I really enjoyed Cheaper by the Dozen. It is an emblished account of a real family, the Gilbreths. At The Autumn Rain is more information on the Gilbreth family and a review of Time Out for Happiness by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.
From the Evergreen Freedom Foundation Marsha Michaelis writes Education spending decisions shouldn't be made without facts. The opening paragraph is: "It’s easy to have an opinion. It takes a little more work to have an informed opinion." Marsha makes the point that when evaluating the effectiveness and value of public school programs you need to have data. For example most people have little idea just how much money is spent per student.
People are living longer. The average lifespan has dramatically increased over the last hundred years. From Yahoo! Finance is a good point: Invest Like You'll Live to 116! As parents one of the most important things we may teach our children is how to manage money. (Hat tip: Cool Digest)
At EveryWakingHour is a good discussion on Motivation. The post asks almost as many questions as the points it makes. The questions are good thought provoking questions. One of our goals is to help our daughters to be self motivated.
If you have children who read Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books they might like to know he has recent started homeschooling. On his blog Myth & Mystery he writes about his Great Home School Experiment, he has started homeschooling his son. This was great: "Strangely enough, he likes the new system. I was sure he’d be ready to run for the hills by now, but nope. He tells me every day that he loves home-schooling." (Hat tip: Here in the Bonny Glen)
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Gilbreth, investment, finance, Motivation, Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Carnival of Homeschooling Week 36: Labor Day
We begin our carnival with a history lesson.
The US Census Bureau produced a review on Labor Day facts called Fact for Features: Labor Day 2006. It includes the following information.
The website includes interesting statistics about salary, benefits, and other random facts about the United State's work force.
From the U. S. Government's Official Web portal, more Labor Day data and links. Here's a link you WON'T need: FirstGov Offers Online Resources to Get You or Your Kids Back to School. (Actually, there are some interesting links on colleges.)
And last but not least, Labor Day facts from the US Department of Labor.
Labor Day – the start of “school”
Like many parents with children in public school, around this time of year homeschoolers are doing their last minute planning for the coming school year.
Silly Old Mom from the Flock of Sillies writes about getting started again with homeschooling in School is In, and Not a Moment Too Soon.
At Little Men Kathryn shares some pictures of her classroom and thoughts about starting the new school year in Good Ole Golden Rule Days.
And Tammy from Blessed to be Homeschool3ks explains what her summer has been like, and how they are getting read for homeschooling in Our life since May…….
From DANDELION SEEDS in Another Year... A Different Way, Amy realizes the most important questions to ask before starting another school year.
At Malissa’s Merry-go-round are some thoughts and excitement on how Tomorrow is the big Day!
Labor – Family
From the moment children are conceived there is a lot of labor involved in nurturing them, guiding them, taking care of them. Homeschooling families put in a tremendous amount of labor.
Carrie, a 13-year-old homeschooler at the World’s Greatest Place to Live INSDER, shares how her parents have taught responsibility in Responsibility Challenge.
At Homeschool Mami’s World is a good remember that parents also need socialization in Socialization – for Homeschooling Parents.
From the Nerd Family NerdMom blogs about Grandparent’s Day, September 10th, and shares a unit study.
Barbara Frank, The Imperfect Homeschooler, has A Key to Successful Homeschooling for parents with a child who has a disability.
Labor and delivery
Tests are often used to measure the end result of our educational labors.
Always On Watch blogs about SAT’s, Genius, And Smart Pills. Always On Watch, a contracted teacher for groups of homeschoolers and for individual homeschoolers, is disgusted by the excuses for public-school students' recent performance on the SAT's.
Camyden, from The Frugal Homeschool, is also frustrated that public schools don’t challenge students more in Challenging your Homeschooled Child.
Sprittibee has A Scary Story About Standardized Test Scores. It is scary and sad.
The Thinking Mother says The Tables Are Turned: NCLB Results Are Out as she finds out that teachers who criticize homeschoolers often work at schools which are flunking.
Labor of Love
Parents often come up with creative ways of teaching their children.
Wisteria teaches history in a way her children will never forgot in Having fun in History at Twice Bloomed Wisteria.
Laurie shares how you could teach science from your garden in Spiders over at Trivium Pursuit.
And Faerie Rebecca at What Did You Do in School Today? reveals how she taught her daughter multiplication with a Times table clapping game.
Labor
Sometimes homeschooling is just hard physical work.
From rosetta stone Michelle records that she often thinks about being a Home(school) decorator and how she would like to fix up her house.
Elena at My Domestic Church shows pictures of how her husband rebuilt the basement to make it more homeschooling friendly in Our classrom!
Laboring to Learn
It is hard work studying and mastering a topic. As we work with our children, we need to step back now and then to think about why we are teaching them.
Kim Anderson of Mother-Lode thinks about Thought Control and challenges us to take education beyond the reach of mind manipulators.
From Home ~ Schoolers Rule, Alasandra has a summary of the post “How Multiculturalism seeks to devalue Western Civilization.” Homeschoolers can have a multi-culture free zone in their “schools” in The Problem With Multiculturalism.
And from Why Homeschool we humbly submit Students eager but unready where Janine comments on a recent New York Times article about students who are getting short changed.
Labor – miscellaneous
And finally we have a few posts that don’t seem to fit a category. (Homeschoolers often suffer this problem.)
Jennifer Armstrong, an author of children’s books, writes “Why I Keep Reading Home School Blogs -- A Play in Three Acts” about why someone without children is so interested in reading about home schools around the country. I think this is the first play submitted to the Carnival of Homeschooling.
Kathy, of HomeSchoolBuzz, reviews How To Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell.
And last, but not least, Dana of Principled Discovery now back from vacation writes about Germany, Homeschooling and the Separation of Church and State.
If you have enjoyed this carnival, please spread the word. Please mention the carnival on your blog, and other appropriate places.
Go here for the archives of previous carnivals.
Next week the carnival will be held at Principled Discovery.
If you are interested in submitting a post, click here for information.
For those interested, the Carnival of Education will be coming out on Wednesday.
We'd like to thank everyone who has helped out. Thank you to all the participants in this carnival. And thanks to all those who help promote the Carnival of Homeschooling.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
The US Census Bureau produced a review on Labor Day facts called Fact for Features: Labor Day 2006. It includes the following information.
The first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade of 10,000 workers on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. By 1893, more than half the states were observing a “Labor Day” on one day or another, and a bill to establish a federal holiday was passed by Congress in 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward — designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.
The website includes interesting statistics about salary, benefits, and other random facts about the United State's work force.
2.7 million - Number of civilian employees of the federal government as of December 2005.
20.4 million - Number of female workers in educational services, and health care and social assistance industries. Among men, 11.4 million were employed in manufacturing industries. (Source: American FactFinder)
[Note: We thought it was odd that they only counted the female workers in the first set of occupations and males in the second set of occupations. Like the male workers didn't count if they worked in education, healthcare or social assistance or women don't count in manufacturing? ]
From the U. S. Government's Official Web portal, more Labor Day data and links. Here's a link you WON'T need: FirstGov Offers Online Resources to Get You or Your Kids Back to School. (Actually, there are some interesting links on colleges.)
And last but not least, Labor Day facts from the US Department of Labor.
Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
Labor Day – the start of “school”
Like many parents with children in public school, around this time of year homeschoolers are doing their last minute planning for the coming school year.
Silly Old Mom from the Flock of Sillies writes about getting started again with homeschooling in School is In, and Not a Moment Too Soon.
At Little Men Kathryn shares some pictures of her classroom and thoughts about starting the new school year in Good Ole Golden Rule Days.
And Tammy from Blessed to be Homeschool3ks explains what her summer has been like, and how they are getting read for homeschooling in Our life since May…….
From DANDELION SEEDS in Another Year... A Different Way, Amy realizes the most important questions to ask before starting another school year.
At Malissa’s Merry-go-round are some thoughts and excitement on how Tomorrow is the big Day!
Labor – Family
From the moment children are conceived there is a lot of labor involved in nurturing them, guiding them, taking care of them. Homeschooling families put in a tremendous amount of labor.
Carrie, a 13-year-old homeschooler at the World’s Greatest Place to Live INSDER, shares how her parents have taught responsibility in Responsibility Challenge.
At Homeschool Mami’s World is a good remember that parents also need socialization in Socialization – for Homeschooling Parents.
From the Nerd Family NerdMom blogs about Grandparent’s Day, September 10th, and shares a unit study.
Barbara Frank, The Imperfect Homeschooler, has A Key to Successful Homeschooling for parents with a child who has a disability.
Labor and delivery
Tests are often used to measure the end result of our educational labors.
Always On Watch blogs about SAT’s, Genius, And Smart Pills. Always On Watch, a contracted teacher for groups of homeschoolers and for individual homeschoolers, is disgusted by the excuses for public-school students' recent performance on the SAT's.
Camyden, from The Frugal Homeschool, is also frustrated that public schools don’t challenge students more in Challenging your Homeschooled Child.
Sprittibee has A Scary Story About Standardized Test Scores. It is scary and sad.
The Thinking Mother says The Tables Are Turned: NCLB Results Are Out as she finds out that teachers who criticize homeschoolers often work at schools which are flunking.
Labor of Love
Parents often come up with creative ways of teaching their children.
Wisteria teaches history in a way her children will never forgot in Having fun in History at Twice Bloomed Wisteria.
Laurie shares how you could teach science from your garden in Spiders over at Trivium Pursuit.
And Faerie Rebecca at What Did You Do in School Today? reveals how she taught her daughter multiplication with a Times table clapping game.
Labor
Sometimes homeschooling is just hard physical work.
From rosetta stone Michelle records that she often thinks about being a Home(school) decorator and how she would like to fix up her house.
Elena at My Domestic Church shows pictures of how her husband rebuilt the basement to make it more homeschooling friendly in Our classrom!
Laboring to Learn
It is hard work studying and mastering a topic. As we work with our children, we need to step back now and then to think about why we are teaching them.
Kim Anderson of Mother-Lode thinks about Thought Control and challenges us to take education beyond the reach of mind manipulators.
From Home ~ Schoolers Rule, Alasandra has a summary of the post “How Multiculturalism seeks to devalue Western Civilization.” Homeschoolers can have a multi-culture free zone in their “schools” in The Problem With Multiculturalism.
And from Why Homeschool we humbly submit Students eager but unready where Janine comments on a recent New York Times article about students who are getting short changed.
Labor – miscellaneous
And finally we have a few posts that don’t seem to fit a category. (Homeschoolers often suffer this problem.)
Jennifer Armstrong, an author of children’s books, writes “Why I Keep Reading Home School Blogs -- A Play in Three Acts” about why someone without children is so interested in reading about home schools around the country. I think this is the first play submitted to the Carnival of Homeschooling.
Kathy, of HomeSchoolBuzz, reviews How To Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell.
And last, but not least, Dana of Principled Discovery now back from vacation writes about Germany, Homeschooling and the Separation of Church and State.
If you have enjoyed this carnival, please spread the word. Please mention the carnival on your blog, and other appropriate places.
Go here for the archives of previous carnivals.
Next week the carnival will be held at Principled Discovery.
If you are interested in submitting a post, click here for information.
For those interested, the Carnival of Education will be coming out on Wednesday.
We'd like to thank everyone who has helped out. Thank you to all the participants in this carnival. And thanks to all those who help promote the Carnival of Homeschooling.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Monday, September 04, 2006
Links to interesting posts - 4 Sep 2006
Recently someone wrote a letter to the Bluedorns saying she had been homeschooled, but gotten a poor education. She said the solution was more government involvement. Susan of Corn and Oil posted the letter and the response from Harvey Bluedorn, with the Bluedorns permission. Harvey made some good points about the slippery sloop of turning to the government to fix problems. The contrast is there are millions, even tens of millions, of children who are being failed by the public schools.
Dana, of Principled Discovery , provides some background to the issue of homeschooling in Germany in Germany, Homeschooling and the Separation of Church and State. Currently homeschooling in Germany is illegal, and it doesn't look like it is going to change.
Daryl of HE&OS noticed that Dr. Phil is looking for homeschoolers to appear on his show. Several people have been encouraging Spunky of SpunkyHomeSchool to apply. I've not heard Spunky speak, but I expect she would do a great job. Some of the commenters also suggest that Daryl Cobranchi and Gena Suarez would do a good job. I also think Pat Farenga, Scott Somerville, Susan Wise Bauer, Isabel Lyman, Natalie Criss, Valerie Moon, Judy Aron, the Bluedorns and dozens of others would do great. I would turn on the TV for the show. If you know of an articulate supporter of homeschooling you might consider encouraging them to apply to the Dr. Phil show.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, government, public school, Germany, Dr. Phil
Dana, of Principled Discovery , provides some background to the issue of homeschooling in Germany in Germany, Homeschooling and the Separation of Church and State. Currently homeschooling in Germany is illegal, and it doesn't look like it is going to change.
Daryl of HE&OS noticed that Dr. Phil is looking for homeschoolers to appear on his show. Several people have been encouraging Spunky of SpunkyHomeSchool to apply. I've not heard Spunky speak, but I expect she would do a great job. Some of the commenters also suggest that Daryl Cobranchi and Gena Suarez would do a good job. I also think Pat Farenga, Scott Somerville, Susan Wise Bauer, Isabel Lyman, Natalie Criss, Valerie Moon, Judy Aron, the Bluedorns and dozens of others would do great. I would turn on the TV for the show. If you know of an articulate supporter of homeschooling you might consider encouraging them to apply to the Dr. Phil show.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, government, public school, Germany, Dr. Phil
Selections from Astronomy Picture of the Day - 4 Sep 06
I greatly enjoy The Astronomy Picture of the Day web site. I check it most every day. There have been some amazing pictures recently.
I remember watching Star Trek - The Original series and thinking some of the pictures looked pretty hokey. They seemed fake. The picture of The Matter of the Bullet Cluster reminds me of some of the pictures from Star Trek.
The picture of the Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300 is beautiful. Billions, and Billions and Billions of stars! And there are Extra Galaxies, which shows the interaction of two galaxies.
On a much smaller scale is the Spitzer's Orion which has only a couple thousand stars.
And finally is a picture of Supernova Remnant E0102 which shows what happens to matter after a star explores.
----------
Technorati tags: Astronomy, Astronomy Picture of the day
I remember watching Star Trek - The Original series and thinking some of the pictures looked pretty hokey. They seemed fake. The picture of The Matter of the Bullet Cluster reminds me of some of the pictures from Star Trek.
The picture of the Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1300 is beautiful. Billions, and Billions and Billions of stars! And there are Extra Galaxies, which shows the interaction of two galaxies.
On a much smaller scale is the Spitzer's Orion which has only a couple thousand stars.
And finally is a picture of Supernova Remnant E0102 which shows what happens to matter after a star explores.
----------
Technorati tags: Astronomy, Astronomy Picture of the day
You have just twelve hours
You have twelve hours to get in a submission for the next Carnival of Homeschoolig. My wife and I will be hosting this week's carnival. Go here for instructions on how to submit a post.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Students eager but unready
This article demonstrates just how badly schools are preparing students for life. I was struck by how surprised the students were by their inadequate skills. With grade inflation and the self-esteem movement, students lacked accurate feed back on their performance.
AT 2-YEAR COLLEGES, STUDENTS EAGER BUT UNREADY
Written by DIANA JEAN SCHEMO
Saturday, 02 September 2006
These "so called" graduates have a false sense of their own competency. There is nothing more dangerous than an over-confident incompetent. (Say that three time fast).
Am I the only one who finds this a scary thought? A government program for K-16? They have already screwed up K-12.
See how dangerous a false sense of competency can be?
This is scary. They can't process complex thoughts. Bringing "pop culture" into a Lit 101 class is another example of dumbing down.
Ah.....yeah. That's going to help. This is an example of how people get college degrees they didn't earn. Students are supposed to be resposible for ALL the work. That's why they put the student's name on the diploma.
Focusing on grades and teaching to the test does NOT provide students with the skills they need to be successful in life.
..........................................................
Related Tags: remedial education, community college, grade inflation, dumbing down, college drop outs
AT 2-YEAR COLLEGES, STUDENTS EAGER BUT UNREADY
Written by DIANA JEAN SCHEMO
Saturday, 02 September 2006
At first, Michael Walton, starting at community college here, was sure that there was some mistake. Having done so well in high school in West Virginia that he graduated a year and a half early, how could he need remedial math?
Eighteen and temperamental, Mickey, as everyone calls him, hounded the dean, insisting that she take another look at his placement exam. The dean stood firm. Mr. Walton's anger grew. He took the exam a second time. Same result.
"I flipped out big time," Mr. Walton said.
Because he had no trouble balancing his checkbook, he took himself for a math wiz. But he could barely remember the Pythagorean theorem and had trouble applying sine, cosine and tangent to figure out angles on the geometry questions.
Mr. Walton is not unusual. As the new school year begins, the nation's 1,200 community colleges are being deluged with hundreds of thousands of students unprepared for college-level work.
Though higher education is now a near-universal aspiration, researchers suggest that close to half the students who enter college need remedial courses...
Cal State appears nowhere close to its goal. In reading alone, nearly half the high school juniors appear unprepared for college-level work....
The efforts, educators say, have not cut back on the thousands of students who lack basic skills. Instead, the colleges have clustered those students in community colleges, where their chances of succeeding are low and where taxpayers pay a second time to bring them up to college level...
Michael W. Kirst, a Stanford professor who was a co-author of a report on the gap between aspirations and college attainment, said that 73 percent of students entering community colleges hoped to earn four-year degrees, but that only 22 percent had done so after six years.
“You can get into school,” Professor Kirst said. “That’s not a problem. But you can’t succeed.’’
Nearly half the 14.7 million undergraduates at two- and four-year institutions never receive degrees. The deficiencies turn up not just in math, science and engineering, areas in which a growing chorus warns of difficulties in the face of global competition, but also in the basics of reading and writing.
According to scores on the 2006 ACT college entrance exam, 21 percent of students applying to four-year institutions are ready for college-level work in all four areas tested, reading, writing, math and biology.
For many students, the outlook does not improve after college. The Pew Charitable Trusts recently found that three-quarters of community college graduates were not literate enough to handle everyday tasks like comparing viewpoints in newspaper editorials or calculating the cost of food items per ounce...
These "so called" graduates have a false sense of their own competency. There is nothing more dangerous than an over-confident incompetent. (Say that three time fast).
At Cal State, the system admits only students with at least a B average in high school. Nevertheless, 37 percent of the incoming class last year needed remedial math, and 45 percent needed remedial English.
"Students are still shocked when they're told they need developmental courses," said Donna McKusik, the senior director of developmental, or remedial, education at the Community College of Baltimore County. "They think they graduated from a high school, they should be ready for college."
Across the nation, federal and state education officials are pressing for a K-16 vision of education that runs from kindergarten through college graduation. Such an approach, they say, would help high schools better prepare students for college...
Am I the only one who finds this a scary thought? A government program for K-16? They have already screwed up K-12.
Starting at a Deficit
As the debate rages, nearly half of all students seeking degrees begin their journeys at community colleges much like the Dundalk campus of the Community College of Baltimore County, two-story no-frills buildings named by letters, not benefactors or grateful alumni. The college's interim vice chancellor for learning and developmental education, Alvin Starr, said he saw students who passed through high school never having read a book cover to cover....
The sheer numbers of enrollees like Mr. Walton who have to take make-up math is overwhelming, with 8,000 last year among the nearly 30,000 degree-seeking students systemwide. Not all those students come directly from high school. Many have taken off a few years and may have forgotten what they learned, Dr. McKusik said.
More than one in four remedial students work on elementary and middle school arithmetic. Math is where students often lose confidence and give up.
"It brings up a lot of emotional stuff for them," Dr. McKusik said.
She told of 20 students who had just burst into tears on receiving their math entrance exam scores and walked out on college. Mr. Walton remembers a fellow student who failed to hand in a math assignment for the fourth time in the last week of class and learned that he would fail. The student lunged toward the professor and said, "I'll kill you."
"You can say whatever you want, but this really isn't helping your grade," the professor replied, Mr. Walton said.
The student stormed out the door with a final expletive, leaving the professor shaken....
See how dangerous a false sense of competency can be?
The biggest challenge, professors say, is trying to engage students, to persuade them that ideas matter. Dr. McKusik suspects that behind the apathy is a fear of appearing ignorant....
“That’s why we’re trying to use pop culture in the classroom, to get their attention,’’ said Betsy Gooden, an English teacher who, in a remedial reading class one day last spring, tried to coax students to discuss a television documentary.
Two or three students in a class of 10 women carried most of the discussion, which seemed more like Ricky Lake than Lit 101, with students reacting to the film almost exclusively in terms of their personal experiences.
They covered love, sex and cheating boyfriends. Before the class was over, two women disclosed that they had been raped. About half the students said nothing at all....
This is scary. They can't process complex thoughts. Bringing "pop culture" into a Lit 101 class is another example of dumbing down.
Professor Olson says teachers should stop making “unrealistic assignments’’ like chapters from “600-page textbooks’’ and should meet students at their level, raising abilities by degrees.
In her class, she assigns more manageable readings and carves up the load, so no student is responsible for doing it all....
Ah.....yeah. That's going to help. This is an example of how people get college degrees they didn't earn. Students are supposed to be resposible for ALL the work. That's why they put the student's name on the diploma.
Another part of the solution at community colleges is in Student Success Centers. They are actually tutoring centers. Dundalk’s is open 63 hours a week.
Along a wall is a rack of handouts explaining points of grammar that might have last been explicitly taught in middle school, a measure of the immense ground to be made up. One covers comparative adjectives, explaining “more” vs. “most” or “smarter” vs. “smartest.” Another discusses using pronouns and verb tenses.
At one table, Kirn Shahzadi, 20, once an A student at Parkville High School, was being tutored a few hours before her final in remedial algebra. In addition to math, Ms. Shahzadi needed remedial courses in reading and one in helping with basic skills like note taking, researching and organizing schedules. By the second week of that course, she said, half the students had dropped out.
Focusing on grades and teaching to the test does NOT provide students with the skills they need to be successful in life.
..........................................................
Related Tags: remedial education, community college, grade inflation, dumbing down, college drop outs
Unschooling Voices #3 is up
Joanne has published this month's carnival about unschooling in Unschooling Voices. She has 19 posts about the value and variety of unschooling. It is worth checking out.
Also the Roundhouse Roundup on model trains is up at The Thomas Institute, and the NerdMom hosted the Carnival of Pregnancy.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, unschool, unschooling, unschooling voices, model trains, pregnancy
Also the Roundhouse Roundup on model trains is up at The Thomas Institute, and the NerdMom hosted the Carnival of Pregnancy.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, unschool, unschooling, unschooling voices, model trains, pregnancy
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Links to interesting posts - 31 Aug 2006
In Education in the Free Market Spunky makes the point that "The public schools don't function like the rest of the free market so they will never see the parent as the consumer." Parents don't have choices on which public school to send their children to, and if they want to shop somewhere else, the government still takes their money. "Any other business that did this would be called a thief or an extortionist." Can you imagine being told that you had to buy your food at a certain store? Or even worse, if the store you had to shop at got to pick what they sold you?
The Thinking Mother writes about a New Free Online Homeschooling Magazine and a Tween Magazine, Too. If you wanted to write for a new market you might want to check out these two magazines: HS Highlights and Tween Mag.
Susan of Corn and Oil found an interesting response from public schools to losing students in Teacher Home Visits for Bounty (goodies in the classroom). Rather than work on improving the school, the administrators are giving teachers a reward for talking parents into sending their children back to public school.
In Guilt-Free Homeschooling Carolyn explains how to Redeem a Disaster Day. We all have bad days. Carolyn explores how to minimize the negatives and accentuate the positive.
One of the few reminding criticisms of homeschooling is that the parents can't be "qualified." But after I read articles like Andrew Wolf's Why We're Losing Ground I think to myself most people don't know what they are talking about. He talks about some of the tests public schools teachers have to take, but that so few teachers can pass.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, public school, teachers, disaster day, teacher qualifications
The Thinking Mother writes about a New Free Online Homeschooling Magazine and a Tween Magazine, Too. If you wanted to write for a new market you might want to check out these two magazines: HS Highlights and Tween Mag.
Susan of Corn and Oil found an interesting response from public schools to losing students in Teacher Home Visits for Bounty (goodies in the classroom). Rather than work on improving the school, the administrators are giving teachers a reward for talking parents into sending their children back to public school.
In Guilt-Free Homeschooling Carolyn explains how to Redeem a Disaster Day. We all have bad days. Carolyn explores how to minimize the negatives and accentuate the positive.
One of the few reminding criticisms of homeschooling is that the parents can't be "qualified." But after I read articles like Andrew Wolf's Why We're Losing Ground I think to myself most people don't know what they are talking about. He talks about some of the tests public schools teachers have to take, but that so few teachers can pass.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, public school, teachers, disaster day, teacher qualifications
Update on second grader's service dog
Yesterday, I had a post about a school that banned a second grader's service dog, and how many of the comments on the original article turned to homeschooling.
Well, this is how the story ends.
DOG DEBATE OVER - Scituate family to home-school child after schools balk at service dog
By DIANA SCHOBERG
The Patriot Ledger
SCITUATE - The debate over whether an 8-year-old girl with a rare bone disease can bring her service dog to school has ended. That’s because Hailey Manduca won’t be attending second grade in Scituate schools when classes start next week.
Her parents, Cheryl and Richard Manduca, have decided to home-school Hailey, her mother said yesterday.
‘‘Home-schooling I think will be the safest - best for Hailey,’’ Cheryl Manduca said.
Hailey has osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare bone disease often called ‘‘brittle bone’’ disorder. She’s broken nearly 60 bones.
Doctors want her to use a service dog to help with balance and stairs.
Scituate schools had banned Hailey’s dog, named Independence, saying it barked and growled at students and teachers during training sessions last year.
The Manducas were in mediation with the schools this summer, and, earlier this month, they filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination to try to force the schools to let the dog come to school.
Scituate Superintendent Mark Mason said the school department is working with the family on the curriculum and assessment methods that will be used at home with Hailey.
Does this mean she is a public school student at home?
Families are permitted to home-school children in cooperation with public schools. In Scituate, Assistant Superintendent James Kelleher, who is in charge of curriculum, handles the requests, works with families on curriculum and monitors students’ progress, Mason said.
Mason said he hopes the situation will spur the Legislature to review state law on the use of service dogs at schools to avoid a future contentious situation between a school and a family. He said school officials weren’t strictly opposed to the dog, but they needed to be sure having Independence at school was in the best interest of Hailey and the school.
‘‘We wish them the best and extend the opportunity to work with them, not only now, but throughout the year if they need advice,’’ he said.
Cheryl Manduca has a degree from Quincy College, and taught older preschoolers until she became disabled in 2001. Cheryl Manduca also has osteogenesis imperfecta, but Hailey’s symptoms are more sever.
Home-schooling will mean that Hailey won’t miss so much school because of doctor’s appointments and surgeries - she’s had nine surgeries to implant metal rods alongside her bones to make them more stable, Manduca said.
She said that the family already has a schedule for Hailey worked out for class time from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., including basics like math, reading and writing, all the way to art, music and gym class.
I wonder how long they will try to do "school at home" in contrast to "homeschooling?"
They plan to use curriculum and teaching material from Christian Liberty Academy, a home-school program based in Illinois. When Hailey graduates from eighth grade and twelfth grade, she can walk across the stage with all the other graduates, and will receive a diploma as opposed to a GED, Manduca said.
Does this mean she is a private schooler at home? Whose stage will she walk across? Christian Liberty Academy or the local government school?
‘‘We fully researched this before deciding this was what we wanted to do,’’ she said.
For now, the Manducas plan to keep their other two children in Scituate schools.
Manduca isn’t worried that Hailey will have less social contact with classmates.
She’ll continue in Girl Scouts and catechism through her church, and she’s on the waiting list for a chorus with other home-schooled kids in Worcester.
The Manducas also have found a Duxbury-based support group for home-school families. They planned to attend a meeting last night. The group gets together for field trips and other activities. Three other Scituate families who home-school their children belong to the group, Manduca said.
‘‘Hailey might be able to make some new friends tonight,’’ she said.
Diana Schoberg may be reached at dschoberg@ledger.com .
Copyright 2006 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Tuesday, August 29, 2006
After some recent discussions about the term "homeschool," I was wondering is it still homeschooling if the child is considered as a student in a private school, but doing work at home?
We do use a private school for some course work, but our child is legally considered at student at our private school, Cate Academy. The private school that sends us DVD's of their classroom lectures does not issue grades, provide a transcript, or accreditation, but we could sign up for those services. We have no interest in those services, but I was wondering, when is a homeschooler not a homeschooler anymore?
-------------------------------
Related Tags: homeschool, public school, private school, service dogs
Well, this is how the story ends.
DOG DEBATE OVER - Scituate family to home-school child after schools balk at service dog
By DIANA SCHOBERG
The Patriot Ledger
SCITUATE - The debate over whether an 8-year-old girl with a rare bone disease can bring her service dog to school has ended. That’s because Hailey Manduca won’t be attending second grade in Scituate schools when classes start next week.
Her parents, Cheryl and Richard Manduca, have decided to home-school Hailey, her mother said yesterday.
‘‘Home-schooling I think will be the safest - best for Hailey,’’ Cheryl Manduca said.
Hailey has osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare bone disease often called ‘‘brittle bone’’ disorder. She’s broken nearly 60 bones.
Doctors want her to use a service dog to help with balance and stairs.
Scituate schools had banned Hailey’s dog, named Independence, saying it barked and growled at students and teachers during training sessions last year.
The Manducas were in mediation with the schools this summer, and, earlier this month, they filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination to try to force the schools to let the dog come to school.
Scituate Superintendent Mark Mason said the school department is working with the family on the curriculum and assessment methods that will be used at home with Hailey.
Does this mean she is a public school student at home?
Families are permitted to home-school children in cooperation with public schools. In Scituate, Assistant Superintendent James Kelleher, who is in charge of curriculum, handles the requests, works with families on curriculum and monitors students’ progress, Mason said.
Mason said he hopes the situation will spur the Legislature to review state law on the use of service dogs at schools to avoid a future contentious situation between a school and a family. He said school officials weren’t strictly opposed to the dog, but they needed to be sure having Independence at school was in the best interest of Hailey and the school.
‘‘We wish them the best and extend the opportunity to work with them, not only now, but throughout the year if they need advice,’’ he said.
Cheryl Manduca has a degree from Quincy College, and taught older preschoolers until she became disabled in 2001. Cheryl Manduca also has osteogenesis imperfecta, but Hailey’s symptoms are more sever.
Home-schooling will mean that Hailey won’t miss so much school because of doctor’s appointments and surgeries - she’s had nine surgeries to implant metal rods alongside her bones to make them more stable, Manduca said.
She said that the family already has a schedule for Hailey worked out for class time from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., including basics like math, reading and writing, all the way to art, music and gym class.
I wonder how long they will try to do "school at home" in contrast to "homeschooling?"
They plan to use curriculum and teaching material from Christian Liberty Academy, a home-school program based in Illinois. When Hailey graduates from eighth grade and twelfth grade, she can walk across the stage with all the other graduates, and will receive a diploma as opposed to a GED, Manduca said.
Does this mean she is a private schooler at home? Whose stage will she walk across? Christian Liberty Academy or the local government school?
‘‘We fully researched this before deciding this was what we wanted to do,’’ she said.
For now, the Manducas plan to keep their other two children in Scituate schools.
Manduca isn’t worried that Hailey will have less social contact with classmates.
She’ll continue in Girl Scouts and catechism through her church, and she’s on the waiting list for a chorus with other home-schooled kids in Worcester.
The Manducas also have found a Duxbury-based support group for home-school families. They planned to attend a meeting last night. The group gets together for field trips and other activities. Three other Scituate families who home-school their children belong to the group, Manduca said.
‘‘Hailey might be able to make some new friends tonight,’’ she said.
Diana Schoberg may be reached at dschoberg@ledger.com .
Copyright 2006 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Tuesday, August 29, 2006
After some recent discussions about the term "homeschool," I was wondering is it still homeschooling if the child is considered as a student in a private school, but doing work at home?
We do use a private school for some course work, but our child is legally considered at student at our private school, Cate Academy. The private school that sends us DVD's of their classroom lectures does not issue grades, provide a transcript, or accreditation, but we could sign up for those services. We have no interest in those services, but I was wondering, when is a homeschooler not a homeschooler anymore?
-------------------------------
Related Tags: homeschool, public school, private school, service dogs
Random and fun thoughts
From Dan Galvin's Thought For The Day came:
-----
It takes a lot of things to prove you are smart,
but only one thing to prove you are ignorant.
-Don Herold
From the Masters:
25 Aug 2006
-----
And some where awhile back I came across this saying:
-----
"You say the little efforts that I make will do no good; that they never will prevail to tip the hovering scale where justice hangs in the balance. I don't think I ever thought they would. But I am prejudiced beyond debate in favor of my right to choose which side shall feel the stubborn ounces of my weight."
- Bonaro Overstreet
-----
I think about this now and then as I blog. I don't expect to ever be as big and influential as Instapundit. I do hope that my few ounces have made a difference now and then. That maybe some child is now being homeschooled who otherwise might have been stuck in a horrible public school.
And finally today's A Word A Day is palinode, which means: A poem in which the author retracts something said in an earlier poem.
The illustrator and humorist Gelett Burgess (1866-1951) once wrote a poem called The Purple Cow:
I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.
The poem became so popular and he became so closely linked with this single quatrain he later wrote a palinode:
Confession: and a Portrait, Too,
Upon a Background that I Rue!
Oh, yes, I wrote 'The Purple Cow,
'I'm sorry now I wrote it!
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'll kill you if you quote it."
And now you know the rest of the story.
----------
Technorati tags: Don Herold, smart, ignorant, Bonaro Overstreet, Gelett Burgess, palinode
-----
It takes a lot of things to prove you are smart,
but only one thing to prove you are ignorant.
-Don Herold
From the Masters:
25 Aug 2006
-----
And some where awhile back I came across this saying:
-----
"You say the little efforts that I make will do no good; that they never will prevail to tip the hovering scale where justice hangs in the balance. I don't think I ever thought they would. But I am prejudiced beyond debate in favor of my right to choose which side shall feel the stubborn ounces of my weight."
- Bonaro Overstreet
-----
I think about this now and then as I blog. I don't expect to ever be as big and influential as Instapundit. I do hope that my few ounces have made a difference now and then. That maybe some child is now being homeschooled who otherwise might have been stuck in a horrible public school.
And finally today's A Word A Day is palinode, which means: A poem in which the author retracts something said in an earlier poem.
The illustrator and humorist Gelett Burgess (1866-1951) once wrote a poem called The Purple Cow:
I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.
The poem became so popular and he became so closely linked with this single quatrain he later wrote a palinode:
Confession: and a Portrait, Too,
Upon a Background that I Rue!
Oh, yes, I wrote 'The Purple Cow,
'I'm sorry now I wrote it!
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'll kill you if you quote it."
And now you know the rest of the story.
----------
Technorati tags: Don Herold, smart, ignorant, Bonaro Overstreet, Gelett Burgess, palinode
More from Kim on preparing to help your child receive many scholarship offers
At the start of this month Kim Anderson, of Mother-Lode, wrote The Half-Million Dollar Baby that her daughter had won over a half-million dollars in scholarship offers as a home-schooled high schooler. Kim has been sharing steps to help others maximize their effectiveness in preparing and applying for scholarships. She does a countdown:
Countdown: 5! Assess your starting point! Kim reviews some of the things parents can start doing now.
Countdown: 4 Aim for Success! Kim writes about the importance of reviewing your child's interests and having goals.
Countdown: 4 1/2 Kim shares some more ideas on how to "impress skeptical college admission boards."
Countdown: 3 Acquire Credentials Kim shows how to provide outside verification of your child's capabilities and accomplishments.
Countdown: 3 1/2 Kim has some additional ideas on "acquiring transcripts and resume fuel."
Countdown: 2 Account Assets Kim shows how important it is to provide a full suite of documentation.
Countdown to College Launch 1! And finally Kim walks her readers through the basics of applying for the scholarships.
If you have a child thirteen or older it would be worth reviewing Kim's posts. There is a lot of wisdom, proven wisdom, on finding scholarships for your child.
----------
Technorati tags: college, university, scholarship
Countdown: 5! Assess your starting point! Kim reviews some of the things parents can start doing now.
Countdown: 4 Aim for Success! Kim writes about the importance of reviewing your child's interests and having goals.
Countdown: 4 1/2 Kim shares some more ideas on how to "impress skeptical college admission boards."
Countdown: 3 Acquire Credentials Kim shows how to provide outside verification of your child's capabilities and accomplishments.
Countdown: 3 1/2 Kim has some additional ideas on "acquiring transcripts and resume fuel."
Countdown: 2 Account Assets Kim shows how important it is to provide a full suite of documentation.
Countdown to College Launch 1! And finally Kim walks her readers through the basics of applying for the scholarships.
If you have a child thirteen or older it would be worth reviewing Kim's posts. There is a lot of wisdom, proven wisdom, on finding scholarships for your child.
----------
Technorati tags: college, university, scholarship
Homeschool, public schools, and online schools
I enjoyed Valerie Moon's post Cyber-charter growth and the development of virtual school programs continue. She has a great summary of some of the issues with homeschools, public schools, and just how online schools fit. This post is worth reading.
Near the start of the article Valerie has a great point: "People who don’t see the public-school-at-home genie (who is just about completely out of his bottle) as the wave of the future usually have some stake in the effects of in-home education that is legally controlled by public authorities." It is clear that more and more people are trying out homeschooling. Unfortunately more and more people in public schools are organizing to fight homeschooling.
Spunky has been blogging about many of the same issues recently. In The Online Charter Homeschool Myth she reminds us that terminology is important; we need to make sure people understand there is a difference between homeschooling and doing public school at home via an online charter school. In This Should Settle It Spunky reports that even the public school system sees children using online charter schools as public school students. And yesterday Spunky reported on Homeschooling in Germany as a warning what increasing government involvement in homeschooling might lead to.
I agree with Valerie, Spunky, and others. We need to be careful that the public doesn't confuse homeschooling with online public schools at home. One main reason for the huge decline in education at public schools has been the increasing government involvement. By educating the public on the difference we may be able to avoid a bigger battle if (or when) the government tries to impose more regulations on homeschoolers.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, public school, online school, charter school
Near the start of the article Valerie has a great point: "People who don’t see the public-school-at-home genie (who is just about completely out of his bottle) as the wave of the future usually have some stake in the effects of in-home education that is legally controlled by public authorities." It is clear that more and more people are trying out homeschooling. Unfortunately more and more people in public schools are organizing to fight homeschooling.
Spunky has been blogging about many of the same issues recently. In The Online Charter Homeschool Myth she reminds us that terminology is important; we need to make sure people understand there is a difference between homeschooling and doing public school at home via an online charter school. In This Should Settle It Spunky reports that even the public school system sees children using online charter schools as public school students. And yesterday Spunky reported on Homeschooling in Germany as a warning what increasing government involvement in homeschooling might lead to.
I agree with Valerie, Spunky, and others. We need to be careful that the public doesn't confuse homeschooling with online public schools at home. One main reason for the huge decline in education at public schools has been the increasing government involvement. By educating the public on the difference we may be able to avoid a bigger battle if (or when) the government tries to impose more regulations on homeschoolers.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, public school, online school, charter school
The Headmistress on this and that
The Headmistress from The Common Room shares a profund thought about how homeschooling parents may be in the best position to help develop the character of their children in Is There a Hole In Your Bucket? She makes a great point.
eBay decided not to allow their sellers to sell teacher manuals. The policy was not discussed or announced ahead of time, they just imposed it. (Which is OK for a business, but it may end up being bad business.) Part of the problem is the draconian approach, eBay even canceled items for sale which weren't teacher manuals. The Headmistress provides extensive background in Teacher's Editions Redux on the history and issues. One of the fascinating parts of her post is selections she found on eBay's forums as people tried to explain to eBay why this was a stupid policy. eBay doesn't appear to be listening. My guess is eBay won't change and homeschoolers will move on to other services for buying and selling education related materials.
Awhile back we posted about Richard Feynman's experience on the textbook review process. The Headmistress shares her father's (G-pa) experience:
-----
On one of the last occasions he participated in the project, one of his fellow committee members came to the meeting armed for battle. Thin-lipped and stern, she directed the committee to turn to page such and such in the book, where she had spotted an instance of stereotyping.
On the guilty page was a photograph of a father holding a baby. G-pa looked blankly at the page, and then asked the woman what was stereotyped about a father holding a baby. In his day, all babies were held by women, so he thought this was a nice improvement.
"But," said the thin-lipped, disapproving Committee Woman, "It's a black man, and he's holding a black baby. That's stereotyping"
Patiently G-pa explained why that wasn't stereotyping. Somebody else on the committee gently explained biology, "Every black man I've ever seen fathered black babies."
It didn't matter.
-----
I really wonder about such people. Did she want the picture to be a black man holding a white baby? Or did she want the picture to be a white man holding a black baby? Or a white woman holding a white baby? In almost every case someone would be upset.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, ebay, teacher manual, textbook, stereotyping
eBay decided not to allow their sellers to sell teacher manuals. The policy was not discussed or announced ahead of time, they just imposed it. (Which is OK for a business, but it may end up being bad business.) Part of the problem is the draconian approach, eBay even canceled items for sale which weren't teacher manuals. The Headmistress provides extensive background in Teacher's Editions Redux on the history and issues. One of the fascinating parts of her post is selections she found on eBay's forums as people tried to explain to eBay why this was a stupid policy. eBay doesn't appear to be listening. My guess is eBay won't change and homeschoolers will move on to other services for buying and selling education related materials.
Awhile back we posted about Richard Feynman's experience on the textbook review process. The Headmistress shares her father's (G-pa) experience:
-----
On one of the last occasions he participated in the project, one of his fellow committee members came to the meeting armed for battle. Thin-lipped and stern, she directed the committee to turn to page such and such in the book, where she had spotted an instance of stereotyping.
On the guilty page was a photograph of a father holding a baby. G-pa looked blankly at the page, and then asked the woman what was stereotyped about a father holding a baby. In his day, all babies were held by women, so he thought this was a nice improvement.
"But," said the thin-lipped, disapproving Committee Woman, "It's a black man, and he's holding a black baby. That's stereotyping"
Patiently G-pa explained why that wasn't stereotyping. Somebody else on the committee gently explained biology, "Every black man I've ever seen fathered black babies."
It didn't matter.
-----
I really wonder about such people. Did she want the picture to be a black man holding a white baby? Or did she want the picture to be a white man holding a black baby? Or a white woman holding a white baby? In almost every case someone would be upset.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, ebay, teacher manual, textbook, stereotyping
Frazz on going back to school
I check out Frazz, a comic strip, pretty much every day. A friend who introduced me to Frazz said Frazz reminded him of Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes. Frazz is quirky, but not near as zanny as Calvin. Frazz works at an elementry school as the janitor. This week's strips have been about going back to school.
It started off with a student appealing to Frazz to postpone the start of school.
The next day we found out how one student sees public schools, like being eaten by a shark.
Today's stip was the best. The same student proposes making school more palatable by having a lunch box with a distracting sound system.
If you enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes you might give Frazz a try.
----------
Technorati tags: Frazz, Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin, Hobbes, comic strip, school, public school, elementry
It started off with a student appealing to Frazz to postpone the start of school.
The next day we found out how one student sees public schools, like being eaten by a shark.
Today's stip was the best. The same student proposes making school more palatable by having a lunch box with a distracting sound system.
If you enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes you might give Frazz a try.
----------
Technorati tags: Frazz, Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin, Hobbes, comic strip, school, public school, elementry
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Article and comments related to homeschooling
While "googling" for something else, I came across this article. While I was not very interested in the original news story on The Obscure Store and Reading Room, many of the comments turned to homeschooling. So here's the article and the "homeschooling" comments. (I must say the site is a bit odd, made up of odd, gory, and sad news stories).
School bans second-grader's service dog
School officials say the dog has growled and barked at students and teachers. "We don't want kids getting bitten," says the school's lawyer. The 8-year-old girl, who has a congenital disease that causes brittle bones, and has suffered 60 broken bones, says: "I'm very upset about this. I want my service animal." (Boston Globe)
.....................................
So homeschool the kid, problem solved.
Posted by: SwarthyTroll Aug 16, 2006 7:36:21 AM
.....................................
I understand the desire for parents to give their kids a "regular" childhood, but also know the implications.
When my teenager was in 2nd grade, she was diagnosed
with a treatable learning disorder, eg a malfunctioning brain. I had two options: medicate, or take her home. I chose medicaiton, and I also persued therapies that has kept her need for bigger doses down and she takes less than half the dose than other kids her weight. Her problem is not health-threatening.
On the other hand, my friend's boy has cerebral palsy, leaving him with weak muscle tone in his legs and arms. He has an unsteady walk, and since he's nearly 6 feet tall at age 15, getting hit on the back would paralyze him. So, no matter how much he pleads to "be like everyone else" and take gym class, she won't let him. It's for his own safety.
With brittle bone disease, homeschool is the best option. I would worry over every stair, every bumped knuckle, every clumsy Claude. Consider how crappy a kid would feel if they accidently knocked the girl down and broke something?
There are homeschool clubs in a lot of communities these days, which allow children to socialize. Sure, it's not a regular childhood, but I feel it's one that puts everyone's best interests into the frame.
Posted by: Soo Aug 16, 2006 9:07:54 AM
..........................................
To say the child could be homeschooled is not a fair solution. What if your child had ADHD and constantly interrupted the class? Would he be sent home permanently to be homeschooled?
I say get the dog additional socialization training. Barking is VERY easy to fix. It's not like the dog had bitten people or anything.
The poor child has *no* friends. Her dog is her only companion. Plus, he helps her navigate the school and stay safe. I don't get why I am the only one sympathisizing with this girl.
Posted by: Kristin Aug 16, 2006 10:40:42 AM
.................................................
Kristin:
If you read my earlier post, it was about my child who was diagnosed with ADHD. I just didn't think I needed to broadcast it so plainly. We were told to medicate or homeschool permanently.
We chose medication and "deschooling therapy," which isn't anything like it sounds, but it worked for us. Either way, certain situations just call for parents to back off the regular kid routine.
Posted by: Soo Aug 16, 2006 10:46:36
.................................................
As the mother of a special needs child (autism) and parent advocate, who also happens to live in Massachusetts, I am appalled, though certainly not surprised, by the acts of the Scituate school district. It is not just a matter of a the parents wanting their daughter to have a "normal childhood," it is their right. If it were up to school districts, almost every child with any kind of disability would be banned from school. Fortunately, their is a law that protects their (the children) and our (the parents) rights; IDEA - the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Then there are the Massachusetts Dept of Education regulations, the oldest in the nation, that support the inclusion of disabled children.
These pieces of legislation state that only the most severly disabled children (not this girl) should be kept from a "mainstream" education. Furthermore, the law mandates that school districts provide for a child's socialization - a large part of the reason for her having her dog - as well as her education. I think this is just another example of a school district attempting to circumvent the law.
By the way for all those who suggested it was in "everyone's best interest" for this girl to be homeschooled, I would simply like to point out that the law - IDEA - does not provide for what's in the best interest for "everyone," only what's in the best interest of the child.
Posted by: Rena Aug 16, 2006 12:56:41 PM
...............................................
Rena and Eclecticcalico both make excellent points I had not considered. Certainly, the school environment plays a big role in how well a special-needs child is accommodated, and respected. As a teacher-in-training, I am very aware that teachers receive little or no education in special needs before they get licensed.
My point was long-winded but boiled down to this: the child in question is delicate, no one would argue that. Placing her in a classroom with so many rambunctious children, I feel, is placing her in harm's way. My youngest is a recent second-grader.
Homeschooling does, unfortunately, move her out of the greater realm of socialization. However, there are many outlets these days for homeschoolers for socializing, and could be done with minimal risk to the girl.
The service animal didn't even come into play in my post. Actually, I've known many service animals, and if I made a guess, there were too many kids "rushing" the dog and treating it like a pet, which is a no-no, and THAT is why it may have barked or growled. They're trained to warn of danger, and a bunch of kids running towards the girl and the dog definitely is danger. I'd growl, too.
My apologies for offending--Soo
Posted by: Soo Aug 16, 2006 1:25:18 PM
..........................................
I was home schooled for Jr. and Sr. High. I lived a completely 'normal' life, thank you, and had to turn down socialization options. I am not disabled in anyway, however, I do not feel this takes away from the validity of my point at all. Home school is a completely viable option, especially with schools today in the disarray they are in. No, it's not for everyone, but it is not, and should not be called, abnormal.
Posted by: Susen Aug 17, 2006 6:21:04 AM
............................................
Also, educationally, home schooling is actually generally better. I know there are exceptions, yes, there are to every 'rule'; but home schoolers are generally under more scrutiny than school children and must take annual tests, etc, to make sure they are on the right level. Many times, home schoolers are above and beyond that. School is fun. But academically, for a student like me, it was not a good place. Home schooling helped to improve my concentration skills (I suspect that I have mild ADD that is now Adult ADD) enough to succeed (when I chose to) in college. School for me was purely social when I was enrolled there.
But the topic here is this little girl and her service dog. It is, I believe, against ADA laws to ban her service dog in the first place. Secondly, I agree with (can't find the name now) whoever said that the dog was probably only doing it's job when it was barking, warning the little girl of any percieved danger.
And, thirdly, having recieved training in Special Education, I also understand how often the teachers do -not- get the proper teaching, as well. Unfortunately, if one does not go for 'special ed', one does not recieve any training on how to 'deal with' or accommodate appropriately in a way that benefits not only the special needs student, but also the entire classroom. It can be done, but too few teachers know how.
Posted by: Susen Aug 17, 2006 6:33:13 AM
..........................................
I thought it was interesting the when a parent was giving the option to homeschool or drug their child, that they choose to drug the child. So much for a "regular" childhood. If the girl has "no friends," of what benefit is socialization at school?
What do you think?
------------------------------
Related Tags: service dogs, homeschooling, special education, special needs children, school, ADHD
School bans second-grader's service dog
School officials say the dog has growled and barked at students and teachers. "We don't want kids getting bitten," says the school's lawyer. The 8-year-old girl, who has a congenital disease that causes brittle bones, and has suffered 60 broken bones, says: "I'm very upset about this. I want my service animal." (Boston Globe)
.....................................
So homeschool the kid, problem solved.
Posted by: SwarthyTroll Aug 16, 2006 7:36:21 AM
.....................................
I understand the desire for parents to give their kids a "regular" childhood, but also know the implications.
When my teenager was in 2nd grade, she was diagnosed
with a treatable learning disorder, eg a malfunctioning brain. I had two options: medicate, or take her home. I chose medicaiton, and I also persued therapies that has kept her need for bigger doses down and she takes less than half the dose than other kids her weight. Her problem is not health-threatening.
On the other hand, my friend's boy has cerebral palsy, leaving him with weak muscle tone in his legs and arms. He has an unsteady walk, and since he's nearly 6 feet tall at age 15, getting hit on the back would paralyze him. So, no matter how much he pleads to "be like everyone else" and take gym class, she won't let him. It's for his own safety.
With brittle bone disease, homeschool is the best option. I would worry over every stair, every bumped knuckle, every clumsy Claude. Consider how crappy a kid would feel if they accidently knocked the girl down and broke something?
There are homeschool clubs in a lot of communities these days, which allow children to socialize. Sure, it's not a regular childhood, but I feel it's one that puts everyone's best interests into the frame.
Posted by: Soo Aug 16, 2006 9:07:54 AM
..........................................
To say the child could be homeschooled is not a fair solution. What if your child had ADHD and constantly interrupted the class? Would he be sent home permanently to be homeschooled?
I say get the dog additional socialization training. Barking is VERY easy to fix. It's not like the dog had bitten people or anything.
The poor child has *no* friends. Her dog is her only companion. Plus, he helps her navigate the school and stay safe. I don't get why I am the only one sympathisizing with this girl.
Posted by: Kristin Aug 16, 2006 10:40:42 AM
.................................................
Kristin:
If you read my earlier post, it was about my child who was diagnosed with ADHD. I just didn't think I needed to broadcast it so plainly. We were told to medicate or homeschool permanently.
We chose medication and "deschooling therapy," which isn't anything like it sounds, but it worked for us. Either way, certain situations just call for parents to back off the regular kid routine.
Posted by: Soo Aug 16, 2006 10:46:36
.................................................
As the mother of a special needs child (autism) and parent advocate, who also happens to live in Massachusetts, I am appalled, though certainly not surprised, by the acts of the Scituate school district. It is not just a matter of a the parents wanting their daughter to have a "normal childhood," it is their right. If it were up to school districts, almost every child with any kind of disability would be banned from school. Fortunately, their is a law that protects their (the children) and our (the parents) rights; IDEA - the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Then there are the Massachusetts Dept of Education regulations, the oldest in the nation, that support the inclusion of disabled children.
These pieces of legislation state that only the most severly disabled children (not this girl) should be kept from a "mainstream" education. Furthermore, the law mandates that school districts provide for a child's socialization - a large part of the reason for her having her dog - as well as her education. I think this is just another example of a school district attempting to circumvent the law.
By the way for all those who suggested it was in "everyone's best interest" for this girl to be homeschooled, I would simply like to point out that the law - IDEA - does not provide for what's in the best interest for "everyone," only what's in the best interest of the child.
Posted by: Rena Aug 16, 2006 12:56:41 PM
...............................................
Rena and Eclecticcalico both make excellent points I had not considered. Certainly, the school environment plays a big role in how well a special-needs child is accommodated, and respected. As a teacher-in-training, I am very aware that teachers receive little or no education in special needs before they get licensed.
My point was long-winded but boiled down to this: the child in question is delicate, no one would argue that. Placing her in a classroom with so many rambunctious children, I feel, is placing her in harm's way. My youngest is a recent second-grader.
Homeschooling does, unfortunately, move her out of the greater realm of socialization. However, there are many outlets these days for homeschoolers for socializing, and could be done with minimal risk to the girl.
The service animal didn't even come into play in my post. Actually, I've known many service animals, and if I made a guess, there were too many kids "rushing" the dog and treating it like a pet, which is a no-no, and THAT is why it may have barked or growled. They're trained to warn of danger, and a bunch of kids running towards the girl and the dog definitely is danger. I'd growl, too.
My apologies for offending--Soo
Posted by: Soo Aug 16, 2006 1:25:18 PM
..........................................
I was home schooled for Jr. and Sr. High. I lived a completely 'normal' life, thank you, and had to turn down socialization options. I am not disabled in anyway, however, I do not feel this takes away from the validity of my point at all. Home school is a completely viable option, especially with schools today in the disarray they are in. No, it's not for everyone, but it is not, and should not be called, abnormal.
Posted by: Susen Aug 17, 2006 6:21:04 AM
............................................
Also, educationally, home schooling is actually generally better. I know there are exceptions, yes, there are to every 'rule'; but home schoolers are generally under more scrutiny than school children and must take annual tests, etc, to make sure they are on the right level. Many times, home schoolers are above and beyond that. School is fun. But academically, for a student like me, it was not a good place. Home schooling helped to improve my concentration skills (I suspect that I have mild ADD that is now Adult ADD) enough to succeed (when I chose to) in college. School for me was purely social when I was enrolled there.
But the topic here is this little girl and her service dog. It is, I believe, against ADA laws to ban her service dog in the first place. Secondly, I agree with (can't find the name now) whoever said that the dog was probably only doing it's job when it was barking, warning the little girl of any percieved danger.
And, thirdly, having recieved training in Special Education, I also understand how often the teachers do -not- get the proper teaching, as well. Unfortunately, if one does not go for 'special ed', one does not recieve any training on how to 'deal with' or accommodate appropriately in a way that benefits not only the special needs student, but also the entire classroom. It can be done, but too few teachers know how.
Posted by: Susen Aug 17, 2006 6:33:13 AM
..........................................
I thought it was interesting the when a parent was giving the option to homeschool or drug their child, that they choose to drug the child. So much for a "regular" childhood. If the girl has "no friends," of what benefit is socialization at school?
What do you think?
------------------------------
Related Tags: service dogs, homeschooling, special education, special needs children, school, ADHD
It looks like Isabel Lyman is back into blogging
Almost two months ago Isabel Lyman, of The Homeschooling Revolution, announced she was going to be busy getting ready for finals for her law classes. And then at the first of this month she wrote that she was still having trouble getting motivated.
She seems to have found her motivation! Over the last week she has been blogging almost every day. Check out the picture she found of a large misspelling. She found the text for an article in Reader's Digest on education which features homeschoolers: How to Raise an A+ Student.
I hope her motivation doesn't get lost again.
If you haven't read Isabel's blog before, drop by and check it out.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Isabel Lyman, The Homeschooling Revolution
She seems to have found her motivation! Over the last week she has been blogging almost every day. Check out the picture she found of a large misspelling. She found the text for an article in Reader's Digest on education which features homeschoolers: How to Raise an A+ Student.
I hope her motivation doesn't get lost again.
If you haven't read Isabel's blog before, drop by and check it out.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Isabel Lyman, The Homeschooling Revolution
Carnival of Homeschooling is up - week 35, the weather conditions from long ago
Mark Rose is hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling at Category Five.
For the introduction Mark shares the results of a research project on weather conditions the Cherokee Indians encountered along the Trail of Tears.
Here are a few other carnivals:
The latest Carnival of Kid's Comedy is at Life in a shoe.
Castle of the Immaculate is hosting the 6th Carnival of Children's Literature.
And your children might be interested in the Kid Carnival, posts by children.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling, funny, humor, humorous, comedy, kid, food, Carnival of Kid Comedy, Kid Comedy, children, literature
For the introduction Mark shares the results of a research project on weather conditions the Cherokee Indians encountered along the Trail of Tears.
Here are a few other carnivals:
The latest Carnival of Kid's Comedy is at Life in a shoe.
Castle of the Immaculate is hosting the 6th Carnival of Children's Literature.
And your children might be interested in the Kid Carnival, posts by children.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling, funny, humor, humorous, comedy, kid, food, Carnival of Kid Comedy, Kid Comedy, children, literature
John Stossel with Stupid in America is back
Judy Aron found Stupid in America at YouTube.
And EdWatch reports that ABC's 20/20 will be replaying it this Friday, September 1. This originally aired in January of this year. EdWatch says:
"The widely viewed program created quite a stir after it first aired, and Stossel has been heavily criticized by the education establishment for making this program. Pam von Gohren, longtime Minnesota school choice activist and home education pioneer, is among the parents interviewed. She introduces the program theme: American kids aren't stupid; the system is stupid."
Here is the transcript.
John Stossel does a good job of details many of the problems with public schools in America. He presents a strong case for public schools in America being broken.
If you have not read or watched his report I encourage you to check it out. And you might want to tell your friends and family to watch the report.
Update I (30 Aug 06)
Gary at HomeSchoolBuzz found a recent John Stossel column: Schools need competition now. Near the end John Stossel says "Some parents choose to homeschool for religious reasons, but homeschooling has been increasing by 10 percent a year because so many parents are just fed up with the government's schools."
----------
Technorati tags: John Stossel, Stossel, education, public school, schools, government, voucher, Stupid in America
And EdWatch reports that ABC's 20/20 will be replaying it this Friday, September 1. This originally aired in January of this year. EdWatch says:
"The widely viewed program created quite a stir after it first aired, and Stossel has been heavily criticized by the education establishment for making this program. Pam von Gohren, longtime Minnesota school choice activist and home education pioneer, is among the parents interviewed. She introduces the program theme: American kids aren't stupid; the system is stupid."
Here is the transcript.
John Stossel does a good job of details many of the problems with public schools in America. He presents a strong case for public schools in America being broken.
If you have not read or watched his report I encourage you to check it out. And you might want to tell your friends and family to watch the report.
Update I (30 Aug 06)
Gary at HomeSchoolBuzz found a recent John Stossel column: Schools need competition now. Near the end John Stossel says "Some parents choose to homeschool for religious reasons, but homeschooling has been increasing by 10 percent a year because so many parents are just fed up with the government's schools."
----------
Technorati tags: John Stossel, Stossel, education, public school, schools, government, voucher, Stupid in America
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
More homeschooling news via Google Alerts - 29 Aug 06
The following homeschooling articles were found via Google alerts:
I enjoyed Brian AtLee's response to recent news about homeschoolers defecting to public schools" in Home schooling remains strong alternative. There have been some homeschoolers who have started using public school online resources. Brian says: "I would be willing to wager there are more students in public schools who are turning to home schooling than there are home-schooled students turning to online curricula with public schools."
Bullying is a serious problem in many public schools. Clinton Woman Publishes Book on Bullying is about a mother's successful effort to rescue her son. She took her son out of public school and homeschooled him. Candy Beard, the mother, wrote "Please Don`t Do That; A Story About Bullying in School." I think more parents would yank their children sooner if they realized that homeschooling is very doable.
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is an article on 2 champs at home school spelling bee. The Discover Mills mall had a spelling contest for homeschoolers. The most interesting thing to me was that the mall has a kids' club with 12,000 members, 3,000 of them are homeschoolers.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, public school, online school, online, school, bully, bullying, spelling bee, spelling contest
I enjoyed Brian AtLee's response to recent news about homeschoolers defecting to public schools" in Home schooling remains strong alternative. There have been some homeschoolers who have started using public school online resources. Brian says: "I would be willing to wager there are more students in public schools who are turning to home schooling than there are home-schooled students turning to online curricula with public schools."
Bullying is a serious problem in many public schools. Clinton Woman Publishes Book on Bullying is about a mother's successful effort to rescue her son. She took her son out of public school and homeschooled him. Candy Beard, the mother, wrote "Please Don`t Do That; A Story About Bullying in School." I think more parents would yank their children sooner if they realized that homeschooling is very doable.
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is an article on 2 champs at home school spelling bee. The Discover Mills mall had a spelling contest for homeschoolers. The most interesting thing to me was that the mall has a kids' club with 12,000 members, 3,000 of them are homeschoolers.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, public school, online school, online, school, bully, bullying, spelling bee, spelling contest
Declining SAT scores
I'm not sure what this means, or if it means anything at all.
Drop in SAT scores biggest in 31 years
By JUSTIN POPE, AP Education Writer
Tue Aug 29, 11:28 AM ET
The high school class of 2006 recorded the sharpest drop in SAT scores in 31 years, a decline that the exam's owner, the College Board, said was partly due to some students taking the newly lengthened test only once instead of twice.
................
The results come two weeks after it was announced the class of 2006 had posted the biggest score increase in 20 years on the rival ACT exam. The ACT, which is also accepted by almost all colleges that require standardized tests, is generally more focused on material covered in high school classes than the SAT, which is more of a measure of general ability. But more students in traditional SAT states like Connecticut and New Jersey appear to be taking both exams to try to improve their applications to selective colleges.
...........................
That is very curious. The ACT scores are going up and the SAT scores are going down.
...........................
Experts say the changeover in exams probably affected how students approached the test, and thus the scores. Students in the class of 2006 had the chance to take both the old SAT exam, until midway through their junior year, and the new SAT after that. If they did well the first time out, some may have opted to stand pat with those scores. Some colleges continued to accept scores from the old test during the bridge period.
"When a new test is introduced, students usually vary their test-taking behavior in a variety of ways and this affects scores," College Board President Gaston Caperton said in a news release.
...........................
I checked out the link to the SAT website.
Under the section entitled "Prepare for the SAT" is the following headline:
Nation Still "At Risk": Call for a New Compact Between America and Its Teachers, Starting with Immediate Salary Increases.
Paying an inadequate teacher more money is not going to improve her performance. However, paying high quality teachers a better salary might keep more of them around longer. As long as teacher contracts are not linked to individual performance, little will change.
Either way, this does not address the question of what part the student plays in this equation. Could it be that student performance is falling because students put in less effort than their predecessors?
We know that television viewing is at an all time highand reading is at an all time low. Maybe this is the problem. It is just a thought.
----------------------------------------
Related Tags: preparation for college, SAT scores, testing, education, school
Drop in SAT scores biggest in 31 years
By JUSTIN POPE, AP Education Writer
Tue Aug 29, 11:28 AM ET
The high school class of 2006 recorded the sharpest drop in SAT scores in 31 years, a decline that the exam's owner, the College Board, said was partly due to some students taking the newly lengthened test only once instead of twice.
................
The results come two weeks after it was announced the class of 2006 had posted the biggest score increase in 20 years on the rival ACT exam. The ACT, which is also accepted by almost all colleges that require standardized tests, is generally more focused on material covered in high school classes than the SAT, which is more of a measure of general ability. But more students in traditional SAT states like Connecticut and New Jersey appear to be taking both exams to try to improve their applications to selective colleges.
...........................
That is very curious. The ACT scores are going up and the SAT scores are going down.
...........................
Experts say the changeover in exams probably affected how students approached the test, and thus the scores. Students in the class of 2006 had the chance to take both the old SAT exam, until midway through their junior year, and the new SAT after that. If they did well the first time out, some may have opted to stand pat with those scores. Some colleges continued to accept scores from the old test during the bridge period.
"When a new test is introduced, students usually vary their test-taking behavior in a variety of ways and this affects scores," College Board President Gaston Caperton said in a news release.
...........................
I checked out the link to the SAT website.
Under the section entitled "Prepare for the SAT" is the following headline:
Nation Still "At Risk": Call for a New Compact Between America and Its Teachers, Starting with Immediate Salary Increases.
Paying an inadequate teacher more money is not going to improve her performance. However, paying high quality teachers a better salary might keep more of them around longer. As long as teacher contracts are not linked to individual performance, little will change.
Either way, this does not address the question of what part the student plays in this equation. Could it be that student performance is falling because students put in less effort than their predecessors?
We know that television viewing is at an all time highand reading is at an all time low. Maybe this is the problem. It is just a thought.
----------------------------------------
Related Tags: preparation for college, SAT scores, testing, education, school
Selections from reddit.com - 29 Aug 2006
The following education related posts were found via reddit.com:
In the past we've noted a couple tongue-in-cheek posts comparing public schools to prisons. It is starting to look less and less humorous. Some schools in Michigan have decided that Students must wear school ID badges. It would be interesting to know how many high school students feel like they are in a jail.
Gerry Garibaldi has a fascinating article on How the Schools Shortchange Boys in the City Journal. (Warning there is a swear word.) He explains that schools are designed to teach girls and thus boys are losing out. For example if you give an assignment girls typically will start the assignment and work on it. In contrast boys will demand to be told the relevance. The schools response is often to move boys to "special ed." Gerry Garibaldi writes about his experience in teaching "special ed" classes. This was scary: "To get into special ed, however, administrators must find something wrong. In my four years of teaching, I’ve never seen them fail." Garry's article is worth reading.
Time.com has an article on The Myth About Homework. Claudia Wallis writes about studies which question the effectiveness of vast amounts of homework. A certain amount of homework does improve understanding, but more can be very destructive.
All of these drive home our belief that homeschooling is a great options. Our children are not treated like inmates. If we are blessed with boys we won't make them feel like drop outs. And we can tailor the amount of homework to the individual and subject material.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, prison, ID badges, Gerry Garibaldi, special ed, boys, homework, Claudia Wallis
In the past we've noted a couple tongue-in-cheek posts comparing public schools to prisons. It is starting to look less and less humorous. Some schools in Michigan have decided that Students must wear school ID badges. It would be interesting to know how many high school students feel like they are in a jail.
Gerry Garibaldi has a fascinating article on How the Schools Shortchange Boys in the City Journal. (Warning there is a swear word.) He explains that schools are designed to teach girls and thus boys are losing out. For example if you give an assignment girls typically will start the assignment and work on it. In contrast boys will demand to be told the relevance. The schools response is often to move boys to "special ed." Gerry Garibaldi writes about his experience in teaching "special ed" classes. This was scary: "To get into special ed, however, administrators must find something wrong. In my four years of teaching, I’ve never seen them fail." Garry's article is worth reading.
Time.com has an article on The Myth About Homework. Claudia Wallis writes about studies which question the effectiveness of vast amounts of homework. A certain amount of homework does improve understanding, but more can be very destructive.
All of these drive home our belief that homeschooling is a great options. Our children are not treated like inmates. If we are blessed with boys we won't make them feel like drop outs. And we can tailor the amount of homework to the individual and subject material.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, prison, ID badges, Gerry Garibaldi, special ed, boys, homework, Claudia Wallis
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)