I was looking forward to this BlogHer 09 session all weekend. It was moderated by Dana Loesch, with Jennifer James and Shannon Entin sitting on the panel. I have followed Dana on Twitter for a while and was excited to hear what she had to say about social media and homeschooling.

The discussion moved quickly and covered topics such as using the internet to educate or supplement your child’s education, using blogging as a curriculum tool, reading other homeschooling blogs for curriculum ideas, and the impact social media has had on homeschooling.

The impact of social media on homeschooling has been amazing. The internet, and more recently sites like Twitter and Facebook are excellent tools for getting information to large numbers of homeschoolers quickly. Recently social media was used to spread the word about a bill that would have been devastating to homeschoolers in a certain state (sorry can’t remember which state). Within hours over 3000 homeschoolers united to defeat the bill. This was made possible through the use of twitter, email, and other social media sites.

Social media also has a downside for homeschoolers. Buy using the internet to help others homeschool, you expose yourself to those who might not agree with homeschooling or be critical of your decisions. Publishing start and ending times for school, field trips before they happen, and other detailed information is not a good idea. Many of the homeschoolers agreed it is better to talk about times, locations and events after the fact to protect your family from internet trolls.

All in all, everyone agreed that the internet is a great tool for homeschoolers. Personally, I rely heavily on the internet in our homeschool. We watch videos on youtube, research online, and use websites to supplement our paper books. I also use the internet to connect with other homeschoolers. Twitter has a homeschool chat once a month which is a great way to discuss hot topics or learn more about homeschooling in general.

How about you? Does the internet play a large role in your homeschool? Do you participate in any homeschool forums? What are your favorite online homeschool resources?

Homeschooling is extremely important to our family. I am thankful to the many families who came before us and homeschooled before there was internet, support groups, or even homeschooling curriculum! While I grumble at times about the homeschooling laws in our state, I realize that many who homeschooled 25 years ago faced losing their kids and going to jail for educating their children at home. Their sacrifices paved the way for the homeschooling freedom I have today.

As we begin our tenth year of homeschooling, I have decided to create a separate homeschooling site. It is still in development, but it should launch in early August. It will chronicle our homeschool year, as well as be a place of encouragement for those who are on this homeschooling journey. I realize that homeschoolers come in all flavors, but I truly believe we can all learn from each other and be a source of support for one another.