Beowulf, anyone?

If you're looking to read Beowulf anytime soon, you've got to check out:  Beowulf Translations dot net and  Editor Eric Greatest Literature of All Time (Beowulf page)   You can not only sample from a variety of translations, these sites will help you 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.  And it will help you to not feel like such a dummy for having a hard time understanding this rich poem when trying to read an older translation.

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....

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    Unfortunately the link is no longer working, but since it sparked my writing something that I believe is important, but mostly goes unsaid, I'm leaving the rest of this post intact.

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.  I love teachers - most of them.  They deserve respect (until they don't), and they often work tirelessly in difficult situations.  The video was about the abuses within teacher's unions and how teachers and their students ultimately are the ones who suffer the greatest consequences.

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 its talk of diversity and meeting the needs of children) continue to insist on this one-size-fits-way-too-many-at-one-time  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!

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

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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.microscopeworld.com/ (Microscope World)

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

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


Happy shopping!

How Would YOU Vote?

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

Teacher Lets Morningside Students Vote Out Classmate

Original link no longer works, but someone thought to create a Wiki page of the incident.

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 when public classrooms become the greenhouse. This particular situation is perhaps a caricature of the type of socialization (or better yet, "culturalization") one can expect from today's schools, but is it not a very real likeness of what today's children are exposed to in today's culture?  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 them.

And yet, once this story did hit the airwaves, that parents likely sent their children who were pawns in this exercise back into Morningside Elementary School 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 children have been entrusted to, and that their tax monies support?

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

It's Greek to Me

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 Review (Unit Study Curriculum)

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 needs some help in pulling 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" about particular topics to my sons (my oldest was 2-4th grade, I think, when we used it).

Konos 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-outness also was a result of my oldest really not being all that into "projects" 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 young children were 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 recreating (what they perceived would have been) realistic battles. We bought a lot of historical play gear (meaning we scrounged up some close facsimiles at thrift shops, garage sales, and occasionally I put my sewing skills to use), and 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 ;^).

Our family is not unique. 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).  And again, having gained experience in doing Unit Studies, I could see beyond what looked like "just play" and recognized and trusted the knowledge that was showing itself in the things the boys were creating and the words that were coming out of their mouths.  Testing their knowledge would have, at best, been redundant.  At worst, it may have turned a love of history into a chore, and something to be unnecessarily evaluated at a young age.  

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.  Don't we all?  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 the KONOS curriculum (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 its 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 less effective "prepared" unit studies and someone else's ideas of great projects were for our family, versus drawing from the things that my sons were naturally drawn to or, for example, drawing from an historical period we were already studying. I learned that I was quite capable of pulling together a unit study that fit the boys' different 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 have led them into the projects) I think Konos will likely make a wonderful and nearly complete curriculum.  For children/families who find such "projects" contrived, it may not be a perfect fit, but it may help those families reach outside their textbooks and tests.  Or you may enjoy it for a while, as we did, and simply find yourself growing out of it eventually and growing into your own unit study ideas.  Regardless, Konos and other unit study curricula have a valuable place in the education of our children - of all ages.  If you haven't explored the idea of how unit studies may enrich your homeschool experience, I suggest giving them a try.

The Mystery of the Lonely "F"

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.