The Everyday Wordsmith
Mar. 18, 2008
I'd like to invite you to the Carnival of Homeschooling!
Posted in Homeschooling high school
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You're invited to come to a blog carnival! It's the 115th Carnival of Homeschooling, and for it, I've gathered 45 posts that I think you'll enjoy. You'll find a brief introduction and a link to each post at http://www.janice-campbell.com/2008/03/18/115th-carnival-of-homeschooling-oh-the-things-that-youll-do/ Blog carnivals introduce readers to new blogs they may enjoy. If you like reading my blog, perhaps you'll enjoy some of the blogs I like, as well. As I've received posts from participants, I've had the chance to meet new bloggers I'll definitely add to my feed reader. The carnival theme is adapted from Dr. Seuss’s beloved Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Homeschoolers do a lot of interesting things. Since one of the things we do particularly well is read, so you'll also find posts that develop the theme that “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” (I Can Read With My Eyes Shut, Dr. Seuss). So please stop by to visit, and enjoy the carnival! Blessings, Janice Campbell http://www.Janice-Campbell.com - Taking Time for Things that Matter http://www.Everyday-Education.com - Homeschooling Through High School and Teaching Language Arts the Easy Way audio packages are on sale at $9.95! |
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Jan. 23, 2008
Win free copies of Transcripts Made Easy & Get a Jump Start on College!
Posted in Homeschooling high school
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In case you missed this week's contest on the Company Blog, the prize will be a set of my two books- Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High School Paperwork and Get a Jump Start on College! A Practical Guide for Teens. We'll be giving away three sets, so you have a good chance of winning! All you have to do to sign up is to leave a comment on the blog entry (click here to enter). If you'd like to read the TOS reviews of these books, you'll find them by clicking the titles below. Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High School Paperwork Get a Jump Start on College! A Practical Guide for Teens Enjoy the contest! If you've wondered where I've been blogging lately, be sure to check out my primary blog at www.Janice-Campbell.com. If you're homeschooling a high school student, you may find yesterday's article on writing with teens helpful. |
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Jul. 31, 2007
Remember- I'm posting at my permanant blog!
Posted in Homeschooling high school
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"Where are you?" inquired a recent e-mail. One of my feed subscribers had missed the note about my blog move, and was wondering where all my posts had gone. So this is a reminder that I'm posting regularly at my permanent blog, www.Janice-Campbell.com-- Taking Time For Things That Matter. You'll find plenty of posts and comments to read on literature, homeschooling, and 'taking time for things that matter.' One of my recent posts, "Socialization... Again" was included the 82nd Carnival of Homeschooling, where you'll also find many other terrific articles and resources. Tami of Discount Homeschool Supplies, the host, chose a very pretty state flower theme for the carnival. Thanks, Tami, for hosting! I'll see you at the new blog! |
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Mar. 21, 2007
Homeschool Family's Truck Catches Fire
Posted in Home business
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It's always something in a busy homeschool family! In the latest news, some friends of mine, Stephen & Kerry Beck, had their truck catch on fire. Although their teenage daughter had driven it to softball practice, she wasn't in it when it spontaneously ignited. We're all so thankful that no one was hurt. Of course, it wasn't a new truck with lots of insurance, and they have thousands of dollars of damage, which they are stuck with. Ford won't pay a dime, even though it was their faulty cruise control that started the fire. And this is a vehicle they really need! If it were most of us, we'd probably be contemplating a second job such as selling firewood or taking up petsitting. Steve and Kerry are lucky, though. They each have a home business, and they have decided to try to raise money to fix the truck by running an amazing sale on many of their products. Kerry's business is The Curriculum Connection, and for her sale, she is offering a huge array of e-books to help you through the last half of the school year. Topics include birdwatching, teaching writing, an 8-volume history of the Christian church, a topical Bible, recipe books, and books on health, organization, approaches to homeschooling, and more. Click here to see the homeschool sale! Steve, who specializes in helping Christian families start home-based internet businesses, is offering an equally impressive package. His offer includes software for recording onto your computer, a huge clipart package, a set of customizable website headers, e-books on niche marketing, search engine optimization, blogging, joint ventures, affiliate marketing, list building, business ideas, and getting out of debt. Some of these books even come with resale rights! If you've ever thought about starting a home business, you'll love this package! Click here to see the home business sale! The thing is, Steve and Kerry have priced their sale sets so far below what they normally sell for that they can't afford to offer them at this price for long. They've set up the sale so that the price heads back up by $10 every two days until it's back at the regular price once again. So sooner is better if you'd like to help with the fundraising effort and get a terrific deal at the same time! Thanks so much for your help. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and family. They will thank you for doing so! |
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Mar. 13, 2007
Don't forget the Spring Cleaning Sale!
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There are only a few more days to take advantage of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Spring Cleaning Sale! I am always so inspired by each new issue, and I know you'll enjoy all the free gifts! Spring Cleaning Sale! While you're waiting for the first issue, be sure to enjoy the beautiful spring. I posted an excerpt from Walden, by Henry David Thoreau on my primary blog. There's something about spring that makes me reach for poetry, and lyrical prose! |
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Mar. 7, 2007
The Copyright Quiz & New Blog
Posted in Review
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Everyone knows about copyright law.... or do they? I was recently at the library, and witnessed a crime in progress. A woman was standing at the copier, copying page after page of a workbook. As she made four copies of each page, stacking them in neat piles beside her, I wondered if she had thought about copyright law at all. (Since I own a copy of the workbook she was copying, I know that it is definitely covered under copyright law). Copyright law is designed to protect the intellectual property of an author. What is intellectual property? If you have knowledge about anything, and you take the time and trouble to write it down so it's available to others, it is your intellectual property. It doesn't matter what it is-- it can be a gathering of recipes you've created, a short story you wrote for your children, or a full-length book you spent years researching and writing. No matter what it is, it belongs to you under current copyright law, whether or not it contains a copyright symbol. Things published before 1923 are in the public domain, which means that the copyright has expired, and they may be freely used. If you buy a copy of a published, copyrighted work, you have essentially purchased the right to read and use it, but not to reproduce or profit from it. Consumable workbooks are particularly protected-- the law states that "There shall be no copying of or from works intended to be "consumable" in the course of study or teaching. These include workbooks, exercises, standardized tests and test booklets and answer sheets and like consumable material" (quoted by Association of American Publishers). By copying workbooks or other books that do not specifically allow this in their copyright statement, you are profiting from the work of another person in a way that is illegal. In my own copyright statements, I permit copying of reproducible worksheets for members of the immediate family, but many authors and publishers do not. It's very important to read the copyright page of any book before visiting the copy shop. It's a matter of integrity, not frugality! The laborer (author/publisher) is worthy of his or her hire, which in most cases, is a very small return on his or her investment of hours spent writing, years of research and learning, and often, heartfelt prayers that the work will bless the hearts of others. If you're a little unsure about the details of copyright law, there is an excellent copyright site just for homeschoolers that details exactly what is permissable. It even has a quick quiz to see how much you know! I recommend stopping by today to make sure that you're doing the right thing. After all, your children are watching! Note: I occasionally have difficulties posting here, so I've created a new blog at http://Janice-Campbell.com. I'll still post here on occasion, but please visit me at the new blog so you don't miss anything! |
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Feb. 9, 2007
German Homeschooler Taken From Family
Posted in Homeschooling high school
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Have you been following the news of the German girl, Melissa Busekros who was removed from her family and placed in a psychiatric institution for "school phobia"? The HSLDA e-newsletter reports that calls, e-mails, and letters to the German embassy and the Bavarian Minister of Justice may help to free the young lady. You may read the whole story here: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3731 If you wish to register a strong protest with the German ambassador or the Minister of Justice, here is the contact information, courtesy of HSLDA: Dr. Klaus Scharioth Ambassador German Embassy 4645 Reservoir Road NW Washington, DC, 20007-1998 (202) 298-4000 The embassy can be emailed from its website: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3732 Minister of Justice in Bavaria: Beate Merk Prielmayerstr. 7 80335 Munchen Tel. +49 89 5597 1799 Fax +49 89 5597 3580 Email: beate.merk@stmj.bayern.de Germany has a history of hostility toward homeschoolers, but if many voices around the world are raised in protest of this dreadful event, they may be willing to reconsider. And finally, can there be anything more effective than prayer? Just think if she were your own dear daughter... |
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Feb. 6, 2007
My February Newsletter Just Went Out- Check Your Inbox!
Posted in Homeschooling high school
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If you're on my newsletter list, be sure to check your inbox for the latest edition! Want a peek at what's in it? It's short and sweet this time: February Newsletter Contents • Seven Things You Can Do While You Homeschool Through High School (and I'd like to hear more!) • SAT Spring Test Dates • The Old Schoolhouse Store Valentine's Day Sale- Ends today! • Cindy Rushton's Online Writing Seminar • Benefit Sale for Discount Home School Supply If you didn't get it in your inbox, be sure to check your junk mail folder. I am always finding good stuff in mine! If you add the "from" address to your contact list, the newsletter will always end up in your inbox. Enjoy! *And if you're not on my newsletter list, feel free to sign up today at my website, www.EverydayEducation.com, for articles and news that will help you homeschool through high school. |
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Feb. 6, 2007
Meet Peter Rabbit's 'Mom"! and Visit the DHHS Benefit Sale
Posted in Review
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I've just read a book review that I can't wait to share! As a writer, I love to read biographies of famous women writers. It's inspiring and instructive, and it's all the better if it's an author whose work I really enjoy. When I opened the Book and Author section of our Sunday paper, I was delighted to find a glowing review of a new biography of one of my favorite childhood authors, Beatrix Potter. This new book, Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature, chronicles Potter's long and interesting life, her evolution as a writer, and the legacy of her property to the National Trust. I'll be reading this book soon. I'd love to hear from you if you'll be reading it too. It's always fun to have reading partners! If your library doesn't have this book (mine didn't), you can get it through Amazon. I also wanted to let you know about a benefit sale that is being held for the Foxes of Discount Home School Supplies this week. The Fox family, who owns DHSS, has experienced a year of medical difficulties, including multiple surgeries. To help them conquer their medical bills, a number of friends in the homeschool community have donated a wonderful collection of e-books, downloadable audio workshops, and discount coupons to offer with Tami's e-book, Overcoming Obstacles While Homeschooling. The combined value of this e-book plus the special benefit package is over $120, but for the next five days, you can order the whole thing for only $29.95! The sale is over at midnight, February 10, so be sure to click on over and check out it out. You won't want to miss all the great benefits in this special package, and I think you'll be blessed by participating in this event! |
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Jan. 29, 2007
Common Errors in English
Posted in Teaching Writing
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I've found a wonderful site that addresses the errors that drive people like me slightly crazy. Things such as using 'effect' when you mean 'affect' and that sort of thing. The site even addresses non-errors that a few people insist on clinging to -- outdated things such as split infinitives and not ending sentences with a preposition. This college professor has nailed them all! Here's a link to Paul Brians' Common Errors in English site! If you're a word person, you'll love it. Enjoy! |
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Jan. 26, 2007
A Mother's Prayer
Posted in Writing
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Amid the clamor and bustle of washing drying making mending putting and having, only prayer is silent. Hovering at the rim of the day the still small voice summons the deepest plea-- Lord, help our children grow strong in Thee. JPC- January 2007 |
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Jan. 25, 2007
Explore the Visual Thesaurus: A Review
Posted in Writing
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Review of the Free Trial Version of Visual Thesaurus. by Janice Campbell The classic thesaurus is a very useful tool for writers. Need a synonym for 'melt'? Roget's offers: liquefy, liquidize, liquesce, fluidify, fluidize; run, thaw, colliquate; affect, touch, move, soften, melt the heart, choke one up, give one a lump in the throat; touch a chord, touch a sympathetic chord, touch one's heart, tug at the heart or heartstrings I wouldn't have thought of all of those on my own! If you don't have a standard thesaurus at your elbow, or if you just like spiffy visual effects, you might want to check out the Visual Thesaurus. This extremely cool tool allows you to search for a word, then returns the word in the center of a mind map. Some of the suggested synonyms are different from Rogets-- more fresh and contemporary, perhaps, or more shallow and modern, depending on your viewpoint! For 'melt,' you get: unthaw, unfreeze, dissove, dethaw, thaw, thawing, melting run, melt down, disappear, fade meld mellow, mellow out Interesting, eh? VT has a fascinating website, with great word-related articles and a free 'word-of-the-day' e-mail. The catch is that you can apparently try only a certain number of free searches before they want you to subscribe ($2.95 per month online, or $39 for the software). I haven't yet hit the end of my free searches, so I'm going to keep enjoying it for as long as possible until my free tries run out. While I don't think the Visual Thesaurus would ever replace my ratty old volume of Roget's, it could be a valuable addition to the writer's toolbox. I wouldn't want to miss out on luscious words such as "liquesce" or "fluidify," (just think how useful they could be for Scrabble!), but the more modern images raised by "mellow out" are useful as well. Bottom line? Interesting and useful, but secondary to the classic thesaurus that's probably on your shelf right now. If you write a lot, you'll probably love it. If you don't, enjoy the free trial and word-of-the-day e-mails. You're certain to learn something! |
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Jan. 16, 2007
A New Book!
Posted in Writing
Focusing on one project at a time really does pay off!  I just got the printer's galleys for the print version of Get a Jump Start On College! A Practical Guide for Teens! It seems that I've been working on this for so long that it's hard to imagine it's really almost ready for print. Jump Start will go through one final proof, then a few minor tweaks, and then it's off to the printer. Watch for it on the website-- probably early in February! I'll be sending some very special offers to my mailing list when I get the book shipment, so if you haven't signed up on my websitefor my newsletter, you may want to do so. And while Jump Start is at the printer, I'll be working on the next project on my list-- the third edition of Transcripts Made Easy. I hope it goes as smoothly as Jump Start! |
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Jan. 4, 2007
Writing Resolutions- One Thing at a Time
Posted in Life Management
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What are your writing resolutions for 2007? My resolution is to work on one big writing project at a time, until each is complete. I tend to bounce back and forth between projects, doing a bit of writing here, a little layout there, and working on the website in between times. I know I'd finish projects a lot faster if I focused on one at a time, so I have created a list, and am trying to develop tunnel vision. It's just so hard to stick with one, when people are asking about one of the others! Here's my project list, in order:
Now-- I'd love to hear what you're planning to work on this year! |
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Dec. 20, 2006
Busy Day Teriyaki Chicken
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Sometimes you just need a recipe that involves almost no time. Here's one! Teriyaki Chicken Thighs Ingredients: Chicken thighs, skinned Yoshida's teriyaki sauce (found at Sam's Club or grocery stores) Pour a little sauce in bottom of crock pot. Place thighs in the pot, pouring more sauce over each layer. Cover and cook on high for about 6 hours, stirring once to make sure all thighs are well covered in sauce. When done, the meat will be browned and falling-off-the-bone tender. Serve with rice, couscous, or orzo and a salad or vegetable. You can do the same thing with other sauces, including barbeque sauce, honey dijon mustard dressing, or caesar dressing. Enjoy! |
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Dec. 12, 2006
Written Gifts
Posted in Writing
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Some of my favorite gifts have been related to writing: A pretty journal with inspirational quotes handlettered in its pages. Classic cream stationery with a special pen. A leather-bound blank journal. Handmade stationery with favorite poems written in calligraphy. A small photo scrapbook filled with photos and anecdotes meaningful to the recipient. And of course, books. (They're the product of writing, right?) There are so many ways to give the gift of words, and while most are not costly, they can be deeply personal, and are always memorable. I'm thinking now of what I'd like to write for my husband for our 25th anniversary! |
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Dec. 7, 2006
GK Chesterton on the Role of Women
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I like G.K. Chesterton's defense of the role of women: "To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors, and holidays; to be Whitely within a certain area, providing toys, boots, cakes, and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone? No, a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute." (From Chesterton's What's Wrong with the World.) |
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Dec. 5, 2006
Why Do We Need Literature?
Posted in Literature
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"How
is this relevant to my life?" students often ask when presented with a
literature anthology or a writing assignment. I've been thinking much
about literature, in the course of refining my Zeitgeist Literature
(www.z-lit.com) series. I'm more deeply than ever convinced of its
importance, and yes- relevance- in every area of life. With a strong foundation in literature, it becomes possible to put life into words. We read of the experiences of others, and they become our own; we are able to place our own experiences in perspective; we can grasp the significance, beauty, or tragedy of an event in a way that is impossible for a person who lacks fundamental literacy. We learn by example how to clearly express feelings, describe experiences, and empathize with others. Literature not only teaches us how to communicate, it also gives us a common basis for understanding one another. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, in his 1970 Nobel lecture, said, "The sole substitute for an experience which we have not ourselves lived through is art [and] literature... From man to man, as he completes his brief spell on Earth, art transfers the whole weight of an unfamiliar, lifelong experience with all its burdens, its colours, its sap of life; it recreates in the flesh an unknown experience and allows us to possess it as our own." and... "...literature conveys irrefutable condensed experience ... from generation to generation. Thus it becomes the living memory of the nation. Thus it preserves and kindles within itself the flame of her spent history, in a form which is safe from deformation and slander. In this way literature, together with language, protects the soul of the nation" and... "World literature has it in its power to convey condensed experience from one land to another so that we might cease to be split and dazzled, that the different scales of values might be made to agree, and one nation learn correctly and concisely the true history of another with such strength of recognition and painful awareness as it had itself experienced the same, and thus might it be spared from repeating the same cruel mistakes." Solzhenitsyn asserts that literature serves an irreplaceable transmitter of experience from person to person, generation to generation, and nation to nation. Is this relevant? It is important? I believe that it is. The transmission of experience is vitally important for many reasons. Think about it... Good literature broadens our experiences. Without literature, we live alone in the cage of our own experiences. We are limited by the confines of time and space-- until we open the door to the experiences of others. -We learn to empathize by experiencing the feelings of others. -We learn to beware of that which is false, temporal, and worthless. -We learn about consequences by experiencing the suffering and joy of others. -We learn to communicate from the best communicators of all time (and deep, clear communication is the foundation for healthy realtionships). Literature shared becomes a "living memory." It opens an arena of common space, a context within which we can move toward greater understanding. It becomes a vivid shorthand with which we can communicate an idea. To describe someone as a Hamlet, or as a Bertie Wooster, offers a far more vivid picture of their personality and character than the use of simple adjectives, but without the common foundation of literature, the comparison becomes opaque. When E.D. Hirsch wrote about cultural literacy, he warned that without a shared foundation of common knowledge, literacy would be lost. To be literate, you must not only be able to read, but you must also understand what you read and hear in its proper context. You must understand both text and subtext. If you hear the name 'Hamlet' and don't think of the complex interplay of revenge, indecision, and circumstance as it relates to the topic of conversation, you have most likely missed the point. Ignorance is not bliss-- to misunderstand leads to inappropriate, often harmful responses. You're like a child who is bored by adult conversation-- not because the conversation is truly boring, but because he simply doesn't understand it. Literature is one of the cornerstones of literacy. It is experience distilled, and it illuminates experience in a way that nothing else can. Great literature is timeless and relevant, and life without it would be an emaciated existence. I could write more... but I need to get back to work on Zeitgeist Lit. I hope to have beta-versions of each level available very, very soon. It looks as though the publication date for the final editions with spiffy layouts and jazzy covers will be early next year. The beta-versions will get you going, though, if I can just get them posted! |
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Dec. 1, 2006
The End of NaNoWriMo
Posted in NaNoWriMo
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National Novel Writing Month is finally over! Did you finish your 50,000 word novel by midnight last night? My son and daughter-in-law did, and I'm so happy for them. Be sure to visit the NaNoWriMo site to read about the amazing Mullaney family. All five of them passed the 50K mark with room to spare, even though the family has only one computer. That certainly takes cooperation! If you started writing, don't stop now that the pressure is off! A good writing routine (and maybe a bit of talent  ) is what separates authors from wannabees. |
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Nov. 22, 2006
Gratefulness
Posted in Literature
Here is one of my favorite poems for you:
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