Homeschool Heartline

Do not be conformed to this world...

2011-05-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12: 1-3 NKJV

I love that young man.

What are those pesky Carnegie Units and what do they mean to me?

2010-10-15T00:35:00.000-07:00

Traditionally, a Carnegie Unit equalled an hour of instruction or study in a particular subject. American schools are typically in session for 180 days each school year, so a Carnegie Credit (at its original conception) equalled 180 hours of instruction or study.

Over the years many things have factored into a reconfiguring of what a Carnegie Credit means - so much so that it is fair to say that the Carnegie Unit really no longer exists, but the system does provide a framework by which a homeschooling family can easily figure credits according to time spent on task in a particular subject.

So starting with the idea that the Carnegie Unit equals 1 hour and a Carnegie Credit equals 180 hours we begin.

In today's "traditional" classroom, an hour is really not 60 minutes. Instructional time (which we'll call a classroom hour) can be anywhere from 45 - 50 minutes long depending on the school, the district and even the state. We'll go with a 50-minute hour because that's easy enough.

So here we go....

To figure how many 60-minute hours one should count for a credit, you take 180 times 50 (which, again, is how long an actual class-hour really is) and divide that number (9000 minutes) by 60. This tells you how many real hours you need to count. So in a traditional school that uses Carnegie units to figure credits, students are realistically only putting in 150 60-minute hours a year. To follow the letter of the Carnegie "law" you only need to account for 150 hours.

But of course, traditional schools apply flexibility to their formulas for figuring a credit hour, so it should not daunt the homeschooler to consider the many variations by which this 150 hours can be accounted for. But before you get too hung up on accounting for 150 hours, let's take a closer look.

You can consider that those 50-minute hours are not ALL really spent on task every day. Most classes need to take attendance and have some amount of time devoted on a regular basis to typical administrative tasks. After reading yesterday's newspaper I can see that every teacher of every class has to spend at least a few seconds telling students they need to put their i-pods and cell-phones away. You might also consider that most classes have at least one student asking an impertinent question or two or contributing to the discussion in such a way as to distract the class from the task at hand. Let's face it, discipline in the classroom probably costs at least a few minutes of many class periods.

You can think of all sorts of other scenarios and most of us, if we are honest, would have to conclude that there is no way that most classes are spent on-task for the full 50 minutes they are scheduled. And that doesn't even account for movie days or days when an unprepared substitute fills in and little to nothing productive happens.

SO, if you want to be generous and figure that traditionally-schooled students are conscientiously spending a minimum of 40-45 minutes each day in each class devoted to academics, you can do the math above to see that 120-135 hours/year/subject is closer to the what a typical public highschool student is offered in instruction (or teacher-contact time). Notice I didn't say it was actually productive time, it's simply instructional time offered for the taking by whatever students choose to do so.

If you, as a homeschooler, are counting actual instruction/contact/work time, you ought to be able to recognize that your student's on-task time is probably much more productive than the average public school student's on-task time. And you should feel some freedom and flexibility in what you count toward credit. Personally, when I'm figuring credits based on time spent, I do a rough computation of how much time my sons spend on task, and at the same time weigh how proficient they have become in the subject matter they were to have covered. Putting in the time is not the goal. Learning is.

And on that note, I award credit where credit is due. The Carnegie system for figuring credits has evolved into something much more subjective than it originally was intended to be. In fact, the Carnegie system was designed to streamline the accounting process and remove subjectivity regarding evaluating whether a student was worthy to be given credit for work completed.

Subjectivity is unavoidable and I'm good with that. The goal is gaining an education, but colleges need a simple way to judge whether or not an education was got. While the credit system has become subjective to some degree, if you're wanting to grant credit according to time spent on-task with a particular subject the above explanation will hopefully help you see your way to doing so.

Elsewhere here I have written about various other ways to legitimately grant high school credit to your home schooled student. You will, undoubtedly, want to make use of more than one system for granting credit - quite simply because homeschooling provides opportunity for a variety of ways to achieve an education. Let your system of accounting reflect that.

Additional resources:
http://homeschoolheartline.blogspot.com/2008/02/figuring-highschool-credits-for.html
http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US5/REF/carnegie.html
http://www.hslda.org/highschool/docs/EvaluatingCredits.asp

Taylor Mali

2010-10-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Say It With Conviction:

Johnny Appleseed

2010-03-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHLOLO5iJiI

Pictures of John Chapman's grave

Here too.

Story Telling

2009-09-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Below are links to some excellent examples for public speaking students to model their final assignment after. Note the differences in Sarris's and Camillera's style in telling the same story. Both are telling the stories directly from scripture, but Camillera embellishes or uses more modern words at times. John Walsh simply retells the Bible story in his own words.

John Walsh - The Call of Abraham

George W. Sarris (videos at Engage the Culture)
Elijah and the prophets of Baal
Abraham and Isaac (story begins at 1:42)

The Backyard Bard - Simon Camillera (Elijah and the prophets of Baal)

Public Speaking

2009-08-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

Following are some videos to use in this week's Public Speaking class:

Embolalia:

Pick the errors:

10 Presentation Mistakes (not the best in presentations, but the points are great):

Winston Churchill - 'Now We are Masters of Our Fate' speech

1940 speech excerpt

An Inside Look

2009-02-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

I was invited to participate in an interview on Debbie Harbeson's Homeschooling: Freedom and Fun For Your Family blog and since I haven't written about homeschooling in a while, I thought I'd better get some mileage out of this interview and post it here. After reading my responses, go visit Debbie's blog and see what other Indiana Homeschoolers had to say about homeschooling.

1. How long have you been homeschooling (or if finished, how long did you homeschool)?

We've homeschooled since fall of 1994, so that makes this our 15th year of homeschooling. Wow! The times flies when you're having fun (and when you're not, for that matter).

2. One of the main benefits of homeschooling is the freedom and flexibility it allows. Can you give us a few examples of how this freedom and flexibility benefited your family?

Well, when we first began homeschooling my husband traveled for his job - a lot! Homeschooling allowed us to occasionally travel with him, but even when we stayed home it was nice to have flexibility in our schedules so the boys could enjoy spending time with their dad when he was home. When his scheduled flexed ours flexed. We could take a day (or week) off school without getting special permission, or stay up late enjoying an activity together and not worry about being too tired in the morning. And a perfect snow day for us is when we get to go sledding on a fresh hill while the other kids are in school. ;^) We used to live in a subdivision built around a golf course and boy did we have some great sledding hills!

Freedom and flexibility have also been enjoyed in the area of academics. Our oldest was advanced academically and homeschooling allowed him to progress at his speed in whatever areas that interested him. He was a math whiz and taught himself to read before age 3. He was a unique package -- being academically gifted, but at the same time somewhat socially immature -- and we easily concluded that traditional school wasn't a good option for him when he was old enough for Kindergarten.

By highschool, he was enjoying participating in math competitions (and he even won a few ;^). Then, just as we were settling into our expectations that he would pursue a career in math, this son decided he enjoyed writing and he began creating a LOTR parody. He says he's embarrassed of it today, but I believe it was the freedom he had to spend hours writing it, sending installments to peers for their enjoyment and getting all sorts of kudos from people that served as the very thing that encouraged him to keep on with it.

His love for the written word was naturally nurtured in a way that a classroom setting couldn't possibly have done. By the time he graduated from highschool he decided he wanted to pursue a career in writing and is now in a liberal arts college program studying the many aspects of professional writing - and we continue to be awed by his natural gift for the written word.

Another son had some learning issues early on and homeschooling has benefited him in that he too could progress at his own speed without the burden of negative labels he, no doubt, would have received had he been in a traditional school environment. Highschool for this son is looking different than it did for our oldest, but we are just as much in awe of his natural bents as we were of his older brother's. This son enjoys having plenty of time to explore the mechanics of things - taking apart things that are broken and fixing them and sometimes fashioning new items altogether. Backyard Ballistics was written for this son! This son also enjoys sports and has always been involved somehow - this past year he was on a first-year homeschool soccer team in this area and he excelled.

For all our sons, we take advantage of non-traditional educational activities to learn valuable (and sometimes fun) skills and gain knowledge that will be useful both now and in their adult lives. I have enjoyed the freedom to determine when those activities qualify for credit on a highschool transcript.

Some examples of these non-traditional learning activities have been:

The book my son wrote in 10th grade translated to a year's worth of English credit.

A 10-week clown class and subsequent involvement in clown ministry as well as participation in several significant dramas earned my son a credit in dramatic arts.

Ben finds a couple "Letter Boxes" less than a mile from our home

Our second son is a military history buff. He has watched hours of documentaries on military history and armament and has read many books and articles about different wars. He builds models of different military vehicles and exhibits them in 4-H (at least one went to State Fair). These are things he has done over the course of his highschool career and when I decide he's done enough, I will be granting him a year's worth of credit for Military History. Who knows how this particular study will benefit him some day?

This son is also a natural musician and we love hearing him play his guitar for as long as he desires to. Having the time to work a part-time job enables this son to upgrade his instrument inventory when he wants to be challenged by something new.

Credit for Physical Education is granted through participation in many, many activities -- basketball, soccer, 4-H shooting sports, bowling, weight-lifting, golf, cycling, spelunking -- literally anything that exposes our sons to physical activities that they can enjoy into their adult lives.

3. Another benefit of homeschooling is the fun factor. Can you give us a few examples of some especially fun times you had as a result of homeschooling?

Oh, I think going places together -- especially when the boys were younger (either with a homeschool group or just our family).

Seyfert's potato chip factory in Ft. Wayne was a hoot.
We've learned Indiana History not just by reading about it, but by traveling and visiting historical sites and living history museums when we can.
When traveling west to South Dakota and Colorado to visit family, we took in historical sites along the way and seeing awesome landforms was a great experience for these flat-landers.

Joel and Ben admiring the iguanas at the Indianapolis Zoo

Traveling south to Tennessee and visiting Civil War sites and the Chattanooga Aquarium was also memorable. Even stopping into antique stores is an opportunity to learn about a different time period.

And being able to do these things during off seasons greatly adds to the enjoyment factor for this family. No lines! We all know homeschoolers don't know how to stand in lines anyway - thankfully we're not tested on this skill very often.

At the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. One of our favorite field trips when we lived in Huntington.

Another great thing about homeschooling has been participating in our local homeschool group. Each year our group decides on a theme and we read books and engage in monthly activities to bring that theme to life. We've studied the Civil War, Christian Military Heroes, Jewish Feasts and Holidays, Pioneer Days, Inventors -- just to name a few.

When studying Medieval times we enjoyed attending a dress rehearsal for a madrigal dinner put on by IU students - full dress, full props. Instead of mutton and wild game, we feasted on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while the actors performed around us and drew us into the drama just as if we'd bought expensive tickets and been part of several hundred attending -- but we got so much more individual attention (and great pictures).

But the most memorable event was probably meeting Steve Saint, son of slain missionary Nate Saint. He met with our group privately just a couple hours before he appeared with a Christian performer who supports his ministry. He shared with us very personally about his experience with the Waodani people in South America. It was awesome and life-changing -- and had we not had the ability to just take off on very short notice and drive to Bloomington (during a school day, no less), we would most likely have missed it.

Our boys participate in a Teen Service group during their Jr. High and Sr. High years. They have helped with a demolition project, raked leaves and shoveled snow for seniors and others who need the help, made casseroles and have done some house painting -- just as examples. They have had a LOT of fun serving others alongside their friends and making a positive impression of homeschooling in our community.

Even hard times are made better simply because we're all together and more focused than we could possibly be if the boys were in different places and on different time schedules. When my father was ill and dying, we spent countless hours over a period of several months driving the 30 minutes one way to go visit with him -- the boys often playing with fun things in the facility where he was cared for. We have some good memories of this time (and great pictures.) Had they been in a traditional school, it would have been impossible to spend the amount of quality time with Dad (Grandpa) that we did.

4. We all have funny experiences while homeschooling. Can you share one of yours with us?

Hmmm....well, we sometimes reminisce about losing a tadpole (that had just developed legs) in our dining room and after searching and searching we finally concluding that our youngest son (who was a crawler at the time) had probably found it and eaten it. Eeewwww, I know.

Nathan with one of the tiny frogs we grew from tadpole to adult.

We also count ourselves experienced campers now that we bought a tent and went camping as a family ONCE! We spent the night re-inflating two air mattresses that had leaks (and being thankful we didn't have neighbors). I'm sure we were in violation of the campground's quiet hours. We didn't take enough wood for the weekend, so I cooked sausages and pancakes over some pretty pitiful coals in the morning. It took about a half-hour before the pancakes were solid and edible. I'm pretty sure they dried out (as opposed to actually cooking). We took it all in stride and no one complained. But come to think about it, no one has asked to go camping since.

And once we almost left our youngest in a baby swing in our friends' country yard as we quickly packed up our picnic items to head to the 4th of July fireworks show in town. We were actually getting into our vehicles when our friends' grandmother cried, "Is somebody going to get the baby?!?" I did not win any mother-of-year nominations that year.

I'm sure our funny moments are pretty typical and don't have as much to do with homeschooling as they have to with just being a family. Homeschooling is just one of the things we do as we live our lives together - bumping into each other, getting frustrated with one another, forgiving each other and encouraging each other. Homeschooling gives us LOTS of time together to do all these things. We've not done any of it perfectly, but it's been a life I've loved.

Beowulf, anyone?

2009-01-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

If you're looking to read Beowulf anytime soon, you've got to check out this site: Beowulf Translations.net. You can not only sample from a variety of translations, but decide if you prefer reading this great story in poem form or in prose. Even if you choose to read it in prose, this site gives great background into the original poetic form this story was written in.

After attempting to read it aloud (which wasn't exactly difficult, it was just a little flat), we ended up listening to a fantastic audio recording of this translation:

Beowulf, translated by Roy Liuzza

Excuse me, did I say it was fantastic? It was epic.

And they ask why we homeschool....

2008-12-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know how long this video will remain at this site, so be sure to check it out:

http://www.teachersunionexposed.com/video_release.cfm

While the information isn't exactly new on this video, it is delivered in a thought-provoking way, by persons who deserve to be listened to - teachers.

Having fielded questions for years about why we would homeschool, I think it is overdue that those of us who are "veteran" homeschoolers turn the question back on those who question this lifestyle.

Perhaps we should just simply muse aloud (what we often muse privately), "I've been wondering the same thing....now that I've learned to enjoy true freedom in education. I wonder how do parents send their children into an institutional setting every day - where they have no say in the day-to-day happenings of their children's lives - where cameras have to survey the campus to created a semblance of security - where teachers who are opposed to different lifestyles and religious beliefs are given the opportunity to shape the thinking of the young ones in their charge - where children are trained at a tender age to respond to the ringing of a bell to stop thinking about one thing and start thinking about another? I could go on, but the point is.... it is all so unnecessary - and in my mind, such an artificial way of living. Why does modern culture (with all it's talk of diversity and meeting the needs of children) continue to insist on this mode of education? "

Truthfully, I know some of the answers to the above questions. I wasn't always a home educator, afterall. It was a bit of a process to wrap my mind around this lifestyle. But now that I have, I find I am grieved that public education is at the mercy of politics and unions and no longer operates in the best interest of our children (if it ever did). I am discouraged at what my increasing tax dollars have to fund: extravagant, state-of-the-art school buildings with furnishings that will be outdated in 20 years (and the technology much sooner than that); athletic facilities that only a small fraction of the student body uses; tenured teachers - some of whom should never have been granted a license in the first place.

Okay, enough, before I become completely discouraged. I need to go look into the eyes of my children and be encouraged again. I hope that my children always see the value in educational freedom and continue this tradition of independent education. No. We haven't done this perfectly. I definitely have regrets, but I also know I have tried to give my children things that a public education, by it's very nature of containment and control, can not give them.

We have learned that we we are not bound by conventional educational practices. Hopefully, my children will have learned that they are not at the mercy of educrats and politicians in defining what constitutes an education - and, pardon the cliche', but it has never been more true than it is today that the world is our classroom and we need to take as full advantage of that as we can. Perhaps most importantly, I want my children to understand that they have the capacity within themselves to learn whatever interests them. That a textbook is the launchpad for learning, not the rock upon which an education is built. That ultimately they need to take ownership of their education and their futures. That such personal responsibility is what makes knowledge truly theirs.

I hope my sons improve upon this lifestyle and as they take it well into the 21st century that they soar with their children, if they are so blessed. And if they take a different path, I pray it's because they have the freedom to choose from a variety of educational paths and that they will work to maintain that freedom for everyone.

Do check out the link. The whole site is very well done and gives an alarming insight into what our educational system has become. And be sure to check out some of the links here (and beyond) to get a taste for educational freedom.

Scoping It Out!

2008-11-24T18:10:00.000-08:00

At least once a year a microscope thread surfaces on one or more discussion groups I'm on and rather than search for my previous response to the question, I decided to just post my response here -- for whomever it may help.

I'm concluding that scopes listed at various sites and within the average homeschooler's price range are pretty competitively priced, but they all have different options so one really does have to concentrate and do some homework before purchasing. I suggest taking notes while perusing different websites and giving oneself plenty of time to figure out what features are truly important. I'm just offering information that I dug up while casually looking around and some random thoughts I have on microscopes after having used a few different kinds. Hopfully it will be of some help to someone.

BTW, my experience is limited to compound microscopes which one will need if wanting to complete highschool biology labs that require slide viewing. You should be able to learn the difference between compound and stereo microscopes by checking out this article at Home Training Tools: http://www.hometrainingtools.com/articles/how-to-select-a-microscope.html

And here is a basic tutorial with information you really ought to know before buying a microscope (especially a compound scope): http://www.greatscopes.com/microscope.htm

-----------------

We purchased a good quality compound microscope (that is very sufficient for highschool level work) from Sonlight a number of years ago. This page lists their microscopes: http://www.sonlight.com/science-microscope.html and this link describes their Ultra microscope in detail and some general information as well: http://www.sonlight.com/microscope.html

What we bought was comparable to the one ultra scope described above (it may have even been an Ultra scope). We paid just under $200.00.

In case you go looking elsewhere, let me recommend a few things that I believe will make using a microscope a much happier experience (the Sonlight microscope has all these features - and I think they've possibly added more since we bought ours):

-An inclined eye piece (otherwise you have to stand over it and bend your back to view anything - or find a table low enough to put it on so you can sit down, which could be tricky).

-A built-in light source (some have a light source that plugs in separately and you then place the bulb & it's socket in a "holder" of sorts. I've found these to be frustrating to try to get in the right spot and hold still). Do NOT buy a microscope (or spend much money on one) that does not have an electric light source. I tried to use one that uses reflected light and I considered it useless for serious microscope viewing.

-A mechanical stage (this allows you to move the slide ever so slightly up & down and left & right with the turn of a couple knobs while viewing the specimen). This will eliminate much frustration and wasted time trying to bring the specimen into the viewing field.

Also, while I did not purchase a carrying case at the time I bought our microscope, I really wish now that I had. It's hard to bite the bullet after all these years for a case, but I really should. Not only will a case protect the microscope from dust, it will make carrying it places much safer (if you ever want to take it to a co-op class or to a friend's to share a lab, you will be thankful for a case. We tote ours around in a cardboard box and every time I do, I wish I had a case. (I wrote that like 4 years ago and I still haven't bought a case. I'm probably hopeless at this point.)

Following are some links for where one can purchase decent microscopes for highschool level work within a reasonable price range (though there are many other sources as well):

http://www.greatscopes.com/ (Great Scopes)

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/ (Home Training/Science Tools)

http://www.smsoptical.com/ (SMS Optical)

http://www.microscopeworld.com/ (Microscope World)

http://microscopeuniverse.com/ (Microscope Universe)

http://www.workshopplus.com/ (Nature's Workshop Plus)

Happy shopping!

How Would YOU Vote?

2008-05-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

This story circulated recently on the internet and most of us found it pretty sad:

Teacher Lets Morningside Students Vote Out Classmate

And yet.....how many routinely watch inane "reality" shows that do the same thing and call it entertainment? It's too bad that this mentality has seeped down to touch the lives of 5 year-olds in school classrooms - at the hands of a teacher, no less....but then again, why would it surprise us?

Is it not true that a public school environment is the perfect greenhouse for the seeds of culture to grow? In fact, one might argue that this has become one of the purposes of a public education (to develop or change and grow the culture of a nation).

When the seeds of culture grow and flourish and reproduce we should not be surprised in the least. This situation is perhaps a caricature of the type of socialization (or better yet, "culturalization") one one can expect from today's schools, but it is still a very real likeness of what one should expect day in and day out. As I read this particular story, I couldn't help but wonder how many hundreds of times similar (though different) situations have probably played out in other classrooms, but because no one was indignant enough or hurt enough to complain the media didn't get their claws into it and we've simply never heard about it.

And once it did hit the airwaves, that parents sent their children back into Morningside Elementary School (even the parents of the offended little boy) is what is most head-shakingly sad to me.

Wouldn't you just get a charge if, for once, parents marched on a school and demanded proper treatment of all (meaning students, teachers, administrators and parents), a proper education of their children and a proper say in the day-to-day happenings of the school their tax monies support and their children have been entrusted to?

Then again, we might find ourselves with truly public education if that sort of thing went on.

It's Greek to Me

2008-05-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

We're currently reading aloud Padraic Colum's The Children's Homer and I'm finding myself from time to time stumbling over the pronunciation of some of the more obscure Greek names.

I decided to google for some help and came upon the following resources:

This link provides a quick guide for general pronunciation of Greek names.

And this site has some fun information, but a bit more than I need to know at the moment.

Here and here and here are some great links to dig futher into Ancient Greek history. Fun!

KONOS (Unit Study Curriculum)

2008-04-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

I wrote the following in response to a gal who was looking for a review about KONOS curriculum (from someone who has used it):

We used KONOS for a few years when my boys were younger and I think it is excellent curriculum for someone who likes the idea of doing Unit Studies, but really doesn't know how to pull one together. It's a good combination of using real books and hands-on experiences to learn a wide variety of subject matter. Having said that, and understanding that there is no perfect curriculum, please read on...

I used it during a period in my homeschooling when I loved investing in lesson planning and researching topics that I had no previous background in so that I could "teach it" to my sons (my oldest was 2-4th grade I think when we used it). It is well laid out. Very basic lesson plans accompany the units (you can feel free to work directly from the lesson plans or completely disregard them (or use them as a springboard in creating your own lesson plans). It is Bible-based and for the Christian family it provides a rich foundation of both academics and spiritual training during the elementary school years.

At some point though, I began to realize that while I loved the lesson planning, because there is such a wealth of ideas I would often plan more than we could realistically get done. Or, in all honesty.....I got such a kick out of lesson planning that some weeks I would pour myself into planning, but when it came time to actually DO the lessons I was a bit "burned out" and we perhaps accomplished half of what I intended. I think the burned out-ness also was a result of my oldest really not being all that "hands-on" as a child. Because he wasn't naturally drawn to all the wonderful hands-on projects they began to take on a contrived-ness for us and I really didn't want to spend our time on contrived activities.

What it DID do for me, though, was help me see how the activities that my sons were naturally drawn to were valuable learning experiences and it helped me trust that I could evaluate what my children are learning without the use of devices like tests and endless workbook pages. For example, I would see them "playing war" and noticed that they weren't just running around playing "shoot 'em up". They were actually taking on names of historical figures and were re-creating (what they perceived would have been) realistic battles. We bought a lot of historical play gear (or they came up with things on their own if we didn't have it).

They did the same when setting up their little men (we have LOTS of figures from different wars and time periods). When using Lego's they would often create designs relating to what we were studying (e.g., creating castles and catapults -- as best they could). They used their erector set to create cranes and buildings and learned a bit about physics and mechanical principles. My middle son went through a period where he would create all sorts of things using paper, tape and scissors. They loved making shields and swords out of K'NEX and having sword fights. They built forts out of Lincoln Logs and wooden blocks. They built zoos out of blocks and designed the special areas where different animals lived. They built space stations and laboratories out of LEGO's and blocks where little Lego men were posed to performed their scientific experiments and they explained their designs to their dad and I for as long as we were willing to be their captive audience ;^). These are the things of boy play (and any girls who came to our house in those days joined in on this kind of play as well).

They also enjoy watching historical documentaries and visiting historical reinactments to give them a visual of the things they read about. They enjoy building models and dioramas of real things and events. They love doing things that they are inspired to do. These are the things that cause real learning -- as opposed to contrived projects that I came up with to try to get them enthusiastic so they could have "learning experiences".

I can say I'm extremely grateful for curriculum like KONOS (and other unit study materials I've used) because it did help me see how much valuable learning happens outside the box of textbooks and workbooks. And it helped me learn how to trust this type of learning and how to evaluate it for it's educational value.

Eventually, I concluded that while it is a great curriculum I really couldn't justify the investment cost-wise and time-wise considering how effective "prepared" unit studies and someone else's ideas of great projects were for our family. I learned that I was quite capable of pulling together a unit study that fit our styles of learning and by not being so invested in a formal unit study curriculum, I could insert unit studies into our schooling any time I felt like it.

For children who love hands-on activities and are self-motivated to jump into the activities (once you've provided the materials and led them into the projects) I think it's a wonderful curriculum.

For children/families who find such "projects" contrived, it may not be a perfect fit or you may simply find yourself growing out of it eventually and growing into your own unit study ideas.

The Mystery of the Lonely "F"

2008-04-02T22:17:00.001-07:00

This is an older article at The Eclectic Telegraph, but it touches the heart of why I rebel against the idea of grading my children even in highschool. If you find the concept of subjective grading a bit pointless (as I do), but want to make the college application process as straight-forward as possible (as I do) you may appreciate what this homeschooling mom has to say:

http://www.eclectictelegraph.com/

That link won't actually take you to the article, but check out November, 2007 and you'll find it there.

Frog Dissection -- Biology Lab

2008-03-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

Expo Night

2008-03-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

Below are some pictures taken at our Homeschool Group's annual Expo Night. This year, with the help of a very talented mom, the teens produced an "Old Time Radio Show" and the various talents of the children were the radio show's program. Very clever idea.

Ben (in red) made an "Interesting Animals of Madigascar" display and also exhibited his own lego creation depicting a scene in The Last Crusade.

The teens who produced the Old Time Radio Show. Joel (in the back in plaid shirt) played the role of Cameron Townsend and also was a sound effect "technician".

The young ones who performed a choregraphed program illustrating people groups around the globe and everyone's great need of the gospel. Ben in front (second from the left).

"Window on the World" presentation by the younger children. Ben in red with purple flag.

Learning to Learn

2008-02-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

By Becki Biberdorf

In my quest to more fully embrace educational freedom, I've been reading (again) The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn. The revised, expanded international edition, no less.

And I decided to have a conversation today with my younger two sons.

It seems learning has gotten confused in this house with "school". Truthfully, I can't say I disliked school all that much growing up -- well, until Jr. High and then Highschool. I suspect highschool wouldn't have been nearly so tiresome if I hadn't had to endure 7th, 8th & 9th grades already. Back then, we attended 9th grade at the Jr. High School. How undignified was that? By highschool I had become pretty much bored with the whole idea. I was biding my time 'till more important things presented themselves.

By then I was a decided "outy". Mostly I was just shy, but somehow this translated into not being (or least not feeling) popular. Oh, how I hate the "p" word, but I don't think it's possible to traverse the teens years in this culture (certainly not in a typical highschool) without some concern about one's popularity. Today I prefer the word "independent" and I embrace it.

I'm not sure it was my "independent" status that was solely responsible for my disliking highschool, though. In all honesty, I had a little circle of friends and I was even in the Cheer Block and went to every basketball game. In fact, I think I had a crush on a basketball player -- you know...."what's his name?" Funny.....I think I can name approximately 4 people from highschool -- and none of them was a basketball player.

And it wasn't that highschool was a stuggle for me academically. With minimal effort I could pull A's but I was not often motivated to put forth that minimal effort. And unfortunately, I carried this character flaw into college where I lasted 2 1/2 years before dropping out of the institutional education mill.

Maybe I was just a typical teen. I certainly didn't believe homework was a worth-while way to spend my evenings and weekends -- even though somehow it is the expectation that this is the life's work of a young person. Homework rarely, if ever had anything to do with real life (certainly not my real life). Nor did many homework assignments have much intrinsic value in and of themselves. And if there really was any value in any particular assignment, I'm sure the very fact that it was assigned killed the likelihood I would extract something valuable out of it. And last, but not least, homework certainly never instilled in me a passion for anything other than to be done with it.

And while I was an avid reader, I resisted assigned reading like the plague. And yet, long after an assignment was due, I would sometimes find myself reading wonderful and terrible things like One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch. In fact, I remember my history teacher finding me reading this book in a study carol one day long after the assignment was past and he asked me incredulously, "Why are you reading this book NOW? Why didn't you read it when it was assigned?" I think I just shrugged. I think he just sighed and walked off. I felt kind of bad, but I slunk down in my chair and began reading where I left off. I can't remember his name, either, but I've sometimes wondered if he actually did understand my delimma. I'm sure he couldn't let on if he did.

Did I even understand back then? Probably not. But today I understand it all too well. The love of learning has to be personal and internal. Sure, I can read an assigned book and learn something worthwhile, but the knowledge is not really mine until I desire to take hold of it. And the desire to take hold of knowledge isn't usually instilled when reading something soley in the context of it being an "assignment".

So back to the conversation I had with my two younger sons this morning. I told them I recognize that something has gone awry here. I told them that I've observed that calling learning "school" is a definite turn off to them. There is no quicker way for me to turn the light out in their eager eyes than for me to suggest we get busy on our "school work". On the other hand, when I leave it up to them to suggest wonderful things to learn about, the well too often appears to have run dry.

On the other hand (yes, I know that's three hands, but bear with me) I recognize that they can be very passionate about learning all kinds of things.

My oldest was a math whiz from toddlerhood -- he noticed numbers from baby-hood practically, and devoured anything he could read about math. That is until he discovered "writing" around the age of 15. Suddenly he started devouring books about writing. He began to write - maybe badly at first, but he still loved to write. He gained a following. He looked into publishing and learned what was involved in that. He is now pursuing a college education (and hopefully, a career) in writing. So far, so good.

My 12 year-old is suddenly interested in learning German (my 16 year-old was too until he realized that it would be turned into a school subject - sigh). Actually, my 12 year-old is interested in all sorts of things -- mostly things that are his idea. He is a delight. That is, until I tell him it's time to "do school". Unless, of course, it's his idea that we do school. Do you see the problem here?

My 16 year-old loves history. He told me today he wished we could subscribe to the History Channel. He knows that's a lost cause because we're too cheap to buy cable TV service (not to mention there's just too much other garbage that we're not interested in dealing with on cable), but he thought he'd give the plug anyway. I admired his effort and I reminded him that there are all sorts of history channel DVD's we can borrow from the library and he perked up. Now, here's the killer. If you were to ask this son (in the context of wanting to know what interests him in his schoolwork) if he likes history, he'll moan and complain that history is boring.

HOW has this happened?!?!?!? I have embraced freedom in our learning (to some extent). I have allowed him to learn history by offering him biographies (which he devoured as a young boy) and he and his dad love to watch history documentaries together. We never cracked open a history textbook -- until highschool. And even then I purchased the most un-textbooky and homeschool-friendly textbook I could find (Notgrass). And yet, he thinks history is boring.

Sigh.

Really, I'm just a little bit beside myself. I know this is a bit of a hand-wringy essay. I don't yet know what solutions will present themselves to our "school" dilemma, but I'm pretty confident they will. And when they do, you can read about it right here.

Until then, I'll keep reading and learning. And encouraging the boys to do the same. Trying all the while to not mention that some people would call what we're doing "school".

Shhhh! No sense spoiling a perfectly good day of learning.

Getting Started Homeschooling

2008-02-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

By Becki Biberdorf

Considering homeschooling but not quite sure what to do first? It is normal to be overwhelmed by the wealth of information and the abundance of resources available to today’s homeschooler. Knowing the basics of getting started is helpful in settling some of the jitters many of us feel in the early days.

While some jump head first into homeschooling and still enjoy the experience, I highly recommend you spend time in prayer and conversation with your spouse before committing to this endeavor. It is not at all uncommon for spouses to approach the idea of homeschooling from different philosophies and viewpoints. It is important to consider each other’s thoughts and find common ground as you start out. Decide together what the important issues are in your family and your homeschool. You may even find writing out a philosophy of education to be helpful. You do have one, you know. Getting it down on paper will give you confidence in the days ahead when you wonder if you’re doing enough, or when you’ve been asked for the umpteenth time why you’re doing this? This philosophy may change over the years as your family changes, but if you take the time to write it out and refer back to it, it will serve as a stabilizing component of your homeschool.

You will need to research curriculum choices and methods of homeschooling. It’s overwhelming to be sure, but this is also an exciting phase – it’s actually a phase you’ll be in for the duration, but it does become a little less intimidating with time. Don’t attempt to copy another family’s curriculum choices or style, but glean from others why some things work and why other things aren’t effective. Knowing why a certain curriculum does or doesn’t work for a particular family may actually be more important than their opinion of it. It may not work for them because they don’t use it as intended. Or it may work great for someone else, but you may have no desire to use a particular curriculum the way it is laid out. We’ve all made purchases that look great (that are great), but then end up sitting on the shelf because of some resistance we have toward some part of it. Figuring this out early may help you not make large mistakes down the road, but know going into this that you will make some mistakes in choosing curriculum. Just plan now to forgive yourself and know that you can usually resell materials to someone who will love to use what you can’t.

Keep in mind, depending on the time of year you make your decision, you may have to wait for delivery of items you order through the mail or on-line. The busy season for book sellers is typically mid-late summer. If you’ve waited until it’s time to start school to place your order, you will need a plan for what you will do until your materials arrive. You can either wait to start your schooling, or you can come up with some creative learning experiences and begin your schooling as soon as you like. Once you decide when your school year will start, you need to keep attendance for 180 days. I suggest keeping the task of recording attendance as simple as possible - checking days off on a calendar works fine.

Figure out where you will actually do your “schooling.” Some families have the luxury of particular space dedicated to schooling, but most of us use our entire house. Either way, some system of organization will make learning easier. If you have a place to put everything, your children will be more likely to cooperate in keeping a peaceful, productive learning environment.

It’s also a good idea to have some kind of schedule, but realize that a workable schedule will fluctuate with your family’s needs. It may fluctuate from season to season or from day to day. For many of us the homeschooling lifestyle is a constant flexing between structure and freedom. Too much structure can be stifling to some families and too much freedom can prove unproductive for others. Do what works for you and your children, and periodically assess where your children are on the road of learning and developing. Looking at the big picture is helpful too, when you question your day-to-day progress. Homeschooling isn’t a sprint. It is a marathon that can appear in the early years to stretch on forever, but be assured, it will pass all too quickly.

It is important to have fellowship on this journey and many seasoned homeschoolers recommended that you hook up with a support group of some sort, both for the social benefit, and for the sharing of resources and information. You will learn much from other homeschoolers. You also have much to share. Veteran homeschoolers sometimes benefit from the fresh excitement and creative ideas new homeschooling moms often exude. There are 16 IAHE Regional Representative couples throughout the state of Indiana who can offer some assistance in locating a support group or may know of several groups from which to choose. You may also find some on-line communities that can help you sort through questions and find solutions to problems. There is no reason for anyone to feel isolated these days as a homeschooler. The problem is more likely to be choosing between so many activities that are available to you and your children.

Be sure you know what the law says about homeschooling. In fact, http://www.inhomeeducators.org/laws is a good place to start. In a nutshell - once you begin homeschooling, you are considered a private school in the state of Indiana. You are required to keep a record of attendance for 180 days. You are required to provide an education in the English language and an education that is equivalent to the public schools , but an equivalent education is not defined or quantified. While that may make some nervous, it also means there is great freedom in how you choose to educate your children in the state of Indiana. There is no such thing as a cookie-cutter education for Hoosier homeschoolers! If you’re interested, you can visit the Indiana Department of Education’s Website and find the standards that are used for the state’s public schools. Keep in mind that the language used in these standards can be intimidating to read as a whole, but when translated into what they actually mean, many are very simple concepts that you are quite capable of providing to your children. Also keep in mind these standards are simply tools. As Christians our standards are often very different than what the state has laid down. Seek God’s standards and His guidance foremost in your homeschool.

If your children are enrolled in a public or private school, you need to notify the school that you are transferring your child’s enrollment to your homeschool. It is recommended that this notification be sent to the school by certified mail and that you use this opportunity to request a copy of your child’s permanent record which will include transcripts. Provide a mailing address for this purpose. If the State Superintendent of Public Instruction requests that you report enrollment of your children, you must do so. In all likelihood, this will not be requested unless you have previously made contact with the IDOE, or there has been a problem in the school from which your child is being withdrawn. Schools are not required (nor are likely) to inform the IDOE of your homeschool status. They simply report their current enrollment each year. After your child is withdrawn, he or she will not be included in the school’s headcount anymore.

Once you know the law and have your materials, enjoy the experience, enjoy your children, and enjoy yourself. This is a wonderful adventure. Savor it. Soon you'll realize you are learning as much as your children, and that’s when it really gets fun! Get ready for the ride of your life!

Copyright 2003 Becki Biberdorf
Reprint by permission only

If you find this article helpful, you may like some other articles you'll find at the IAHE website. Click here: http://www.inhomeeducators.org/articles/article.cfm?id=66 and you'll be able to peruse the other articles of interest to homeschooling families.

Figuring Highschool Credits for the Homeschooled Student

2007-08-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

By Becki Biberdorf

Recently I was invited to speak to a homeschool support group on the topic of transcripts and granting highschool credits to homeschooled students. It was a lively discussion with many educational philosophies represented, but one question was common to all. How do we represent our non-traditionally schooled highschool students on a transcript in a way that colleges recognize and respect?

I suggest reading several different books on homeschooling highschoolers to get an understanding of how to grant credits and to help you decide what you're comfortable with regarding how and when to grant academic credits to your highschool student.
While I appreciate creative methods of showcasing our students' acheivements, I have choosen to produce a traditional looking transcript - even when our educational path has veered from the traditional. Following is a summary of how I did this:

I personally found Barbara Edtl Shelton's book, Senior High: A Home-Designed Formula a great book for getting my mind around granting credit for non-traditionally completed work. Also, Inge Cannon's, Transcript Boot Camp has a very thorough coverage of this topic of granting credits. And I found David & Laurie Callahan's book, The Guidance Manual for the Christian Homeschool to be of great help as I polished up my first son's highschool transcript.

Having gone through the process, I'll give you a glimpse into how my mind works on this topic of highschool credits. And just so you know my experience.....I graduated my first son this past spring and he's leaving for college in just a few weeks. We have homeschooled from the beginning and our homeschool (from elementary through highschool) has been an eclectic mix of traditional texts, real books and life experiences, yet I was able to create a very traditional looking transcript for my son that was accepted by each college it was submitted to.

There are actually several ways you can decide to grant credit, and you can feel free to mix and match your methods for different courses. The simplest method is to decide that when a student has finished a textbook and the accompanying work you will grant credit for the course (whether it's a semester-long course or a year-long course, you can simply grant credit for the work completed). There is no need to count hours using this method. The student may complete the work in 6 months, or it may take them a year and a half. It doesn't matter. Text (and required work) completed = credit earned.

You can also count hours spent "on task". I do this for courses that are nontraditionally completed. For example, I loosely keep track of Phys Ed type activities until my highschooler has completed approximately 60 - 75 hours, at which time I grant a semester's credit. My teen doesn't suddenly stop physical activity, but I don't worry about counting the hours beyond what are needed to grant a semester's credit (or a year's credit, if I've decided a course is to last a year). Truthfully, I don't worry about counting the 60 - 75 hours precisely, but I do keep a record of activities and an approximation of time spent on them. Using this method, my highschooler may, in reality, complete a course over several years, and in that case I need to decide where it makes the most sense to plug such a course in on a transcript. Courses like Phys Ed, Art Study, Music History.... actually, all sorts of courses can be completed in this manner and I believe the end result is a more well-rounded and better educated individual (as opposed to having a student study a subject for a specified and limited period of time never to revisit the subject again during highschool). Any of the resources named above provide detailed explanation about how to figure credit hours based on time invested in a course.

If you decide to combine methods and grant credit based on hours spent on task for a course that uses traditional textbooks, keep in mind that your child is probably doing a lot of work independently and completing the work more efficiently, so he may not need to spend the same amount of time completing a course or textbook that a traditionally schooled highschooler would. Afterall, he isn't likely sitting through a lecture prior to reading the material and then doing the assigned work. No doubt, he just gets right to the work and probably completes it all much quicker and in many cases with little direct supervision. In any case, whenever I count hours spent completing coursework, I use my understanding of the Carnegie unit credit granting system (which is what credit hours are roughly - or were originally - based on) to help me figure out if what I'm expecting of my highschooler is at least what the government schools would be expecting. If I am satisfied that my highschooler is completing work at at least an "equivalent" level, then I grant credit.

Personally, I think getting overly hung up on hours accumulated is about as productive as worrying about counting school days and being obsessed with state standards. I count school days because Indiana law requires it, not because it means anything. I peruse state standards and use them as guides, but I am not bound to them, nor to a government-sanctioned education timetable. While I comply with the law regarding compulsory attendance, I am much more interested in proficiency and understanding of the material covered and my child's ability to go on to the next level than if he has "put in the time" in a particular course.

As homeschoolers, we often find ourselves trying to make round pegs fit into square holes (or in the case of transcripts - little rectangular boxes). Our children just don't always fit perfectly. Does that mean a legitimate and valuable education wasn't obtained? Of course not, but because some colleges are stuck in their academic/educationalese-lined "boxes", I do encourage you in whatever methods you employ to grant credit (and figure grades, for that matter), to be comfortable enough with your methods and philosophy that you can explain (and if necessary, defend) these things to college admissions officers if they ask. My experience has been that when given the opportunity college admissions officers are pretty open to the idea that homeschooled students come to the application process differently, but often equally or better educated than their traditionally-schooled counterparts. But still, admissions officers have their formulas for determining who gets admitted and who receives merit aid. The easier we make it for those in admissions to sift through information, the smoother the process may be for our students.
On a related note: During my son's interview at his college of choice, he was asked to provide a reading list for his highschool years. When I offered my detailed and attractively prepared course description pages that I'd typed up to accompany his transcript, I was told a reading list was all they really needed.

Well, a reading list they got! I was so thankful I had kept a record of all the books, articles, speeches, poems, etc. that my son had read during his highschool years. In the end, I concluded....if they really read that long list (it was 9 pages typed and spaced neatly with books listed under the course they related to) they were provided with a pretty good reflection of all the ideas and knowledge my son had been exposed to in his 4 years of highschool. So... while you're documenting course work completed and counting up hours, don't forget to also record all those wonderful books your teen is reading during the highschool years!

Now I'm on to the task of doing this record-keeping for my second son. This son's highschool education is going to look different from his older brother's and that's okay. It should look different because he is a very different person with different strengths, and goals. I look forward to seeing how highschool shapes up around here the second time around.

Highschool Graduation

2007-06-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Along with preparing to present at the homeschool convention, this spring has found me in the exciting busyness of planning our oldest's graduation ceremony and open house.

We participated in a formal, but simple graduation ceremony with 7 other homeschooling families. It was lovely with beautiful music, delicious cakes and lots of attendees to bless the graduates. Each graduate was given the opportunity to contribute during the ceremony in some way. Nathan gave a short speech and his humor, as well as his spiritual depth, came through beautifully. What a wonderful young man he has become. I could not be more pleased.

We held Nathan's Open House the weekend before his graduation and we were overwhelmed by the number of friends and family who traveled across town as well as those who came from a couple hours away. With a little help from some friends, we fed a huge crowd approximately 20 pizzas and all kinds of assorted goodies. We've decided hosting a graduation open house before the actual graduation is a great idea. I was able to enjoy the final preparations for the graduation ceremony the following week. I have struck upon a good idea. Too bad I only have two more chances to perfect it.

The beginning part of summer finds us wrapping up 4-H projects, preparing for Nathan to leave for college in late August, and me in a constant state of de-junking. There's something about knowing one of your fledglings is about to leave the nest that helps one see the unnecessary clutter all around. Unnecessary clutter -- talk about redundant! Well, this is an ongoing job and while I hope to make significant progress this summer, I know it's a forever task.