For assynchronous content, Moodle is a good place to get a start. It is open source so the software can be downloaded and used free of charge. It is server, not PC, based though so you will need to have server savy or hire a server provider to host it. There are several Moodle hosts out there that will let you set up for a monthly fee. There are a large number of teachers using Moodle, so you will likely be able to find some internet community support. Moodle.com has a very busy Moodle forum.

If you would prefer being able to teach in a live online classroom, one of the very best-tooled online classrooms come from Elluminate. You can get a free 3-seater vRoom to try it out. Your vRoom is yours. It isn’t a 30-day trial kind of thing. You can use it from here on out to tutor or just try out ideas. If you like it and want more seats, there are various packages to chose from for a monthly or yearly fee. The least expensive one is a stripped down 10-seater for $50/month all the way up to a $320/month. I used the $50/month one last year and paid pretty much out of my own pocket, but the kids and I loved it so much it was worth it. I have an umlimited seat room now thanks to donations from a few organizations that heard about what I was doing and wanted to help. It is a fantastic platform. I could literally go on for about 5 more paragraphs on all the neat tools the platform has.

If you would like to e-mail me, I am quite wiling to be of help. You can contact me at [email protected] and see my courses at http://www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.com/

The subject being taught.

The age level and the maturity of the students.

The goals of the lessons.

Familiarity of the teacher and student with a computer.

The particular specs needed to run the program.