Walking Therein

Homeschoolers and Science: Creationism or Evolution?

1:08 PM, Monday, April 14, 2008 .. Posted in Are you Wondering If You Should Homeschool .. 2 comments .. Link

In his article, Homeschoolers Who Don´t Learn Science Shouldn´t Receive a Diploma, Mr. Shives opens with a telling attitude about homeschooling: "There are many, many things I find dubious about the practice of parents homeschooling their children." He then proceeds to go on to prove he knows little about homeschooling and especially about the way children learn by saying, "I wonder how a mother or father who has not been educated as a teacher, who in many cases has not even been to college her/himself, can possibly provide their child with as good an education as students receive in our much-maligned public schools. And I can´t help but think that these homeschool students, of whom there are several million in the United States, are being robbed of a crucial formative experience by not attending school with other people their age and being forced to interact with a diverse group of peers."

I have to laugh out loud with his purely simple assessment of the totality of a child's "crucial formative experience", their learning experience, to "attending school with other people their age and being forced to interact with a diverse group of peers". The guy really needs to meet some homeschoolers, maybe read a few blogs. I don't have to force my children to do much, if anything. They interact well with others their own age and below and beyond. They love to learn. They are excited about life. They have learned this by being homeschooled, because, by its very nature, it nurtures a love for family, people and learning.

The entire rest of the article does not even address this 'concern' of his, so why does he say all of this? What could be so important for him to have to give this opinion about homeschoolers? Is he worried that we need to mix homeschoolers in with the other government-schooled kids as a giant science experiment to see what happens? No. I think the word "forced" is the tell-tale word here. He believes that homeschooled children should be forced to go to a government school and learn a government-based agenda. I think the word diverse is what he wants to force on homeschoolers. As in religious diversity.

Reading further into the article, you will find that he is worried that the fundamentalist Christian homeschoolers are not learning about evolution. He makes it abundantly clear that his definition of science, which only includes an evolutionary theory as the basis, must be forced on all those Creationists. Now, his article is entitled Homeschoolers Who Don´t Learn Science Shouldn´t Receive a Diploma, but, let's call it as it is, and just say that he would like the creationists to trade in their own religious beliefs for his of evolution.

He is so concerned that the Creationist definition of the creation of the earth is being taught to homeschooled children. He has been indoctrinated into the belief in the theory of Darwinism and evolution as the only way the earth was created, and he believes it as the truth. It is quite ironic that this is a concern of creationists about the government schools, isn't it? We are concerned about the fact that the Creation as told in the Bible has been taken out of science and the schools, along with prayer, morality and other God-given admonishments of truth and replaced with humanism, evolution, political-correctness and immorality.

He states, "Instead of evolutionary biology, which has been the keystone of the life sciences for over 150 years, homeschool students are taught creationism—that the God of the Bible personally created the universe more or less as described in the Book of Genesis. There are several varieties of creationism—Young Earth, Old Earth, Omphalosian, Neo—all thoroughly discredited. Increasingly, it is dressed in the pseudoscientific trappings of intelligent design. Whatever its proponents choose to call it, regardless of the intellectual contortions it performs to make the Biblical creation account plausible, it isn´t science and it should never be taught as such."
First of all, science, Creationism, etc. have been around for a lot longer than 150 years. So, if we want to go the route of teaching what has been around for the longest time, let's go with Creationism. The story of Adam and Eve, Creation, the snake, etc., have been passed down from generation to generation for six thousand years. Just because a government legislates something as what to teach does not always make it right or truth.

Secondly, to call it "pseudoscientific trappings", is purely his own conjecture. I can absolutely say the same thing about evolution. Just because evolution-proponents choose to dismiss discoveries that prove Creationism or ignore where evolutionary science has been refuted does not make evolution true.
The definition of pseudo-science is "a pretended or mistaken science," 1844, from pseudo- (q.v.) + science.
This is definitely one we as Creationists can apply to evolutionists, just as they apply to us. To me, that makes it opinion, based on our own experiences and knowledge.
Another definition of pseudoscience is "a system of theories, assumptions, and methods erroneously regarded as scientific."

In answer to his opinion that homeschoolers should have to learn his idea of science to receive a diploma, I say he is stepping into boundaries he does not have any knowledge of. He is making assumptions that Christian homeschoolers do not learn about evolution at all. Honestly, we teach our children about evolution. We teach our children in high school about evolution from an educational standpoint, not as truth overriding the Creator. We also watch public television, and when you do, you can't help but have to explain evolution to some degree. Matt and I sit there astonished at the absurd questions evolutionists have to things we just attribute to God as Creator, all-knowing. We wonder at God and His creation. We know to whom these wonders are attributed.

The question of college is one that I do not even need to speak to. The flood of colleges who want homeschoolers in their schools has been documented many times before. Homeschoolers are good students. They are serious students. Colleges know this. Colleges are accepting homeschooled students, period.
Let us talk about careers, though. How many high school graduates actually attend, finish and receive a degree at college, then go into the field of study they received that degree in?
Now, how many of them are scientific careers requiring a belief in evolution?
How many careers require a belief in evolution?
We need people in this world to work at fast-food restaurants, check out our groceries and pick up our trash. We need police officers and highway men and furniture salesmen. Most people are not going to become molecular biologists. I am obviously not saying that homeschoolers aren't, but if you read his article, you would believe that homeschoolers are believing fairy dust and in no wise could pass a college science course. I see no facts presented to support this theory.

I believe this article was written based on the different opinions the author has heard about homeschoolers and tied it in with the same outrage most people have about homeschooling: they can't control it. It is good. It is working, and they can't get their hands into it. I don't believe he did his research about homeschooling. He even had to add and Edit into the article to correct the demographics of homeschoolers. I think his article is more about fundamentalist Christian homeschoolers not having their children indoctrinated into evolution as their government-schooled counterparts are.

So, to sum up this ideology, if the colleges only teach evolution or sciences based on evolutionary science, which is a flawed theory, then everyone must simply go along with it, in order to survive in this world. Homeschoolers must teach evolution as science in their homes in order for their students to receive a diploma. If they are not taught evolution as fact, a Christian could not survive in college based on that alone. The one factor Mr. Shives is missing, yet again, is the God factor. We fundamentalist Creationist Christians believe that with God all things are possible. Even in a world that is fooled by the religion of evolution.

If you would like to read this same article posing the question as to whether government-schooled children should receive a diploma without learning about Creationism as science, Deb did a fantastic job of putting it all together. Tia also made the excellent point that "Believing in God does not change HOW any of those things work. It only changes my perspective on WHY it works," in her take on it at Home Where They Belong.

blessings!

Homeschool Conferences

10:49 PM, Thursday, April 10, 2008 .. Posted in Are you Wondering If You Should Homeschool .. 2 comments .. Link

I was thinking about posting some homeschool conference information, and I was searching my Inbox, and I found a note from

THM Editor:

If you can squeeze it in your family budget, I'd really encourage you to attend a homeschool conference in your area. TOS will be at eight different ones this year. If you get a chance, stop by our booth and say hello!

AFHE in Phoenix, AZ

Valley Home Educators in Modesto, CA

Southeast Homeschool Expo in Atlanta, GA

GHEA in College Park, GA

MASS Hope in Worcester, MA

CHAP in Harrisburg, PA

HEAV in Richmond, VA

WATCH in Seattle, WA

Whatever you do, wear your comfy shoes. Bring a bottle of water, a good pen, something to write on, and then one of those rolling carts or a handy tote bag. Just don't forget to pick up a little something special to take home for the kids. Whether it's a fun game, book, or gadget, it's sure to help the kids to look forward to the school year when you come home with something fun! They may need a little pick-me-up too.

Enjoy every minute!

PS - Click on your state or country to find a listing of homeschool conferences in your area!

I hope you enjoy any time you get to spend at a homeschool conference! If you get to meet Paul and Gena, give them big hugs from the Dixons!

blessings!

Why Would I Homeschool?

3:50 PM, Tuesday, April 1, 2008 .. Posted in Are you Wondering If You Should Homeschool .. 6 comments .. Link

We homeschoolers know that home education is the best for our children, and that socialization is not an issue, but many think that we parents are as obtuse as they think homeschooling is. The interesting thing about that is that most homeschool parents were schooled in a public or private school setting, and therefore have the knowledge of that type of education under their belts. For the vast majority, the same cannot be said for parents of public/private schooled children. Or, an even more interesting thing about it (read:ludicrous) is the adults who have such experience in education and opinions on homeschooling who have *no* children.

Many homeschoolers do believe homeschooling is the best life for all families and children. A lot of us see it as a mandate from God in His Word, where we are instructed as Believers to

Deuteronomy 6:6-7
"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

However, this belief is personal, and most of us don't care if you send your children to public or private schools or not, in regards to our opinions of you personally. We know, from seeing both sides of the coin which is best, but we also know what God's Word says, and we truly do believe it is the authority of the parents to make that decision. In other words, we may disagree with the choice to not homeschool, but it does not mean we feel superior or that you are ruining your children, we just know what we know about homeschooling.

Part of the reason many have ridiculous opinions of homeschooling is because they either know no homeschool families personally or have known of a bad homeschool family whose children are hoodlums. I have not heard of someone whose pool of homeschool knowledge went further than those two reasons. As a matter of fact, almost twenty years ago, my mother had neighbors who homeschooled, and I distinctly recall her making comments about how all the kids did was played outside all day. I can laugh at that now.

The fact was that they weren't outside all day, and when they were, we had no idea what they were playing or even the ages of the children. And, did they get up at 7am and do workbooks until 10am? Or maybe they had read their assignments and drawn their pictures or maybe they were learning social skills relating to one another outside on the swing set. Regardless of what they were doing, we had no idea that all experience is learning, only because of our jaded knowledge of learning as deemed by the public school system! Funny; I had forgotten about that.

Fast forward to now, and I could come up with a million things our children not only do outside, but learn when they are outside! See how perspective changes with experience and a little understanding?
The collective wrong beliefs about homeschooling are called myths. Like the way you carry a baby in utero tells you the sex of that baby. Or that we only use 10% of our brains or that shaving legs causes hair to grow back thicker. These are unproven ideas, and as a matter of fact, the only reason people believe them as fact is because someone else said it. Kinda' like myths about homeschooling.

I could not stand to be with my children all the time.
My children and I won't have any friends.
What about sports, band and other extra-curriculars?
My children will not learn how to socialize with other people.
Children cannot learn outside of a school setting.
I do not know how to teach - I would need a college degree in education to homeschool my children.
I don't want my children to be considered weird.
We don't have a large enough family. Don't you have to have 10 kids to homeschool?
Homeschooling would take too much of my time.
Homeschooling is too expensive.
Homeschooling is for religious fanatics and abusive parents
I couldn't stand to never leave the house.
I don't want to stay inside during school hours.
There are so many things I don't know. I could not teach them everything.
I could not teach science experiments at home.
Homeschoolers don't get a diploma, they get a GED.
Homeschoolers can't get into college.
My children don't listen to me.
My spouse and I both work.
Homeschoolers have to be tested each year by the public schools.
My child wants to go into the military.
Homeschoolers never smile.
I am too disorganized to homeschool.
I couldn't teach my children at the same time.

I don't know; if I address all of these ideas, this could become a book, instead of just a blog post. I can truly say that almost all of those can be defeated in Scripture, so if you are a Believer who supports those myths, pray and ask the Lord to reveal what He thinks about them. Too many times we buy into pop-culture christianity and don't really think through why we believe certain things. We homeschool our large family on one income, budgeting our money. Mostly, it is faith. God set us on this course, and He will provide. Period. Everything. Skill, knowledge, time, desire, money, everything.

I actually have had Christian parents tell me *in front of their children* that they could not stand to be home with their children all day. How very sad. Are children a blessing or a curse? The Bible tells us they are a Blessing, each and every one of them. He tells us that they are a heritage and a reward.

Psalm 127

3Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

So, maybe it's the parenting then or the influences of society, the public school system and children of families who do not serve the One True God. Whatever it is, 50% of the battle is in our minds and spirits, and it is high time to get it that God calls children a Blessing and even says that a man who has many children is happy. Happy, like blessed. I don't personally care if you choose to have one child or even none. I am reading the Bible. I am saying it says:

5Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Interestingly enough, the beginning of Psalm 127 says

1Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

2It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Except the Lord build the house. Not the state. Not the public education system. Not the church. The Lord.

So, if you are a homeschooler, you may not need to read these links, but it will give you great encouragement to know other homeschoolers not only understand, but have the same passion about it that you do. If you are not a homeschooler, read them over so that you may hear the truth from someone who does have it on authority and not just an opinion they heard somewhere.

Common Homeschooling Myths Dispelled

NHEN: Dispelling The Myths About Homeschooling
By Christine Webb

Family Lobby.com: The Most Common Home-schooling Myths Exposed and Explained

ChildAdvocate.org: Myths About Home Schooling/Self-Directed Learning & Commonsense Answers © 2003 by Laurie A. Couture, M.Ed, LMHC

Lew Rockwell.com: Homeschooling and the Myth of Socialization

Family Education:Social Skills and Homeschooling: Myths and Facts

Associated Content: Homeschool Truth, Homeschool Myth, Homeschool Fact: Some Things You Hear About Homeschoolers Are True, Others Are False

If you have written a post about Homeschool Myths, feel free to link it in the comments.

blessings!

Are You Home-Schooling?

3:29 PM, Wednesday, January 9, 2008 .. Posted in Are you Wondering If You Should Homeschool .. 7 comments .. Link

What exactly does homeschooling mean? Does it mean at schooling at home all day? Or for the school hours the public school system sets? Does it mean out of public school and instead schooling at home? Is it a locational thing? Can a family homeschool on the road?

These are all things I have heard mentioned in homeschooling circles and spoken about myself. I don't know if there is a clear-cut answer in all cases. Some families homeschool very well traveling the states or the world, keeping their family strong and teaching their children as they go. For some families, that would be a monumental disaster.

I used to think I could homeschool our children whether we were home or not. In other words, there were times I had to be at the church to run the sound for this or that event or I had to run this meeting or host that dinner. I *needed* to organize the music and prepare the songs for Sunday Worship, prepare to sing specials, lead the teen worship team, lead children's worship.... the list went on and on. And I had to go to a Creative Memories meeting once a month and scrapbook at least once a month. All of this was time for our older children to learn with me, I told myself.

Not that they didn't learn. They did. Amanda learned how to work the sound board and PowerPoint. Amanda, Jocelyn and Rachel all were in any skits or music specials, major productions, solos; because I was usually involved in leadership of them. They were good learning experiences. But, was it homeschooling?

Amanda and Jocelyn, at 14 and 13 could set up an entire Creative Memories display and tear it down and pack it up to leave. Amanda was very well-versed in speaking to customers - strangers - about Creative Memories or homeschooling or children, whatever topic they struck up with her in conversation. I remember when she was 14 and Isaac was just 4 months old. Amanda was carrying him in the front carrier, and everyone thought he was her baby. She was amazed they would think that, but, she was a natural at taking care of him, because she had learned so much from her previously-born siblings. All of this, speaking to customers, knowing a trade, caring for children - it is all good learning experiences, but is it homeschooling?

Honestly, what is homeschooling? Is it staying home, baking bread, sewing all of your own clothes, milking the goats, gathering eggs, butchering chickens, having a home business, sitting at the table working on workbooks.... Is that homeschooling? Yes. And no. To some, it is. To some it is not.

Or is homeschooling more about what our life is *not* like?
Does it mean our children are not running with their friends at the mall or not in front of the television for 5 hours a day, but rather their minds must be at home? Not at the sitter's, not at the neighbor's, not in a classroom, not at extra-curriculars all day? No, that doesn't fit all homeschoolers either. And, frankly, since I don't want you judging what homeschooling is for my family, I won't worry about what it is for yours.
But, I will tell you what it is for us.

Homeschooling is about the heart. It is about keeping their hearts at home. It is about being at home where we can teach our children and stop teaching and discipline our children or stop teaching and pray with our children. This is all teaching to us. It is about keeping our children home to learn where children - all children - learn best: at Daddy's or Momma's feet. Period. I know some families don't get that opportunity. I am sorry for that. Children's hearts truly long to learn at the feet of their parents.

What does it mean to have your heart at home?
Why do we keep them home to school? Just to keep them away from the big bad public school system? To keep them away from bad influences? Or is it to keep their hearts at home? For each of those reasons, but mainly to keep their hearts at home. It does no good to keep them from things if their hearts long for those things. To keep their hearts focused on the family and home, rather than what their best bud has or the latest fashion or newest model toy or whatever they see and crave with their eyes is what we are striving for. Our children did learn so much when we were involved in outside activities, but we all paid the price for that learning. Their hearts belonged to their friends or the Awana teachers they helped and the status that gave them.

We keep our children home to give them a heart of wisdom and a vision for their future. Kids cannot get a vision for their future as adults if all they do is hang with the kids. They cannot get their family in their hearts if they are so busy hangin' with their friends. They cannot get a passion for home and responsibility if they are always online, gaming, leading with other adults or 'cruising'.

As Believers in the One True God, we are to keep our minds stayed upon Him. We are to bring every thought captive to Christ. We are to use our time and our possessions wisely. God ordained the family as the unit we learn in. The unit we grow in. Friends and clubs may have their place, but they cannot become the master and the family the servant. These exist to serve the needs of the family, not the other way around.

So, what does it mean to homeschool in the Dixon family? It means no matter where we learn we direct our children's hearts to home. We do not let their hearts become wrapped up in friendships and material things or even Christian groups. They have friends. Their friends do not come before their siblings. They have material things. We can watch and observe that these things do not become idols. They have interests of their own. These interests do not influence the family. What a disservice we would be doing to our children to give them an appetite for friends and other interests that they will have to set aside as adults to have a Godly marriage. How do I know that? Because we have already been down that path. Thank God He gave us mercy and showed us the error of our teachings before it was too late.

To us, this means that we are working toward a home that is loving and the focus of our days. It is the focus of our learning and responsibility. We do not have our hearts set on outside pressures. We cannot escape the presence of outside pressures, but we must strive to keep them in their proper places, and not at the expense of our family and keeping their hearts at home.

blessings!

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