Socialization: The History of Homeschool Networking
By Mimi Rothschild
For many homeschool families, the process of networking is almost a myth; they know it exists, but they aren't sure how to go about doing it. Networking can be a great benefit to homeschoolers, who often struggle to combat the isolation that can invade the homeschool environment. The ability to connect with other homeschool families is good for both parents and children. However, many parents that homeschool find themselves at a loss when it comes to networking: how do you go about finding or starting a homeschool support group? What can homeschool families do to come together and deal with challenges, or address legislative issues? Where does homeschool networking start?
Historically, homeschool families have faced difficulties in building a viable support network. When the homeschool movement first began to gather steam, many parents used methods like word-of-mouth, local meetings and conferences, blind telephone leads and mail newsletters to establish contact with other homeschoolers. Despite the best efforts of homeschool parents, the connections made were tenuous at best. Creating a national homeschool network, much less a global one, seemed an impossible dream, until the advent and subsequent widespread use of the Internet.
By making use of the information superhighway to connect with others, the homeschool network expanded in leaps and bounds. Established homeschool communities were able to bridge communications easily with e-mail and web forums, and individual homeschool families who were previously cut off from the network began to make their way toward the global homeschool community. The Internet also made it possible for homeschool parents to access reams of information and educational resources, greatly simplifying the endless search for castoff textbooks and used school materials.
As the Internet took its place as the most powerful tool in the homeschool family's educational arsenal, new organizations dedicated to homeschool formed. One of these organizations is the National Home Education Network (NHEN). Through NHEN, parents who homeschool can find specialized resources for homeschool curriculum, including online classes, textbooks and material. NHEN also enables homeschool parents to search for specific types of homeschool groups, plan extracurricular activities and field trips, and discover ways to become involved in local legislation that affects homeschool families. By harnessing the incredible power of the Internet, homeschool families can now connect and network with confidence. Networking is an integral component for a viable homeschool approach. For today's parents, the online resources at their disposal have erased many of the struggles their pioneering predecessors faced.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.
Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.
An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.
