The following are selections from the last week of HomeSchoolBuzz.com:
At 17 Brantley Wilson, a homeschooled young man, earned two AA degrees.
An article about the benefits of unschooling.
An article about how many homeschool families are using tutors to do most of the teaching.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, tutor, tutoring, unschool, unschooling
Monday, June 12, 2006
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Ways to improve traffic
Seth Godin has 56 ways to improve traffic. There are a number of good ideas. Some of them were new to me.
And building on Seth's list, Rajesh Setty (of Life Beyond Code) adds another 20 ways to build traffic.
(Hat tip: The Truth Laid Bear, education community)
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Technorati tags: blog, blogging, blog traffic, traffic, Seth Godin, Rajesh Setty
And building on Seth's list, Rajesh Setty (of Life Beyond Code) adds another 20 ways to build traffic.
(Hat tip: The Truth Laid Bear, education community)
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Technorati tags: blog, blogging, blog traffic, traffic, Seth Godin, Rajesh Setty
The Carnival of Kid Comedy, week 14
About six months ago we took the plunge. We organized the Carnival of Homeschooling and have hosted it a number of times. Now for the first time we are hosting another carnival, the Carnival of Kid Comedy. Below are this week's submissions.
Kim, of Life in a Shoe, is the organizer for the Carnival of Kid Comedy. The focus is on the funny things children say and do. You can find the archive of past carnivals here.
Without any further ado, we'll start the carnival:
Geography
Karen Edmisten reports on her daughter's amazing ability to find Greenland. (As a bonus, check out her daughter's observation about being tiny.) Over at A Helper Suitable, Jennifer struggles to help her daughter understand the difference between New Hamster and New Hampshire.
Food
Food is a big part of our life. Children often have misconceptions about food. Jennie, of Far Beyond Pearls, reports back to us that her son has decided that to be the man of the house he has to eat his beans. At The Common Room, the Headmistress shares some of the first words her very polite (only) son learned to say.
At Bruggie Tales Ariel reports on the problems of protecting her sweets from her sisters. Janine, of Why Homeschool, shares a problem of keeping sweets from her daughters.
Short posts - 1, 2, 3
Often it only takes a few words to share a funny experience. Kaitlyn, one of Seven Silly Southern Sisters, recounts her sister's answer to their father. Kim, of Life in a Shoe, shares two funny episodes. At Island's Life are three short funnies.
The rest of the stories
At Nerd Family, Nerd Mom posts about Nerd Pie. The Queen of All Evil shares a story of her son's quick wit, which lead to his avoiding a punishment.
Some funny events become classics and get talked about for years. At Principled Discovery, Dana writes about how she would tease her little brother. At Patricia Ann's Pollywog Creek Porch is an event Patricia's family has remembered over many years.
Hopefully you have enjoyed this week's Carnival of Kid Comedy. Thanks to all those whohave helped, and especially those who participated.
Here are some helpful links:
Carnival Host schedule
Hosting tips and guidelines
Carnival archives
Carnival rules and guidelines
Submit a post to the next carnival
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Technorati tags: funny, humor, humorous, comedy, children, kid, geography, food, Carnival of Kid Comedy, Kid Comedy
Kim, of Life in a Shoe, is the organizer for the Carnival of Kid Comedy. The focus is on the funny things children say and do. You can find the archive of past carnivals here.
Without any further ado, we'll start the carnival:
Geography
Karen Edmisten reports on her daughter's amazing ability to find Greenland. (As a bonus, check out her daughter's observation about being tiny.) Over at A Helper Suitable, Jennifer struggles to help her daughter understand the difference between New Hamster and New Hampshire.
Food
Food is a big part of our life. Children often have misconceptions about food. Jennie, of Far Beyond Pearls, reports back to us that her son has decided that to be the man of the house he has to eat his beans. At The Common Room, the Headmistress shares some of the first words her very polite (only) son learned to say.
At Bruggie Tales Ariel reports on the problems of protecting her sweets from her sisters. Janine, of Why Homeschool, shares a problem of keeping sweets from her daughters.
Short posts - 1, 2, 3
Often it only takes a few words to share a funny experience. Kaitlyn, one of Seven Silly Southern Sisters, recounts her sister's answer to their father. Kim, of Life in a Shoe, shares two funny episodes. At Island's Life are three short funnies.
The rest of the stories
At Nerd Family, Nerd Mom posts about Nerd Pie. The Queen of All Evil shares a story of her son's quick wit, which lead to his avoiding a punishment.
Some funny events become classics and get talked about for years. At Principled Discovery, Dana writes about how she would tease her little brother. At Patricia Ann's Pollywog Creek Porch is an event Patricia's family has remembered over many years.
Hopefully you have enjoyed this week's Carnival of Kid Comedy. Thanks to all those whohave helped, and especially those who participated.
Here are some helpful links:
Carnival Host schedule
Hosting tips and guidelines
Carnival archives
Carnival rules and guidelines
Submit a post to the next carnival
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Technorati tags: funny, humor, humorous, comedy, children, kid, geography, food, Carnival of Kid Comedy, Kid Comedy
Kids say the funniest things
Recently, my five year old daughter surprised me with the remark, "I pray that they can cure diabetes someday."
I've been diabetic since I was 12 years old. I am in the enviable position of being in the no/low complications category even after almost 30 years of this disease. My shots, blood tests, insulin pumps, and frequent doctor visits have always been part of my children's life.
With the use of an insulin pump and frequent blood tests, I have been able to maintain my blood sugar level in a lower range. This type of treatment helps prevent complications but also runs a higher risk of blood sugar levels falling too low. As a result, I always carry a blood tester and "emergency supplies" such as a juice box or candy with me to treat low blood sugar levels. The same is true when I go to bed at night. I keep a juice box or candy by my bed to treat the occasional night time lows. My children are aware of the importance of these "treats" and are very careful not to touch them.
Because I've never really discussed the long term risks of diabetes with my children, I was surprised and touched by my daughter's comment. She had such an angelic look on her face. I thought what a sweet and generous child to pray for her mother that way.
My musing was cut short as she finished her statement in a solemn voice, "I pray that they can cure diabetes someday......that way you won't have to eat treats in front of us anymore and not share."
I've been diabetic since I was 12 years old. I am in the enviable position of being in the no/low complications category even after almost 30 years of this disease. My shots, blood tests, insulin pumps, and frequent doctor visits have always been part of my children's life.
With the use of an insulin pump and frequent blood tests, I have been able to maintain my blood sugar level in a lower range. This type of treatment helps prevent complications but also runs a higher risk of blood sugar levels falling too low. As a result, I always carry a blood tester and "emergency supplies" such as a juice box or candy with me to treat low blood sugar levels. The same is true when I go to bed at night. I keep a juice box or candy by my bed to treat the occasional night time lows. My children are aware of the importance of these "treats" and are very careful not to touch them.
Because I've never really discussed the long term risks of diabetes with my children, I was surprised and touched by my daughter's comment. She had such an angelic look on her face. I thought what a sweet and generous child to pray for her mother that way.
My musing was cut short as she finished her statement in a solemn voice, "I pray that they can cure diabetes someday......that way you won't have to eat treats in front of us anymore and not share."
Links to interesting postings - 10 June 2006
Bruggie Tales found a Catholic Homeschooling Blog Directory.
Anne, the PalmTree Pundit, found a post by Anthony Bradley about a new law in Florida to have 14-year-olds pick a major. I agree with Anne and Anthony, this is the wrong way to improve education.
Sherry, at Semicolon, has a number of posts about boys. She has suggestions for books for little boys, classic fiction for nine year old boys, and series for nine year old boys.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, Florida, boys, high school
Anne, the PalmTree Pundit, found a post by Anthony Bradley about a new law in Florida to have 14-year-olds pick a major. I agree with Anne and Anthony, this is the wrong way to improve education.
Sherry, at Semicolon, has a number of posts about boys. She has suggestions for books for little boys, classic fiction for nine year old boys, and series for nine year old boys.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, Florida, boys, high school
We're back
We're back from the cruise! We're all pretty exhausted. Janine and I often feel like the floor is moving back and forth, like we are still at sea.
We booked the cruise 5 days before it sailed. Last week Janine called to ask if they still had room. The agent said the best deal they had for the five of us was just over $2,000. Janine said she’d call try again another week and the agent quickly found a much better deal. It was kind of like buying a used car. Carnival is motivated to charge what ever they can get, but they want to fill the rooms.
We arrived in Long Beach Monday afternoon. We boarded our ship, Carnival's Paradise. The ship is huge. It holds around 2,500 guests and 900 crew. Paradise is almost 900 feet long and is about 70,000 tons.
The ship sailed about 5:00 PM. There was a practice drill, so the guests would know what to do in emergency. Our daughters were all given wrist bands which marked them as being as part of group A, so if we were separated the crew would know where to take them.
On Monday night we had dinner at 8:00 PM. The food was good. These were the fanciest dinners our daughters have ever had. They were amazed at all the silverware. We finished about 9:15 PM. We didn't get to bed until almost 10:00 PM. We were able to get our dinner time changed to 5:15 PM for the rest of the cruise.
Catalina
Tuesday we arrived at Catalina Island. Catalina is about twenty miles West of Long Beach. Paradise just floated at sea for the night. The ship was out in the harbor of Avalon. We had tenders to take us in. We rented a golf cart and drove around Avalon for an hour. Then the girls played in the sand while Janine and I tried, without any luck, to get our laptop to connect to one of the wireless networks. We headed back to Paradise for lunch. Then it was back to Avalon.
I went to an internet cafe. Janine took the girls shopping at a bookstore. It was an interesting contrast. Paradise charges 40 cents a minute for access to the internet. Often the PCs at the Paradise internet room were unused. Carnival would generate more profit if they charged less money and kept all of their PCs busy. The internet cafe at Avalon charged $5 for an hour.
Both times we took a tender into Avalon they made a big deal about how you needed to be at the dock by 4:00 PM, because the last tender left at 4:00 PM, and if you missed it, you missed the rest of the cruise. We returned to the dock at 3:00 PM.
Ensenada
Tuesday morning we arrived at Ensenada. Paradise docked and so we could just walk off and back on very easily. The shuttle took us to a shopping district. We got some trinkets, but didn't like the area we were in. There was some very obscene stuff for sale. The part of town we were in had lots of bars, and what appeared to be strip joints. If we ever return to Ensenada we'll head some where else.
At sea
Paradise spent Thursday at sea. Our daughters greatly enjoyed the main pool. It has a very fun slide. I read some. We packed up our suitcases.
Back in Long Beach
Friday morning we woke up at 6:30 AM, and had an early breakfast. Paradise pulled into Long Beach around 7:30 AM. We stood in line for forty five minutes to get off the ship. We loaded up our car and were on the road by 9:15. The traffic out of Los Angeles wasn't very bad.
Our daughters said this was their favorite vacation so far. Janine and I enjoyed the cruise, and we'll probably try another one in a year or two.
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Technorati tags: Carnival, cruise, Paradise, Catalina Island, Avalon, Ensenada
We booked the cruise 5 days before it sailed. Last week Janine called to ask if they still had room. The agent said the best deal they had for the five of us was just over $2,000. Janine said she’d call try again another week and the agent quickly found a much better deal. It was kind of like buying a used car. Carnival is motivated to charge what ever they can get, but they want to fill the rooms.
We arrived in Long Beach Monday afternoon. We boarded our ship, Carnival's Paradise. The ship is huge. It holds around 2,500 guests and 900 crew. Paradise is almost 900 feet long and is about 70,000 tons.
The ship sailed about 5:00 PM. There was a practice drill, so the guests would know what to do in emergency. Our daughters were all given wrist bands which marked them as being as part of group A, so if we were separated the crew would know where to take them.
On Monday night we had dinner at 8:00 PM. The food was good. These were the fanciest dinners our daughters have ever had. They were amazed at all the silverware. We finished about 9:15 PM. We didn't get to bed until almost 10:00 PM. We were able to get our dinner time changed to 5:15 PM for the rest of the cruise.
Catalina
Tuesday we arrived at Catalina Island. Catalina is about twenty miles West of Long Beach. Paradise just floated at sea for the night. The ship was out in the harbor of Avalon. We had tenders to take us in. We rented a golf cart and drove around Avalon for an hour. Then the girls played in the sand while Janine and I tried, without any luck, to get our laptop to connect to one of the wireless networks. We headed back to Paradise for lunch. Then it was back to Avalon.
I went to an internet cafe. Janine took the girls shopping at a bookstore. It was an interesting contrast. Paradise charges 40 cents a minute for access to the internet. Often the PCs at the Paradise internet room were unused. Carnival would generate more profit if they charged less money and kept all of their PCs busy. The internet cafe at Avalon charged $5 for an hour.
Both times we took a tender into Avalon they made a big deal about how you needed to be at the dock by 4:00 PM, because the last tender left at 4:00 PM, and if you missed it, you missed the rest of the cruise. We returned to the dock at 3:00 PM.
Ensenada
Tuesday morning we arrived at Ensenada. Paradise docked and so we could just walk off and back on very easily. The shuttle took us to a shopping district. We got some trinkets, but didn't like the area we were in. There was some very obscene stuff for sale. The part of town we were in had lots of bars, and what appeared to be strip joints. If we ever return to Ensenada we'll head some where else.
At sea
Paradise spent Thursday at sea. Our daughters greatly enjoyed the main pool. It has a very fun slide. I read some. We packed up our suitcases.
Back in Long Beach
Friday morning we woke up at 6:30 AM, and had an early breakfast. Paradise pulled into Long Beach around 7:30 AM. We stood in line for forty five minutes to get off the ship. We loaded up our car and were on the road by 9:15. The traffic out of Los Angeles wasn't very bad.
Our daughters said this was their favorite vacation so far. Janine and I enjoyed the cruise, and we'll probably try another one in a year or two.
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Technorati tags: Carnival, cruise, Paradise, Catalina Island, Avalon, Ensenada
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
The Carnival of Homeschooling, week 23, is up
Anne, the PalmTree Pundit, has this week's Carnival of Homeschooling. Her family has decided summer is here. Anne uses schools as fishes as the theme for this week's carnival.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Monday, June 05, 2006
Request for submissions for the next Carnival of Kid Comedy
Just to reiterate, we will be hosting the Carnival of Kid Comedy this Saturday. Here is last week's Carnival of Kid Comedy.
If you have a post about something funny your children have said or done recently, please submit it. If not, watch your children, they are sure to do something funny in the next couple days. Entries are due Friday night, by midnight. To send in a submission, go to the Conservative Cat's Carnival page.
Thanks.
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Technorati tags: Carnival of Kid Comedy, humor, blog carnival, children, comedy
If you have a post about something funny your children have said or done recently, please submit it. If not, watch your children, they are sure to do something funny in the next couple days. Entries are due Friday night, by midnight. To send in a submission, go to the Conservative Cat's Carnival page.
Thanks.
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Technorati tags: Carnival of Kid Comedy, humor, blog carnival, children, comedy
The cruise is off to a great start
We boarded the ship about 2:00 PM. The girls had a great time exploring the ship. There are about 2,500 guests, along with about 1,000 crew members.
Turns out internet access is only $0.40 a minute. So we'll post a little bit.
We had the practice drill about 5:30 PM. All of the guests are walked through what to do in case there is an emergency. Our dinner was at 8:00 PM, and we didn't get out until about 9:15 PM. The girls are pretty tired.
We'll pull into Catalina Island.
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Technorati tags: cruise, Carnival
Turns out internet access is only $0.40 a minute. So we'll post a little bit.
We had the practice drill about 5:30 PM. All of the guests are walked through what to do in case there is an emergency. Our dinner was at 8:00 PM, and we didn't get out until about 9:15 PM. The girls are pretty tired.
We'll pull into Catalina Island.
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Technorati tags: cruise, Carnival
We have hit the 500 post mark, and we're taking a vacation
Blogger says we have hit the 500 mark! It has been a fun nine months. We have learned a lot, and made some great friends.
Having hit a 500 post milestone it is a bit ironic that I'm announcing that blogging at Why Homeschool will be a bit light over the next couple days. We are going on a short four day cruise. The ship leaves later today and we'll return back on Friday morning. We've been told that accessing the internet costs $1.00 a minute. So we don't plan to post very often.
We had planned to take the cruise back in March for our anniversary. A month before the planned cruise in March we were delighted to find out Janine was pregnant. Unfortunately the the pregnancy ended and Janine developed serious complications. Janine's doctor said it was not safe to travel, and we canceled the cruise. Carnival was very gracious. They gave us about half the money back, and the rest as a credit. Janine wrote a very sad letter detailing the unfortunate situation. She included pictures of our daughters and a letter from her doctor.
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Technorati tags: cruise, Carnival
Having hit a 500 post milestone it is a bit ironic that I'm announcing that blogging at Why Homeschool will be a bit light over the next couple days. We are going on a short four day cruise. The ship leaves later today and we'll return back on Friday morning. We've been told that accessing the internet costs $1.00 a minute. So we don't plan to post very often.
We had planned to take the cruise back in March for our anniversary. A month before the planned cruise in March we were delighted to find out Janine was pregnant. Unfortunately the the pregnancy ended and Janine developed serious complications. Janine's doctor said it was not safe to travel, and we canceled the cruise. Carnival was very gracious. They gave us about half the money back, and the rest as a credit. Janine wrote a very sad letter detailing the unfortunate situation. She included pictures of our daughters and a letter from her doctor.
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Technorati tags: cruise, Carnival
Judy Aron is running for office
I enjoyed having a chance to interview Judy Aron. I've been aware of her for the last year or two. She is very much into limited government.
Judy is running for state representative in Connecticut. If you are interested in learning more about her campaign check out her web site, or this news article. If you want to help her, go here or here. Even though we're out on the West Coast, I will support her.
I ran for a state representative office about twenty years ago. I lost in the primary by a hundred votes. The winner of the primary lost to the incumbent about two to one. I've been involved in several other campaigns since, either on ballot issues or helping someone else run for office.
It is hard to run for office. One of the biggest problems for a challenger is getting people's attention. Money helps. By getting out fliers and signs you can reach out to people on an individual bases. Ads on radio and TV get out to large groups of people. All of this takes money. Many people will quickly stop at a restaurant or see a movie, but are slow to contribute money to a political cause. If Judy is someone you like, please consider sending her some money. Skip a movie and send her the price of the ticket. It will help.
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Technorati tags: Judy Aron, state representative, Connecticut
Judy is running for state representative in Connecticut. If you are interested in learning more about her campaign check out her web site, or this news article. If you want to help her, go here or here. Even though we're out on the West Coast, I will support her.
I ran for a state representative office about twenty years ago. I lost in the primary by a hundred votes. The winner of the primary lost to the incumbent about two to one. I've been involved in several other campaigns since, either on ballot issues or helping someone else run for office.
It is hard to run for office. One of the biggest problems for a challenger is getting people's attention. Money helps. By getting out fliers and signs you can reach out to people on an individual bases. Ads on radio and TV get out to large groups of people. All of this takes money. Many people will quickly stop at a restaurant or see a movie, but are slow to contribute money to a political cause. If Judy is someone you like, please consider sending her some money. Skip a movie and send her the price of the ticket. It will help.
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Technorati tags: Judy Aron, state representative, Connecticut
Saturday, June 03, 2006
More carnivals: Carnival of Pregnancy and Mom Bloggers Carnival
Jennifer James (Check out our interview with her) is starting a Mom Bloggers Carnival. Entries are due June 9, and the first carnival will be up June 12. Send entries to: mombloggerscarnival@gmail.com. Go here for more information.
The NerdMom of NerdFamily is kicking off a Carnival of Pregnancy! Entries are due June 14th. The carnival will be up on June 15th. Go to Blog Carnival to submit an entry. (Hat tip: Life in a shoe)
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Technorati tags: Mom Carnival, Mom Bloggers Carnival, Carnival of Pregenancy, Carnival, Mom, Pregnancy
The NerdMom of NerdFamily is kicking off a Carnival of Pregnancy! Entries are due June 14th. The carnival will be up on June 15th. Go to Blog Carnival to submit an entry. (Hat tip: Life in a shoe)
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Technorati tags: Mom Carnival, Mom Bloggers Carnival, Carnival of Pregenancy, Carnival, Mom, Pregnancy
A few more things from Judy Aron - German Roots of Outcome Based Education
Judy wrote a couple pages about the history of public education in: School To Careers; The German Roots of Outcome Based Education. She makes the point that public schools are design to produce workers, people who are ready to step into the factory or office.
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Technorati tags: Judy Aron, School to work, School to careers, Public education, public school, education, prussian model, John Taylor Gatto
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Technorati tags: Judy Aron, School to work, School to careers, Public education, public school, education, prussian model, John Taylor Gatto
Carnival of Kid Comedy, week 13, is up
This week's Carnival of Kid Comedy is at Life in a shoe. Check it out.
My wife and I will be hosting the Carnival of Kid Comedy next week. Go over to the Conservative Cat's Carnival page to submit a post about funny things your children have done. If you don't have something funny now, you have all week to watch your children. They are sure to do at least one funny thing.
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Technorati tags: Carnival of Kid Comedy, humor, blog carnival, children, comedy
My wife and I will be hosting the Carnival of Kid Comedy next week. Go over to the Conservative Cat's Carnival page to submit a post about funny things your children have done. If you don't have something funny now, you have all week to watch your children. They are sure to do at least one funny thing.
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Technorati tags: Carnival of Kid Comedy, humor, blog carnival, children, comedy
Audio interview with Joel Turtel
Bruno Behrend of Extreme Wisdom interviewed Joel Turtel. The interview is one hour and was on Bruno's radio talk show. I enjoyed it. Joel and Bruno review some of the history of education in America and how public education is only been around the last hundred years. They discussion some of the many problems with public schools.
Joel wrote Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie to Parents and Betray Our Children.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, quality teachers, public schools, Bruno Behrend, Extreme Wisdom, Joel Turtel
Joel wrote Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie to Parents and Betray Our Children.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, quality teachers, public schools, Bruno Behrend, Extreme Wisdom, Joel Turtel
Friday, June 02, 2006
Thought on being a writer v. an author
Interesting thought on the difference between being a writer and an author:
Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it. -Colette, writer (1873-1954)
(Hat tip: A.Word.A.Day)
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Technorati tags: author, writer
Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it. -Colette, writer (1873-1954)
(Hat tip: A.Word.A.Day)
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Technorati tags: author, writer
Selections from reddit.com - 2 June 2006
The following were found via reddit.com:
Yahoo! News reports Educators promote weighing students. Two years ago public schools in Arkansas started sending letters home to some parents telling them their children were overweight. The article is pretty positive, this is such a great thing. Doctors all over Arkansas are reporting that more parents are coming to see them about reducing the weight of their children. But I think this shows part of fundamental problem with public schools. Over the last couple decades literacy has been dropping. Today almost a third of young adults can't find the Pacific Ocean on a world map. But instead of focusing on their responsibility to teach children to read and write, public schools try to fix other people's problems.
In a column at the New York Daily News is a reminder that as a group public school teachers have one of the lowest levels of literacy in America. But rather than ask for a fundamental change in public schools the column ends with a plead for more money. I've read a number of reports that often highly qualified people will enter the teaching profession, only to be driven out a couple years later by things like mindless classes they have to take.
Jacob Hornberger, founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, has a great column on The Separation of Education and State. He points out that public education is run via central planning, and is thus the perfect model of socialism. He asks "Nearly everyone knows that socialism produces shoddy products and services. So why should anyone be surprised that public schooling does so as well?" It is a good column, well worth reading.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, quality teachers, public schools, school responsibility, Jacob Hornberger, The Future of Freedom Foundation
Yahoo! News reports Educators promote weighing students. Two years ago public schools in Arkansas started sending letters home to some parents telling them their children were overweight. The article is pretty positive, this is such a great thing. Doctors all over Arkansas are reporting that more parents are coming to see them about reducing the weight of their children. But I think this shows part of fundamental problem with public schools. Over the last couple decades literacy has been dropping. Today almost a third of young adults can't find the Pacific Ocean on a world map. But instead of focusing on their responsibility to teach children to read and write, public schools try to fix other people's problems.
In a column at the New York Daily News is a reminder that as a group public school teachers have one of the lowest levels of literacy in America. But rather than ask for a fundamental change in public schools the column ends with a plead for more money. I've read a number of reports that often highly qualified people will enter the teaching profession, only to be driven out a couple years later by things like mindless classes they have to take.
Jacob Hornberger, founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation, has a great column on The Separation of Education and State. He points out that public education is run via central planning, and is thus the perfect model of socialism. He asks "Nearly everyone knows that socialism produces shoddy products and services. So why should anyone be surprised that public schooling does so as well?" It is a good column, well worth reading.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, quality teachers, public schools, school responsibility, Jacob Hornberger, The Future of Freedom Foundation
Delayed Entry - by Judy Aron, Director of Research at NHELD
JudyAron (In case you missed the interview, here is an interview with Judy) is working on e-publishing a book later this year. The following is a selection, posted with permission, from the book.
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Delayed Entry - by Judy Aron
copyright 2006 by Judy Aron
Sometimes starting college means deferring entry for a year. Yes, you heard me correctly. There are colleges that ask you to go off and do something interesting with your life before settling down to college coursework. They are even offering many benefits to those students who defer for a year. For example, I know of one young man who worked and traveled through 5 continents last year before he started his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania.
Why would colleges ask you to do such a thing?
Well for one thing they try to offset some of their large freshman classes and it relieves the problem of crowded freshman dormitories. One such college that is doing this is Dartmouth in New Hampshire, and they will even give students free room and board if they choose to go off and relax and travel the world.
Many students already have a fully loaded senior year of high school (homeschoolers included!!) and admissions officers are seeing a larger pool of very qualified students. They send out many application acceptances and cannot predict well enough how many of those will turn into actual attendees. They also have seen that too many students show up pretty burned out by their freshman semester. So in response, colleges have seen that it is a good idea to have the option for students to take a year off and relax, travel and work a bit. On Harvard's web site there is a paper entitled "Time Out; Or Burn Out for the Next Generation" which outlines opportunities available to explore during an interim year.
One of the biggest benefits that colleges like Harvard, Dartmouth and UPenn have seen is that these students come back with a clearer picture of what it is they would like to do. Students come to school with fresh new insights and experiences that help them to contribute to their classroom and overall college experience. They return home with solid ideas about where they want their college career to take them. For instance, they may decide after working on some environmental project in the Amazon that they want to pursue studies in science regarding renewable energy, or in International Relations. They may also find out that working with animals is definitely not for them. It also gives them once in a lifetime travel opportunities. Additionally, these kids make global connections and are able to network with people outside of their own backyard. They learn to speak other languages more fluently and they have a better understanding of the world.
Programs such as Americorps, CityYear and others offer great learning experiences in the United States and abroad. The Center for Interim Studies is an agency that offers their services in helping students find internships, jobs and travel and they have seen an enormous rise in interest. More and more kids are trying to figure out what it is they want to do before they plunk down thousands of dollars in college tuitions. It just makes a lot more sense nowadays to start college when you are more prepared to pursue something specific especially since kids are already coming to college with a good amount of college credit through AP exams and CLEP's and college courses under their belts.
If you are interested in deferring for a year, contact the college that you are looking to attend and see if they have such a program. If they do not, then you may want to reconsider your college choice.
Check out places like The Center for Interim Studies, Willing Workers on Organic Farms,
City Year and Americorps.
There are also homeschooling parents with children who have benefited from these programs, so ask around in your homeschool group.
There is a world of opportunity out there for you! So check it out.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, college, Judy Aron
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Delayed Entry - by Judy Aron
copyright 2006 by Judy Aron
Sometimes starting college means deferring entry for a year. Yes, you heard me correctly. There are colleges that ask you to go off and do something interesting with your life before settling down to college coursework. They are even offering many benefits to those students who defer for a year. For example, I know of one young man who worked and traveled through 5 continents last year before he started his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania.
Why would colleges ask you to do such a thing?
Well for one thing they try to offset some of their large freshman classes and it relieves the problem of crowded freshman dormitories. One such college that is doing this is Dartmouth in New Hampshire, and they will even give students free room and board if they choose to go off and relax and travel the world.
Many students already have a fully loaded senior year of high school (homeschoolers included!!) and admissions officers are seeing a larger pool of very qualified students. They send out many application acceptances and cannot predict well enough how many of those will turn into actual attendees. They also have seen that too many students show up pretty burned out by their freshman semester. So in response, colleges have seen that it is a good idea to have the option for students to take a year off and relax, travel and work a bit. On Harvard's web site there is a paper entitled "Time Out; Or Burn Out for the Next Generation" which outlines opportunities available to explore during an interim year.
One of the biggest benefits that colleges like Harvard, Dartmouth and UPenn have seen is that these students come back with a clearer picture of what it is they would like to do. Students come to school with fresh new insights and experiences that help them to contribute to their classroom and overall college experience. They return home with solid ideas about where they want their college career to take them. For instance, they may decide after working on some environmental project in the Amazon that they want to pursue studies in science regarding renewable energy, or in International Relations. They may also find out that working with animals is definitely not for them. It also gives them once in a lifetime travel opportunities. Additionally, these kids make global connections and are able to network with people outside of their own backyard. They learn to speak other languages more fluently and they have a better understanding of the world.
Programs such as Americorps, CityYear and others offer great learning experiences in the United States and abroad. The Center for Interim Studies is an agency that offers their services in helping students find internships, jobs and travel and they have seen an enormous rise in interest. More and more kids are trying to figure out what it is they want to do before they plunk down thousands of dollars in college tuitions. It just makes a lot more sense nowadays to start college when you are more prepared to pursue something specific especially since kids are already coming to college with a good amount of college credit through AP exams and CLEP's and college courses under their belts.
If you are interested in deferring for a year, contact the college that you are looking to attend and see if they have such a program. If they do not, then you may want to reconsider your college choice.
Check out places like The Center for Interim Studies, Willing Workers on Organic Farms,
City Year and Americorps.
There are also homeschooling parents with children who have benefited from these programs, so ask around in your homeschool group.
There is a world of opportunity out there for you! So check it out.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, college, Judy Aron
Remember the long range goals
Carolyn Morrison of Guilt-Free Homeschooling makes a great point that as parents We're Not Raising Children -- We're Raising Adults. (Hat tip: Homeschool Blog Watch)
Sometimes as parents, and especially as homeschoolers, we focus on the day to day issues. Are the children fed? Do their clothes match? Are they learning to read? Have they finished a project? We may forget to spend time on character issues.
Carolyn reminds us that we need to remember that we are trying to help our children grow up to competent adults who can handle adult responsibilities. She makes the point that this doesn't happen overnight. We need to help our children mature in stages.
Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence suggests that character is more important than IQ. He sees emotional intelligence as self-awareness, impulse control, persistence, self-motivation, empathy and social deftness. These are all part of being an adult.
Academics are important. I want my daughters to have a wide breath of knowledge about the world. This will help them to be happier and more effective adults. But Carolyn is right, we need to remember the long range goals. I also want my daughters to grow up to be adults.
Thanks for the reminder Carolyn.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, parenting, adults, children
Sometimes as parents, and especially as homeschoolers, we focus on the day to day issues. Are the children fed? Do their clothes match? Are they learning to read? Have they finished a project? We may forget to spend time on character issues.
Carolyn reminds us that we need to remember that we are trying to help our children grow up to competent adults who can handle adult responsibilities. She makes the point that this doesn't happen overnight. We need to help our children mature in stages.
Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence suggests that character is more important than IQ. He sees emotional intelligence as self-awareness, impulse control, persistence, self-motivation, empathy and social deftness. These are all part of being an adult.
Academics are important. I want my daughters to have a wide breath of knowledge about the world. This will help them to be happier and more effective adults. But Carolyn is right, we need to remember the long range goals. I also want my daughters to grow up to be adults.
Thanks for the reminder Carolyn.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, parenting, adults, children
Homeschooling a deaf or hard of hearing child
Barbara Handley has a web site for Homeschoooling Your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child.
Barbara has a list of 10 Reasons to Homeschool Your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child and Five Challenges to Consider.
There are times our daughters are hard of hearing, but normally we'll just them put the book down. Once they stop reading their hearing greatly improves.
Hat tip: The Homeschooling Revolution.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, deaf, child, Barbara Handley
Barbara has a list of 10 Reasons to Homeschool Your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child and Five Challenges to Consider.
There are times our daughters are hard of hearing, but normally we'll just them put the book down. Once they stop reading their hearing greatly improves.
Hat tip: The Homeschooling Revolution.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, deaf, child, Barbara Handley
Just three days to send in your entry for the next Carnival of Homeschooling
Anne, the PalmTree Pundit, will be hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling next week. Select an interesting post on homeschooling and send it in.
As always check here for details on how to submit. Entries are always due Monday evenings at 6:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, blog carnival, Carnival of Homeschooling
As always check here for details on how to submit. Entries are always due Monday evenings at 6:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, blog carnival, Carnival of Homeschooling
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Interview: Jennifer James - Director of National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance
Below is an interview with Jennifer James done via email. While doing the research for an interview I am always impressed by things the individual has done and is doing. Jennifer is no exception. She is doing a lot of good.
I hope you enjoy the interview.
-------------------
Brief bio:
Jennifer James, publisher of Mommy Too! Magazine, is a strong and vocal advocate for home education in the US African-American community. She is also the director of the National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance. She has been interviewed by many news organizations, including CNN, Reuters, Newsday, and the Christian Science Monitor. She is a wife and the mother of two young daughters and blogs about home schooling and working at home at ClubMom.
Personal:
Tell us a bit about your childhood. What did you and your three brothers like to do? What kinds of trips did your family take? What are your best memories of your childhood?
I had a great childhood. I was always deeply immersed in some book or trying to learn something new. I was one of those children who enjoyed reading encyclopedias and the dictionary for fun. I still do that.
My brothers and I didn’t play together much because they were always out getting dirty somewhere. I didn’t like spending much time outside. I spent most of my time in my room reading, writing, watching TV (I’m a huge sports fan), or simply spent time with my family and pets.
Each summer my parents took us to the beach. I loved it. We’d spend an entire week just having fun as a family and enjoying the sand and surf. We also would take day-trips to the mountains or to a state park, walked trails and have a picnic. We did that more times that I can count. The summer before my 9th grade year my parents took us to the Bahamas. It was the first time I had been out of the country. It was an amazing trip and I learned a lot of history there. In all, I had a lot of fun during my childhood.
In The Mothers Movement Online (MMO) interview in 2003 you said you had originally planned on a career in international law. What attracted you to a degree in Asian Studies? What other careers had you considered?
In the early 1990’s I knew Asia was going to be a real hotbed of financial opportunity and cultural change. My concentration was specifically on China. At the time I wanted to be in the thick of all the changes that were soon to take place. I also planned on being a journalist. All of that fell away when I decided to get married and have children. My mother always stayed at home with us and I wanted to do the same for my daughters. I believe they deserved that from their mom.
Also in the MMO interview you said your mother was the only mother in the neighborhood which stayed at home. Was this the main reason you decided to be a stay at home mother?
Yes.
Homeschooling:
You have been homeschooling for a couple years now. What were some of your initial reasons for homeschooling? Have you found some more reasons?
My husband and I decided to homeschool simply because as products of public school ourselves we knew we could do a better job teaching our children. I don’t say this to take away from the job teachers do, but rather as a testament to the confidence we have in our ability to educate our daughters.
As time has progressed, we’ve decided to homeschool for a variety of other reasons. Raising black children today is not an easy task. We didn’t want to send our children to public school where they potentially could be heavily influenced by other children who have an inherent apathy for education and distain for being smart. We also didn’t want our children to feel they couldn’t achieve because they are black. When I was in school I was always in advanced, AG and AP classes. I also tended to be the only or one of a few blacks in those classes from kindergarten to 12th grade. We didn’t want our children to be put in that situation this early. Once we have instilled in them the confidence they need to understand they are indeed intelligent and to always strive for success and excellence, maybe our thoughts about this will change.
What are your typical homeschooling days?
Our homeschooling days are very relaxed. I’ve intentionally designed it that way. From early one, I’ve always made sure that our daughters are well advanced for their age (at least two grades) because it takes a lot of the pressure off of me since I’m such a busy mom. It also allows me to introduce advanced books, ideas and lessons to them.
After breakfast we’ll sit around the kitchen table and start our lessons. After that’s complete my oldest has to read for an hour while I read to my youngest. And then throughout the day they’re always learning about something new whether it’s a new bird that’s visited our bird feeder, or a new country they might have seen on Discovery.
What have been some of your unusual homeschooling events?
We haven’t done anything really unusual.
African-American Education issues:
Often when I read about blacks and education the point is made that when black students study hard they are accused of being white. Just over 50 years ago we had Brown v. The Board of Education, black parents fought hard so their children could have a good education. Yet now it seems like education is no longer valued. What happened?
Truly, I have no idea. There are so many theories about blacks and education that it would make anyone’s head spin. I don’t think scholars who have dedicated their lives to this very issue fully understand what happened. All I know is I don’t want our daughters to be a product of poor education and black educational apathy. My husband and I regularly teach our daughters about actions and consequences. We tell them if they’re smart they can attend a great university and attain a wonderful job. If they aren’t smart then they won’t. It’s all real cut and dry for us – smarts and intelligence equals success. Laziness and unintelligence leads to a rough time in life.
On the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. The Board of Education Bill Crosby chastised blacks for not making their children work harder. Thomas Sowell applauded Bill Cosby for having the guts to point out that at least part of the problem blacks have in America is of their own doing. Are things turning around? Are more black parents acknowledging their role, and stepping up to help their children get a better education?
I’d like to think so. Since so many black parents around the country are inquiring about home schooling, I think it’s starting to stick that as black parents they have to do more; that they have to take some initiative in the educational success of their own children. Even if they can’t homeschool, I believe some parents are starting to wake up to the notion that they can’t rely on other people to successfully teach their children. They have to have a steady hand in the process as well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Bill Cosby’s lectures and ideas will seep into the collective consciousness of those blacks who have traditionally allowed their children to fail in school.
National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance:
You started up NAAHA almost three and a half years ago. You have a good collection of resources and articles. What are the typical things you do as the NAAHA director?
Since there are so many black families who are just starting to figure out that homeschooling is an option they can also use, I spend most of my days responding to email inquiries and talking to the media. That’s all I have time to do right now. I want and need to write a book specifically for black homeschoolers and am looking for a publisher.
What is the need for an organization targeted at black homeschoolers? What issues do black homeschoolers face that other homeschoolers might not worry about?
This is a great question because many who aren’t black don’t understand why a NAAHA exists.
A group specifically for black homeschoolers is essential because there are issues that need to be addressed to the black community that don’t necessarily pertain to others. For example, NAAHA assures blacks that it’s perfectly fine to homeschool. Many blacks feel guilty for homeschooling or even entertaining the notion of homeschooling because it took so long for blacks to attain equal access to education. They feel it would be a direct slap in the face to what the Civil Rights Movement achieved. Additionally, public school advocates and educators tell these families that they are the precise families who should stick around in the public schools because they can help repair it. We always maintain that we don’t have time to help fix public schools. We have our children’s lives to think about.
Plus, as a black homeschooling organization we stress the need for parents to rid their home of the idea that “acting white” is an okay attitude to have. We also emphasize the importance of building a home library and curbing TV time, two factors that if not done increases the chance that a black child will not succeed in their education. In this regard, a group for black homeschoolers is extremely necessary.
What do you think will happen in the future with the black community and homeschooling?
I hope the black homeschooling community continues to grow and thrive. That is my ultimate wish. It’s hard to think of what might happen in the future. I just go day by day and watch.
Thank you for letting me interview you.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, Jennifer James, Mommy Too! Magazine, Mommy Too!, National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance, NAAHA, black homeschoolers, Brown v. The Board of Education, Bill Cosby
I hope you enjoy the interview.
-------------------
Brief bio:
Jennifer James, publisher of Mommy Too! Magazine, is a strong and vocal advocate for home education in the US African-American community. She is also the director of the National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance. She has been interviewed by many news organizations, including CNN, Reuters, Newsday, and the Christian Science Monitor. She is a wife and the mother of two young daughters and blogs about home schooling and working at home at ClubMom.
Personal:
Tell us a bit about your childhood. What did you and your three brothers like to do? What kinds of trips did your family take? What are your best memories of your childhood?
I had a great childhood. I was always deeply immersed in some book or trying to learn something new. I was one of those children who enjoyed reading encyclopedias and the dictionary for fun. I still do that.
My brothers and I didn’t play together much because they were always out getting dirty somewhere. I didn’t like spending much time outside. I spent most of my time in my room reading, writing, watching TV (I’m a huge sports fan), or simply spent time with my family and pets.
Each summer my parents took us to the beach. I loved it. We’d spend an entire week just having fun as a family and enjoying the sand and surf. We also would take day-trips to the mountains or to a state park, walked trails and have a picnic. We did that more times that I can count. The summer before my 9th grade year my parents took us to the Bahamas. It was the first time I had been out of the country. It was an amazing trip and I learned a lot of history there. In all, I had a lot of fun during my childhood.
In The Mothers Movement Online (MMO) interview in 2003 you said you had originally planned on a career in international law. What attracted you to a degree in Asian Studies? What other careers had you considered?
In the early 1990’s I knew Asia was going to be a real hotbed of financial opportunity and cultural change. My concentration was specifically on China. At the time I wanted to be in the thick of all the changes that were soon to take place. I also planned on being a journalist. All of that fell away when I decided to get married and have children. My mother always stayed at home with us and I wanted to do the same for my daughters. I believe they deserved that from their mom.
Also in the MMO interview you said your mother was the only mother in the neighborhood which stayed at home. Was this the main reason you decided to be a stay at home mother?
Yes.
Homeschooling:
You have been homeschooling for a couple years now. What were some of your initial reasons for homeschooling? Have you found some more reasons?
My husband and I decided to homeschool simply because as products of public school ourselves we knew we could do a better job teaching our children. I don’t say this to take away from the job teachers do, but rather as a testament to the confidence we have in our ability to educate our daughters.
As time has progressed, we’ve decided to homeschool for a variety of other reasons. Raising black children today is not an easy task. We didn’t want to send our children to public school where they potentially could be heavily influenced by other children who have an inherent apathy for education and distain for being smart. We also didn’t want our children to feel they couldn’t achieve because they are black. When I was in school I was always in advanced, AG and AP classes. I also tended to be the only or one of a few blacks in those classes from kindergarten to 12th grade. We didn’t want our children to be put in that situation this early. Once we have instilled in them the confidence they need to understand they are indeed intelligent and to always strive for success and excellence, maybe our thoughts about this will change.
What are your typical homeschooling days?
Our homeschooling days are very relaxed. I’ve intentionally designed it that way. From early one, I’ve always made sure that our daughters are well advanced for their age (at least two grades) because it takes a lot of the pressure off of me since I’m such a busy mom. It also allows me to introduce advanced books, ideas and lessons to them.
After breakfast we’ll sit around the kitchen table and start our lessons. After that’s complete my oldest has to read for an hour while I read to my youngest. And then throughout the day they’re always learning about something new whether it’s a new bird that’s visited our bird feeder, or a new country they might have seen on Discovery.
What have been some of your unusual homeschooling events?
We haven’t done anything really unusual.
African-American Education issues:
Often when I read about blacks and education the point is made that when black students study hard they are accused of being white. Just over 50 years ago we had Brown v. The Board of Education, black parents fought hard so their children could have a good education. Yet now it seems like education is no longer valued. What happened?
Truly, I have no idea. There are so many theories about blacks and education that it would make anyone’s head spin. I don’t think scholars who have dedicated their lives to this very issue fully understand what happened. All I know is I don’t want our daughters to be a product of poor education and black educational apathy. My husband and I regularly teach our daughters about actions and consequences. We tell them if they’re smart they can attend a great university and attain a wonderful job. If they aren’t smart then they won’t. It’s all real cut and dry for us – smarts and intelligence equals success. Laziness and unintelligence leads to a rough time in life.
On the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. The Board of Education Bill Crosby chastised blacks for not making their children work harder. Thomas Sowell applauded Bill Cosby for having the guts to point out that at least part of the problem blacks have in America is of their own doing. Are things turning around? Are more black parents acknowledging their role, and stepping up to help their children get a better education?
I’d like to think so. Since so many black parents around the country are inquiring about home schooling, I think it’s starting to stick that as black parents they have to do more; that they have to take some initiative in the educational success of their own children. Even if they can’t homeschool, I believe some parents are starting to wake up to the notion that they can’t rely on other people to successfully teach their children. They have to have a steady hand in the process as well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Bill Cosby’s lectures and ideas will seep into the collective consciousness of those blacks who have traditionally allowed their children to fail in school.
National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance:
You started up NAAHA almost three and a half years ago. You have a good collection of resources and articles. What are the typical things you do as the NAAHA director?
Since there are so many black families who are just starting to figure out that homeschooling is an option they can also use, I spend most of my days responding to email inquiries and talking to the media. That’s all I have time to do right now. I want and need to write a book specifically for black homeschoolers and am looking for a publisher.
What is the need for an organization targeted at black homeschoolers? What issues do black homeschoolers face that other homeschoolers might not worry about?
This is a great question because many who aren’t black don’t understand why a NAAHA exists.
A group specifically for black homeschoolers is essential because there are issues that need to be addressed to the black community that don’t necessarily pertain to others. For example, NAAHA assures blacks that it’s perfectly fine to homeschool. Many blacks feel guilty for homeschooling or even entertaining the notion of homeschooling because it took so long for blacks to attain equal access to education. They feel it would be a direct slap in the face to what the Civil Rights Movement achieved. Additionally, public school advocates and educators tell these families that they are the precise families who should stick around in the public schools because they can help repair it. We always maintain that we don’t have time to help fix public schools. We have our children’s lives to think about.
Plus, as a black homeschooling organization we stress the need for parents to rid their home of the idea that “acting white” is an okay attitude to have. We also emphasize the importance of building a home library and curbing TV time, two factors that if not done increases the chance that a black child will not succeed in their education. In this regard, a group for black homeschoolers is extremely necessary.
What do you think will happen in the future with the black community and homeschooling?
I hope the black homeschooling community continues to grow and thrive. That is my ultimate wish. It’s hard to think of what might happen in the future. I just go day by day and watch.
Thank you for letting me interview you.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, Jennifer James, Mommy Too! Magazine, Mommy Too!, National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance, NAAHA, black homeschoolers, Brown v. The Board of Education, Bill Cosby
What is Success by Judy Aron, Director of Research at NHELD
JudyAron (In case you missed the interview, here is an interview with Judy) is working on e-publishing a book later this year. The following is a selection, posted with permission, from the book.
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What is Success? - by Judy Aron
copyright 2006 by Judy Aron
David Brooks, senior editor of The Weekly Standard, recently posed this question: "If your kid was accepted at Harvard, but you secretly thought he or she would be happier at Bennington, would you have the guts to turn Harvard down?" This to me is a really intriguing question, as it highlights the very reasons why we homeschool.
As homeschoolers we have said no to the pressure-filled meritocratic system that organized schooling has come to represent. A meritocratic system rewards achievement for achievement's sake. It is an environment that fosters kids not to take risks because success is so important, and failure is so detrimental in many ways. Kids learn that if they stick to the things they are good at, rather than the thing they have a passion for or an interest in, then it is easier for them to succeed. What end does that produce? People going into professions that may make them money or status, but ultimately professions that they don't really enjoy or will limit their ability and time to do the things they really love. Organized schooling makes the great mistake of rewarding being a good student rather than having a passion for what is being learned. Anyone can learn to be a good student and play the game of pleasing the teacher to get the coveted A. The time spent in the meritocratic system is one which energies are spent on obtaining that goal of perfection that everyone else defines for you. As a homeschooler your child most likely is the one defining his or her own success. To that end, we are usually more successful because we put value on our passions and interests.
This is not to say that homeschoolers ignore the rigors of education. I know some homeschoolers that study and work very hard. Their hard work is usually self imposed and self motivated. In cases where it is mom or dad who defines the goals, they at least do it with the child's' abilities and interests in mind. In a typical school setting this usually is not the case as kids must all conform to the cookie cutter, and are pushed to excel in areas they are not interested in nor wish to be interested in. That is where the kids learn to play the game of doing just whatever it takes to get the "A". It never means they learn anything that will stick in the process.
I have heard a number of times from admissions counselors that they are weary of reading the applications that demonstrate how the usual high school applicant has traveled to the Himalayas, cured a fatal disease, single-handedly started a non-profit corporation, and are fluent in 5 languages. They are refreshed to see a person who is well rounded and has a passion for a particular field of study. Amidst that passion they love to hear what you have done with it.
The kid with the perfect SAT scores and phenomenal accomplishments are the ones who most likely have not had much time with family, or relationships in general, or time for themselves. They most likely are the types that drive themselves so hard that it is just a matter of time before they will self-destruct. They are the ones who will achieve so much but never know who they really are, because they haven't given themselves the time to explore who they are. They are the very kids who have learned that success means they must sell their souls for money and work 40 hours overtime each week at some high priced Wall Street firm rather than learning to live a spiritually satisfying life doing what they love to do.
I think we forget that like most things, success and reaching ones goals is not the destination but it is the journey. As homeschoolers we can be successful in the pursuit of learning, getting into a good college, exploring career opportunities, winning contests and scholarships. I think we are successful not because we have killed ourselves or played some game to get there, but because our achievements come along with the natural course of what we are doing. It's like the old saying, "Do what you love to do and the money will come after it."
So do you have the true test of character? Find out what your true calling, passion, interest is and pursue it even if it doesn't meet the rest of the world's criteria of success? Will your child be different from the child who graduates from an outstanding university with all kinds of achievements, not having a clear sense of what their mission in life is or who they are? Or will they remain excited in what they are doing and truly follow their dreams and create success and achievement in that? Would you reject Harvard?
(Previous section in Judy's book: Not Going to College)
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, college, Judy Aron
---------
What is Success? - by Judy Aron
copyright 2006 by Judy Aron
David Brooks, senior editor of The Weekly Standard, recently posed this question: "If your kid was accepted at Harvard, but you secretly thought he or she would be happier at Bennington, would you have the guts to turn Harvard down?" This to me is a really intriguing question, as it highlights the very reasons why we homeschool.
As homeschoolers we have said no to the pressure-filled meritocratic system that organized schooling has come to represent. A meritocratic system rewards achievement for achievement's sake. It is an environment that fosters kids not to take risks because success is so important, and failure is so detrimental in many ways. Kids learn that if they stick to the things they are good at, rather than the thing they have a passion for or an interest in, then it is easier for them to succeed. What end does that produce? People going into professions that may make them money or status, but ultimately professions that they don't really enjoy or will limit their ability and time to do the things they really love. Organized schooling makes the great mistake of rewarding being a good student rather than having a passion for what is being learned. Anyone can learn to be a good student and play the game of pleasing the teacher to get the coveted A. The time spent in the meritocratic system is one which energies are spent on obtaining that goal of perfection that everyone else defines for you. As a homeschooler your child most likely is the one defining his or her own success. To that end, we are usually more successful because we put value on our passions and interests.
This is not to say that homeschoolers ignore the rigors of education. I know some homeschoolers that study and work very hard. Their hard work is usually self imposed and self motivated. In cases where it is mom or dad who defines the goals, they at least do it with the child's' abilities and interests in mind. In a typical school setting this usually is not the case as kids must all conform to the cookie cutter, and are pushed to excel in areas they are not interested in nor wish to be interested in. That is where the kids learn to play the game of doing just whatever it takes to get the "A". It never means they learn anything that will stick in the process.
I have heard a number of times from admissions counselors that they are weary of reading the applications that demonstrate how the usual high school applicant has traveled to the Himalayas, cured a fatal disease, single-handedly started a non-profit corporation, and are fluent in 5 languages. They are refreshed to see a person who is well rounded and has a passion for a particular field of study. Amidst that passion they love to hear what you have done with it.
The kid with the perfect SAT scores and phenomenal accomplishments are the ones who most likely have not had much time with family, or relationships in general, or time for themselves. They most likely are the types that drive themselves so hard that it is just a matter of time before they will self-destruct. They are the ones who will achieve so much but never know who they really are, because they haven't given themselves the time to explore who they are. They are the very kids who have learned that success means they must sell their souls for money and work 40 hours overtime each week at some high priced Wall Street firm rather than learning to live a spiritually satisfying life doing what they love to do.
I think we forget that like most things, success and reaching ones goals is not the destination but it is the journey. As homeschoolers we can be successful in the pursuit of learning, getting into a good college, exploring career opportunities, winning contests and scholarships. I think we are successful not because we have killed ourselves or played some game to get there, but because our achievements come along with the natural course of what we are doing. It's like the old saying, "Do what you love to do and the money will come after it."
So do you have the true test of character? Find out what your true calling, passion, interest is and pursue it even if it doesn't meet the rest of the world's criteria of success? Will your child be different from the child who graduates from an outstanding university with all kinds of achievements, not having a clear sense of what their mission in life is or who they are? Or will they remain excited in what they are doing and truly follow their dreams and create success and achievement in that? Would you reject Harvard?
(Previous section in Judy's book: Not Going to College)
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, college, Judy Aron
Have your children done something funny recently?
The Carnival of Kid Comedy is looking for posts about funny things children have done. The carnival will be hosted this Saturday at High Desert Hi-Jinks.
If your children have done something humorous recently, consider posting and submitting. Go to the Conservative Cat's Carnival page to submit. Entries are due Friday night.
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Technorati tags: Carnival of Kid Comedy, humor, blog carnival, children
If your children have done something humorous recently, consider posting and submitting. Go to the Conservative Cat's Carnival page to submit. Entries are due Friday night.
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Technorati tags: Carnival of Kid Comedy, humor, blog carnival, children
Links to interesting postings - 1 June 2006
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is beautiful.
Isabel found a good list of homeschooling resources, with a fun cartoon.
Spunky has a post about preschool, which is currently a big debate in California. I like Spunky's line: "Motherhood is God's plan for universal preschool. Anything else is just a cheap imitation."
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, preschool
Isabel found a good list of homeschooling resources, with a fun cartoon.
Spunky has a post about preschool, which is currently a big debate in California. I like Spunky's line: "Motherhood is God's plan for universal preschool. Anything else is just a cheap imitation."
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, education, preschool
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