Category Archives: Homeschoooling

carnivals, education, Homeschoooling

Carnival of Homeschooling: Welcome to the NerdFamily House!

5 Comments

Hi everyone! Welcome to the NerdFamily House! We are having our first rain of the season out here so I hope you didn’t get to wet. Come on in, let me take your jackets and bags. Make yourself at home!

Before we get into anything just a quick a reminder for all those in California. It is once again time for affidavits!! If you file a PSA you only have until October 15th to get over and fill that out online!!
You can grab a cup of coffee or a soda and go join in on the education conversations around the kitchen table. Beverly at Beverly’s Homeschooling Blog (About.com) is talking about Why we love the Charlotte Mason Method. Successful Homeschooling talks about The Hidden Joy of Rote Memorization that is found in classical homeschooling. Special Needs Homeschooling talks about Sexual Education for the Mentally Disabled. They look at both how to educate and how to protect the mentally disabled in the arena of sex. Bur Bur & Friends:Community Park has Resources for Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Minds in Bloom offers questions that parents can ask children to encourage them to think creatively and critically about their work in 8 Questions to Ask Children about their Art Work. The Curriculum Choice looks at Latin for Children vs Latina Christina.
There are some great people over by the piano talking music education. Diamonds in the Rough shares with us a source for Free Sheet Music. Texas Homeschooler asks us about thePurpose for Music.
At the white board there is a little math talk going on. The Homeschooling Physicist has given us Math Interlude: Homeschool Math by Rotating Wheat Thins Boxes. You gotta check it out!Lesson Pathways Blog talks to us about Using On-Line Math Resources.
The kids can go over to the kitchen island where the kids can go their hands dirty for education! Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers goes through step-by-step: Making a Paper Mache Map. The Informed Parent has some great ideas for Costumes for all the upcoming festivities. Quiverfull Family is sharing their Creative Cooking that got them their Jello cell. It is an awfully cool idea!
Check out over by the bookshelves. The Mommy Earth has a book review: The Walrus Warning and the Smithsonian Oceanic Collection. Over at NerdFamily Things I have a litst of books that seemed to help Reading and Learning While Little.
Over on the couches we are having some interesting conversations on the politic of schooling and other profundities. Barbara Frank Online has One Dirty Little Secret about College, I am sure there are more but this one really causes you to think. Home Education Today asks us, “Is my child missing out on the high school experience?” The Thinking Mother tell us about how She Worked Outside the Home for 1 Week and what spoke to her about it. Corn and Oil gives us “Taking Away the Youth”- Perspective of an Illini Graduate Student (homeschooler). It is a poignant piece that talks about the political pushing towards more institutional school time. They wonder what we’re doing to our children and how this will affect homeschoolers. Save Money Homeschooling wants to know if (Is) the Recession Increasing Or Decreasing the Number of Homeschoolers? No Fighting No Biting wants to know is More School Better? Mommy’s Life reminds us that You CAN Teach Your Kids! She shares her response to 3 common things that are said to her about homeschooling.
Make sure you stop by the tv for a little entertainment. It is hooked up to the laptop (yes, this is the NerdFamily House) for a little entertainment. Why Homeschool asks, “Are you a homeschooler or homeschooled?” It is a hilarious video that Janine found. You have to see it! Speaking of entertainment, Notes From a Homeschooling Mom shares with us a Homeschool must see: Little House on the Prarie, the Musical. Unfortunately it isn’t coming to California but I would love to see it!
Looking out the back window and out into the world are some great field trip posts. Percival Blakeney Academy talks about Rice Harvesting they got to go participate in. Practical Homeschooling gives us 40 Free Field Trip Ideas.
I love having you all over and look forward to doing it again. Make sure you get all your coats and bags and try to stay dry out there!
So this was fun, right?!?! So show your love by tweet, digging, blogging and anything else you can do to promote out carnival! Go check out all the awesome articles and comment so the authors know that they are valued! Make sure that you send in your articles for next week’s carnival at BlogCarnival. Next week it will be held at No Fighting No Biting.

education, Homeschoooling

Charter Schooling: A Better Homeschool?

Leave a comment

Since it is summer, everyone starts thinking about what kind of schooling they want to do. This is the time to decide between public, private and homeschooling. Well, I have recently been asked what I think about charter schooling as a form of/alternative to homeschooling.

First, lets talk a little about what a charter school is. A charter school simply refers to the funding and oversite issues that apply to theses special public schools. Some are traditional schools and some are offsite schools. Not all charter schools are offsite schools. What I mean by offsite schools is that kids don’t attend every day (some once a week, some once a month, etc) but they still have a teacher. Sometimes they will still have sports and clubs. Sometimes not. They have homework assigned and every so often check in to make sure it is getting done, to get tested and (I assume) help if they need it.

So the pluses are that you don’t have to keep all the records and all the books are free. Some off extracuricular activities that don’t cost anything. You have a trained teacher to assist you as you go. Typically you can move along at your own pace be that faster or slower. You can minimize anything in the curriculum that you don’t agree with. If you are homeschooling for social reasons it pulls your children out of the typical school society and you can protect them a little more.

The cons (and this is the side I sit on) start with the fact this isn’t homeschooling but public schooling at home. You answer to the public schools, as you should because they are paying for it. While you can minimize certain subjects/issues that you don’t agree with, you can’t just choose to not teach them at all. Now some allow you a little latitude in what you teach but not complete control. So you also have to fit within the traditional education theory and are not going to be allowed to do a classical education, unschooling or even eclectic. Your kids will still need to take the standardized testing that the public schools have. Personally, I find the tests a gigantic waste of time and effort so I don’t want to have to do that. You do have a teacher that you answer to. And you have attendance rules of how many days and how many hours you kid has to do school.

I think it really boils down to the fact that it is public school and that comes with strings. The leash may be looser but it is still there. It is a good option for someone who has no qualms with the public school other than social and religious issues. I think there are better options but that is my humble opinion;).

education, headlines, Homeschoooling

Real Life

Leave a comment

One of the arguements that I hear often is that homeschooling doesn’t prepare your kids for “real life” because they are isolated. I always disagree. I think that being around real people, volunteering and apprenticing lead to a good picture of real life. We now have proof that the education system doesn’t care about real life.

There is a person who has been given advanced medical training in the military. But now that she wants her degree, the school won’t recognize the training or the experience. So maybe it is the ivory tower that shields your kids from “real life”?

education, Homeschoooling, politics

So Who Do the Unions Work For?

Leave a comment

We know that the teacher’s unions don’t work for the parents. We also know they don’t work for the students. That is perfectly illustrated by the teacher who got her job back after getting her class to vote a boy out who has Asperger’s.

But now it appears that they don’t work for the teachers either. The teacher’s union in Detroit is trying to get 70 teacher’s fired because they didn’t pay their dues. I just it just confirms what some of us already knew. The teachers unions are entities that only work to dupport the union itself. It is evidenced by their politics and now this.

education, Homeschoooling

It’s All About the Info

Leave a comment

Awesome isn’t it? CraftyHedgeHog over at Etsy made this (sold out right now) and they also have a fetal pig. It gives me a great idea. As a homeschooler I am always looking for new ways of learning. Who says you have to actually dissect an animal? I know of many moms who don’t want to do it for a variety of reasons but worry. This is a rite of passage. Can you have a good grasp on biology without doing a dissection? Well, I don’t know. Couldn’t you do an awesome 3-D model like this? Since it is all about learning the information, you imagination would be the limit.

I really think this translates to all areas of learning. There is no end all thing you have to do. It’s all about the info!

child rearing, education, headlines, Homeschoooling

Musings at the Gym

Leave a comment

So I was walking on the treadmill and they have different tvs going. A news story came on about the economy really hurting people who have kids who are in private schools. Apparently many people are taking out 2nd mortgages in order keep their kids (elementary aged kids were the ones shown here) in private school. You have to be kidding?!?!?

Tell me why homeschooling isn’t a better option than this? Is it really better to have to have both parents out of the home working (possibly 2 jobs)? Wouldn’t your kids be better served to have a parent around every once in a while? I have known a few families where mom has worked just for the private school tuition and that was before the economy issues. They are sure that this is the better education and experience for their kids. This is the thing that angers me about anti-homeschooling parents. It is the mentality that the personal financial sacrifice is the nobler one. I wonder if it is that they don’t actually value the personal position of parent. The impact you have on your child’s life simply by being present. And that doesn’t even account for the clear academic benifits to having the small group learning environment (which has been proven repeatedly) and the over all desirability of homeschoolers to colleges.

Ugh! This is what happens when I go to the gym at 6am;).

education, Homeschoooling

Technology, Education and Life

Leave a comment

All I could think as I watched this video is about if our educational system is prepared to equip our kids for the next new things. The current public school system seems to be built upon a system that wasn’t working before so why would it work better in the future? The current system teaches kids (by design) how to be great followers and workers, not entrepreneurs and inventors. Learning how to learn, logic and a love for knowledge is what kids need to be taught today to be competitive tomorrow. Are we teaching them that? I hope that I am.

carnivals, Homeschoooling

Carnival of Homeschooling: NerdHouse

Leave a comment

Welcome to the NerdHouse. Why don’t you come on in and see the Carnival of Homeschooling we have set up? Lot’s of people are already here with all kinds of great entries.

As we go in take a look at the family bulletin board. Kim at Kim’s Play Place has is announcing Science and Technology Education Blog Carnival. I also have Home Spun Strip (#325) from Home Spun Homeschooling. They are always so cute and refreshing.

Let’s take a seat in the living room for a moment to talk about the challenges and joys we face as homeschoolers. There isn’t anything like a little community support. Erin at Delighting in His Richness shares I thought I could, I thought I could! She shares how to overcome the afternoon slump with kids. Summer over at Wired For Noise shares the 5 Books That Influenced Me to Homeschool. Susan over at The Expanding Life talks about our ever changing roles as parents and teachers in Serving Punch. Renae at Life Nurturing Education shares a glimpse in Like Mother, Like Daughter. The Crazy Mom over at The Crazy House share a humorous and encouraging look with Testing, Testing, 1-2-3. Timothy at Sometimes I’m Actually Coherent gives us How Times Have Changed. While reading one of the lessons from a McGuffey Reader prompts some thought on the question: What is childhood for? Why Homeschool talks about One of the great things about homeschooling – vacations. Beverly’s Homeschooling Blog (About.com)
has a forum member who wants to know How do you keep your sanity?

Let’s go join that group over by the bookshelf. They are sharing some of their learning experiences. Tammy over at Adventures on Beck’s Bounty share about her nature study with A Bird Highway? Christine over at Our Curious Home tells us about the First Day of this Late Winter Co-op. Dolfin at Lionden Landing shares her groups initial plans in building their Sunflower House. Dana at Principled Discovery tells us about What My Daughter Learned Through Blogging. Sue over at Homeschooling High School tells us why we should Teach Your Teens Real Life Money Skills. Two Kid Schoolhouse tells us why she reads aloud to her reading children in Reading Up. ChristineMM of The Thinking Mother talks about homeschool lesson task lists in Assignment List Time I Guess. Learned Genius tells us Why You Should Read the Classics: A Bibliophile’s Diatribe. Jenny at Home is Where You Start From shares Our First Week with Sonlight’s Language Arts.

They group over by the desks are giving each other some resources. Lynn over at Eclectic Education shared Our Lapbooks. We here at the NerdFamily need to get started lapbooking too. HEM Takes A Closer Look gives us a great piece on Hands On Learning. Tracey at Glue on her fingers, dirt on her toes, she makes laughter wherever she goes has a great unit study with Spring Forward, Fall Back. Living By Learning shares some great online resources and tips on Looking at Chinese Paintings with Kids. Shannon at Song of My Heart has a great Colonial Days and The American Revolution unit. HomeschoolBuzz.com Reviews shares their review of Artistic Pursuits Jr. High book one: The Elements of Art and composition. Let’s Play Math shares a great Math Warm-Up: Today is February 4 x 3 x 2 x 1. Petticoat Government has a Cuisenaire Rod Suggestion.

Not all lessons have a spot on a report card. Both the joy and burden of being a homeschooling parent is that we are also tasked with the subjects in life. Jennifer at Cage Free Monkeys dealing with a lesson on sorrowing due to pet loss in Breaking Hearts. The Reluctant Homeschooler helps her daughter through friendship issues in I’m Busy Right Now. Becca at Inspiration for Mothers tells us What to tell your kids about suffering and injustice in the world. Dana at A Very Nearly Tea gives us a glimpse at Teaching Understanding.

Over at the kitchen table they are talking a little politics. Brian over at New Hampshire Rocks! tell us about an Attempt to Undermine Home Education in New Hampshire. Alasandra over at Alasandra’s Homeschool Blog gives us Why Carol Moore Chose Not to Homeschool that invalidates her argument. Barbara Frank Online asks if Our Parental Rights in Jeopardy? Life Without School Community Blog talks about The Myth of Credentialism.

That brings us to the end of this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling. Please submit your entries for next week’s carnival that will be hosted over at Life Nuturing Education. Thanks again for joining me! So go read and comment!