Connections Academy

[Cadam]

Can someone answer a question?

This appears to be a text book based thing. (I know it is a ps charter thing btw) What is the computer for? is that just for communicating with your teacher advisor or doing tests or ????

I was looking for an online school for ds for 7th and 8th grade but this look like it is really just text books, despite the fact that they loan you a PC. Is that right?

[TracyR]

Connections Academy is a public cyber charter school . As if your child were in public school they are entitled to a computer , and a printer . Each cyberschool has a board that you log into each day so that it keeps track of attendance , hours , and to do any assignments or testing . Its also used to keep track with the teacher etc . The computer and printer are on loan to you as long as you are with the cyberschool . As soon as you are finished or you leave it must be returned .

Yes cyberschools are textbook only schools . If you are in to tweaking curriculum I don't recommend them to you because thats all your going to want to do . Plus you have no choice in curriculum so if something isn't working , well , to bad that's all you have to use . You can use stuff on your own but its too time consuming to do ( we've tried this too ) . I also don't see the need for them if you live in a homeschool friendly state . Unless you feel you need the accountablity . We've been with a wonderful cyberschool actually . But after 3 years of doing textbook only we are just plain burnt out and my girls hate it .

I will say though if you have a child that thrives off of textbook learning and is in the upper levels it maybe a good choice as they can take courses that you maynot be able to teach on your own as well .
Its a double edged sword .

[genie]

In addition to what TracyR has said, I have a friend who uses Connections Academy, and apparently some of the lesson plans are online also. I know she showed me a big binder of plans that she had printed off the computer, but they may send hard copies also. I was surprised because I know they were mostly using Calvert curriculum, but they did not use the Calvert lesson manuals for it, at least not here in CO. I had friends in FL who used Connections Academy however, and they did use the Calvert manuals. It might be a state decision, or it might just be that the FL people I knew were using it several years ago.

[Cadam]

Really I was just looking for something computer based and pretty independent for the Jr. High years because I am tire of listening to him complain. I figured if I could get it free and I would only use it short term why not give it a shot.

Someone else's text books - Yuck! I am probably too freedom loving to do anything like that anyway but I would have been tempted if it had been online and independent of me needing to teach mostly.

Thank you both for confirming my suspicions.