There’s something for everyone in this delightful, 58-page e-book by Donna Campos: creativity with display boards, desk makeovers, file folder timelines, creative ways to use index cards, and a variety of different household organizers.
Donna is a creative guru! She’ll tell you how to use a simple display board to create customized calendars for learning, keeping track of chores, or assigning schoolwork.
She’ll show you how to use a display board to create a puppet theatre, in which your children can act out historical events or their own stories.
And you won’t want to miss her desk makeover. I call it the Extreme Makeover for Homeschoolers! Donna has provides detailed instructions on how to maximize convenience and space in your home using a narrow computer desk, caster wheels, and a variety of hooks, brackets and dowel rods. Amazing!
And timelines . . . forget purchasing timelines. Donna presents a unique answer to the creation and storage of timelines using . . . well you’ll just have to read the book! Trust me, you won’t want to miss this one either!
Every homeschooler will benefit from this e-book whether you’re looking for ways to create more space, save money, or just plain have some fun. To get more information or purchase this e-book, go to the TOS Web site.
I have the privilege of mentoring a young lady during her 9th grade year. Her name is Chaney. We are going to meet every Wednesday during the school year and work on school projects. Her mom is allowing me to work with her on grammar, composition, history and literature. How much fun is that!
I wrote about our first day on my personal blog - Cindy Downes. I'll continue to add to this blog as our year goes by. Chaney has started a blog here on HSB. She is MercyMoon. Stop by and make her your friend!
I just discovered a science resource called The Young Scientist Club. It was designed by a team of students at Harvard University to increase a child's interest in science.
Each month (or bi-monthly depending on the subscription you choose), your child receives a science kit and instructions. The kits cover all sorts of topics from batteries to bacteria to bones and muscles. You can see a complete list here. Not only do the kits introduce your child to science, but they also reinforce thinking and writing skills.
I definitely recommend this as a good investment in your child's science education!
Jul. 18, 2009 - Wow - I can't believe it's been so long!
It's been a long time since I posted on here. My life has been SO BUSY!
I'm off school this summer and enjoying the time to catch up on projects I've neglected since 2007! I also joined Toastmasters and some writing groups. That has been fun.
I also had to do some DEEP cleaning as I haven't had time to do much of that while school was in session.
My hubbie and I went on vacation last week - first since I started school. We went to Dallas and bought lots of books! You can never have too many books. I found a new bookstore in Dallas called Legacy Books. It's the largest independent bookstore in the U.S. Because it's independent, it offers a lot of different books than you'll find in Borders, B&N, and BooksAMillion. I highly recommend it.
Finally, done with college for the year. I have two classes left in the Fall and then I graduate in December. Hallelujah! I hope to spend some time on here blogging again this summer. I miss it!
I'll be out of circulation again for two weeks. I am taking a 2-week intercession class in services marketing at OSU. It's a 3-credit course crammed into two weeks. Never done this before - wish me luck! Have a great May. I'll be back later this month!
I just learned about SpellQuizzer today, a spelling software program for Windows only. What intrigued me about the program is that you can type in and record your own spelling words. Your child hears the word and has to type the correct spelling back into the computer.
I think this would be great with a resource like Spelling Power. Use the software to teach and test the spelling lists while you work on something else with another child. These two items would be the only curriculum you would need for spelling for 1-12th grade!
May. 2, 2009 - I am so excited - I get a whole week to blog!
I got out of school early since I don't have to take any finals! So, I have a whole week to catch up on my homeschool blogs! I have really missed you all!
I missed the curriculum fair in Oklahoma City today because I had to take my cat to the vet at the last minute. He has some kind of eye infection.
I have a couple of products I need to add under Reviews, so I hope to get to that this week also. After my week off, I have two weeks of all-day classes; then I have June and July off. Yipee! After that, only two more classes and I will be DONE!
I just finished reading TOS's Wee-Book, Lincoln vs. Darwin and found it very interesting! This is the perfect resource to use as a discussion starter or as an introduction to a unit on Lincoln, Darwin, or evolution. It's short so it doesn't take a lot of time. It includes discussion questions to get you started. And it's full of very interesting facts about Lincoln and Darwin. Best of all, right now it's FREE!
Lincoln vs. Darwin is just one of several Wee-Books now available on their Web site. What a novel idea!
Jan. 28, 2009 - Why a Private College Might be a Better Choice
For those of you who are getting ready to send your children off to college, here is some information you might want to consider. I am currently attending a public college here in Oklahoma and currently taking a Mass Communication Law class. This week's lesson is on student rights at college campuses. Here is a quote:
"The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals enunciated what are now the well-established rules concerning censorship of the college press:
The fact that a state university provides funding, faculty or departmental advice, or campus facilities does not authorize university officials to censor the content of a student publication.
Individual four-letter words are insufficient reason to censor;
The state university cannot be considered the same as a private publisher with absolute arbitrary power to control content;
The university is an arm of the state, cannot make private publisher decisions about content;
The university cannot be held liable for the content of student publications."
This ruling was made in the case where students had published two short stories with "bad" language and subject matter. I can't repeat the incidence here, but trust me, it's not what you'd want to hear!
This kind of reasoning also regulates the teaching at the state university. I have heard more than a few discussions that are, to say the least, interesting, but fully protected in the courts as Free Speech.
My main reason for writing this is for those of you who are thinking of sending your children to a public college before they graduate. This is a warning of to you. Your children are not protected from "bad" language and other forms of expression in a public college as they are in a public high school where there is still some restraint on Free Speech because of the age of the children.
Here in Oklahoma we're in the middle of an ice storm again! So, no college last night or tonight. I should be studing, but instead, I find myself blogging! I miss everyone!
Since my husband is a photographer and several homeschooled students I know are now entering the field of photography, I thought it would be a great idea to do a unit on Photography. This unit was written for teens in 7th-12th grade. I hope you enjoy!
Tomorrow is Martin Luther King day. Why not take the day and learn more about Martin Luther King? To help you, I've included some resources on my blog: How Do I Teach . . . ? Enjoy!
