Thursday, April 24, 2014
Carnival of Homeschooling: The Building Character Edition
The Homeschool Post is hosting this weeks edition of the CoH.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Carnival of Homeschooling: The Thousand Flowers Edition
Carnival of Homeschooling: The Thousand Flowers Edition hosted at Dewey's Treehouse.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Thursday, April 10, 2014
I expected better
I love J.D. Robb's books so I was very disappointed when she choose to blame Montclair Jones' emotional problems on his being homeschooled in her latest book Concealed in Death.
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Carnival of Homeschooling – April Fool’s Edition!
Catechism for a Witch’s Child
When they ask to see your gods
your book of prayers
show them lines
drawn delicately with veins
on the underside of a bird’s wing
tell them you believe
in giant sycamores mottled
and stark
against a winter sky
and in nights so frozen
stars crack open
spilling
streams of molten ice to earth
and tell them how you drink
a holy wine of honeysuckle
on a warm spring day
and of the softness
of your mother who never taught you
death was life’s reward
but who believed in the earth
and the sun
and a million, million light years
of being
J. L. Stanley
This weeks CoH is being hosted at momSCHOOL
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
The 427th Homeschool Carnival "Just Keep blogging" edition.
Notes From A Homeschool Mom host this weeks CoH.
Guest Post - Three Tips for Great Trade Show Banners
Three Tips for Great Trade Show Banners
Have you ever wondered how to make your business really stand out among all the others at industry trade shows? How to make a first great impression and then capitalize on that great first impression? Tools and visual aids like pop up display banners are all well and good, but a little strategy for using those banners goes a long way. Here’s a few ideas.
Establish a Goal
What are you trying to accomplish? That should be your first consideration as it will directly influence the choice of your visual aids and banners. Are you seeking new leads? Are you increasing brand awareness? Are you introducing a new product? Maybe you just want to tantalize or intrigue your audience—maybe you’re selling an idea (like an educational program) and not a product. This all plays into the kind of banners you might employ. Establish the essence of your most important message first. Experts say we only have six seconds to grab somebody’s attention at a trade show display. You must know your most important message before anything else. If you don’t know what it is, how can you expect anybody else to know it?
Grab Attention
Once you know what your goal is, your first priority is to grab the viewer’s attention. Remember those critical six seconds. If you don’t grab their attention, somebody else will. Maybe you can use some sort of optical illusion in your display; something intriguing is always a good conversation starter. Hopefully it relates to your goal. Whatever it is, it should be an attention getter. Try to remember something about great billboards or ads that caught your attention and then try to capture that quality in your display.
Put It All Together
Don’t be a one-trick pony. Don’t just have the one great attention-grabbing ad or banner. Create an atmosphere where different banners—message delivery systems—create an environment that reinforces your main goal—product launch, lead development, or whatever. Make your messages consistent and matched by your booth’s coherent style. Make sure supporting ads or banners or media tools all have a consistent tone. Also, don’t go overboard. You can overload the customer with too many inputs and sometimes less is simply more. Some of the most effective trade displays ask a question. This can spark a conversation between you and the customer about your goal. That conversation is a very good place for you to be.
You can find an excellent selection of display banners and other interesting trade show materials, all at great prices, simply by visiting The Display Outlet.
Establish a Goal
What are you trying to accomplish? That should be your first consideration as it will directly influence the choice of your visual aids and banners. Are you seeking new leads? Are you increasing brand awareness? Are you introducing a new product? Maybe you just want to tantalize or intrigue your audience—maybe you’re selling an idea (like an educational program) and not a product. This all plays into the kind of banners you might employ. Establish the essence of your most important message first. Experts say we only have six seconds to grab somebody’s attention at a trade show display. You must know your most important message before anything else. If you don’t know what it is, how can you expect anybody else to know it?
Grab Attention
Once you know what your goal is, your first priority is to grab the viewer’s attention. Remember those critical six seconds. If you don’t grab their attention, somebody else will. Maybe you can use some sort of optical illusion in your display; something intriguing is always a good conversation starter. Hopefully it relates to your goal. Whatever it is, it should be an attention getter. Try to remember something about great billboards or ads that caught your attention and then try to capture that quality in your display.
Put It All Together
Don’t be a one-trick pony. Don’t just have the one great attention-grabbing ad or banner. Create an atmosphere where different banners—message delivery systems—create an environment that reinforces your main goal—product launch, lead development, or whatever. Make your messages consistent and matched by your booth’s coherent style. Make sure supporting ads or banners or media tools all have a consistent tone. Also, don’t go overboard. You can overload the customer with too many inputs and sometimes less is simply more. Some of the most effective trade displays ask a question. This can spark a conversation between you and the customer about your goal. That conversation is a very good place for you to be.
You can find an excellent selection of display banners and other interesting trade show materials, all at great prices, simply by visiting The Display Outlet.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Carnival of Homeschooling
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Carnival of Homeschooling – Lincoln’s wisdom edition
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Carnival of Homeschooling – Winter Edition
Friday, January 24, 2014
Guest Post ~ Homeschooling and the Internet
Homeschooling and the Internet
Beginning in the late 1990s the Internet created new opportunities for students and their families who wanted to facilitate learning in an asynchronous (independent) environment. These opportunities began with online colleges which started to offer courses via the Internet in 1999. By the first years of the 21st century high schools and then elementary schools were including elearning in their curriculum.
Online education opened up new doors for families who wished to homeschool -- or "unschool" -- their children. The percentage of school-age children who were homeschooled increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.9 percent in 2007, representing a 74 percent relative increase over the eight year period. Although no formal statistics have been compiled since 2007, informal studies set the percentage of 2013 homeschooled students at 3.8% of the school-age population.
Parents give a variety of reasons for homeschooling their children. The most common reason seems to be a desire to provide religious or moral instruction, followed by a concern about the school environment (such as drugs, safety, bullying, negative peer pressure), dissatisfaction with the methods or level of instruction, the child's health or special needs, finances, location (distance from the school) and a desire to educate the child within the family unit. Many parents feel that by providing their child with a nontraditional approach to education, they will enhance the child's interest in learning, ability to acquire information and capacity for independently study.
Today online education is a dynamic component of almost all homeschooling frameworks. Homeschooling families have discovered the benefits of elearning which allows them to refine their children's education, present the curriculum in a vibrant and interactive format, encourage project-based and independent learning and promote creativity.
The United States Department of Education has begun to study the benefits of online learning in the schools. Their report, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices of Online Learning was based on the results of 50 independent research projects and concluded that online learning is a more effective technique than traditional face-to-face instruction. Multi-media and web-based applications have gone a long way towards improving online classrooms and the scholastic results of students who learn partially or fully online shows marked improvements.
Homeschooling parents have taken note of online learning opportunities. eLearning tools and methodologies are helping to increase the numbers of families who are exploring home-based instruction. Whereas, in the early years of distance learning, homeschooling parents tended to focus on the drawbacks of computer-based instruction -- reliance on technology, a reduced emphasis in the parent-child face-to-face interactions, the students' lack of familiarity with traditional book learning -- the discussion has now shifted from whether to include online learning in the home-based instruction to how to best include online learning in the homeschooling environment.
In reviewing some of the benefits of distance learning for homeschooling students it's clear that most students can complete a portion, or even all, of their coursework through online resources and tools. Early elementary-aged children generally need more supervision but by the 5th or 6th grade students can receive asynchronous assignments from their parent or other homeschooling educational professional and complete those assignments either semi-independently or totally independently. Many homeschooling families have become involved in groups which focus on how homeschooling parents and students can collaborate and support each other. These interactions enable homeschooling students to work together on assignments -- in person or via skype, webex or another web application. The students can work in pairs or in small groups as they expand the scope of a lesson and increase their own social interactions.
eGames are a popular tool for personalized homeschool learning. eGames are designed to respond instantly to whatever the player does. eGames are arranged in series of increasingly difficult challenges which fit the sequencing of the curriculum (i.e. after completing the fractions level a student will move up to the algebra level). eGames promote independent learning in an atmosphere of vibrant information exchange.
At the end of the day, regardless of whether a child is educated in a classroom or at home and regardless of which methodologies or tools are used, the facilitator will always be the key to any successful educational model. Lowell Milken an educational leader and chairman of homeschooling giant K12 reminds homeschooling and classroom-based educators alike that "The most direct and enduring way to reach the mind and imagination of the learner is through the mind, imagination and character of the outstanding teacher."
Beginning in the late 1990s the Internet created new opportunities for students and their families who wanted to facilitate learning in an asynchronous (independent) environment. These opportunities began with online colleges which started to offer courses via the Internet in 1999. By the first years of the 21st century high schools and then elementary schools were including elearning in their curriculum.
Online education opened up new doors for families who wished to homeschool -- or "unschool" -- their children. The percentage of school-age children who were homeschooled increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.9 percent in 2007, representing a 74 percent relative increase over the eight year period. Although no formal statistics have been compiled since 2007, informal studies set the percentage of 2013 homeschooled students at 3.8% of the school-age population.
Parents give a variety of reasons for homeschooling their children. The most common reason seems to be a desire to provide religious or moral instruction, followed by a concern about the school environment (such as drugs, safety, bullying, negative peer pressure), dissatisfaction with the methods or level of instruction, the child's health or special needs, finances, location (distance from the school) and a desire to educate the child within the family unit. Many parents feel that by providing their child with a nontraditional approach to education, they will enhance the child's interest in learning, ability to acquire information and capacity for independently study.
Today online education is a dynamic component of almost all homeschooling frameworks. Homeschooling families have discovered the benefits of elearning which allows them to refine their children's education, present the curriculum in a vibrant and interactive format, encourage project-based and independent learning and promote creativity.
The United States Department of Education has begun to study the benefits of online learning in the schools. Their report, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices of Online Learning was based on the results of 50 independent research projects and concluded that online learning is a more effective technique than traditional face-to-face instruction. Multi-media and web-based applications have gone a long way towards improving online classrooms and the scholastic results of students who learn partially or fully online shows marked improvements.
Homeschooling parents have taken note of online learning opportunities. eLearning tools and methodologies are helping to increase the numbers of families who are exploring home-based instruction. Whereas, in the early years of distance learning, homeschooling parents tended to focus on the drawbacks of computer-based instruction -- reliance on technology, a reduced emphasis in the parent-child face-to-face interactions, the students' lack of familiarity with traditional book learning -- the discussion has now shifted from whether to include online learning in the home-based instruction to how to best include online learning in the homeschooling environment.
In reviewing some of the benefits of distance learning for homeschooling students it's clear that most students can complete a portion, or even all, of their coursework through online resources and tools. Early elementary-aged children generally need more supervision but by the 5th or 6th grade students can receive asynchronous assignments from their parent or other homeschooling educational professional and complete those assignments either semi-independently or totally independently. Many homeschooling families have become involved in groups which focus on how homeschooling parents and students can collaborate and support each other. These interactions enable homeschooling students to work together on assignments -- in person or via skype, webex or another web application. The students can work in pairs or in small groups as they expand the scope of a lesson and increase their own social interactions.
eGames are a popular tool for personalized homeschool learning. eGames are designed to respond instantly to whatever the player does. eGames are arranged in series of increasingly difficult challenges which fit the sequencing of the curriculum (i.e. after completing the fractions level a student will move up to the algebra level). eGames promote independent learning in an atmosphere of vibrant information exchange.
At the end of the day, regardless of whether a child is educated in a classroom or at home and regardless of which methodologies or tools are used, the facilitator will always be the key to any successful educational model. Lowell Milken an educational leader and chairman of homeschooling giant K12 reminds homeschooling and classroom-based educators alike that "The most direct and enduring way to reach the mind and imagination of the learner is through the mind, imagination and character of the outstanding teacher."
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Historical Fiction
The Pagan Lord by Bernard CornwellMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
England is at peace and Uhtred is unwanted after he kills a priest. His eldest son is accepted into the priesthood and is now known as Father Judas. Uhtred leaves to go Viking and hopefully reclaim Bebbanburg. Uhtred fails to reclaim Bebbanburg but kills his Uncle (AElfric) and takes his cousin's wife and son hostage. Alfred's bastard Osferth falls in love with her and Uhtred gives Osferth the boy.
Meanwhile Cnut has devised a scheme to usurp Mercia from Aethelred (Aetheflaed's husband). Uhtred hurries back to foil his plot. He finds where Cnut hide, his wife and children and takes them hostage. He then pretends to kill Cnut's daughter. Cnut follows Uhtred and eventually corners him. Just when all looks lost Pyrlig shows up with his Welsh warriors. Still outnumbered Uhtred's forces are managing to hold when King Edward shows up and Cnut and his men start to flee. Uhtred challenges Cnut to a duel. Cnut is killed and Uhtred is in a coma.
The ending of the book makes it sound as if Uhtred died, but in the Historical Notes Cornwell reveals that Uhtred will live.
View all my reviews
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
The Carnival of Homeschooling Robert E. Lee Edition
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| Robert E. Lee riding Traveller |
Check out Did it Right Today @ Homeschool Atheist Momma
Quick Start Homeschooling offers {Day 15} How Do Homeschoolers Get In To College?
Simple Homeschool shares Kara's Homeschool Day in the Life.
Take a look @ Revolutionary War Unit Study over at Learning Curve.
 |
| Robert E. Lee age 31 |
Congrats to Rebel Homeschool College Acceptance!
Read Merry Sickmas. 4 “Sick” Lessons Every Homeschool Mom Should Learn @ Homeschool Cheer
Rest for the Weary offers Getting a handle on homeschool burnout: Physical needs
A 10-year-old Boy’s Top 5 Books of 2013 is presented at Simply Convivial.
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| Mary Curtis Lee |
After graduating from West Point, Lee married Mary Custis, the great-granddaughter of George and Martha Washington. Together, they had seven children: three sons (Custis, Rooney and Rob) and four daughters (Mary, Annie, Agnes and Mildred). Lee served with distinction during the Mexican-American War, and later served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy.
Check out Homeschooling Is Not for Everyone, and Neither Is Public School
When Crazy Meets Exhaustion tells Why I Will Never Homeschool My Kids
Schoolhouse Review Crew offers 8 Tips to Help You Start a Homeschool Support Group
The Blog of Questioning ask Is wanting to homeschool my children that radical of an idea?
8
Tips to Help You Start a Homeschool Support Group - See more at:
http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/8-tips-to-help-you-start-a-homeschool-support-group/#sthash.24CqCPez.dpuf
Why I Will Never Homeschool My Kids
Why I Will Never Homeschool My Kids
Why I Will Never Homeschool My Kids
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| Robert E. Lee 1863 |
There's No Place Like Home offers Weekend Review: Our First Week of Unschooling
So how are they doing? over @ Notes From A Homeschool Mom. I could really relate to this post. My eldest son has finished College. He has a Masters degree in Computer Science and landed a job right after graduation in his field. My youngest son is currently working on his Masters in History and is doing well.
Harvest Moon shares William Wordsworth - Poet/Poetry Study
There is A Moment of Calm over at Home Spun Juggling.
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| Robert E. Lee, President of Washington College from 1865-1870 |
Little Giant Steps advises you to Save Your Child Academically
Knitted Thoughts shares Writing Cures Loneliness
Why Homeschool 's contribution Teaching our children some of the really important lessons
Thank you for visiting this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling, to find out who is hosting next week click here.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Book Review - Fantasy
The Way of Kings by Brandon SandersonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
There were 10 heralds but 9 survived the Desolation and choose not to return to the place of pain and fire (breaking the Oathpact), they just walked away leaving their blades behind. The 10th Herald Taln was left behind to bind the Oathpact.
Kaladin was a dark-eyed son of a doctor (Lirin). On Roshar eye color determines your status. Light-eyes are rulers. When the Brightlord of their village dies he leaves soul stones to Kaladin's family so that Kaladin can study to be a doctor. The new Brightlord (Roshone) is angered by this as he wants the wealth for himself. Brightlord Roshone tries to turn the village against Kaladin's family. When Brightlord Roshone and his son are injured in a dangerous hunt, he blames Kaladin's Father for his son's death. To get even he drafts Kaladin's younger brother (Tien) into the army. Kaladin chooses to go with him to protect him but is helpless to prevent Tien's death. He then tries to protect the young men in his squadron but when they are run down by a Shardbearer he is helpless to save them. When the Shardbearer attacks Brightlord Amaram his guard flees but Kaladin brings the Shardbearer down saving Amaram. Traditionally the killer of the Shardbearer gets the Shardblade and Shardplate (which are priceless and convey wealth and prestige on the owner) but associating it with the death of his squad he doesn't want it and gives it to another member of the squad. Unfortunately Amaram wants it for himself he kills the survivors of the squad and sells Kaladin into slavery to cover up his theft of the Shardblade and Shardplate. Kaladin finds himself a Bridgeman owned by Highprince Sadeas (who uses bridgemen as fodder against the Parshendi). When Kaladin figures out a way to use the bridge as a shield against the Parshendi arrows Sadeas has him left out in a highstorm to die, but Kaladin lives. More determined the ever to keep the men of Bridge 4 alive, Kaladin secretly trains them as soldiers and they prepare to escape. Their chance comes when Sadeas betrays Highprince Dalinar (The King's Uncle) by leaving him stranded on a plateau surrounded by Parshendi. Unable to leave Dalinar and his troops to die, Kaladin and his men (Rock, Moash, Skar, Drehy, Sigzil (Wit's servant), Lopen, and Teft) go back for them. Against the odds they are able to save Dalinar, his eldest son (Adolin) and some of his troops. Dalinar promises to protect Kaladin and his men from Sadeas. When they get back to camp Dalinar confronts Sadeas about his betrayal and demands he sell the bridgemen to him. Sadeas refuses until Dalinar offers his Shardblade in exchange for all the bridgemen. Dalinar then offers Kaladin and his men positions as his honor guard.
Highprince Dalinar has been seeing visions of the past during highstorms. Not sure if the visions are real or if he can trust them he considers abdicating and letting Adolin take over. But in the end Dalinar realizes the "Blackthorn" in needed to unite his people (the Alethi) . Armed with the knowledge that King Elhokar cut his own saddle girth. Which allowed Sadeas the chance to manipulate him, he demands the Elhokar make him Highprince of War.
Szeth (the assassin) is ordered by Highprince Taravangian to kill Dalinar.
Shallan gives up her plant to steal Jasnah's fabrial in order to really work with her. They discover that the Voidbringers are the Parshendi.
View all my reviews
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling
I will be hosting the CoH please consider submitting a post. I would also appreciate it if you would promote the CoH. Here are some icons for you to use.
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Tuesday, January 07, 2014
Thursday, January 02, 2014
Carnival of Homeschooling; No Kitchen Table Lessons This Week Edition
The COH is hosted at Our Curious Home this Week.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Christmas Eve Edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling
Friday, December 20, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Carnival Of Homeschooling - Creative Learning Edition
Check out the Carnival Of Homeschooling - Creative Learning Edition @ Consent of The Governed.
Tuesday, November 05, 2013
Under the Golden Apple Tree Carnival of Homeschooling
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Carnival of Homeschooling: Science Experiments and a Printable Slime Recipe
Check out this weeks CoH
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Monday, September 09, 2013
The Dirty Little Secret H$LDA Doesn't Want You to Know
This is the law that HSLDA keeps referring to as a Nazi Era Law.
Nothing really ominous about it, in fact until recently many States in the United States didn't allow homeschooling. Back in 1980, home schooling was illegal in 30 states. It was not until 1993 that all 50 states made the practice lawful in the United States.
The Romeikes had several options. They could have sent their children to an accredited private religious school at government expense. They could have sent their children to an unaccredited private school at their own expense. They could have sent their children to a secular private or public school. Since Germany is part of the European Union they could have moved to another country in the EU that allowed homeschooling or they could work to change the educational laws in Germany so that homeschooling would be legal, while obeying the law. Germany is a Federal Republic and has a democratic government pretty much like ours.
Instead they choose to ignore all the LEGAL options for educating their children and BROKE THE LAW. Now HSLDA who paid for the Romeikes' to come to the United States and a bunch of Fundamentalist Christians are beating their chest and demanding that we allow these LAW BREAKING MOOCHERS to stay in the United States.
Let's be clear this is NOT about religious persecution. Germany has religious freedom. The German Constitution (much like our own) protects freedom of religion by guaranteeing free exercise of religion, banning the establishment of a state church, and providing some forms of affirmative governmental support to religious and ideological organizations.
This is about a family choosing to break their countries educational laws with the encouragement of HSLDA and being paid to flee to the United States and stir up controversy.
Attendance at school is mandatory for all children in Germany from the age of six until the age of eighteen, and home schooling is not permissible. Children often have a choice between public and private schools. The latter may be religious or secular, and either can obtain governmental subsidies if they are properly accredited.[45] Aside from a few private universities, attendance at colleges and universities is free,[46] and stipends and loans are provided to students who cannot defray their living expenses while studying. [47]
Nothing really ominous about it, in fact until recently many States in the United States didn't allow homeschooling. Back in 1980, home schooling was illegal in 30 states. It was not until 1993 that all 50 states made the practice lawful in the United States.
The Romeikes had several options. They could have sent their children to an accredited private religious school at government expense. They could have sent their children to an unaccredited private school at their own expense. They could have sent their children to a secular private or public school. Since Germany is part of the European Union they could have moved to another country in the EU that allowed homeschooling or they could work to change the educational laws in Germany so that homeschooling would be legal, while obeying the law. Germany is a Federal Republic and has a democratic government pretty much like ours.
Instead they choose to ignore all the LEGAL options for educating their children and BROKE THE LAW. Now HSLDA who paid for the Romeikes' to come to the United States and a bunch of Fundamentalist Christians are beating their chest and demanding that we allow these LAW BREAKING MOOCHERS to stay in the United States.
Let's be clear this is NOT about religious persecution. Germany has religious freedom. The German Constitution (much like our own) protects freedom of religion by guaranteeing free exercise of religion, banning the establishment of a state church, and providing some forms of affirmative governmental support to religious and ideological organizations.
This is about a family choosing to break their countries educational laws with the encouragement of HSLDA and being paid to flee to the United States and stir up controversy.
Thursday, September 05, 2013
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Carnival of Homeschooling #399. My reflections on being a Home School Dad.
Check out the Carnival of Homeschooling #399. My reflections on being a Home School Dad hosted at Home School Dad in Transition.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Homeschooling Choice
I have to say I disagree with this author Homeschool is a how-to-live decision not a how-to-learn decision.
I do think children should be given some say in the decision to homeschool. My third and fifth grader (at the time) wanted to be homeschooled, and were very happy when we made the switch from public school to homeschool. I really can't see it working otherwise.
Certainly parents should be the ones making the final decision on where to live, what house to purchase etc., but certainly children should be given some say and their opinions should be taken into consideration when possible when making a decision that affects them.
One of the most enjoyable things about homeschooling was how the kids interest could be taken into account when making lesson plans and choosing additional subjects. I allowed the children to choose which foreign language to learn and they choose Japanese. It gave us all a chance to learn something new and turned out to be very helpful when my husband wound up going to Japan on a business trip.
Listening to your children and showing an interest in their activities is part of good parenting. Allowing them to make age appropriate decisions and suffer the consequences of those decisions is how they learn to be mature responsible adults capable of making their own decisions.
I do think children should be given some say in the decision to homeschool. My third and fifth grader (at the time) wanted to be homeschooled, and were very happy when we made the switch from public school to homeschool. I really can't see it working otherwise.
Certainly parents should be the ones making the final decision on where to live, what house to purchase etc., but certainly children should be given some say and their opinions should be taken into consideration when possible when making a decision that affects them.
One of the most enjoyable things about homeschooling was how the kids interest could be taken into account when making lesson plans and choosing additional subjects. I allowed the children to choose which foreign language to learn and they choose Japanese. It gave us all a chance to learn something new and turned out to be very helpful when my husband wound up going to Japan on a business trip.
Listening to your children and showing an interest in their activities is part of good parenting. Allowing them to make age appropriate decisions and suffer the consequences of those decisions is how they learn to be mature responsible adults capable of making their own decisions.
Saturday, August 03, 2013
Back to Homeschool Kindle Fire Giveaway!
Back to Homeschool Kindle Fire Giveaway! over at Royal Little Lambs.
Back to Homeschool Kindle Fire Giveaway!
Back to Homeschool Kindle Fire Giveaway!
Back to Homeschool Kindle Fire Giveaway!
Thursday, August 01, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Book Review
When the Eagle Hunts by Simon ScarrowMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is unbelievable and I am totally disgusted by the number of horses/mules killed.
General Plautius' wife and children are shipwrecked behind enemy lines and taken prisoner by a fanatical set of Druids of the Dark Moon. The Druids have issued an ultimatum free the Druid prisoners captured by the Romans are the General's family will be sacrificed to Cruach at the First Budding. Cato and Macro are sent behind enemy lines with Iceni guides Prasutagus and Boudica to rescue them.
After barely escaping from an ambush, the group finally get on the trail of the Druids and their hostages. They arrive at the sacred grove not long after the Druids left to discover Diomedes (Greek trader trying to avenge his family) impaled on a stake through the anus. Before he dies he tells them the General's family is being taken to Mai Dun - The Great Fortress.
Desperate to reach them before they reach The Great Fortress and a rescue becomes impossible they push on and barely get there in time. When the wagon carrying the prisoners is temporarily separated from it's warrior escort they make their move. Macro is grievously injured in the rescue attempt, unable to free the General's wife who is chained they leave with the two children but the young boy escapes from them and runs back to his Mother. Boudica takes the unconscious Macro and the General's daughter back to Vespasian, while Cato and Prasutagus try to find a way to rescue the General's wife and son. The Druid's angered by the rescue attempt send the boy's finger to Vespasian with the threat that if another rescue attempt is make the prisoners will be sacrificed early. Cato sneaks into The Great Fortress, but is unable to free the hostages.
Vespasian leads an attack on The Great Fortress and Cato with a small band of men sneak in and rescue the General's wife and son. Cato is seriously wounded during the escape and winds up in the same hospital room as Macro. The General's gratitude extends to making Cato a Centurion. Boudica and Prasutagus return to their tribe and are married.
View all my reviews
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Monday, July 08, 2013
What About Jerry Webster?
Webster apparently read a piece about a homeschool graduation ceremony and felt compelled to write a post (What About Me? ) about it.
I would have been 3 years old when Mr. Webster graduated, I daresay public schools have changed a lot since then. I graduated from a public high school in 1984 with 365 other students, I didn't even know the majority of them, thanks to busing we came from vastly different communities and we certainly didn't share an understanding of anything.
To be honest I am not sure what point Mr. Webster is trying to make here. He stated
Personally I think public school parents are the ones with the "me first" mentality. As they educate their children at tax payer expense. While those of us who homeschool or send our children to private schools pay for our own child's education as well as subsidize the public schools. Your distrust and hostility seem a tad misplace Mr. Webster.
A parent no matter how much they care can not change the public school system in time to benefit their child. Ensuring your child gets the best education possible so they can be productive members of society should be every parents priority. See Rebel Homeschool's post Why We Chose Homeschool over Public School Parent Involvement
When I graduated, I graduated with a group of people I knew. Not well, mind you, as I transferred to Williamsport, Pennsylvania from a high school in the western suburbs of Chicago in November of my junior year. It was still enough time to bond over chemistry, choir performances and SAT scores. When we left high school, we did it with a shared understanding of our community, of our future and of who we were as citizens of a country. That was in 1969.
I would have been 3 years old when Mr. Webster graduated, I daresay public schools have changed a lot since then. I graduated from a public high school in 1984 with 365 other students, I didn't even know the majority of them, thanks to busing we came from vastly different communities and we certainly didn't share an understanding of anything.
To be honest I am not sure what point Mr. Webster is trying to make here. He stated
It also pondered the meaning of a celebration for students who only meet for the first time at the graduation rehearsal.I am not sure how he knew they had "all meet for the first time". I find it doubtful this was the case as in most instances graduation ceremonies are arranged by homeschool groups. More then likely at least some of the kids knew each other. And as I stated above going to a public school doesn't guarantee your "knowing" the students you graduate with. 315 of the students I graduated with never crossed my path during my school years. Because I was in Honors Classes (which tended to be comprised of the same students) I knew around 50 of my classmates well enough to call them friends. Although after graduation I lost touch with the majority of the 50 classmates I knew well. In fact if it wasn't for Facebook, I would only be in touch with one of my high school classmates. The truth is after graduation most students go on to college, make new friends, move off for jobs and make new friends, etc. Very few of us stay stuck in our high school years.
To me, homeschooling seems to reflect a "me first" kind of mentality. It's also a reason I look at homeschooling with at least distrust, if not outright hostility. Why do parents choose to remove their children from public school?I don't know Mr. Webster, why did you choose to send your son to an elite boarding school in New England? Just like parents who choose to send their children to elite boarding schools, homeschool parents have various reasons for making the choice to homeschool. Mainly we just want to ensure that our children get the best education possible.
Personally I think public school parents are the ones with the "me first" mentality. As they educate their children at tax payer expense. While those of us who homeschool or send our children to private schools pay for our own child's education as well as subsidize the public schools. Your distrust and hostility seem a tad misplace Mr. Webster.
I have no doubt that in many places public education has failed some children. But that's not a reason to abandon public education. It's a reason to invest time and energy into seeing that public education works. After all, those young people will be paying your social security, if there is still social security.Really makes you curious why he abandoned public education for his son and sent him to an elite boarding school. Apparently Mr. Webster believes his family is entitled to "the best schools", while the rest of us should just stay put in the public schools that pay his salary.
A parent no matter how much they care can not change the public school system in time to benefit their child. Ensuring your child gets the best education possible so they can be productive members of society should be every parents priority. See Rebel Homeschool's post Why We Chose Homeschool over Public School Parent Involvement
What kind of graduation address would you give to children who were homeschooled?Pretty much the same address I would give a public school or private school student. Congratulations on graduating, thanks to your hard work you have a bright future ahead of you. Enjoy your time in college while you prepare for the career of your choice.
Sunday, July 07, 2013
Rebuttal - Home School Myths and Myth Makers by Jerry Webster
My rebuttal of Webster's hatchet piece Home School Myths and Myth Makers.
First I would like to clarify what homeschooling is as a number of public school parents have started referring to themselves as homeschoolers. Homeschoolers are self funded, they do not receive tax/tuition money and the State does not assist them with textbooks, materials or supplies. Homeschool parents are responsible for all record keeping, curriculum choices and choose what textbooks to use. Those who attend Virtual Public Schools are not Homeschoolers.
Homeschoolers are readily admitted to colleges, usually based on the parent kept transcripts and ACT or SAT scores, and have no problem earning the bachelor degrees or professional certificates needed for employment. I really hope Mr. Webster wasn't trying to imply otherwise.
With those pesky clarifications out of the way, I will now address Mr. Webster's "myths".
The majority of homeschoolers take the ACT or SAT. I really find it hard to believe Webster was ignorant of the fact that homeschoolers would be taking these test in order to get into college. For those who do not know these are national test. And homeschoolers were indeed compared to public and privately schooled students. In fact a new study suggest that homeschoolers may indeed be receiving a better education then their public or privately schooled counterparts.
I will address Webster's criticism of homeschooling in What About ME? in a future post.
Rebel Homeschool has a post I encourage you to read Why We Chose Homeschool over Public School Parent Involvement
First I would like to clarify what homeschooling is as a number of public school parents have started referring to themselves as homeschoolers. Homeschoolers are self funded, they do not receive tax/tuition money and the State does not assist them with textbooks, materials or supplies. Homeschool parents are responsible for all record keeping, curriculum choices and choose what textbooks to use. Those who attend Virtual Public Schools are not Homeschoolers.
Homeschoolers are readily admitted to colleges, usually based on the parent kept transcripts and ACT or SAT scores, and have no problem earning the bachelor degrees or professional certificates needed for employment. I really hope Mr. Webster wasn't trying to imply otherwise.
With those pesky clarifications out of the way, I will now address Mr. Webster's "myths".
Myth #1 Homeschooling is Selfish: Kathy ignores the fact that most states support local schools by providing a per pupil amount for each child enrolled. In that way by withdrawing their children from the local school district, they withdraw that portion of income from their local school. They do not support their local schools.Mr. Webster's assertion that homeschoolers are selfish is rather hypocritical considering the fact he sends his son to an elite boarding school, thus withdrawing him from his local school district. Also if the criteria for being selfish is merely a couple/home owner who doesn't have children enrolled in the local school district then childless couples and singles would also have to be viewed as "selfish". Homeschoolers just like childless couples, singles and parents of privately schooled students pay property taxes that do indeed support the local schools.
Myth #2: Homeschooling is Elitist - I think most people just think they are misfits. It doesn't sound like an elite. It sounds like the Tea Party.I am sure the elite boarding school Mr. Webster sends his son to is the embodiment of racial and economic diversity. Homeschoolers are neither misfits or elitist, we are just normal everyday people who choose to educate our children at home. Each homeschooling family is different, therefore each family has different reasons for choosing to homeschool. I know a Pagan Mother who chose to pull her daughter out of the public schools because not only were the other public school students bullying the child one of the public school teachers was telling the child that "her family was going to hell because of their pagan beliefs". BTW the Mother checked homeschooling for religious reasons on a survey of homeschoolers. Which just goes to show statistics can be misleading.
Myth #3: Homeschoolers have an Advantage.OK, this one might be true. Certainly homeschoolers benefit from a better teacher to student ratio than kids in public schools, no argument there. Also numerous studies have been done that show that kids from higher social economic backgrounds do better in school no matter what the educational choice their parents make for them private, home or public school. Studies have also shown that having a full time parent in the home is advantageous to children again no mater what the school choice is for them.
Myth #4: Homeschooled children don't know what the real world is like. Research (Bauman) does, however, show that 33 percent of homeschooling parent name religion as a primary reason for homeschooling, and 9 percent name "morality" as a primary reason. That's 42 percent. Statistically, that is significant. So maybe this isn't a myth.Balderdash, many children including homeschooled children work part time after school. They also interact with other children in their neighborhoods, community organizations etc. And remember how I said statistics could be misleading. My Pagan friend cited religion as her primary reason for homeschooling on a survey, what the statistics couldn't tell you was it was religious bullying by Christian Fundamentalist that motivated her homeschooling.
I have to agree there are no studies that show homeschooled/privately schooled children are better are more poorly adjusted in social situations then publicly schooled children. And as I said to #4 many homeschoolers have after school jobs just like their public school counterparts.
Myth #5: Homeschooled children don't know how to get along with others. The word of the day in education is not socialization, it is "collaboration" as this is considered one of the most important skills for the next generation of jobs, especially in technological jobs. There is no research, however, showing that homeschooled children are better or more poorly adjusted in social situations than "schooled" children.
Myth #6: Homeschooling parents are not qualified to teach their children. If it's true that anyone can be a teacher, why didn't you (homeschoolers) keep your kids in public schools?Not sure what the point of his question is. There are many excellent public school teachers, there are also some awful public school teachers. In 5th grade my eldest son's wonderful teacher got the chance to be the guidance counselor for the school during the middle of the year, which was a better paid position. Being a young man with a family to think of he of course took the better paid position and as you can imagine most qualified teachers already had jobs. My son wound up with a young lady fresh out of college who didn't have a clue how to control a classroom or teach algebra. I am not kidding, I had to go up to the school and teach the kids Math Class on the days I didn't make it up there (I wasn't being paid to teach the class) they simply skipped Math, which meant his class was falling behind the rest of the 5th graders. That was the last year my children ever attended public school. My eldest son was homeschooled 6th grade to college and my youngest was homeschooled 4th grade to college.We never regretted our decision to remove them from the public school system.
Myth #7: Homeschool parents want complete control over their children's lives. Beats me. No research here. In my own experience, homeschool parents that I have met lack good social skills themselves and what may seem like control may actually be fear of the unknown. Since we seem to be using anecdotal evidence, mine is as good as Ms. Cereci's.I know some public school parents that wanted complete control over their children's lives. Just like public school parents are different so are homeschool parents. Some parents will be controlling others will not be. And as Webster himself stated there is no research to back up his claims.
Myth #8: Homeschooling doesn't provide children with a good education. Neither Dr. Ray nor Kathy tells us what standardized tests students perform well on, and what groups (national? State?) homeschooled students were compared to. Since most homeschooled children do not participate in their states' high stakes tests, (Bauman) we don't know how they perform alongside their general education peers. That could be made up, too?One could say the same thing about public and private schools it doesn't make it true. Just like each public and private school is different so are individual homeschools. In the majority of homeschools the students receive an excellent education.
The majority of homeschoolers take the ACT or SAT. I really find it hard to believe Webster was ignorant of the fact that homeschoolers would be taking these test in order to get into college. For those who do not know these are national test. And homeschoolers were indeed compared to public and privately schooled students. In fact a new study suggest that homeschoolers may indeed be receiving a better education then their public or privately schooled counterparts.
A new study published in The Journal of College Admission suggests that homeschool students enjoy higher ACT scores, grade point averages and graduation rates compared with other college students. The finding are especially interesting because there has been a paucity of research focused on how homeschooled students fare in college.Of course Webster will probably find fault with Cogan's credentials, which seems to be his preferred method of negating studies that show homeschooling in a favorable light.
The research, which was conducted by Michael Cogan, the director of institutional research and analysis at the University of St. Thomas, focused on the experiences of homeschooled students at an unnamed medium-sized university in the upper Midwest.
Myth #9: Homeschooling is un-AmericanThat seems to be a popular insult thrown out by Conservative Nutcases these days. If they don't like something you do it is UN-American, Socialist/Communist and Liberal. Homeschooling is as American as Apple Pie, the majority of the Founding Fathers were homeschooled.
Myth #10: Homeschooling is a threat to public schooling. The biggest threat is the number of children that our permissive public policy on home schooling may actually fall through the cracks. As many as half of all children not enrolled in public schools are also not enrolled either in private (parochial)schools or registered with the state boards of education. ( That these children may show up at our unemployment offices or in our prisons later may create a cost we all will have to bear. Does it undermine the public's commitment to public education? Perhaps. Do people who choose to send their children to public school resent homeschoolers? Probably.I fail to see why parents who choose to send their children to public school should resent homeschoolers. Do they also resent parents who send their children to private schools? We all know a large majority of public school students fall through the cracks each year. In fact I would hazard a guess that the majority of the prison population attended public school. I would also guess that a large number of those on unemployment also attended public school. The fact that a large number of those on unemployment or in jail attended public school, doesn't make public schooling bad or give us reason to do away with public schooling. Webster also fails to note that EVERY STATE has laws on the books to deal with educational neglect. As to undermining the public's commitment to public education the same could be said for private schools. The majority of citizens including those who do not have children and those who have selected homeschooling or private schools for their children recognize the need for public schools and fully support them.
I will address Webster's criticism of homeschooling in What About ME? in a future post.
Rebel Homeschool has a post I encourage you to read Why We Chose Homeschool over Public School Parent Involvement
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
Sunday, June 30, 2013
College Info for Homeschoolers
My local Community College held a College Information Day for Homeschoolers. They seem to be eager to help homeschoolers transition to college and had lots of valuable information to provide.
We of course discussed scholarships, grants and loans.
But they also revealed they would take homeschool transcripts notarized by the parent, as long as you had the required Carnegie Units for graduation.
Here is a sample transcript modeled on the one I used to get my eldest son into college. This is not his actual transcript.
To find the students Grade Point Average (GPA) you add up the Credits (Carnegie Units), add up the Points then divide the Points Total by the Credits Total.
Points
For 1 Credit (Carnegie Unit)
A = 4
B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
F = 0
For 1/2 Credit (Carnegie Unit)
A = 2
B = 1.5
C = 1
D = 0.5
F = 0
Carnegie Units required to graduate vary from State to State, so check the requirements for your state, and be sure to check the requirements for the year your child will be graduating as the info can change from year to year. It is also a good idea to check the requirements for admission to any universities your child may be interested in attending
We of course discussed scholarships, grants and loans.
But they also revealed they would take homeschool transcripts notarized by the parent, as long as you had the required Carnegie Units for graduation.
Here is a sample transcript modeled on the one I used to get my eldest son into college. This is not his actual transcript.
To find the students Grade Point Average (GPA) you add up the Credits (Carnegie Units), add up the Points then divide the Points Total by the Credits Total.
Points
For 1 Credit (Carnegie Unit)
A = 4
B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
F = 0
For 1/2 Credit (Carnegie Unit)
A = 2
B = 1.5
C = 1
D = 0.5
F = 0
Carnegie Units required to graduate vary from State to State, so check the requirements for your state, and be sure to check the requirements for the year your child will be graduating as the info can change from year to year. It is also a good idea to check the requirements for admission to any universities your child may be interested in attending
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Over Credentialed Jerry Webster Loaths Homeschooling
Apparently Jerry Webster, the over-credentialed buffoon, is afraid of losing his job to homeschooling. What a nasty piece of tripe The Scent of Blood he wrote at About.Com is.
Actually if Webster is honest there isn't much "hard evidence" regarding homeschoolers. Each state has it's own homeschooling rules and regulations, so homeschooling experiences vary from state to state. There are also various homeschooling methods so homeschooling also varies from family to family. Homeschooling is not a one size fits all endeavor and can be tailored to meet your individual child's needs.
Webster's other hatchet pieces are What About Me and Home School Myths and Myth Makers Separating Wishful Thinking From Evidence Based Reality. Ironically Jerry's son went to an elite boarding school in New England, (a fact Jerry seems to belabor in his post) so apparently the guy who thinks public schools are good enough for homeschoolers does not think the public schools are good enough for his own son.
I will address Webster's other mendacious claims in future post.
if experience and anecdote are sufficient to support an argument in this debate then I say, what you site as myths are not myths. They are true! In my experience, homeschooling parents believe themselves to be entitled, they are religious (Ironically, like Dr. Ray, they gravitate to the PCA, the refuge of disgruntled reactionary white people) and would not be qualified to teach in public schools. Their children are as likely to be indulged and rude as they are to be polite. I have known some lovely people who homeschooled their children (my son did 8 years of Suzuki) and some obnoxious, socially maladroit people who homeschooled their children. Oh, and my personal experience also confirms something that didn't make your list: homeschoolers' homes are filthy and chaotic.I doubt homeschooling parents feel anymore "entitled" then public school or private school parents do. After all, all parents are entitled to make the best educational choice for their child even Webster who choose to send his child to an elite boarding school. And while some homeschooling parents are religious others are not, in fact there are actually atheist homeschoolers. And maybe Webster should get out more all homeschoolers are not white, there are African-American, Hispanic, American Indian and many other races represented in the homeschooling community. And while some homeschoolers may have filthy chaotic homes many others have clean well organized homes, it all depends on the individual family just like it does with privately schooled and publicly schooled children's homes.
I understand that nothing I say or do will change the minds of those who homeschool. I know for About.com it is a valuable audience, since homeschooling parents spend a lot of time online and About.com is paid by advertisers by the page view. But it is evident that homeschoolers are much like Tea Party right wingers: they live in a self reinforcing loop of like minded people who reinforce their own prejudices. They have little regard for hard evidence. But the UNLV research librarians and I had a lovely time sussing out Dr. Ray's self-aggrandizing hype. But the only place where believing in something makes it true is in Peter Pan. So clap, clap, clap for the homeschooling fairies!
Actually if Webster is honest there isn't much "hard evidence" regarding homeschoolers. Each state has it's own homeschooling rules and regulations, so homeschooling experiences vary from state to state. There are also various homeschooling methods so homeschooling also varies from family to family. Homeschooling is not a one size fits all endeavor and can be tailored to meet your individual child's needs.
Webster's other hatchet pieces are What About Me and Home School Myths and Myth Makers Separating Wishful Thinking From Evidence Based Reality. Ironically Jerry's son went to an elite boarding school in New England, (a fact Jerry seems to belabor in his post) so apparently the guy who thinks public schools are good enough for homeschoolers does not think the public schools are good enough for his own son.
I will address Webster's other mendacious claims in future post.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Friday, June 14, 2013
Thursday, June 06, 2013
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Saturday, June 01, 2013
The Romeike's Should be Deported
I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because my cat likes to sit on the keyboard when I am typing. It's hard enough to keep British English and American English sorted out, but when you add the helpful paws of Socks to the mix you come up with some really interesting words, not to mention misplaced commas.
I know my post is probably going to be unpopular amongst the Christian Homeschooling segment, but honestly H$LDA had no business bringing them here in the first place. They are not being PERSECUTED, they are being told they need to follow the same laws as all other German Citizens. If they do not like their countries laws regarding education they need to work with like minded people to get the laws changed, not flee to America, Germany is a Democracy by the way. Also they were FREE to move to any other country in the European Union and homeschool but instead they were paid by Mike Donnelly (attorney HSLDA) to come here and stir up controversy for HSLDA. And I can't help wonder if HSLDA would be as interested in championing this German family if they were Muslims who wished to Homeschool. I think not because as most Homeschoolers know HSLDA only supports married, Christian Homeschoolers from traditional families.Also if they are deported they are still FREE to go to any country in the European Union that allows homeschooling.
Why HSLDA is Wrong about Romeike v. Holder explains it much better then I can.
On May 4, 2012, the Board of Immigration Appeals overruled the immigration judge and denied the Romeikes asylum. The Board of Immigration Appeals needed to answer these questions: (1) Have the Romeikes suffered persecution? (2) If they did suffer persecution, was it because of their religion? (3) Alternatively, if they did suffer persecution, was it because of their membership in a particular social group? The Board of Immigration Appeals answered no to all these questions. First, it wasn’t persecution because the anti-homeschooling law was one of general application (not meant to target a specific group, but rather something that applied evenly across the board). Next, because there were secular reasons for the compulsory attendance law, even if it had been deemed persecution it wouldn’t have been persecution suffered because of their religion. Finally, the Board of Immigration Appeals found that German homeschoolers are not a particular social group within the meaning of the act. To be a social group, there must be “social visibility” and “particularity.” Homeschoolers are simply too “amorphous” to constitute a social group eligible for protection under the asylum law.
I also encourage you to read
Germany and homeschooling: fact-checking the Romeike situation and Why German homeschoolers get asylum and torture survivors don’t
I know my post is probably going to be unpopular amongst the Christian Homeschooling segment, but honestly H$LDA had no business bringing them here in the first place. They are not being PERSECUTED, they are being told they need to follow the same laws as all other German Citizens. If they do not like their countries laws regarding education they need to work with like minded people to get the laws changed, not flee to America, Germany is a Democracy by the way. Also they were FREE to move to any other country in the European Union and homeschool but instead they were paid by Mike Donnelly (attorney HSLDA) to come here and stir up controversy for HSLDA. And I can't help wonder if HSLDA would be as interested in championing this German family if they were Muslims who wished to Homeschool. I think not because as most Homeschoolers know HSLDA only supports married, Christian Homeschoolers from traditional families.Also if they are deported they are still FREE to go to any country in the European Union that allows homeschooling.
Why HSLDA is Wrong about Romeike v. Holder explains it much better then I can.
On May 4, 2012, the Board of Immigration Appeals overruled the immigration judge and denied the Romeikes asylum. The Board of Immigration Appeals needed to answer these questions: (1) Have the Romeikes suffered persecution? (2) If they did suffer persecution, was it because of their religion? (3) Alternatively, if they did suffer persecution, was it because of their membership in a particular social group? The Board of Immigration Appeals answered no to all these questions. First, it wasn’t persecution because the anti-homeschooling law was one of general application (not meant to target a specific group, but rather something that applied evenly across the board). Next, because there were secular reasons for the compulsory attendance law, even if it had been deemed persecution it wouldn’t have been persecution suffered because of their religion. Finally, the Board of Immigration Appeals found that German homeschoolers are not a particular social group within the meaning of the act. To be a social group, there must be “social visibility” and “particularity.” Homeschoolers are simply too “amorphous” to constitute a social group eligible for protection under the asylum law.
I also encourage you to read
Germany and homeschooling: fact-checking the Romeike situation and Why German homeschoolers get asylum and torture survivors don’t
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Friday, May 24, 2013
Carnival of Homeschooling
Check out this weeks Carnival of Homeschooling @ Forever, For Always, No Matter What.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Carnival Of Homeschooling – “First Teacher” Appreciation Edition
Monday, May 06, 2013
Homeschooling is a valid educational choice
Contrary to what PAUL KURIAN states Homeschooling is not lacking in any areas. Secular and inclusive homeschoolers teach their children “real” math and science. Our children socialize with other children their age in Recreational Sports Leagues (comprised of homeschoolers, publicly schooled children and privately schooled children), Boy/Girl Scouts and other community organizations.
Homeschooling offers many benefits. It allows families to spend more time together, travel when it is convenient for them (not when the public school calendar permits), and allows the children to move at their own pace and explore their interest in depth.
Homeschoolers can create an individualized curriculum for each student. Homeschooling provides an environment free of bullying, encourages individuality, and a more well-rounded personalized education.
The majority of homeschoolers are well prepared for college and enjoy successful careers upon graduating from college. The Homeschool population is comprised of families from different religious groups, ethnic groups, and social economic groups just like public school students are. Kurian’s assumption that we are "birds of same feather" couldn’t be more wrong.
Homeschooling is a valid educational choice just like public and private schools are. While homeschooling is not for every family those families who do embrace it reap many benefits.
Homeschooling offers many benefits. It allows families to spend more time together, travel when it is convenient for them (not when the public school calendar permits), and allows the children to move at their own pace and explore their interest in depth.
Homeschoolers can create an individualized curriculum for each student. Homeschooling provides an environment free of bullying, encourages individuality, and a more well-rounded personalized education.
The majority of homeschoolers are well prepared for college and enjoy successful careers upon graduating from college. The Homeschool population is comprised of families from different religious groups, ethnic groups, and social economic groups just like public school students are. Kurian’s assumption that we are "birds of same feather" couldn’t be more wrong.
Homeschooling is a valid educational choice just like public and private schools are. While homeschooling is not for every family those families who do embrace it reap many benefits.
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Book Review - Oddkins
Oddkins: A Fable for All Ages by Dean R. KoontzMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Very cute. It looks like a children's book but it doesn't have as many pictures as your typical children's book and has many more words.
When Issac Bodkins passes away before he can recruit a new "magic" toymaker his toys must make a dangerous journey across town to recruit Colleen Shannon themselves. Lead by Amos the bear, Burl the elephant, Skippy the rabbit, Butterscotch the dog, Patch the cat and Gibbons bravely set out. But not only do they have to overcome the weather, mean dogs and ally cats they also have to fight against the evil toys made by the previous toymaker.
Victor Bodkins never cared about anything but money, but when he sees the toys are alive a new world opens to him and he sets out to follow them. When Nick Jagg (who hopes to buy the toy shop and make evil toys) offers him a lot of money he turns him down and throws in his lot with the good toys, who have been grievously harmed by the evil toys.
When they finally reach Mrs Shannon's shop she is able to patch all the toys up except Amos who appears to be dead, but Butterscotch with her loving heart and wisdom hits upon using stuffing from herself and the other friends (like a transfusion) to bring him back to life.
View all my reviews
Saturday, May 04, 2013
Book Review ~ Under the Eagle Book 1
Under the Eagle by Simon ScarrowMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Macro might have been outraged when Cato the new recruit is given the rank of Optio (making him his second in command) by Vespasian due to his patronage by the Emperor Claudius, but Cato soon proves his worth to Centurion Macro.
First he saves Macro's life when Macro is wounded in a German Village on what was suppose to be an "easy" assignment. Then he agrees to teach Macro to read so Macro can keep his rank.
Unfortunately when Cato's eye is turned by the slave girl Lavinia, Flavia (Vespasian's wife) takes full advantage. Using their assignation as a way to set up Vitellius. Luckily Cato escapes undetected and Lavinia names Vitellius as the man she was meeting in the tent.
Because of their bravery in Germany Macro and Cato are sent to escort Narcissus (Emperor Claudius' right hand) to Gaul to help quell the mutinous legions. When they are attacked en route Macro and Cato manage to save Narcissus life and capture the attackers.
Once they reach Britian Macro and Cato receive a mysterious assignment from Vespasian they are to follow a map to a certain location and retrieve a chest that was left there by Caius Julius Caesar 96 years before. Vespasian names them deserters after they leave and leaves strict orders for them to be brought to him immediately if they are spotted. Once they find the chest Vitellius arrives with some men and attempts to take it away from them. They manage to fight Vitellius off and start back to camp. En route they capture Vitellius who informs them the Britons are on their way to attack. They release Vitellius who is supposedly on his way to warn the 2nd. Frightened off by some scouts from the second he flees to the 14th. Macro and Cato hide the wagon with the chest and start back but due to their wounded are making poor time. Macro sends Cato on ahead to warn the 2nd. Thanks to Cato's warning Plinius was able to hold the end of the column long enough for the 14th to rescue them. When the 14th arrives the Britons flee and Macro and his remaining men are able to kill their Chief Togodummus. Officially Vitellius is named a hero. Macro tries to bring charges against him but Vitellius reveals to Vespasian that not only is he the Imperial Spy (trusted by Narcissus) but that Flavia is the traitor he was sent to look for. If Vespasian reveals Vitellius attempts to steal the chest he will name Flavia as the traitor she is.
View all my reviews
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Meet the Idiot Andrew Kardon
I guess poor Andrew's wife doesn't have job security as a public school teacher so her husband had to write a post Parents Who Homeschool Aren't Qualified to Teach Their Kids bashing homeschoolers. One can only wonder about the stupidity of writing a post about a subject that you know nothing about, while claiming that even though you don't understand how something works you are enough of an expert to say that the people who do know how homeschooling works aren't qualified to do it.
Kardon says "but I really have no clue how homeschooling works", and as his post demonstrates he made no effort to find out. Mr Kardon, it usually behooves one to do some research and find out how something works before criticizing it. I am sure you completely missed this salient fact but your wife spent a lot of time learning how to control a class of 25 pupils or more, homeschool parents on the other hand are working one on one with their children. Homeschooling is nothing like teaching in a public school and the same "skills" aren't required. Having both done substitute teaching in the public schools as well as homeschooling my kids I feel qualified to compare the two.
Kardon then goes into the "social aspect". Honestly people I thought that myth had been laid to rest decades ago. Homeschooled children find plenty of opportunities to socialize with their peers. There are homeschool groups, recreational sports teams, and various community organizations that homeschoolers take part in.
One of the benefits of homeschooling is that children can move at their own pace and fully master a subject before moving on to the next one. Homeschooling allowed my eldest son to start college at 16.
Kardon ask "Do you think parents should need credentials to homeschool their kids?" NO!!!!! But I am beginning to think we should require some sort of credentials before we allow ignoramuses to write post on subjects they know nothing about. Maybe Mr. Kardon you can ask your wife how to research a subject before you write a post about it. Surly all those hours she spent studying to become a teacher should qualify her to teach you some simple research skills.
Kardon says "but I really have no clue how homeschooling works", and as his post demonstrates he made no effort to find out. Mr Kardon, it usually behooves one to do some research and find out how something works before criticizing it. I am sure you completely missed this salient fact but your wife spent a lot of time learning how to control a class of 25 pupils or more, homeschool parents on the other hand are working one on one with their children. Homeschooling is nothing like teaching in a public school and the same "skills" aren't required. Having both done substitute teaching in the public schools as well as homeschooling my kids I feel qualified to compare the two.
Kardon then goes into the "social aspect". Honestly people I thought that myth had been laid to rest decades ago. Homeschooled children find plenty of opportunities to socialize with their peers. There are homeschool groups, recreational sports teams, and various community organizations that homeschoolers take part in.
One of the benefits of homeschooling is that children can move at their own pace and fully master a subject before moving on to the next one. Homeschooling allowed my eldest son to start college at 16.
Kardon ask "Do you think parents should need credentials to homeschool their kids?" NO!!!!! But I am beginning to think we should require some sort of credentials before we allow ignoramuses to write post on subjects they know nothing about. Maybe Mr. Kardon you can ask your wife how to research a subject before you write a post about it. Surly all those hours she spent studying to become a teacher should qualify her to teach you some simple research skills.
Friday, March 08, 2013
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