Tech professionals are taking their children away from standard schooling by committing them to a home school education. The homeschool trend is growing more connected to technology due in part to the do-it-yourself attitude that exists in both. Mark Zuckerberg is a familiar name among the tech community, especially when recalling how he was able to build a communication giant from his dorm room at Harvard University. When looking at his success, some feel that if he can do that on his own then children can be educated in their parent’s own way. One of the most popular TED Talks ever is called How Schools Kill Creativity. This speech by Sir Ken Robinson guides more viewers toward exploring the realm of techie homeschoolers.

Between the years of 1999 and 2012, the number of homeschoolers increased from 1.7 percent to 3.4. That is double what it was in 1999 and many of these students come from families rooted in technology. The mentality that guides techies into homeschooling is the desire to make something already existing better. Some tech people analyze the school system and feel that they could do better teaching out of their garage, so that is the route they take.

There is an element of technology that does not lend itself to socialization too well. Adolescence in particular can be a time of discomfort in the social scene. Meanwhile, the idea of home school or independent learning may be refreshing to these students. Caterina Fake, the co-founder of Flickr, refers to herself as one who did not watch much television. Instead, she read books and played classical music. She knew she was different but viewed it as a positive. As a result, she has homeschooled her three children with the help of her partner.

To learn much more about how the children of tech professionals are increasing homeschooler numbers, visit Wired online here.