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How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Web

August 31, 2017 by Justin

The idea of our kids using the internet on their own can be scary for many of us parents. Part of being a parent (and a big part of why we homeschool) is to protect them from harmful influences. There’s plenty of objectionable content on the web, but the internet itself isn’t inherently bad. Like many other tools it can be both constructive and destructive.

The internet is a doorway to knowledge. Inside, there are many powerful learning tools. One such tool is BJU Press Distance Learning Online, which has helped thousands of homeschool families keep their children’s education on track. But how do you use these tools without also exposing your children to the bad stuff?

It can be done—and probably more easily than you think. Here are ways to use both hardware and software to harness the power of the web in your homeschool while keeping your kids safe.

Hardware

Choosing the right device for your children to use to access the internet can go a long way toward protecting them online. Some are easier than others to manage and “lock down” for a controlled browsing experience.

My personal favorite device for this purpose is a Chromebook^™ notebook computer. These inexpensive laptops run Google’s web-centric Chrome OS^™ operating system. Though not ideal for all workloads, they’re a top choice in schools because they have built-in keyboards and can be easily managed by teachers, which also makes them perfect for homeschoolers. You can lock the laptop down to being able to display only a set of websites that you define, meaning you can limit your child’s access to only Distance Learning Online if you want to. And it can all be done with a few clicks without any special knowledge of the platform.

Learn more about Chromebook^™ notebook computers here.

Software

If you already have a device that you use or want to protect your entire family, a software solution might be the best option. Covenant Eyes^® is a special kind of software that can be installed on multiple devices to filter and monitor web access. It can be used to block out specific sites and stores a record of all sites visited (for accountability purposes). They do charge a monthly fee for a family subscription.

You can learn more about Covenant Eyes^® here.

I hope these ideas help your family have a safe web experience. If you’ve found other ways to protect your family, help others by mentioning them in the comments below!
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Our Distance Learning Teachers Have Quite the Character

March 30, 2017 by Meredith

There wouldn’t be Distance Learning daily video lessons without our teachers. They’re the ones who generate the excitement, script the lessons, and bravely face the camera on recording days. How would you like to do all that? I didn’t think so—me either.

Sometimes because of all the seriousness of recording lessons, you only get to experience one side of these teachers’ multi-faceted personalities. So without further ado, let’s view a “different” side of three of our Distance Learning teachers.

Miss Jessica Ingersoll

As an elementary Distance Learning teacher, Miss Ingersoll enjoys many things, and near the top of the list is being your child’s teacher. Watch “Meet Our New Teacher” for some fun facts about Miss Ingersoll. See what similarities your child can relate to. You can view a sample daily video lesson for her courses at the links below.

Mr. Bill Harmon

As a secondary Distance Learning teacher, Mr. Harmon tackles the subjects your child (and you) might find difficult. His unique approach creates memories your family will never forget. Watch “Experiencing Chemistry with Dry Ice” for a sample of how he conducts scientific experiments on camera. And yes, in case you’re wondering, he’s this crazy off camera too! Take a look for yourself by viewing a sample daily video lesson for each of his courses at the links below.

Science 6
Fundamentals of Math (Grade 7)
Pre-Algebra (Grade 8)
Algebra 1 (Grade 9)
Physical Science (Grade 9)
Chemistry (Grade 11)

Mrs. Debbie Overly & Distance Learning Families

Elementary Distance Learning teacher Mrs. Overly shares a funny anecdote about an early filming experience in “Homeschool Families Share About Distance Learning,” an interview style video from a homeschool convention. You’ll also hear from other homeschool parents and students about their experience with Distance Learning video lessons. Mrs. Overly is well known and loved by her students. She includes many demonstrations and hands-on activities in her daily video lessons to help your child learn. View a sample daily video lesson from each of her courses at the links below.

Your family has the opportunity to meet several different Distance Learning teachers and attend their workshop sessions at homeschool conventions this year. Follow our BJU Press Homeschool Facebook page for announcements about where the teachers will be, and sign up for our customer appreciation events.

Get Organized with Distance Learning Online

July 5, 2016 by Justin

I know many of you have either just purchased or are planning to purchase Distance Learning Online (DLO) for your children this year. DLO is a great way to simplify homeschooling, and parents who use it love it, but moving to something new and different can sometimes be a little challenging.

For all those new to DLO, here are a few articles with tips on how you can get organized and feel confident about the new homeschool year:

Distance Learning Online comes with everything you need to successfully homeschool. The post How Are My Distance Learning Online Materials Organized gives a rundown of what items are included and how they’re used.
See what some homeschool moms think about BJU Press curriculum, including Distance Learning in the post 6 Homeschool Moms Review BJU Press Homeschool Curriculum.
Learn how a mother of four used Distance Learning to lighten her load in the post How One Homeschool Mom Managed Her Roles.
Making Homeschool Easier discusses how Distance Learning Online can take a lot of the busywork out of homeschooling, giving you more time to spend on the important stuff.
Learn how Distance Learning was a blessing to Meredith’s family in the post Three benefits my family received from BJU Press Distance Learning.
How Can I Use That Distance Learning Online Feature introduces some of the more advanced features of DLO, including the ability to connect with other families.

For additional information on DLO, sample video lessons, and more visit the Distance Learning section of our website.

Making Homeschool Easier

October 15, 2015 by Justin

When you think about how to describe homeschooling, what words come to mind? Most parents probably think of words such as love, joy, knowledge, and fun to describe the interactions and bonds that are shared with their children. But I’ve noticed that the words easy and simple generally aren’t associated with homeschooling.

Parents who have homeschooled know that grading, organizing lesson plans, and keeping track of student records can be a stressful, time-consuming process. What if I told you that there was a way you could effectively manage teaching lessons, grading tests, constructing lesson plans, and organizing gradebooks? It’s hard to believe, but BJU Press Distance Learning Online makes all this possible . . . and more!

Distance Learning Online (DLO) delivers a high-quality biblical worldview education by providing daily video lessons for your child that can be watched from a web browser on almost any device. Expert teachers with years of experience teach fun and interesting lessons that your child can work through individually. Most textbooks, tests, and quizzes are easily accessed from the same simple login. Quizzes and tests are accessed online and are graded instantly, saving you valuable time that can be spent on the important things. Gradebooks and records are conveniently stored digitally, ready to be accessed anytime. It’s like having your own digital teacher’s aide right in your home. Read more about how the features of DLO work.

DLO in Your Home

DLO is simple to set up when your kit arrives. You can learn more about getting started.

The school day begins when your child logs into our simple web interface. He can see the next available lesson and is able to work through it on his own at his own pace. Many of our customers who use DLO have several children learning at once. With DLO, one or all of the kids can work independently while Mom or Dad works with the others, makes dinner, or works from home.

Later while the children are playing or after bedtime, you can access the content to see how they’re doing. The answers for most assignments are available right on the lesson screen so you don’t have to flip through pages to find answers. If you disagree with how the system graded the test question or want to add an additional assignment, no problem. DLO is flexible and designed with the parent in mind.

Still in Control

You, the parent are still in direct control of your child’s education. No assembly is required since DLO works out of the box, but you have the final say and the ability to make changes to lessons and grades whenever necessary. You’re also able to customize the program to meet the academic needs of your child, which leads me to another great benefit of the DLO program.

We know that not all children learn at the same pace in every subject, that’s why we’ve made Distance Learning Online in a way that allows your child to move up or down one or two grade levels in two subjects. For example, a child in third grade could use second-grade math and fourth-grade reading.

To learn more about BJU Press Distance Learning Online, please visit our homeschool website.

How Can I Use That Distance Learning Online Feature?

August 25, 2015 by BJU Press Writer

If you’ve viewed our quickstart guides, you and your child are probably navigating Distance Learning Online (DLO) pretty comfortably by now. A few more features that we’d like to share with you relate to choosing settings and connecting with other families using DLO.

Blog

The DLO blog is primarily used by the students. This feature functions like a chat room and is actively monitored by our DLO team members. They interact with students on an as-needed basis according to the guidelines listed in our DLO blog and profile policy. And every time your child publishes a new conversation thread, it can be viewed from your DLO Dashboard.

A relatively new capability you have in DLO is to adjust certain settings for your child’s student profile. This option is helpful for monitoring your child’s access to the blog or time spent on it.

We also recommend that you enter a test password so that your child is unable to view his assessments until it is time to take them.

Communities

Here you have access to discussion forums that are grouped according to your child’s grade level, technical questions, feedback, homeschooling topics, and more. Like other discussion forums, this one allows you to join current conversation threads or post new ones. You’ll find that many DLO parents are willing to share ideas and offer support. Your child doesn’t have access to these discussions.

Grades

Your child can view his letter grade and current average for each course he’s enrolled in. You can view and edit his grades. In fact, we have provided three options for recording grades. Both the Record of Grades PDF and DLO Spreadsheet Record of Grades can be downloaded. The Online Gradebook is easiest to work with since it automatically updates every time your child completes an assessment. All three options can be found when you view a course under your parent profile.

Help

If you or your children have any academic or technical questions, send us a Help Ticket. Our DLO team members are prepared to offer support.

Thank you for choosing BJU Press Distance Learning Online! As we partner together this year, we know your child is sure to receive a sound education from a biblical worldview, and we’re pretty sure his love for learning is going to grow as he gets to know his distance learning teachers.

What other questions do you have about DLO?

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