Choosing the right technological limits

The simple fact that you’re reading this article means that you appreciate the practical use of the Internet, though it certainly doesn’t mean that you allow your children free – or any – access to a web filled with much more than helpful tips on family living. For those weighing whether or not homeschooling is the best fit for their family, defining what aspects of technology should be limited and which should be embraced is an often overlooked point.

Even those families with the most up-to-date technology and Internet access struggle with the dilemma of wanting to use technology wisely and also promote a healthy lifestyle that stays clear of the often dulling distractions of modern technology. Fortunately, this isn’t an either/or proposition, but one of striking a balance and being prepared to adjust that balance as circumstances require.

The truth about socialization

So what do seat belts and concern for healthy social skills have in common? It’s instructive to recall how wearing of seatbelts was once widely seen as a safety risk. Thirty years or more ago, most people knew “knew” of someone who died in a car accident because they wore a seatbelt. Really. The apocryphal tales insisted that the individual involved in the accident wasn’t able to escape flood, fire, rabid skunks, and etc. because of the restraint. Enter the contemporary claim that homeschooling harms socialization. With no more explanation, do you see the problem with both scenarios – with both myths?

Just as one example fails to account for the infinitely more likely factors such as becoming a human projectile, the other assumes that traditional schooling provides for desirable socialization and that homeschooling is completely absent of any opportunity for human interaction. Is it really unlikely that, by homeschooling, you’ll not easily be able to plan for healthy socialization with a child’s age and intellectual peers? Just as the seatbelt argument ignores the possibilities that arise from not wearing a safety belt, the homeschool argument ignores the social options, including boy/girl scouts, sports, and other extra-curricular activities, exist outside of school.

The difference between home-schooling and home-surgery

Creating effective curriculum, employing pedagogy in delivering lessons and making adjustments to teaching based on valid assessments of student work isn’t for everyone. So, short of being a qualified teacher, shouldn’t that position alone end all consideration of teaching a child in a family setting? No – and here’s why.

Unlike a surgeon whose minute by minute presence during an operation simply can’t be realistically duplicated, a parent wanting to guide their own child’s education can coordinate resources that do provide the necessary skills and techniques of a master teacher. Today, the internet, among other sources of review, offers a host of well-recommended assets for homeschooled children. From curriculum, to diagnostic and formative assessments, to computer assisted instruction, (CAI), the ability to successfully provide a great education at home is by no means illusive. While there are unquestionably many non-web-based resources available, homeschooling has a strong contemporary tie with technology.

What about later?

Before making your own personal decisions about the pros and cons of homeschooling, there’s a final thought that should be addressed. If you choose to home school, how will that affect your child down the road when they leave home and pursue higher learning in more traditional settings? Essentially, the jury is in on this matter and the verdict is that you really need not lose much sleep worrying for a couple of good reasons.

For one, there’s a growing body of evidence, albeit not free from bias, that suggests home-schooled students, at the very least, do as well if not better than their traditionally schooled college peers. The second, perhaps more compelling research has to do, again, with technology. As today’s homeschooled student will likely receive much of his/her instruction on line, the college in that student’s future will almost certainly involve e-learning as well, something that could possibly give a homeschooled student a leg-up over fellow classmates just beginning the online course experience.

With most of the distractions removed

It is beyond the scope of this article to advise any family on what values go into such a personal decision as how to best educate your children. Hopefully, by peeling back some of the more common obstacles that tend to obscure those unique issues of child rearing, you’ll be able to better make those decisions without too many other distractions.

About the author: Blake Fields is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area. He writes on behalf of American InterContinental University, specializing in education and career subjects.

The child next learns that certain actions have certain results. The child cries and gets fed, clothed, and cuddled. Soon the child makes “questioning” sounds before crying. These sounds evolve into babbling. Should we grade communication skills in our infant? Of course not!

But we DO encourage the use of these skills by repeating things to the infant using both “baby talk” and correct speech. This constant interplay between parent and child leads to the development of the concept of “words.” These speech parts have meanings associated with a particular cause and effect. The infant says “Mama” or “Dada” and gets scooped up and cuddled. The infant learns to say “baba” and gets a bottle.

Eventually, the infant develops a concept of separateness. The concept “mine” begins to show up in the child’s speech. The concept “no” also develops. Do we grade this? Of course not.

Why then do we feel a grade is needed or even appropriate for older children? Because we are conditioned by school systems — whose primary purpose is to pigeonhole children into homogeneous groups — to believe this is needed. The purpose of education ought to be to increase knowledge and understanding of the world around us. There is no one point at which this learning is complete, because the world is constantly changing.

If we wish to have an appropriately educated populace, we need to move away from a concept of grade assignments and back to a concept of “showing what you know.” Situational tests — where someone is given a task to accomplish — are a much better measure of a person’s abilities. Portfolios are far superior to paper and pencil tests as a record of achievements. Assessment should be for determining whether or not a particular concept has been learned, not to assign a grade. If the concept has been learned, proceed to mastery of the next concept. If it has not, reteach the concept using a different method and adjust the lessons to accommodate the child’s preferred learning style.

We’re not exactly talking hardcore bullying here either. I mean this is a girl who has received death threats! Here’s what’s going down according to Rebeca.

“When I walk by they’ll start singing ‘Friday in a really nasally voice. Or, you know, they’ll be like, ‘OH hey, Rebeca, guess what day it is?’”

Casey Haynes all like, “Bee-och, Please!”

And where were her friends, Awkward Dancing White Girls? Is Rebeca spazzing out solo now? Because as a former teen spazzer, I know that that is NOT an easy load to carry alone.

And no disrespect to the young lady, but I’m not sure how much longer this whole thing’s gonna last. She really should get a good education and maybe have a back-up plan for when the next less than talented singer comes along and everyone moves on to mocking that person. It’s not too late for her to do something great with her life! Bring some honor back to the fine Black family name!

After all, she has shown some signs of having a brain. She’s extended her 15 minutes way beyond what anyone thought she could and she made a funny tweet.

She’s for sure a cute girl. Maybe she can give acting a whirl? She could be the next Kristen Stewart! Who actually could give Rebeca a pointer or two when it comes to ignoring the haters.But I do have one pointer for her,  if you don’t want to be made fun of anymore, STOP SINGING!  Just a little tough love, baby.

What do you guys think? Are you surprised Rebeca is dropping out of high school? Do you think she needs to develop a thicker skin if she’s pursuing a career in entertainment? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Here are some healthy approaches to not only teach your children to read but to value literature:

Create a literature-rich environment.

This doesn’t mean that you need to have Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte books lining the shelves. But you should have books around. Practically any kind of book is okay, as long as you display them and your children see you pick them up. When children grow up in a literature-rich environment, they learn that books are important fixtures in the world. Here are more ways to create a literature-rich environment:

·         Fill bookshelves with books more than knickknacks or DVDs.

·         Leave stacks of magazines on the coffee table, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, etc.

·         Fill a bookshelf in your children’s room.

·         Hang posters with words on them

·         Look up things in an encyclopedia when your child asks a question

Read with your children.

The single most important thing you can do to encourage your child to read is to read with them. Reading to them isn’t enough. Reading with your child not only teaches them to read, but it leads them to value the closeness that books brings and the joy of storytelling and imagination. Here are more ways to read with your children:

·         Snuggle in bed together when you read.

·         Trace your fingers from left to right along the words.

·         Ask questions as you read, but don’t completely disrupt the flow of the story.

·         Use an enthusiastic voice.

·         Choose books that interest your child or deals with issues that your child is dealing with. Books are therapeutic.

·         Read books to your child while they are in the tub.

·         Read poetry with your baby

·         Read signs and words in your community. Point to storefront signs and read them, read your street sign, and read menus in restaurants. Make these readings relevant to your child: “Do you know what that sign says? It says Pine Street, and do you know why that is special? Because you live on Pine Street!”

Personalize your children’s reading journey.

Sometimes children reject reading if they think it’s “someone else’s thing.” They need to feel, without pressure, that it is THEIR thing, too. Associate reading to their individual and familial identities to encourage them to read on their own. Here are some ways to accomplish this:

·         Subscribe to a children’s magazine like Highlights or Zoobooks. Children LOVE getting their own mail, and they will love receiving their own magazines.

·         Make reading a family tradition. You could take weekly trips to the library, read The Night before Christmas every Christmas Eve, or read The Grouchy Ladybug every spring.

·         Instill family pride into reading. If you and your child catch Daddy or Grandma reading, you can say, for example, “The Smith’s love to read, don’t they!”

These tips probably will not lead your children to read tomorrow, but they will instill a deeper value into the joy of reading. They will learn that reading is not a race but rather an enjoyable activity that brings their family together, answers their questions and curiosities, and widens their imaginations.

02. ___  meander            B.  climatology

03. ___  moraine          C.  glacial deposits

04. ___  archipelago     D.  shore deposits

05. ___  extrusion flow  E.  soil formation

06. ___  spit                    F.  shore erosion

07. ___  adiabatic rate   G.  glaciology

08. ___  terrace             H.  glacial erosion

09. ___  Mercator proj,  I.  river study

10. ___  monsoon          J.  island study

ANSWERS:  1-H, 2-I, 3-C, 4-J, 5-G, 6-D, 7-B,

                   8-F, 9-A, 10-B, not used-E

WHAT I KNOW, AND WHY

Let’s face it. We all were raised with parents that were basically off their rocker. If I had to write a self-help book, it’d basically say: “your parents messed you up, they messed me up too, let’s have a drink, and get the mother-loving over it.”

So, when I say I know what I know from my parents, I’m not entirely joking. My mom is from the south. Born and raised just 30 minutes from the Louisiana/Texas border, there’s very little she hasn’t seen or done. From owning her own firearm at the age of 12 to smoking pot with Carlos Santana, to moving across the country multiple times before the age of 20, her life experience was essentially mainlined into my childhood. My dad is from a very stable home in New Hampshire. The youngest of 4 children, he was always athletic and driven to succeed. This too was drilled into my head.

I had competed in soccer and basketball until injuries prevented me from continuing. I was involved in ballet from the age of four until I was about 14. I was involved with long distance endurance horseback riding. I would often be gone for a day and come home having rode 25-30 miles. I performed in a theater troupe as often as I could, which was about every four months or so. I had multiple pen pals, some of which I had only met once, and took upon myself to write once a week, faithfully, for years. I was homeschooled through all of this – so I was responsible for my own education. I spent hours … literally, hours … reading every day. Everything from books on ancient and modern codes, to how to perform basic medical needs in the field. I was determined to never ever be unprepared for a situation I could find myself in.

At the tender age of 17, I was shipped off to New Hampshire. I had just finished my high school career, and my Associates in Arts degree. Yeah, I didn’t think my high school was challenging enough, so my Mom enrolled me in the local junior college when I was barely 15. Mom thought it was time for me to ‘get over the wall’ and start a real life. Which was great, and one of the best decisions I had collaborated on.

I was just a month out of my 17th birthday when I arrived in New Hampshire and started working and living with some family-acquaintances as their PA. I also was the au pair to their three children. The mother was a professional jazz musician who was also starting her first non-profit for Southern New Hampshire. The two older children were all to be homeschooled. It was from the fat to the fire. Not only was I living with them, I was expected to have as good of a grip on their lives as they had. I wasn’t asked to simply “help” or assigned certain tasks, it was full throttle life management from the week I arrived to the very day that I left.

Tasks that I was most certainly asked to deal with during my four years with them were not limited to:

-       Organizing, formatting, hosting/managing music events of 200+ people

-       Cleaning up after said events

-       Meal planning and executing

-       International travel planning (flights, hotels, cars, assistants over there)

-       Household management (cleaners, maintenance people, etc)

-       Managing the children’s school, as well as extracurriculars

-       Being put on every piece of paper that required an emergency contact person for all of the children

Did I mention I was 17? And that I LIVED with them?

Now, I am very close with them. I love their children immensely, and I have developed a great personal relationship with each one of the family members. I learned a TON when being with them.

My point with all of this – judging a book by its cover would have been the worst thing possible for me during this time of my life.

I was incredibly young, but what I lacked in years, I made up in maturity and drive. I was incredibly young, but what I lacked in life experience, I made up for in being coachable. I was so young, but what I lacked in “world smarts,” I made up for in being incredibly committed to what I was doing.

In this process, you may find yourself scoffing at my suggestions, or even growing frustrated with a tone I may have taken up. You might even want to stop reading, claiming that I have no idea what I’m talking about.

The fact of the matter is, is that you would be taking the preconceived notion of what you think you know about me (obviously very limited), and throwing away an opportunity to learn, and to greatly enhance your life.

Don’t sell yourself short, because you are not willing to trust me. Little ol’ me, with just some words on a page… I’m pretty sure you can handle any ideas and suggestions I throw at you. If I could do it during my learning curve at 17, you can do it now. 

image source

If Johnny is captivated by the flashing cursor and scrambles to master the motions of the mouse, you might want to check out some of the latest developments in homeschooling methods. Gone are the times when parents had to purchase material from vendors then pass it on to their children using explanations. Nowadays, you get the full course details, test papers and materials online.

Almost everyone loves to sit down with the computer, especially children. Besides having them feel like an adult, the computer also takes advantage of the visual and sound medium to make learning fun and easy. Streaming video and audio displays diverse scientific processes in excellent detail. The colored pictures and the various methods used help to effectively attach the data to the child’s memory.

Numerous online resources have a fun examination center that aims to evaluate the knowledge and skill level of your kid. Complex math and science problems are addressed deftly and elegantly. A visit to an e-library or an online library like Questia will be very helpful.  Some may have features that includes audio clips that read out loud the passage to you.

E-learning has only started to revolutionize the world of studies. If harnessed the right way, a kid can absorb an amazing amount of information from that exciting resource seated right there at your table – your personal computer.

Image by Smithsonian Institution via Flickr

Image via Wikipedia

The Pros of Home Schooling: 

1. Allow quality time, providing individualized attention and instruction. 

2. Children learn in their own pace. At homeschool, children can advance at any time, not waiting on others or if the kid is a slow learner or having difficulties in a certain subject area, she/he can remain to focus on that area without pressure that others are already moving on. 

3. Parents pattern their teaching style and curriculum in accordance with the child’s learning style, allowing him/her to successfully understand the subject matter, thus better results are achieved.

4. No peer pressure. 

5. “Hands on learning”. Activities which are outside the context of books are very much essential to the child’s learning process. 

The Cons of Home Schooling

1. For the homeschool parent, much time and effort is required for preparation of teaching materials, lessons and managing the child’s opportunities in order to cultivate friendships and expand on the child’s interests. 

2. Parents who homeschool do not have enough time to spend for themselves when kids are constantly at home. 

3. Homeschooled children do not have a lot of opportunities to bond and develop friendships with peers. 

4.Homeschooling presents financial challenges.

5.College admissions can be tricky. 

The Pros of Public Schooling

1. A public school provides students with the ability to learn about people of different backgrounds and cultures. Students receive an education in a school system filled with diversity.

2.Students do not have religious instruction in public schools.

3.Public schools offer students a variety of coursework options to prepare for more than just college. Not everyone will attend college.

The Cons of Public Schooling

1.A common problem in public schools is that they often have too many students for a single teacher. 

2.Some public schools are actually dangerous. There are schools in American where drugs and violence are a problem.

3.Can be negatively influenced by peers

The pros of Private Schooling

I can see the allure of private school

- they can fire bad teachers

- unique and innovative curriculum

- smaller class sizes 

- more money and resources

The Cons of Private Schooling

- your child may or may not make friends with “regular” kids in the community

- going to local schools = supporting local schools

- Tution can be rather pricey 

While a child is attending a public school it does provide a break for parents, in some cases, a form of child care while they work. I understand with all the horror that has happened with School shootings and other violent acts why some have chosen to go the route of Home or Private schooling. 

My daughter attends a public school and while the school itself is fine I question the teacher. The class only has 23 students, which is 8 or 9 less than when I attended. Yet, my daughter doesn’t come home telling me about the things she learned that day unless its a new song in music class. I understand that a teacher’s job isn’t the best paying job around but shouldn’t they at least be interested in teaching the children and not just there for a paycheck?

Homeschooling gives the parents control of who and what influences the learning experience of their children and they can tailor the curriculum to benefit the needs and interest of each child.

Individual attention is another excellent benefit of homeschooling because you can control the pace needed for the students to absorb the lessons. English lessons may come easy for an individual student, therefore, more time could be devoted to math, science, geography or other studies. There is not a time requirement per subject which gives the student the advantage of learning without the stress of competing with others.

Homeschooling can become an extended family activity with parents and siblings involved in the learning process. Field trips can be quality family time where everyone learns to make decisions without negative peer pressure.

Parents can tailor the curriculum to instill confidence in the child without competition for individual attention. Each student is different, some learn from reading or writing while others comprehend better from seeing things in action. Parents can decide when the student needs more help or offer rewards on major accomplishments.

Students in the public school environment are exposed to the moral values of the teachers, coaches and the other students. Parent educators can teach respect for others, morals and religious rites that help the students develop character and values that will make them become responsible and respected adults.

Public school has its place and it is the most economical and convenient educational choice for most students. However, some parents are concerned that their children are being either pushed to hard or are being held back from their full potential by waiting for other students to catch up with the class. Other issues concern discipline, health requirements and grouping children by age rather than ability.

If you can provide an income sufficient for one parent to devote the time required, to follow through with your children’s education, homeschooling may be the best way to accommodate the individual needs and interest of your family.

You should contact your local school board, county or state officials concerning the requirements for homeschooling. They can help you with curriculum and provide the information needed to be successful with your child’s education.

There are specific homeschooling methods such as Waldorf Education Method, Montessori Homeschooling, Eclectic Homeschooling, Charlotte Mason Methods, Unschooling, Classical Education Method,Distance Learning, Moore Formula approach to Home Education, and School at Home method.

Waldorf Education Method can be found at this website. http://www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com/   It was started in 1996 by Dr. Kytka Hilmar-Jezek or “ Kit” as she is referred to through her website.  Kit is a doctor of Naturopathy, a system of medicine  that studies the mind, body,and spirit to understand a disease or ailment so treatment coincides with the healing power of nature. She is a childbirth educator, entrepreneur, Reiki Master, Waldorf Homeschooling guru, author, speaker, and personal development coach.  Her life long commitment to education is well proven over the ten-thousand of books she has read and the money she has invested in seminars over the years.  The Waldorf Education method is a holistic approach to education that seeks to uncover your child’s full potential.  It is focused on discovering their creativity, wonder, respect for nature and human existence.  

      Montessori Homeschooling is a adaptation of  the Montessori private school method and the teaching it at home.  The “Montessori method”   was developed from the work of Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 1900’s, who observed how children learned. Their belief that learning is natural and self-developed allows children to take the lead in the subjects they choose to learn. They support learning through observing the children first tin order to discover each child’s learning needs without educational media and computers. Instead, they explain the importance of a functional and beautiful environment which parents create for their children. They suggest furniture that is child-size in the beginning and changes as the child grows with  plenty of visual aids and hands on learning tools/toys for the children to explore.

http://homeschooling.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=homeschooling&cdn=education&tm=215&f=10&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.montessori.edu/homeschooling.html

Eclectic Homeschooling involves incorporating different styles and approaches to homeschooling and extracts from each of the different styles to form their own customized method of teaching. They will borrow from  the Waldorf Education Method, Montessori Homeschooling, Charlotte Mason Methods, Unschooling, Classical Education Method, Distance Learning, and the Moore Formula approach that agree with their philosophy of learning.

Charlotte Mason method is centered on three beliefs : atmosphere, discipline, and life.  She was a British educator in the late 1800s- early 1900s that focused on these three philosophies. The “atmosphere”  referred to the environment the child grows up in. Discipline which teaches good habits of character in other words , manners. Life represents the academic part in which the parents need to give children more than dry facts: ideas and thoughts on the matter. The learning atmosphere encourages creativity and curiousity of the child. Parents model good habits and learn the basics of reading, writing, and math. Real life experiences are taught through nature walks, visits to museums, concerts, keeping journals, reviewing literature,and so forth. There is no busy work. The use of living books which could be any book that brings a subject to life. There are no textbooks used that simply cram general  history into chapters with questions and activities to be answered.  http://simplycharlottemason.com/basics/what-is-the-charlotte-mason-method/

Unschooling a range of philosophies and practices that allow children to learn through natural life experiences which include chores, child led play, games, working outside the home and social interaction outside the home through activities. Unschoolers encourage the exploring of activities by children with limited  assistance by adults. Unschooling does not believe that the  traditional cirriculum and grading system are very productive to the educating  each child. John Holt was a elementary teacher, author, How Children Fail  , educator who was a proponent of homeschooling and a pioneer in youth rights.    

          Classical Education Method has three phases of learning: Grammar stage, Logic Stage, and Rhetoric Stage.  The “Grammar Stage” deals with early learning in elementary school up to 4th grade where children enjoy memorizing facts. They learn the basic definitions/descriptions of plants and animals, human body, facts of math, and rules of phonics, grammar, and spelling.  These are the building blocks for learning.
During 5th grade through middle school time period, children now enter  into the “ Logic Stage” and  think more analytically. They begin to question everything. They not only want to know why but also the  cause and effect of things. They are curious about how things relate to one another between fields of knowledge to facts that form into a logical framework. Children begin supporting ideas through paragraph construction.
In the high school, “Rhetoric Stage” students here learn to write and speak with force and opinion. These students express their thoughts on a subject matter in the form of elegant language. Students tend to develop an interest in a specialized branch of knowledge by this time. It is here that the first two stages are used to facilitate learning through words both written and spoken.  Source : http://dev.welltrainedmind.com/classical-education/

Distance learning is education that focuses on  teaching methods and technology on an individual basis to students not physically present in a classroom.  It provides learning to students who are separated by time and distance. There are many learning institutions today that use online access in place of the physical campus. Colleges have been providing this type of learning for years now. The website below has tons of information on distance learning homeschooling. There are distance learning programs for gifted kids, teaching religion , high schoolers, driver’s education, disabled kids, as well as Cyberschools that offer  online courses as either a complete grade-based or interest-based curriculum. http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/methods/DLPs.htm

           The Moore Formulas approach to home education by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore involves a great deal of freedom within three targeted guidelines:  readiness for formal learning, student’s interest, and a balance between study, work, and community service. It really depends on the maturity of the child. The Moores believe children learn faster when they are mature enough to understand the material. Before age 8, the use of informal learning is best. Informal learning deals with games, chores, life experiences( going to the market, post office to drop off letters, etc.), true stories on many subjects, history, and geography. The informal learning creates a foundation for “ superstructure of formal learning” as they call it.

The “School at Home” method is basically when a parent decides to recreate the classroom in the home. It is a change of location. The mom or dad has the kids read chapters, answer questions, and take chapter test following the public education’s cirriculum. The pre-packaged cirriculum leads the teaching here. The parent simply follows it.

But homeschooling is really up to each parent, the parents can use one or more of these methods when homeschooling their children. Homeschooling is the responsibility of the parent and a lifestyle choice for the family as a whole.