Don’t Be Afraid of Technology in Your Homeschool
If there’s one thing I could encourage you to do in your homeschool, it would be to embrace technology. I know, we get a lot of mixed messages about technology and screen time. However, there are tons of amazing educational benefits to be found when you begin incorporating technology into your homeschool.
Keep reading to discover our favorite ways to use technology in our homeschool and the benefits we’ve experienced firsthand by embracing this new way of learning. I know you won’t want to miss out on these podcasts, films, apps, and online classes with your homeschoolers this year.
The Screen Time Debate
The debate about whether or not it’s a good idea to incorporate screens into homeschool lessons rages on. There are certainly some benefits and drawbacks to consider. We all feel the back-and-forth pull of screen time.
As moms, we get a lot of messages about allowing our kids screen time. Screens can transport us to places we have only imagined. They can present new narratives that teach us about and help us to understand the world around us.
Screen time can also eat up precious time and draw our attention away from important relationships and contact with others. Screens aren’t inherently bad or good. As with most things, it’s more about moderation.
The Benefits Of Using Technology In Your Homeschool
Using technology in your homeschool comes with all kinds of benefits. Incorporating screens into your homeschool lessons is an easy way to engage reluctant learners. Even the most reluctant homeschoolers will want to participate when the lesson involves a movie or a video game.
Plus, young learners seem to retain more of the information they learn from videos and apps than they would from listening to a lecture. I think this is because screens incorporate visual and auditory elements in a way that’s fast-paced and filled with color.
Another benefit to adding technology to your homeschool lessons is the increased quality of information. Some of the latest technology and research can be found online. If you’re studying a new topic, you want the most up-to-date information and you’re more likely to find it online than in a book that might be outdated by the time it’s published.
How We Use Technology In Our Homeschool
Don’t be afraid to use technology in your homeschool this year. Come discover some of the benefits of incorporating technology with a Waldock Way unit study. Each of our unit studies incorporates YouTube playlists, videos, and gaming options you can use to increase learning, fun, and retention this year.
Want to discover my favorite ways to use technology in our homeschool? Check out some of our favorites below.
YouTube
Every Waldock Way unit study comes with curated YouTube playlists. We love using YouTube videos to get up-to-date information for Emily about a wide variety of topics.
Sometimes we watch YouTube playlists together as a family, other times we upload the playlists to Emily’s tablet for her to learn and explore topics independently. This way, she can learn about topics she’s curious about right now.
Educational YouTube playlists are also great for Emily to watch on a day when we can’t sit down at the table for a formal lesson. If we aren’t feeling well and need to snuggle on the couch, educational videos can help ensure the learning day isn’t lost. Learn more and discover our favorite channels in my article How We Use YouTube in Our Homeschool.
Podcasts
Podcasts are becoming more and more popular. They are available for people of all ages and in every topic imaginable. If you are looking for the best podcasts for kids and students to listen to in your homeschool, I have quite the list for you!
Discover 35+ podcasts perfect to use in your homeschool lessons this year including our favorites like Story Pirates, Tumble Science, Forever Ago, and Noodle Loaf. You won’t want to miss these fun podcasts for your next Car Schooling day.
Online Classes
Online classes are fantastic for those days when I am sick, busy, or just need a break. You know, those days when you really wish you could call a substitute teacher? Those are the perfect days for online classes.
From kids’ book clubs to nature study to interactive LEGO brick building classes, you’re sure to find something your homeschoolers will be curious about and fascinated by in my list of Online Classes We Love.
Educational Apps
We have embraced screens and the benefits that come with them. Kids love playing on tablets and educational apps make it easy for me to say yes to screen time.
There are so many great educational apps available for Emily’s Kindle that help her learn about all sorts of subjects and skills. Discover 60+ Educational Apps We Love for the Kindle including Khan Academy, Endless Reader, and the Prodigy Math Game to name a few favorites.
Documentaries
As a family, we have come to love documentaries. There are so many times we have learned something new from a great documentary or video! Documentaries can be enjoyed by the whole family for lifelong learning or for independent learning when you need a break.
Our favorite resource for documentaries is CuriosityStream. CuriosityStream is a video-on-demand streaming service. You can watch CuriosityStream on TV, computer, tablet, or mobile. Discover more films for your homeschool and why we love CuriosityStream so much in my Amazing Documentaries article.
Don’t Let Fear Keep You From Tremendous Resources!
For better or worse, technology is here to stay. Embracing new technology and exposing our kids to it can be challenging at first, but the benefits of incorporating technology in your homeschool are great. Technology is a wealth of educational resources at your fingertips!
I want to encourage you not to let fear keep you from utilizing these tremendous resources in your homeschool this year. I hope discovering some of our favorites has inspired you to give it a try and see what new things you can learn with technology this year.
Do you have a favorite tech learning resource I didn’t share? Tell me all about it in the comments. I love reading about new learning technology we can add to our homeschool lessons!
