The NerdMom, of the Nerd Family, invites you into her home for this week's Carnival of Homeschooling.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Another piece of evidence that "certification" may not produce excellent teachers
Joanne Jacobs reports on a study by CALDER. In Teach for America makes the grade Joanne starts off with:
"Despite minimal training, novice Teach for America high school teachers are more effective, especially in math and science, than traditionally trained teachers, a new study by CALDER, a research center at the Urban Institute in Washington, concludes."
You could make the claim that more training reduced the effectiveness of teachers. By having less time in some school of education, those selected by Teach for America are free to be better teachers.
I think the best response is that Teach for America is picking people who know the subject material and are strongly motivated to make a difference, but they don't want to put up with the bureaucracy of getting a certificate.
Humm...sounds like homeschooling parents. They know their children, they are strongly motivated, and they typically are fed up with the bureaucracy.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
"Despite minimal training, novice Teach for America high school teachers are more effective, especially in math and science, than traditionally trained teachers, a new study by CALDER, a research center at the Urban Institute in Washington, concludes."
You could make the claim that more training reduced the effectiveness of teachers. By having less time in some school of education, those selected by Teach for America are free to be better teachers.
I think the best response is that Teach for America is picking people who know the subject material and are strongly motivated to make a difference, but they don't want to put up with the bureaucracy of getting a certificate.
Humm...sounds like homeschooling parents. They know their children, they are strongly motivated, and they typically are fed up with the bureaucracy.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
The Best Game Ever
A friend just sent me the URL to the Best Game Ever. A group from NBC turns a little league game into a major league game, complete with a blimp.
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Technorati tags: little league
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Technorati tags: little league
Real costs - gas v. education
Mark J. Perry asks You Thought Gas Prices Were High? He contrasts the 10% increase from 1986 to 2006 in inflation-adjusted dollars to the 53% skyrocketing increase for the amount of money spent per public school pupil.
(Hat tip: Instapundit)
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Technorati tags: parenting, children, public school, public education, education
(Hat tip: Instapundit)
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Technorati tags: parenting, children, public school, public education, education
Monday, April 14, 2008
Reminder - send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling
You have about 5 hours to send in an entry for the next Carnival of Homeschooling, which will be hosted at Nerd Family.
As always, entries are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
As always, entries are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Rising taxes and closing Catholic private schools
The New York Times reports: More Catholic Schools Closing Across US:
"About 1,267 Catholic schools have closed since 2000 and enrollment nationwide has dropped by 382,125 students, or 14 percent, according to the National Catholic Education Association. The problem is most apparent in inner cities, in schools like St. Monica with large concentrations of minorities whose parents often struggle to pay tuition rather than send them to failing public schools."
A drop of 14% is huge. Catholic schools tend to be one of the cheapest private schools. They do a great job of teaching their students. But many families are no longer able to pay.
It is almost like the government has said yes you can use private schools, but we'll raise your taxes so high that you would be able to afford them.
Sad.
I wonder how many of these parents will turn to homeschooling? It is much cheaper.
(Hat tip: edspresso)
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
"About 1,267 Catholic schools have closed since 2000 and enrollment nationwide has dropped by 382,125 students, or 14 percent, according to the National Catholic Education Association. The problem is most apparent in inner cities, in schools like St. Monica with large concentrations of minorities whose parents often struggle to pay tuition rather than send them to failing public schools."
A drop of 14% is huge. Catholic schools tend to be one of the cheapest private schools. They do a great job of teaching their students. But many families are no longer able to pay.
It is almost like the government has said yes you can use private schools, but we'll raise your taxes so high that you would be able to afford them.
Sad.
I wonder how many of these parents will turn to homeschooling? It is much cheaper.
(Hat tip: edspresso)
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
It soon may make cents not to go to college
One of the big reasons for spending tens of thousands of dollars and several years at college is over a life time the increased education will pay back with bigger paychecks. Many people claim that a college education will generate at least a million dollars in higher wages over a career.
Charles Miller questions this assertion. He writes:
"... using assumptions more in line with current realities, might reach the shocking conclusions that American higher education today has gotten too expensive for what it produces; that it has become too costly for the typical student ... that education (a college degree) does not pay!"
Investing is always about looking for getting a great return, getting the biggest bang for the buck. If it costs $50,000 and four years to get a BA or BS, and that will give you a million dollars over forty years, then a college education is probably a good investment. For the last several decades the cost of higher education climbs twice as fast as inflation. If the economic benefit is more like a half a million, over forty years, then hundreds of thousands of dollars for tuition, board and room, and lost opportunities may make tradition colleges a bad investment.
Janine and I do value education. We are trying to teach our daughters to value education. We are trying to instill in them a life long habit of learning. Currently we plan to send them off to college. I wonder though what our grandchildren will be doing for higher education.
(Hat tip: Joanne Jacobs)
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
Charles Miller questions this assertion. He writes:
"... using assumptions more in line with current realities, might reach the shocking conclusions that American higher education today has gotten too expensive for what it produces; that it has become too costly for the typical student ... that education (a college degree) does not pay!"
Investing is always about looking for getting a great return, getting the biggest bang for the buck. If it costs $50,000 and four years to get a BA or BS, and that will give you a million dollars over forty years, then a college education is probably a good investment. For the last several decades the cost of higher education climbs twice as fast as inflation. If the economic benefit is more like a half a million, over forty years, then hundreds of thousands of dollars for tuition, board and room, and lost opportunities may make tradition colleges a bad investment.
Janine and I do value education. We are trying to teach our daughters to value education. We are trying to instill in them a life long habit of learning. Currently we plan to send them off to college. I wonder though what our grandchildren will be doing for higher education.
(Hat tip: Joanne Jacobs)
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
Wow - public school socialization
A couple times a year there will be a kid or a couple kids in the news who do something awful, who happen to be homeschool. Homeschool critics will jump up and down claiming that homeschooling by its very nature produces evil children and so it should not be allowed. Well if allowed, it should be heavily monitored and regulated.
By that logic public schools should be shut down after an incident like this: Girl-On-Girl Fight Trend Growing Online. A girl was lured to a house and then beaten by six girls for 30 minutes, while two boys stood outside as lookouts. The report says the assailants showed no remorse. In fact one of the girls "asked if she would be able to make it to cheerleading practice the next day..."
The beaten girl can no longer see well out of one eye or hear very well from one of her ears. I can't image what it would be like to be beaten for thirty minutes. I am afraid she will be suffering for years, both physically and emotionally. She'll have trouble trusting people. She'll be fearful of noises and strangers.
To an extent public schools do foster badly behaved children, but the real blame for events like this should be placed squarely on the parents, and the teenagers themselves. In a just society the six girls would be in jail for years.
(Hat tip: The Education Wonks)
Dr. Helen has more in See Jane Hit.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
By that logic public schools should be shut down after an incident like this: Girl-On-Girl Fight Trend Growing Online. A girl was lured to a house and then beaten by six girls for 30 minutes, while two boys stood outside as lookouts. The report says the assailants showed no remorse. In fact one of the girls "asked if she would be able to make it to cheerleading practice the next day..."
The beaten girl can no longer see well out of one eye or hear very well from one of her ears. I can't image what it would be like to be beaten for thirty minutes. I am afraid she will be suffering for years, both physically and emotionally. She'll have trouble trusting people. She'll be fearful of noises and strangers.
To an extent public schools do foster badly behaved children, but the real blame for events like this should be placed squarely on the parents, and the teenagers themselves. In a just society the six girls would be in jail for years.
(Hat tip: The Education Wonks)
Dr. Helen has more in See Jane Hit.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Are you certified to feed your children?
I like Thomas A. Bowden's column: Your Child is Not State Property. He makes a point I've often said:
"Education, like nutrition, should be recognized as the exclusive domain of a child's parents, within legal limits objectively defining child abuse and neglect. Parents who starve their children may properly be ordered to fulfill their parental obligations, on pain of losing legal custody. But the fact that some parents may serve better food than others does not permit government to seize control of nutrition, outlaw home-cooked meals, and order all children to report for daily force-feeding at government-licensed cafeterias."
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
"Education, like nutrition, should be recognized as the exclusive domain of a child's parents, within legal limits objectively defining child abuse and neglect. Parents who starve their children may properly be ordered to fulfill their parental obligations, on pain of losing legal custody. But the fact that some parents may serve better food than others does not permit government to seize control of nutrition, outlaw home-cooked meals, and order all children to report for daily force-feeding at government-licensed cafeterias."
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
This may surprise you: A TV in the bedroom can be bad for a teenager's health
I'm surprised that someone thought that it was useful to have a study find out that Teens who have TV in their bedroom are less likely to engage in healthy habits:
"University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers have found that older adolescents who have a bedroom television are less likely to engage in healthy activities such as exercising, eating fruits or vegetables, and enjoying family meals. They also consumed larger quantities of sweetened beverages and fast food, were categorized as heavy TV watchers, and read or studied less than teens without TVs in their bedrooms."
I wonder what will be next? Study finds: Exercise is good!
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Technorati tags: parenting, children
"University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers have found that older adolescents who have a bedroom television are less likely to engage in healthy activities such as exercising, eating fruits or vegetables, and enjoying family meals. They also consumed larger quantities of sweetened beverages and fast food, were categorized as heavy TV watchers, and read or studied less than teens without TVs in their bedrooms."
I wonder what will be next? Study finds: Exercise is good!
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Technorati tags: parenting, children
Anyone have an opinion on House Resolution 1076?
Congressman Howard McKeon has introduced House Resolution 1076 which says parents have the right to educate their children, including homeschooling them. Here is the start of the resolution:
"Calling upon the courts to uphold the fundamental and constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.
Whereas the modern homeschool movement in the United States demonstrates that homeschooled children are a vital component of the American education system;
Whereas homeschool graduates act responsibly as parents and as students in colleges and universities, are valuable in the workplace, and are productive citizens in society at large;
Whereas many studies confirm that children who are educated at home score considerably above the national average on nationally-normed achievement tests, and above the average on both the SAT and ACT college entrance exams;"
At one level this seems like a good idea. But I worry that once Congress starts debating this, the language could change and it might end up that parents only have the right to homeschool if they follow some government standard.
What is next? Will Congress decide that parents have the right to feed their children? Or buy toys for their children? Or ...
For more information about the resolution go to Thomas (Library of Congress) and entery 1076. Currently it is the fifth item listed.
(Hat tip: Life, Liberty and Family)
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Howard McKeon
"Calling upon the courts to uphold the fundamental and constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.
Whereas the modern homeschool movement in the United States demonstrates that homeschooled children are a vital component of the American education system;
Whereas homeschool graduates act responsibly as parents and as students in colleges and universities, are valuable in the workplace, and are productive citizens in society at large;
Whereas many studies confirm that children who are educated at home score considerably above the national average on nationally-normed achievement tests, and above the average on both the SAT and ACT college entrance exams;"
At one level this seems like a good idea. But I worry that once Congress starts debating this, the language could change and it might end up that parents only have the right to homeschool if they follow some government standard.
What is next? Will Congress decide that parents have the right to feed their children? Or buy toys for their children? Or ...
For more information about the resolution go to Thomas (Library of Congress) and entery 1076. Currently it is the fifth item listed.
(Hat tip: Life, Liberty and Family)
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Howard McKeon
A new homeschooler carnival - one for Canadians!
Mama Squirrel at Dewey's Treehouse wrote about the First Carnival of Canadian Home Educating Bloggers.
Jacqueline's Jabberings hosted the carnival.
It is cool there is yet another homeschooling carnival.
I just remembered I forgot to mention the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival hosted last week at One Child Policy Homeschool.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Charlotte, Mason, Charlotte Mason
Jacqueline's Jabberings hosted the carnival.
It is cool there is yet another homeschooling carnival.
I just remembered I forgot to mention the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival hosted last week at One Child Policy Homeschool.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Charlotte, Mason, Charlotte Mason
Good News Thursday: 10 Apr 08
Much of the news today is depressing. Newspaper headlines tell us about awful things happening in our neighborhood, at the national level, and around the world. Google News today reports that the Chinese human-rights record spurs Olympic boycott calls and Apparent Tornadoes Hit Texas, Oklahoma.
I am trying something different. I invite you to join with me in focusing on good news. This can be as local as you have planted your garden, or something earth shaking like life discovered on other planets.
If you would like to contribute, in the "Your name" field below put the name of your blog, then in parenthesis include a short summary of the good news. For the "Your URL" field put the link to your post about the good news, use the perma link. Then mention Good News Thursday on your blog.
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Technorati tags: Good News
I am trying something different. I invite you to join with me in focusing on good news. This can be as local as you have planted your garden, or something earth shaking like life discovered on other planets.
If you would like to contribute, in the "Your name" field below put the name of your blog, then in parenthesis include a short summary of the good news. For the "Your URL" field put the link to your post about the good news, use the perma link. Then mention Good News Thursday on your blog.
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Technorati tags: Good News
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Yet another reason to homeschool - help stop a pandemic
This is interesting 1 in 7 cases of bird flu could be prevented by closing schools in event of pandemic:
"Closing schools in the event of a flu pandemic could slow the spread of the virus and prevent up to one in seven cases, according to a new study published today in the journal Nature. School closure is the non-pharmaceutical policy option that health organisations and governments most often consider to control the spread of a future flu pandemic, but there had previously been little evidence about its potential effectiveness."
Maybe the next time someone asks why we homeschool I'll say to help stop pandemics.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
"Closing schools in the event of a flu pandemic could slow the spread of the virus and prevent up to one in seven cases, according to a new study published today in the journal Nature. School closure is the non-pharmaceutical policy option that health organisations and governments most often consider to control the spread of a future flu pandemic, but there had previously been little evidence about its potential effectiveness."
Maybe the next time someone asks why we homeschool I'll say to help stop pandemics.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, public school, public education, education
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
The Carnival of Homeschooling is up - the Working out edition
Jocelyn, a sixteen-year-old homeschool student, is hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling at her blog A Pondering Heart.
Jocelyn put together the "Working out" edition of the carnival.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Jocelyn put together the "Working out" edition of the carnival.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Monday, April 07, 2008
Homeschool Humor
I just love the way the internet allows amateur artist a forum.
The Homeschoolers Song
Online Videos by Veoh.com
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Tags : homeschool humor, homeschooling, the homeschoolers song
The Homeschoolers Song
Online Videos by Veoh.com
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Tags : homeschool humor, homeschooling, the homeschoolers song
Reminder - send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling
You have about 7 hours to send in an entry for the next Carnival of Homeschooling, which will be hosted at A Pondering Heart
As always, entries are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
As always, entries are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Saturday, April 05, 2008
The Idaho version of how much people like public schools
Two months ago I blogged about survey results that reported only 11% of those in Nevada "would send their children to public schools if they had other options."
Bryan Fischer reports that only 12% of Idaho parents would choose public school if had a choice:
"A poll commissioned by the prestigious Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and co-sponsored by the Idaho Values Alliance found that only 12% of Idahoans would chose a "regular public school" if they had a full range of options.
Even more striking, this figure drops to just 4% among Idahoans age 36-55, who are the chief consumers of public education services in Idaho."
As Bryan points, out this is devastating.
You can download the report by Paul DiPerna of the Friedman Foundation for Education Choice.
Here is a selection from the executive summary:
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Nearly half of Idaho voters are not satisfied with the state’s current public school system—47 percent rate Idaho’s public school system as “poor” or “fair.” If we exclude the one out of five voters who are undecided, this proportion jumps to 59 percent.
Two out of every three likely voters (67 percent) say Idaho’s level of public school funding is “about right” or “too high.”
Idaho voters value private schools, charter schools, and homeschooling. When asked “what type of school would you select in order to obtain the best education for your child?”, Idahoans prefer private schools (39 percent) over other types of schools. Charter schools (25 percent) are the second most desired option. About one out of five respondents (21 percent) would prefer to homeschool their child.
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Again, these kinds of numbers are devastating. In the United States few parents are content and happy with public schools. They don't see that as positive service. Most parents feel trapped in being forced to send their children to public schools, or pay again for the education of their children by sending them to private schools.
There have been a few instances in history when a ruling power walked away when enough people said they had enough. For example England freed India when Gandhi preached peaceful civil disobedience. This eventually resulted in the birth of the Indian nation.
Maybe at some point enough people will say they have had enough and the public school system will change. Who will be our Gandhi?
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Technorati tags: parenting, children, public school, public education, education
Bryan Fischer reports that only 12% of Idaho parents would choose public school if had a choice:
"A poll commissioned by the prestigious Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and co-sponsored by the Idaho Values Alliance found that only 12% of Idahoans would chose a "regular public school" if they had a full range of options.
Even more striking, this figure drops to just 4% among Idahoans age 36-55, who are the chief consumers of public education services in Idaho."
As Bryan points, out this is devastating.
You can download the report by Paul DiPerna of the Friedman Foundation for Education Choice.
Here is a selection from the executive summary:
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Nearly half of Idaho voters are not satisfied with the state’s current public school system—47 percent rate Idaho’s public school system as “poor” or “fair.” If we exclude the one out of five voters who are undecided, this proportion jumps to 59 percent.
Two out of every three likely voters (67 percent) say Idaho’s level of public school funding is “about right” or “too high.”
Idaho voters value private schools, charter schools, and homeschooling. When asked “what type of school would you select in order to obtain the best education for your child?”, Idahoans prefer private schools (39 percent) over other types of schools. Charter schools (25 percent) are the second most desired option. About one out of five respondents (21 percent) would prefer to homeschool their child.
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Again, these kinds of numbers are devastating. In the United States few parents are content and happy with public schools. They don't see that as positive service. Most parents feel trapped in being forced to send their children to public schools, or pay again for the education of their children by sending them to private schools.
There have been a few instances in history when a ruling power walked away when enough people said they had enough. For example England freed India when Gandhi preached peaceful civil disobedience. This eventually resulted in the birth of the Indian nation.
Maybe at some point enough people will say they have had enough and the public school system will change. Who will be our Gandhi?
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Technorati tags: parenting, children, public school, public education, education
John Stossel defends homeschooling
You have probably already heard about the editorial by news journalist John Stossel, in response to the California court ruling which attempted to outlaw homeschooling. If you don't recognize the name, he wrote Stupid in America.
Here are few excerpts from his editorial,Upside Down Education.
I'm please that he looked at the issue through the perspective of Constitutional soundness. The California courts are notorious for trying to reinterpret and redefine the American Constitution.
I found the 300 + comments on the article at Townhall.com very entertaining. I am continually amazed how eager some people are to blindly entrust their freedoms to government agencies.
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Justice H. Walter Croskey, California appellate court
Here are few excerpts from his editorial,Upside Down Education.
I think the state court is looking at the state Constitution upside down. The court finds no constitutional right to homeschool one's children. But in a free country, people are free to do anything not expressly prohibited by law. If the Constitution is silent about homeschooling, then the right is reserved to the people. That's how the framers of the American Constitution said things are supposed to work.
I'm please that he looked at the issue through the perspective of Constitutional soundness. The California courts are notorious for trying to reinterpret and redefine the American Constitution.
I found the 300 + comments on the article at Townhall.com very entertaining. I am continually amazed how eager some people are to blindly entrust their freedoms to government agencies.
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Justice H. Walter Croskey, California appellate court
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Have you watched a presentation with bad power point slides?
A little good news
I'm a Type 1 Diabetic and have been since I was 12 years old. Every year I have my children screened for the autoantibodies that indicate the pending development of Type 1 Diabetes. This blood test is provided for free by the TrialNet Natural History Study.
Each year I literally hold my breath as I open the response letter that comes six weeks later. Since each child's test results come in a separate letter, I repeat this process three time. I am happy to report that all my girls are negative for the autoantibodies.
At some point, if my children do test positive, they could enter a research program that test treatment options that can delay the onset of diabetes. I'm happy that I don't have to worry about this year.
Click here to see a video explaining the clinical trials, TrialNet, and Natural History.
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Tags : Type 1 Diabetes, autoantibodies, Natural History study, TrialNet
Each year I literally hold my breath as I open the response letter that comes six weeks later. Since each child's test results come in a separate letter, I repeat this process three time. I am happy to report that all my girls are negative for the autoantibodies.
At some point, if my children do test positive, they could enter a research program that test treatment options that can delay the onset of diabetes. I'm happy that I don't have to worry about this year.
Click here to see a video explaining the clinical trials, TrialNet, and Natural History.
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Tags : Type 1 Diabetes, autoantibodies, Natural History study, TrialNet
Good News Thursday: 3 Apr 08
Much of the news today is depressing. Newspaper headlines tell us about awful things happening in our neighborhood, at the national level, and around the world. Google News today reports that the Chinese Rights Activist Jailed For Subversion and ATA Airlines files for bankruptcy.
I am trying something different. I invite you to join with me in focusing on good news. This can be as local as your lost dog was found or something global like a break through in a new field of science.
If you would like to contribute, in the "Your name" field put the name of your blog, then in parenthesis include a short summary of the good news. For the "Your URL" field put the link to your post about the good news, use the perma link. Then mention Good News Thursday on your blog.
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Technorati tags: Good News
I am trying something different. I invite you to join with me in focusing on good news. This can be as local as your lost dog was found or something global like a break through in a new field of science.
If you would like to contribute, in the "Your name" field put the name of your blog, then in parenthesis include a short summary of the good news. For the "Your URL" field put the link to your post about the good news, use the perma link. Then mention Good News Thursday on your blog.
----------
Technorati tags: Good News
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Book Review
I highly recommend Where Does the Money Go? Your Guided Tour to the Federal Budget Crisis.
Bittle and Johnson explain the budget jargon and what catch phrases really mean. It is an easy to read book suitable for teens and adults.
Here's a sobering excerpts from the book:
I liked this part:
This is a good way to evaluate candidates:
A closing thought:
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Tags : Scott Bittle, Jean Johnson, Where Does the Money Go? , Federal Budget Crisis, income tax, estate tax,
Bittle and Johnson explain the budget jargon and what catch phrases really mean. It is an easy to read book suitable for teens and adults.
Here's a sobering excerpts from the book:
Unless we make some changes, by 2040, nearly every dollar the government collects in taxes will be needed for Social Security, Medicare, and paying interest on the debt.
I liked this part:
Five Signs You're Being a Lazy Citizen
1. You are not registered to vote.
2. You vote only in presidential elections.
3. If they agree with you on X, they've got your vote.
4. You never listen to the candidates' debate.
5. You just read the headlines.
This is a good way to evaluate candidates:
When to be afraid, very afraid
1. They promise popular new programs without saying how to pay for them.
2. They promise tax cuts without saying where the money will come from.
3. They put costs in a "supplemental" spending bill.
4. They hide pet projects in "emergency" spending bills.
A closing thought:
Unfortunately, just balancing the budge every year isn't going to cut it. The country is already roughly $9 trillion in debt, and we have massive expenses coming up with the boomers getting long in the tooth. So stopping the deficit spending isn't much more than putting your finger in the dike. We need to take additional steps, and we need to take them soon.
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Tags : Scott Bittle, Jean Johnson, Where Does the Money Go? , Federal Budget Crisis, income tax, estate tax,
Carnival of Homeschooling - The April Fool's Day Edition
History of April Fool's Day from Wikipedia:
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The origins of this custom are complex and a matter of much debate. It is likely a relic of the once common festivities held on the vernal equinox, which began on the 25th of March, old New Year's Day, and ended on the 2nd of April.
Though the 1st of April appears to have been observed as a general festival in Great Britain in antiquity, it was apparently not until the beginning of the 18th century that the making of April-fools was a common custom. In Scotland the custom was known as "hunting the gowk," i.e. the cuckoo, and April-fools were "April-gowks," the cuckoo being a term of contempt, as it is in many countries.
One of the earliest connections of the day with fools is Chaucer's story the Nun's Priest's Tale (c.1400), which concerns two fools and takes place "thritty dayes and two" from the beginning of March, which is April 1. The significance of this is difficult to determine.
Europe may have derived its April-fooling from the French.[1] French and Dutch references from 1508 and 1539 respectively describe April Fools' Day jokes and the custom of making them on the first of April. France was one of the first nations to make January 1 officially New Year's Day (which was already celebrated by many), by decree of Charles IX. This was in 1564, even before the 1582 adoption of the Gregorian calendar (See Julian start of the year). Thus the New Year's gifts and visits of felicitation which had been the feature of the 1st of April became associated with the first day of January, and those who disliked or did not hear about the change were fair game for those wits who amused themselves by sending mock presents and paying calls of pretended ceremony on the 1st of April.
In France the person fooled is known as poisson d'avril (April fish). This has been explained as arising from the fact that in April the sun quits the zodiacal sign of the fish. The French traditionally celebrated this holiday by placing dead fish on the backs of friends. Today, real fish have been replaced with sticky, fish-shaped paper cut-outs that children try to sneak onto the back of their friends' shirts. Candy shops and bakeries also offer fish-shaped sweets for the holiday.
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There are a 100 pranks in: April Fool's Day Pranks. We've selected a few:
The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest
It is interesting to see what young seeds grow into. Jen who writes in her Diary of 1 recounts listening to Business 101 From an Eight-Year-Old.
As public schools "hope for the best," NerdMom of the Nerd Family explains that public schools are really “Educational Welfare” in the Heart of the Matter.
The Taco Liberty Bell
I wonder if Katherine from No fighting, no biting! saw the Liberty Bell on their return trip from Washington DC in directions? keys? then off we go...
They saw combining food with learning improving the learning process. Home Spun Juggling shows how to teach your children about The Trojan Graham Horse.
What would Patrick Henry say? Timothy Power from Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent evaluates the recent court rulings from California in I'm Not So Sure I Like Where This Is Heading...
Samuel Adams will be ringing the bell to ralley the citizens. The Weekly Muse from Love 2B Homeschoolers warns that The homeschooling laws in CT may be changing.
Have your children sold tacos? Barbara Frank in Our Entrepreneurial Homeschooler says the Moores were right: homeschooled kids have lots of entrepreneurial opportunities, from lemonade stands to much more.
San Serriffe
Picking the right font can make a difference for a book. Mandy of Home Sweet Home is getting ready to homeschool her son next year and found treasure: FREE Books!
Every day a newspaper prints the equivelent of a book. SmallWorld reports on how their Support Group ended in up in the Local Newspaper.
It is always good to be thoughtful about what you read in the newspaper. Sebastian at Percival Blakeney Academy takes a closer look at an article on Muslim Homeschoolers.
Even with the right font, you still need to print the books. Ruby from Freehold2 explains why there are No Textbooks for English Students at the public schools in Quebec.
There are so many books, it can be helpful to have suggestions on what to start with. The e-Mom from C h r y s a l i s has several lists of 100 Books Every Child Should Read.
Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers
Homeschoolers often think outside of the books. The Thinking Mother shows the homeschooling attitude can extend beyond academics in her book review of Swim with Me.
Homeschoolers often travel Homeschooling and Learning Resources points out a few ways homeschoolers can have Unique Learning Adventures.
Do your children know their geography? Henry of Why Homeschool is having fun with the poll widgets and wonders How much time do you spend homeschooling your children?
Do your children know their math? Maria from the Homeschool Math Blog is giving away two T-shirts from Homeschool Boutique with a slogan of your choice.
Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity
Stephanie from Stop the Ride! tells us an inexpensive way to take field trips year round in A Free Fun Day (almost). Maybe some day our children will take field trips on the moon.
To understand science it helps to have a firm foundation in math. Denise at Let’s play math! provides some help for parents who have children struggling with Subtracting mixed numbers: A cry for help. Key point: try to make it more simple.
Studying science can help us understand logic. The Headmistress of The Common Room expounds on some logical fallacies in Some People Commit Crimes, So Investigate EVerybody
Issac Newton made a great break though which helped us to understand gravity. The Little Homeschool on the Prairie shares their progress in Newton and Notebooking.
Google PigeonRank
Google balances many factors in selecting the web pages which may be match a search pattern. The Life Without School Blog says Home Schooling, Share Schooling and Cooperatives is a balancing act.
Google is very supportive of robotics. Alasandra of Alasandra's Homeschool Blog Awards reminds use that homeschoolers do more than study at home. She writes her son joined the Team Fusion 364 which took a prize at the Bayou Regionals.
Do you ever wonder what kind of handwriting pigeons would have? From The Daily Planet Amanda says one of my favorite school subjects was handwriting... hence, I Heart Handwriting!
MITkey Mouse
I would be tempted to go to MITkey Mouse University. CampusGrotto has some ideas about what to consider when you take your homeschooler out on College Visits and Tours.
What kind of tour with MITkey Mouse University give prospective students? From Consent Of The Governed Judy discloses what they have learned in Doing College Visits.
Are you teaching a child to read? The World According to Me has a review of Sing, Spell, Read and Write. Once chldren start to read the magical world of reading opens to them.
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 A Pondering Heart.
If you are interested in submitting a post for a future carnival, click here for information.
We 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
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The origins of this custom are complex and a matter of much debate. It is likely a relic of the once common festivities held on the vernal equinox, which began on the 25th of March, old New Year's Day, and ended on the 2nd of April.
Though the 1st of April appears to have been observed as a general festival in Great Britain in antiquity, it was apparently not until the beginning of the 18th century that the making of April-fools was a common custom. In Scotland the custom was known as "hunting the gowk," i.e. the cuckoo, and April-fools were "April-gowks," the cuckoo being a term of contempt, as it is in many countries.
One of the earliest connections of the day with fools is Chaucer's story the Nun's Priest's Tale (c.1400), which concerns two fools and takes place "thritty dayes and two" from the beginning of March, which is April 1. The significance of this is difficult to determine.
Europe may have derived its April-fooling from the French.[1] French and Dutch references from 1508 and 1539 respectively describe April Fools' Day jokes and the custom of making them on the first of April. France was one of the first nations to make January 1 officially New Year's Day (which was already celebrated by many), by decree of Charles IX. This was in 1564, even before the 1582 adoption of the Gregorian calendar (See Julian start of the year). Thus the New Year's gifts and visits of felicitation which had been the feature of the 1st of April became associated with the first day of January, and those who disliked or did not hear about the change were fair game for those wits who amused themselves by sending mock presents and paying calls of pretended ceremony on the 1st of April.
In France the person fooled is known as poisson d'avril (April fish). This has been explained as arising from the fact that in April the sun quits the zodiacal sign of the fish. The French traditionally celebrated this holiday by placing dead fish on the backs of friends. Today, real fish have been replaced with sticky, fish-shaped paper cut-outs that children try to sneak onto the back of their friends' shirts. Candy shops and bakeries also offer fish-shaped sweets for the holiday.
-------------------
There are a 100 pranks in: April Fool's Day Pranks. We've selected a few:
The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest
In 1957 the respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers were taken in. Many called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomatically replied that they should "place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."Planting seeds is important. Renae from Life Nurturing Education writes about the Dirty Work and importance of preparing before planting seeds.
It is interesting to see what young seeds grow into. Jen who writes in her Diary of 1 recounts listening to Business 101 From an Eight-Year-Old.
As public schools "hope for the best," NerdMom of the Nerd Family explains that public schools are really “Educational Welfare” in the Heart of the Matter.
The Taco Liberty Bell
In 1996 the Taco Bell Corporation announced that it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged citizens called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the bell was housed to express their anger. Their nerves were only calmed when Taco Bell revealed, a few hours later, that it was all a practical joke. The best line of the day came when White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale. Thinking on his feet, he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold. It would now be known as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.
I wonder if Katherine from No fighting, no biting! saw the Liberty Bell on their return trip from Washington DC in directions? keys? then off we go...
They saw combining food with learning improving the learning process. Home Spun Juggling shows how to teach your children about The Trojan Graham Horse.
What would Patrick Henry say? Timothy Power from Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent evaluates the recent court rulings from California in I'm Not So Sure I Like Where This Is Heading...
Samuel Adams will be ringing the bell to ralley the citizens. The Weekly Muse from Love 2B Homeschoolers warns that The homeschooling laws in CT may be changing.
Have your children sold tacos? Barbara Frank in Our Entrepreneurial Homeschooler says the Moores were right: homeschooled kids have lots of entrepreneurial opportunities, from lemonade stands to much more.
San Serriffe
In 1977 the British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement devoted to San Serriffe, a small republic located in the Indian Ocean consisting of several semi-colon-shaped islands. A series of articles affectionately described the geography and culture of this obscure nation. Its two main islands were named Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse. Its capital was Bodoni, and its leader was General Pica. The Guardian's phones rang all day as readers sought more information about the idyllic holiday spot. Few noticed that everything about the island was named after printer's terminology. The success of this hoax is widely credited with launching the enthusiasm for April Foolery that gripped the British tabloids in subsequent decades.
Picking the right font can make a difference for a book. Mandy of Home Sweet Home is getting ready to homeschool her son next year and found treasure: FREE Books!
Every day a newspaper prints the equivelent of a book. SmallWorld reports on how their Support Group ended in up in the Local Newspaper.
It is always good to be thoughtful about what you read in the newspaper. Sebastian at Percival Blakeney Academy takes a closer look at an article on Muslim Homeschoolers.
Even with the right font, you still need to print the books. Ruby from Freehold2 explains why there are No Textbooks for English Students at the public schools in Quebec.
There are so many books, it can be helpful to have suggestions on what to start with. The e-Mom from C h r y s a l i s has several lists of 100 Books Every Child Should Read.
Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers
In its April 1995 issue Discover Magazine announced that the highly respected wildlife biologist Dr. Aprile Pazzo had discovered a new species in Antarctica: the hotheaded naked ice borer. These fascinating creatures had bony plates on their heads that, fed by numerous blood vessels, could become burning hot, allowing the animals to bore through ice at high speeds. They used this ability to hunt penguins, melting the ice beneath the penguins and causing them to sink downwards into the resulting slush where the hotheads consumed them. After much research, Dr. Pazzo theorized that the hotheads might have been responsible for the mysterious disappearance of noted Antarctic explorer Philippe Poisson in 1837. "To the ice borers, he would have looked like a penguin," the article quoted her as saying. Discover received more mail in response to this article than they had received for any other article in their history.
Homeschoolers often think outside of the books. The Thinking Mother shows the homeschooling attitude can extend beyond academics in her book review of Swim with Me.
Homeschoolers often travel Homeschooling and Learning Resources points out a few ways homeschoolers can have Unique Learning Adventures.
Do your children know their geography? Henry of Why Homeschool is having fun with the poll widgets and wonders How much time do you spend homeschooling your children?
Do your children know their math? Maria from the Homeschool Math Blog is giving away two T-shirts from Homeschool Boutique with a slogan of your choice.
Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity
In 1976 the British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2 that at 9:47 AM a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event was going to occur that listeners could experience in their very own homes. The planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a gravitational alignment that would counteract and lessen the Earth's own gravity. Moore told his listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment that this planetary alignment occurred, they would experience a strange floating sensation. When 9:47 AM arrived, BBC2 began to receive hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to have felt the sensation. One woman even reported that she and her eleven friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the room.
Stephanie from Stop the Ride! tells us an inexpensive way to take field trips year round in A Free Fun Day (almost). Maybe some day our children will take field trips on the moon.
To understand science it helps to have a firm foundation in math. Denise at Let’s play math! provides some help for parents who have children struggling with Subtracting mixed numbers: A cry for help. Key point: try to make it more simple.
Studying science can help us understand logic. The Headmistress of The Common Room expounds on some logical fallacies in Some People Commit Crimes, So Investigate EVerybody
Issac Newton made a great break though which helped us to understand gravity. The Little Homeschool on the Prairie shares their progress in Newton and Notebooking.
Google PigeonRank
Google claimed that Google's search results were created by vast batteries of trained pigeons. "Building upon the breakthrough work of B. F. Skinner, Page and Brin reasoned that low cost pigeon clusters (PCs) could be used to compute the relative value of web pages faster than human editors or machine-based algorithms. And while Google has dozens of engineers working to improve every aspect of our service on a daily basis, PigeonRank continues to provide the basis for all of our web search tools."Some times we can be confused by our dreams. Brenda at The Family Revised shares her reflections looking back on their first year of homeschooling – the dream vs. the reality.
Google balances many factors in selecting the web pages which may be match a search pattern. The Life Without School Blog says Home Schooling, Share Schooling and Cooperatives is a balancing act.
Google is very supportive of robotics. Alasandra of Alasandra's Homeschool Blog Awards reminds use that homeschoolers do more than study at home. She writes her son joined the Team Fusion 364 which took a prize at the Bayou Regionals.
Do you ever wonder what kind of handwriting pigeons would have? From The Daily Planet Amanda says one of my favorite school subjects was handwriting... hence, I Heart Handwriting!
MITkey Mouse
On April 1, 1998 the homepage of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced some startling news: the prestigious university was to be sold to Walt Disney Co. for $6.9 billion. A photograph of the university's famous dome outfitted with a pair of mouse ears accompanied the news.
The press release explained that the university was to be dismantled and transported to Orlando where new schools would be added to the campus including the School of Imagineering, the Scrooge McDuck School of Management, and the Donald Duck Department of Linguistics. The fact that the announcement appeared on MIT's homepage added official credibility to it. But in fact, the announcement was the work of students who had hacked into the school's central server and replaced the school's real web page with a phony one.
I would be tempted to go to MITkey Mouse University. CampusGrotto has some ideas about what to consider when you take your homeschooler out on College Visits and Tours.
What kind of tour with MITkey Mouse University give prospective students? From Consent Of The Governed Judy discloses what they have learned in Doing College Visits.
Are you teaching a child to read? The World According to Me has a review of Sing, Spell, Read and Write. Once chldren start to read the magical world of reading opens to them.
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 A Pondering Heart.
If you are interested in submitting a post for a future carnival, click here for information.
We 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
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