning. But, they've been completing it on their own at bedtime. While this is working right now, will we continue using it? So, let's talk about what we like and don't like about this program.
Week One: It's new, both kids raved about it.
Week Two: Still enjoying it. The love that the lessons are on video and that are mostly short. They'll have a few questions after each video to answer. One complaint was that one child thought some of the lessons were too easy and wanted to skip ahead. You can't. There's no option for it.
I'm starting to notice things I didn't like. I couldn't go in and see what the lessons are without starting their video they'd need to watch. In the syllabus, I can see the title of each lesson, but it doesn't go into what is being taught.
You can set a certain amount of work each week and the system automatically updates the progress (which I like), but, if a lesson is harder and they take more time on a lesson, their progress will be "behind" for the week. So, we switched to time limits in each class.
Week Three: Kids are still enjoying it.
I noticed in the parent portal there were "special lessons" piling up. When I clicked on the tab, it was worksheets to go along with a lesson they just finished. I wish the kids would be notified after a lesson if something was getting put in the special lessons folder.
I like that I can click on the score tab and then see each classes grade. I can also click on an individual class and see the assignments they completed that day. Then I can click on those assignments and see what they got wrong. I really like this!
Week Four: I've got one kid complaining but doing their work and doing it right...keeping between 3.75 and 4.0. The other kid is starting to care less. Just tossing in answers and going in recovery to pass the lesson. This kid is also the kid that is determined they don't want to switch back to what we were doing before and they like this platform.
I like that the classes don't let you move on until you get a passing grade. It can be frustrating for the child, but in the end this is a good measure put in place.
Week Five and Six: I'm unsure if I want both of them to keep using it. One child is thriving at it and one child says they are but their grades are indicators that they aren't. I may give this child another week or two and then we'll have to come up with something else to finish out the year.
My struggling child is also one that has been doing research on their own and has come to us with a wealth of knowledge on a particular topic. It completely shocked me. But it also made me really happy. Ugh. This is the most difficult part of being in charge of my children's education. I don't want to fuck it up!
I'm going to start working with my struggler so they won't be working alone in their room next week. They'll have to do their work during the day because I can't stay awake until 11 to have them do it on their time. So, we'll be working after lunch each day. If this works out, we'll finish the year like this. If not, other options will be thrown in. Ugh. I feel so defeated with this kids education when they don't want to put any effort in.
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