Just a friendly reminder
2007-04-19 21:34:04
If you have not done so yet please do not forget to vote for me in the blogger’s Choice Awards! Right now I’m sitting in 3rd place, you’re vote could be waht it takes to get me to #1!
Click on the button to vote or click . Thanks so much!
blog, blogging, Blogger’s Choice Awards, blog awards, homeschool, homeschooling
Tragedy at Virginia Tech
2007-04-19 20:46:57
Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund
April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia
Tech community and the world beyond.
To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.
The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:
Grief counseling
Memorials
Communication expenses
Comfort expenses
Incidental needs
If you plan to give, please click the link below:
Steve Shickles
451 Press, LLC
Read more: Tragedy
, Virginia Tech
Portfolios
2007-04-19 16:30:09
Some states require homeschoolers to keep a portfolio detailing everything they have done during the year. I am lucky enough to live in a state that requires nothing, but I have often thought about keeping a file on hand just in case we ever move and i’m required to show that we are up to speed. It can also be a great keepsake for when you children are grown and out of the home, you’ll having something to look back on.
I found this great hub on Homeschool Portfolios
that has a lot of information and advice on keeping track of your child’s homeschooling. Want an added Bonus? Brenda Hoffman, the writer of the hub, is also the author of Homeschooling Without the Headaches.
homeschool, homeschooling, record keeping, portfolios, homeschool records
P.S.
2007-04-18 21:39:41
The Carnival of Homeschool: Week 68 is up over at Why Homeschool. It is a great read for anyone interested.
On an unrelated note a mom is looking for homeschoolers to interview for a school assignment. You can read her request at Mommy Life: Need input from homeschool students.
homeschool, homeschooling, blog carnival, carnival of homeschooling, homeschool students
Other than blogging, what do you do all day?
2007-04-18 16:37:11
I just read a great post over at Robin’s Blue Skies called Learn (Many) Something(s) New Every Day where this unschooling mom jotted down all the things that were learned during the day without needing a curriculum, lesson plans, or schedule. I love reading posts like this one, seeing a rare glimpse into a day of a homeschooling family. I love it so much that I’ve decided to offer up my own snapshot and let you all into what the day has brought us.
So without further ado here is a peak behind the scenes at Mom is Teaching.
We watched Big Big World in the morning. The episode had the tree frog seeing a flying fish and no one believed him, my oldest was sceptical as well. So we hopped on the laptop and spent half an hour looking at images and a couple videos of flying fish. From there he wondered if some fish fly, do some birds swim. Sure do! Ducks, geese, pelicans, gulls, and swans just to name a few.
It was rainy today so we read his Rain Ready-to-read Book for the hund
Homeschooling in Germany
2007-04-20 21:41:08
I have been hoping to find more information on Melissa Busekros, the 15 year old girl in Germany
removed from her home for homeschooling. So far the latest I have heard was about the ‘Youth worker’ lies about homeschool student. The social worker was claiming that Melissa was happy in foster care and did not want to return home, despite Melissa’s repeatedly begging to go home. There is some updated news here
However, there is another family in Germany now facing a similar fate. Court Takes Custody of 5 Homeschoolers.
A court in eastern Germany has taken custody of five children away from their homeschooling parents, but has not yet removed the children from the home. The parents, Bert and Kathrin Brause of Zittau, lost custody of their children, Rosine, Jotham, Kurt-Simon, Lovis and Ernst, to the local youth welfare office.
It certainly makes you feel lucky to be living in a place where homeschooling is legal, doesn’t it?
homeschool, homeschooling, Germany,
Read more: Homeschooling
Ideas for Earth Day
2007-04-20 16:53:04
April 22 is Earth
Day, and there are so many great things to do to celebrate. You can visit the Earthday Network for ideas and information, and swing into the Teacher’s area for educational information. If the weather is nice why not go to the zoo? Join Animal Planet’s ROAR for Earth Day
and celebrate with other animal lovers.
Assuming that the weather is nice all day the plan here is to go to the creek and splash around in the water, chase some frogs, and maybe collect some flowers. Doesn’t seem too “environmental” you might say. Maybe not, but that’s OK. We humans are more apt to save the things we love. I want to instill a deep love of nature and the earth in my sons before I start scaring them with pollution and endangered species. I want them to not just care becuse it is trendy but because they truely do care about the earth that they live on. So this year we are just focusing on loving everything all around us, when they are older we can st
Tragedy at Virginia Tech
2007-04-19 20:46:57
Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund
April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia
Tech community and the world beyond.
To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.
The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:
Grief counseling
Memorials
Communication expenses
Comfort expenses
Incidental needs
If you plan to give, please click the link below:
Steve Shickles
451 Press, LLC
Read more: Virginia Tech
, Tragedy
TV-Turnoff Week!
2007-04-22 20:25:30
April 23-29 is TV-Turnoff week. Unplug the boobtube, put it out in the garage, and forget about it for a week. Who knows, the week might turn into a month or a year.
The idea is simple: take your TV, your DVD player, your video iPod, your XBOX 360, your laptop, your PSP, and say goodbye to them all for seven days. Simple, but not at all easy. Like millions of others before you, you’ll be shocked at just how difficult – yet also how life-changing – a week spent unplugged can really be.
If you don’t know where to being here is Six Easy Steps to a Great TV-Turnoff. You should also read How to Entertain Your Children Without TV for helpful ideas.
I really would love to see everyone participate and make it through the week. So much so that I’m willing to offer buy a 5 Credit certificate for Paperbackswap.com to entice you to do it. If you make it through to the end leave me a note on April 30th. I’ll select a winner at random. If you aren’t a member of paper
Wish you were here…
2007-04-24 16:59:57
I was doing some blog surfing and found myself at The Lost Girls. Three 20-something women who saved up and decided to take a year off to travel the world. Needless to say I’m very envious. It is certainly something I would love to do, travel the world and see the sites. There are so many places I would love to visit, some that I would love to live in for a few months or more. Of course a world trip like this is easier for three single women that for a mom of two young children, but maybe when they’re older we could plan a great escape. Or maybe when they’re grown and having adventures of their own. Then, as I was reading through their fabulous blog I stumbled upon this gem:
How the trip has changed our lives:
HOLLY: It’s made me realize that the world is both a classroom and a playground. I can learn more about the political landscape of a foreign country by traveling through it rather than by reading about it in the Economist.
I could not help but sit back and smi
Good news!
2007-04-24 00:14:27
Dana at Principled Discovery has an update on Melissa Busekros. She has turned 16 and has left her foster home to return home. The Youth Welfare Office no longer has authority over her. There is an article about the news here, but it is in German. If you’re not fluent in German, like I am not, you can get a fairly good translation using BabelFish. Just enter in the url of the page and choose to translate from German to English. There is also an article about the situation that you can read here.
You can send birthday wishes for her to falumafischer@aol.com
homeschool, Germany, Melissa Busekros, homeschooling
MMM
2007-04-23 16:58:53
Its that day of the week again, Method Madness Monday! This week I’m going to be talking about the Eclectic aproach to homeschooling.
Eclectic is considered ahving the best of all world. There is no set curriculum or guidelines or rules. It is more of a “take what works for you and leave the rest behind” style. Eclectic homeschoolers may use unit studies along side Classical education, through in some Waldorf rhythm, and mix with unschooling philosophy. Or anything else that works for their family. Often those who prefer an eclectic aproach have their own ideas and beliefs on what a child needs to learn and in what way. Rather than following a plan that might not fit all of their ideas they will mesh together many different things in order to find a style that is all their own.
A drawback to using an Eclectic approach is that many children thrive on routine, which is sometimes lacking in Eclectic homeschooling families. Though the diversity allows for parents to cha
Curious George and other such books
2007-04-29 15:04:14
Anne Marie at A Readable Feast has a great blog post up called Go bananas with yellow and Curious
George
that I just loved. And not just because of the yummy recipe for Banana Flip Cookies. Mmmmm, cookies…
Oh! Sorry, where was I?
Oh yes, back to the post. Not only is it full of great links and those oh so yummy cookies, but it got me thinking about books. OK, so I generally think about books everyday reguardless, this time i am thinking about what books to plan for this fall. Now that my early reader is growing in leaps and bounds with understanding the connections between letter, sounds, and words I want to add more scheduled reading time. As it is now we are just reading anytime and every time we get the chance. Which is great, don’t get me wrong! I in no way plan to stop that. I just want to schedule in some quiet time while the baby sleeps and work on reading fun books that he’ll enjoy together. Curious George, I am sure, will be on the list. A little boy monkey
Frugal homeschooling
2007-04-28 04:29:52
Lets face it, the majority of families that are homeschooling are doing so from a single income family. Having just the one source of income can put a damper on many plans, and can make the ability to homeschool seem shakey. Can you do it? Can you afford it? Will your children still get a great education on a limited income? the answer to all three is YES! As I wrote here in How to Homeschool Your Children on a Budget it can be fairly simple to homeschool your children without spending a lot of money. Many things that parents normally do with their children every day for free can become educational. Going to the library, using the internet, even watching TV can become educational moments that do not cost a lot of money.
And don’t be too proud to buy used! Second hand books, materials, even whole curriculums can be purchased at a fraction of what they would cost new. Many still in great shape and ready to be used time and time again. Look online at sites such as Ebay, or in speci
Read more: Frugal
Small business homeschoolers
2007-04-27 16:26:36
What do you do if there isn’t a good resource center in your area for homeschoolers? If you are like Sharadee Wright in Northglenn, Colorado you make your own!
Now, I have never been to Colorado myself but a friend on MySpace let me know about this little gem. The Hangout Learning Center is a little place tucked away where homeschoolers can come together, share, learn, and grow side by side. There is always something going on on the activities calendar or just show up to hang out and play on the games or use their equipment.
From Sharadee Wright:
From the very beginning, I wished that we had a place where we could go, at a moments notice, and without any advance planning, that would provide great educational and social experiences for my girls. Some days we were happily hard at work, and other days we really needed a break, but it was hard to judge in advance which days those would be. So we’d call up friends, sometimes three or four before we found someone who could play
Read more: Small
A Thursday Thirteen
2007-04-26 19:30:55
Thirteen
Things not homeschooling blogs I love to read.
1. Stay at Home Mayhem She’s funny, she’s witty, she’s a Maven for crying out loud! You’ll laugh til you cry.
2. I’ve Done Gone Green One family’s journey into being more ecological. Its inspiring to say the least.
3. Grasshopper New Media Parents Advice, info and more for parents. I love coming back to read them time and again.
4. Walk Slowly Live Wildly OK, so she’s a homeschooler, but that’s not what her blog is about. This powerful blog inspires us all to “Think. Dream. Dance. Love. Worship. Be.”
5. It’s only me, Josh Life of a stay at home dad. I love seeing the shoe on the other foot.
6. Scribble on the Wall All about the fun things found online. There’s some really helpfull info here.
7. Mom Gadget This is THE site for work at home moms.
8. Home Mom Mom of 3 and married to a Marine. Need I say more? LOL
9. Eat, Drink & Be Merry Mmmmm, food. Th
Read more: Thursday
Upcoming Homeschool Conferences
2007-04-26 16:40:41
May 3-5 is the Georgia Home Education Association’s 2007 State Conference. Full pre-registration cost for members is $30, non-members is $35 (Spouses attend free). The THURSDAY sessions are FREE and open to the public. Beginning at 2pm, May 3, the four sessions include: “What is Home Schooling”, “The Law”, “Getting Started”, and “Choosing Curriculum”. The evening concludes with a guided tour of the Exhibit Hall. You can download a pdf of this year’s schedule here.
May 4-5 is the Michigan Home Education Convention. Pre-registration closed April 14, however you may still register at the door on either day of the event. Non-members pay $65 for an individual, $85 for a couple; members pay $55 for an individual and $70 for a couple. You can see the schedule here and go here to see what is being taught by the keynote speaker Norm Wakefield.
The 2007 Oklahoma Christian Home Educators Consociation is meeting May 4-5. Registrat
Read more: Upcoming
, Homeschool
, Conferences
Rethinking Education Conference
2007-04-26 05:04:21
The Rethinking Education
Conference is coming up soon!
Labor Day Weekend, Thursday, August 30 - Monday, September 3, 2007 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Irving, Texas. Just 7 minutes from the DFW airport! Register now for special prices. The cost will go up April 28th, and go up again July 15th. Act now to get great prices.
The conference will include: John Taylor Gatto, Ren Allen, Michael Mendizza, Cindy Gaddis, Peter Kowalke, Tracy Liebman, Eli Gerzon, Sheila Murphy, Erin Whitworth, Quinn Eaker, Lisette Blanco Cerda de Abbott, David Niecikowski, and many many more.
At the heart of Rethinking Education is the awareness that children are supremely capable of absorbing and using knowledge from our complex world. There is no need for arbitrary structure in education; the use of coercion, rewards or other behavior modification techniques as motivation are counterproductive. With freedom, respect and nurturing support, children have a powerful drive to self-direct their own learning; the
Wordless Wednesday
2007-04-25 18:38:54
photo, wordless wednesday, toys
Read more: Wednesday
You know you shouldn’t be a homeschooler if…
2007-04-25 16:04:31
I read a great blog post this morning at Toast Floats called We’re Not All Cut Out for Homeschool You should definitely go read it and have a good laugh.
I’m sure with a little creativity we can add to the list with a few more. For instance, in my house if you can’t handle bugs and dirt you probably shouldn’t be homeschooling. Or at least you shouldn’t be homeschooling my kids. LOL Or if answering a billion “why” questions each day will drive you crazy maybe homeschooling won’t work out for you.
Can you think of anything else to add?
homeschool, homeschooling
Read more: homeschooler
Blog carnivals are up!
2007-04-24 20:37:15
If you’re looking for some great reading online here are 3 great blog carnivals where you can find just what you are looking for!
Carnival of Family Life #51
Carnival of Homeschooling - Bee Edition
3rd Edition of the Carnival of SAHMs
blogging, blog carnivals, carnival of homeschooling, carnival of family life, carnival of SAHMs, homeschooling, family life, sahm, stay at home mom, family, life
Carnival time!
2007-05-01 16:31:49
TheCarnival
of Homescholing #70 is up over at Dewey’s Tree House. I know I say it every time, but this one really is a great edition to read.
Over at Parenting Toddlers you can read the Carnival of Family Life.
blogs, blogging, blog carnival, carnival of family life, carnival of homeschooling, homeschooling, homeschool, family life, family, life
Things that make you stop and think…
2007-04-30 19:59:49
Woman of the Tiger Moon just nominated me for a Thinking Blogger Award. I’m touched, really. I didn’t know that my little corner of the blogoshere was so loved. Of course now comes the hard part, nominating five new bloggers for this honor who haven’t already been bestowed. So lets see if I can do this…
The Atheist Mama Though I’m not an atheist myself I love reading her blog. She writes in a very logical, to the point way that certainly makes me think
every time I am there.
Earthly Garden I love to garden, to dig in the dirt, and to watch my plants grow. So this blog always has me thinking of new ideas, new tricks, new plants, and even recycled garden art. Sure, it may not be what some call a “thinking” blog, but reading it has me thinking.
Eco Chick Yes I am one of those tree hugging hippies, thank you very much. So I love eco chick because it keeps me thinking about new ways to protect the environment.
The Antidote Just an ordinary South A
Method Madness Monday
2007-04-30 16:44:04
OK folks, help me out here. I’m sure that I’ missing something, but what could it be?
Enki Education
Waldorf (And a part 2 here)
Unschooling
Montessori
Classical
Charlotte Mason
Unit Studies
Eclectic
So what do you think? What special method am I missing? Once I’ve covered all the specific methods I’ll go over the various curriculums out there.
homeschool, homeschooling, curriculum, Method Madness
Monday
Read more: Method Madness
Is Public Education a Failure?
2007-05-04 16:24:51
I like to think of myself as pro-homeschooling rather than anti-public schooling, but I cannot deny that there are many aspects of public schooling that i disagree with. Some that i strongly disagree with. Yesterday evening I read a post called Is Public
Education
Failing Our Kids? and it started me thinking.
A lot of my opinions have been influenced by John Holt and John Gatto, which can be a bit more “extreme” than what many people are used to. If you are not familiar I would suggest starting with Gatto’s The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher. In some ways I do not see failure from the public school system. If you follow what Gatto believes is the true purpose of schools then you can see that most students turn out exactly as they should be.
However, I do have a problem with some of the actual educational aspects that are commonly found in the public school system. Namely the “teach to test” principle that is all too common, where students are not taught subj
23rd Annual Home School Book fair in Arlington Texas
2007-05-03 19:23:47
May 11 and 12 is the 23rd Home School
Book Fair at the Arlington
Convention Center in Arlington Texas
. You can pay at the door or volunteer to enter free. Cost is $ 5.00 per person ages 2 to 17 and $10.00 per person ages 18 and over. You can go here to see the list of featured speakers. A schedule of the events can be found here.
Home School Book Fair, Arlington texas, Texas, Arlington Convention Center, homeschool, homeschooling, book fair
Read more: Annual
When one parent is against homeschooling.
2007-05-03 16:27:51
You are set on homeschooling, but your spouse is against
it. What can you do now?
The homeschool debate can be a tiring one. For every positive thing about homeschooling there is someone somewhere who has something negative to say. For most of us it can be easy to avoid; step away from the computer, walk away from the conversation, turn off the television, or what ever you have to do to end the conversation. But what happens when the debate is going on right inside your own house? Sometimes one parent can be excited to homeschool while the other parent is set against the idea.
As with any other disagreement over how your children should be raised the best first aproach is to talk it out. Find out why your partner is against homeschooling? Does he have negative experiences with homeschooled children? Does she believe some of the common myths floating around? Maybe extended family members are against homeschooling and your spouse does not want to upset them. Or perhaps your spouse is af
A funny for the day
2007-05-02 21:48:34
Click image to see full size.
homeschool, homeschooling, cartoon, funny, joke, socialization
Are homeschoolers less exposed to the world around them?
2007-05-02 16:20:53
I often hear among the arguements against homeschooling that children who are homeschooled are not prepared for the “real world”, that they are kept in bubbles and unaware of how the rest of the world works. I think that this depends on the family itself. Some parents choose to expose their children to more things than other, meaning that some children reach puberty only knowing how their family works while others know more about the world around them. But this does not affect just homeschoolers. A quote in a post at Find Religion by a high school student named Rachel stuck out to me.
I was very unaware and naive of what middle school, even high school, would be like for me. I could truthfully say that I thought that other people who I would come in contact with would not use profane language and they would be Christians.
I don’t mean to point out rachel here in a negative light, but the quote really struck out to me. I am sure that Rachel is not alone, there are sure
Read more: exposed
Teacher Appreciation Week
2007-05-06 17:08:35
May 6-12 is Teacher
Appreciastion Week. As homeschooling parents we deserve a little appreciation ourselves for all the wonderful lessons we teach our children. So here are a few treats for the teachers who don’t get weekends off
Scholatic.com is having a $1 sale until the end of May.
There’s a great contest going on here. All you have to do is leave a comment “how you would encourage a new or overwhelmed (old~LOL!) Mom who’s having trouble gettin’ it all done” and you could win some pretty cool cleaner with an incredible scent. Yum!
Just for this week Learning A–Z will give free access to one of its subscription websites each day so that all visitors may sample all of their books, materials, worksheets, lesson plans, and teacher resources. The schedule for sampling is this:
May 7:
Tutor packets targeting specific skills
May 8:
Online, leveled, animated books
May 9:
Thousands of downloadable books and more
May 10:
Complete leveled writing pro
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