Ramblings of a mom on a roll... - Homeschool Blogger

Today Show Talks about College Apps

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:07:00 -0500

Times are changing fast and so are the words being used. I currently have two girls in college and none of these keywords in the below video became an issue for us, but maybe they will as my girls proceed towards their higher college degrees. So I'm posting this video for those of you who may actually come across these keywords and would like to know what they mean for your future college student. Enjoy!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

A Cute Parody on Back to School Speech

Wed, 9 Sep 2009 22:02:00 -0500

Whether you tuned into President Obama's Back to School Speech or not, here is a cute parody of it done by an unschooler who would love some positive feed back. Please check out the link. If you like it, please feel free to laugh and forward and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE...Let him know you enjoyed the read.

Re: Please answer 5 questions on how you homeschool

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 10:06:00 -0500

Recently, a new homeschooler asked these questions. Here are my answers:

1.? How many days and hours per week do you spend preparing materials for the week?

That will depend on how you choose to homeschool.

a) School-in-box will take the least as the plans are already laid out.
b) Preparing your own material will take more time unless you use the tons of online ideas and lessons someone else has gathered and posted.

I've used both of the above before we moved into Unschooling =) Unschooling goes about education in a completely different way so it would be extremely hard to calculate the hours spent. My spouse and I are always looking for interesting things that we think our son will like. My son is greatly into Biology (focusing mainly on cats and dogs) so I've found all types of great books, documentaries, and hands on exposure for him. He gets to explore the topic as deep as he likes which has lead to him exploring way beyond the age/grade level normally designed for a child his age.

2.? How many hours do you spend actually doing planned?homeschooling?

Prior to moving into unschooling, homeschooling took approximately 1/4 of the time to accomplish the daily work then the amount of time the school had required. Looking back, it became apparent that there was a lot of wasted time in the schools of lining kids up and taking turns for things like bathroom breaks and water fountain breaks.

With Unschooling, learning happens all the time. It's more of an ebb and flow of information and discovery. If something is intriguing, there's no reason to stop because it's time to switch topics or subjects. (This also applies to homeschooling, too.)

3.? On average, how many planned trips (museums to follow up on a concept for example) do you do per month?

This has more to do with what is happening locally and within driving distance. I signed up for all types of alerts so we get notification when the museams are having special events, when the parks are having special events, when the county is hosting interesting classes we may want to explore, etc...

4.? How much do you spend per month on homeschooling? ??? Trips? $________

This is so open ended. You can buy a membership to the local Science Center and that usually gains you entry to all the museums. A membership to your local Zoo is also a good investment. Other trips can vary.

????Materials/ supplies $_____

As one mom stated, the cost per tuition far exceeds the cost of homeschooling material. Tons of great material is free from the Library and internet. For us, our main expense is books, books, and more books. I have readers who LOVE books so I'm always looking to keep the house stocked.

There are tons of ways to save money or you can buy new and spend more. One of the best investments I've made is the complete Life of Fred Series. As your child is still young, you can sign up for the Scholastic Book Fair and save lots of money on attending one of their warehouse sales. I've known families that spend a fortune and families that don't.

??? website memberships $_______

Yahoo Groups has been an excellent resource and is free. There are also tons of homeschooling parents who blog and post tons of lesson plans, ideas and free links. One of the first I was told about is the www.homeschoolblogger.com site. I found so much great information there when I first started this journey.

All of the below items would be unique to each of your children whether they are homeschooled or mainstreamed.

??? Other$______ __
???? Group activities
??????????? ? Dance$_____
???????????? ?? Piano $________
???????????? ?? Karate $______
etc. ?

Searching the archieves of the homeschooling groups and of homeschooling bloggers is a great way to investigate all the many and varied ways people handle these issues. On of the beauties of homeschooling is there is not a 'one way fits all' so you get to alter the plans as life requires and or as your child changes as they grow. Lapbooking can be fun with a five or six year old but a teenager will most liking resent you for forcing lapbooking on them.

Good luck on your journey.
Vicki ~ Mom to dd 19, dd 17, & ds 11

Homeschool to College

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:23:00 -0500

When I first started homeschooling, I started wondering how it would all end. Would my son one day wish to return to the system? Would I homeschool him right through high school? Would he choose Early College? As I had older girls, I was already aware of the Bright Futures Scholarship Program but I wasn't sure how it worked for homeschoolers.

It's been four years now since I pulled my son home and I have learned a bunch. The local colleges are growing and the state of homeschooling is growing, too. I have searched the local college's website many, many, times, as I myself use to be one of their students, so between my spouse's education, my education, and now my children's education, we have been giving them some business over the years. =) It is nice to see that they have now created and updated their site with information just for homeschoolers.

For those that are curious what my local State College requires for Early College, please click here.

Is College for Unschoolers even Possible?

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:54:00 -0500

Unschooling. Oh, how I've come to love saying 'Unschooling' and even better then the sound of the word, is the actual living of a Radical Unschooling life! I've come to love the shock effect when people ask me which school my son attends and I reply, "Oh, he doesn't go to school. We unschool."

I've grown so use to the blank stare, the confused expressions, the need to translate the term 'unschooling' into something that they can wrap their head around. Oh sure, it would be much easier to simply say we homeschool. After all, unschooling is considered one form of homeschooling, but for those who have actually looked into the different forms, they will tell you that unschooling is nothing like doing school at home.

With unschooling, there are no tests, no grades, no curriculum, no grade levels, no need to read till the child desires to do so. The same concept applies to writing, math, science, social studies, English,....you get the point. There is absolutely no rules towards much of anything. Nope! Nada. Children are left to move at their own natural pace, be it a slow one, an average one, a fast one, or completely unique to the child. The later tends to be the more accurate way most seem to go in the unschooling world.

No, the previous paragraph doesn't mean we neglect our children. Please don't even bother following that thought path as from my observations, I would say that the oposite is true. Unschooling parents are very involved with their children and helping them learn everything! This is a hard concept to grasp so I like to describe it as how a loving mom helps her baby grow. She supplies interesting experiences, and learning opportunities. She points out a bird, and will draw her child's attention to it while saying 'bird' (or for some of us, 'Look at the Blue Jay'). Nobody ever questions all the wonderful ways new parents help their baby grow into a curious toddler then on to a smart young child...then that same curious and smart child reaches the age of five and most parents will bundle them up and send them away for most of their day. For unschoolers? Well, unschoolers aren't in such a hurry, unschoolers tend to be able to wait to bundle up their children till the child is ready to leave the nest on their own.

For some, college will be a choice they choose to pursue, but after what I've written above, many readers are probably wondering,"Just how can an unschooler get into college?" Well? The answer is, EASY!

I currently have two children in college. One started at age 17 and the other at age 16. My 11yo is also elgible but he would rather wait till he is taller. He figures he might go at age 15. Do I worry how they will do? Absolutely not. They all are and will do well. There are many reasons they will do well. The most important one being that they are there by their own choice. Having a choice and being responsible for yourself is very empowering. Unschoolers tend to be very empowered individuals.

They have faith in themselves that they can learn anything they want to learn. Most unschoolers are very knowledgable as they have been learning and living and exploring for years! College isn't just a first taste of freedom so failing doesn't tend to happen. So as I was looking for good links to back up my story here, I came across files and files of great information on how to get your unschooler into college. There is advise on how to prepare for the SAT or ACT. There is advise on how to translate an unschooling life into 'schoolese' therefore creating a transcript outlining a life of learning. But as I reveiwed these links, which I will include at the bottom for you to puruse, I thought what is it that you are REALLY asking?

Sure, sure, local community colleges let everyone in. The actual knowledge level doesn't matter. What if your child wishes to go to a high end college? Say Princeton University? Well, I know what I've read, but you don't want to hear second hand rumor. Lets go to Princetown and see what they want. If you click here, you will be taken to their Applying for Admission page.

Here is a snippet from that page: "As you prepare your application, help us to appreciate your talents, academic accomplishments and personal achievements. We'll ask for your transcript and recommendations, and we will want to know more than just the statistics in your file. Tell us your story. Show us what’s special about you. Tell us how you would seize the academic and non-academic opportunities at Princeton and contribute to the Princeton community. Above all, please write in a style that reflects your own voice."

Hmmmm.....sounds like the unique life learning of an Unschooler would fit rather well for what they are looking for.

Here are more links for those that would like ideas on how to prepare transcripts and other information on how to help an Unschooler get into college:

Sandra Dodd has a wonderful collection of articles on this topic. Click here.

Joyce Fetteroll also has a wonderful information page here.

Bright Kids!

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 08:36:01 -0500

Oh my goodness! Many of my friends know the story of how we came to become Unschoolers. Many have read the stories of my children and shed tears for them. And along with the tears, they have shared the joys with them that homeschooling/unschooling/escape from the system has brought with it. When we realized that the standard route wasn't going to work, I was frantic on what we were going to do. I will admit to wondering just what was wrong with us that we were so different that the standard route that seemed to work for so many, failed so miserably for us. I thought we were alone in this,too. Well, thanks to many connections online, I have since learned that this is a nation wide problem. Children all over this country are suffering. Many have loving parents who like me, have chosen to rescue their children from this torture we call school. To this day, I'm in awe of the parents I've met who had the wisdom to spare their children from this experience. Currently, two blogs are gathering more information. If you would like to contribute, The Stone Age Techie is doing a survey on 'Why do you homeschool'. Click on this button to take the survey:

Then head on over to A Chance to Shine. I love that they are taking their story and sharing it so that maybe, another parent will find it and save their child from the suffering. I know it would have been a huge comfort to me a few years back. Make sure to read their Stupid Discipline section. They are accepting stories so if you have one, please contribute.

Seven Kitties!

Sat, 30 May 2009 19:20:00 -0500

NBC Poll on "In God We Trust" Hurry and Vote!

Sat, 16 May 2009 07:44:00 -0500

Will NBC be surprised? Here's your chance to let the media know where the people stand on our faith in God, as a nation. NBC is presently taking a poll on "In God We Trust" to stay on our American currency. Please send this to every person you know so they can vote on this important subject. Please do it right away, before NBC takes this off their web page. Poll is still open so you can vote:

CLICK ON BELOW, VOTE & THEN FORWARD TO FRIENDS

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/

This is not sent for discussion. If you agree forward it, if you don't, delete it. By my forwarding it, you know how I feel. I'll bet this is going to be a surprise to NBC. "In God We Still Trust"

Eyes Open!

Fri, 15 May 2009 16:43:00 -0500

At nine days old, the kittens eyes are open. None are named yet.

Living Biology

Tue, 5 May 2009 08:01:00 -0500

Living Biology is something we get to experience here on our farm. Over the past few years, I've been sharing many of these experiences as they have come along. My children have been raised with many pets so I'd like to share with you our newest bebies born just this morning. First, here is the story of how these new precious babies came about.

Hobbs the daddy, was born born here on May 30, 2007. You can read his birth story at Lamaze for cats? He and his siblings baby pictures are posted at Introducing Five Little Kittens. All of the kittens and momma were fixed except for Hobbs. We kept him intact as he was such a beautiful cat, with a loving personality, which we thought would be excellent in future generations.

Then along came Suvy and Stickers who were rescued on June 11, 2008. To this day, Stickers, still earns that name. She's sweet and loving but she just can't grasp the concept that her claws need to be in. Stickers was also a bit of a surprise. Early in her life, she needed an emergency trip to the twenty-four hour vet clinic. Her life was saved but the vet insisted that she was a he. Since that left Suvy as the only unfixed female, we didn't give it another thought. We were going to breed Hobbs and Suvy and see what type of kittens they'd throw. You can read Suvy's and Sticker's story at How Many Kittens?

Well, sometimes it's best to trust yourself when sexing kittens. Both Suvy and Stickers are females. Early this morning, Suvy gave birth to four beautiful kittens. Stickers should be having her's soon. Both mommas are being kept safe inside away from all the other pets. Poor Suvy was very confused this morning about what those wet noisey creatures were. My spouse soothed her and got her to lie down and I went and gathered her babies, dried them off a bit, then handed them to James. He rubbed them on Suvy's face and placed them on her belly. Poor Suvy was so very confused. She wasn't taking to motherhood very well and it was beginning to look like it wasn't going to go well. James encouraged her to lick her babies and I'm happy to report nature has taken over and even the smallest is now nursing!

National Geographic has an excellent series called In the Womb for any one who would like to learn more about cats and their development. I'll post babies pictures once they get a little bit bigger.