09.22.08
Posted in The nuts and bolts of it at 6:57 pm by Meg
or why learning this way is so much fun.
Girl and I were discussing the questions in her Biology book (we were in the section on population growth, as if it matters). Lately when we do this, she has taken to just sitting with the book closed on her lap unless she needs to look something up.
Well, in the midst of flipping in it, she realized that the periodic table is inside the back cover. Now we’ve touched on the table before, but not too deeply and since we are doing biology this year, not recently.
Well, the layout of the table caught her interest and the fact that this table used many different colors caught her interest…and the next thing we knew we had spent over a half hour discussing why it was organized the way it is.
Now to give you an idea of where our discussion went - she already understood some basics about electrons, protrons, and neutrons; and the differences between ionic and covalent bonds. So explaining why there are multiple rows and columns was fairly easy to put in prospective.
It was also clear to her when I explained that the metals tended to lose electrons in bonds and the non-metals to gain one to see why.
But she was quite taken by the unnamed elements at the end of the table (at least as of when this table was published) and fascinated by inert gases.
Which lead to us pulling out the chemistry book which had a section of its appendix that discusses each group and it’s uses - and her reading about the noble gases.
And while she put it aside after that to finish bio and her other work, she has plans to go back and read about the other groups later.
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09.17.08
Posted in The nuts and bolts of it at 7:29 am by Meg
Well, we had our third bio lab this week - and I’m tired! (Mostly because I wanted to mix the solutions without Girl underfoot, so I was up fairly late getting it set up)
With the previous labs, I didn’t get pictures; but this week it was so, so LABBY - I couldn’t resist.
This weeks lab was testing a total of 10 solutions for the presence of organic compounds. (so it was a little chemistry based). Nine of the solutions (I’ll list them below for anyone who is interested) are known and the kids could guess whether they might find lipids, starches, sugars, or proteins in them but the 10th. is unknown.
We actually ran out of time and they will have to do the unknown next week.
Working on labs takes the kids all over my house, and this time they started in my kitchen where they set up their collection of test tubes (5 ml of each solution in each, and labeled with what each solution was). They also had to wash the test tubes between each test - so the sink was heavily used (did cause a bottleneck since only one group - out of 4 - could wash at a time). They also used the stovetop as a heat source for the sugar test, so there was constantly boiling water going on in there as well - in case anyone wonders, I have another mom (or two) stay during the labs and I gave her the assignment of monitoring the kitchen (especially the boiling water).
Most of the actually testing took place out on the screened-in porch. This is actually where we’ll work most of the time.
Why? Because the carpet is old and already stained so if something spills - it’s not a major shock. Also, because with all the windows we can air it out very quickly. And lastly because there is enough room to set the kids up on multiple tables.
So, here each table had a different test. Starting on the left, the kids were using Sudan III to test for lipids (they also used the paperbag test). At the middle table they used iodine solution to test for starches. And at the last table they used biuret reagent to test for proteins.
(In case anyone wonders, the previous labs were focused on using different pieces of equipment and how much variations there are between different people doing the same measurements - I also used it to talk about significant digits- and a population study - or counting blades of grass, which we did out of order in order to have fair weather and things growing.)
Next week’s lab (in addition to testing their unknowns) will be looking at chemical cycles. Which in practice means taking home test tubes filled with some combination of water plants and snails and then monitoring them for a week. I’m just waiting for the squeamish ones to realize that half the snails will die (if they don’t have a plant). That will be interesting.
And how I do the labs?
We sit down when we start and I ask for any questions or comments before we get started, then we go over the leading discussion questions that are in their lab manuals. (I try to have everything set up and ready to go before they get there.) So, we then walk around to where I have everything set up and I talk about what they do where. Then I leave them to it. They do the work while I float around watching how it’s going. (and talking to whomever stayed). When they finish we go over their results and any concluding discussion questions and I touch base on what we are doing the following week.
Anyway, here are the different solutions they tested for organics and what I’ve done for the unknowns. Read the rest of this entry »
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09.16.08
Posted in COLLEGE, The nuts and bolts of it at 4:03 pm by Meg
Just a heads up for anyone who might make the trip - it’s free!
And yes, that’s me as one of the panel members.
Sponsored by the Redeemer Homeschool Resource Center and IHEN
Saturday, October 18
Our event will be starting at 9:30 with a panel of experienced homeschool
parents. At 11:00 we will have a panel of admissions people from several
colleges. After that, until 1:15 we will break for lunch. During lunch time
the college representatives will be available to speak to individuals and
to hand out information After lunch we will be doing a hands-on transcript
workshop.
The parents panel will include IHEN’s Meg L. and Jane Casey, as well as
several other parents who have homeschooled their children through high
school and seen them off onto various paths. You will be able to ask your
questions of parents with a variety of educational philosophies.
The transcript workshop will be an opportunity to figure out how to turn
your high schooler’s work and activities into credits and to learn how to
present it in a manner that colleges want to see.
Come for all or part of the day. There is no charge.
Be there as early as 9:00 for coffee and donuts. The event will be held at
Redeemer Lutheran Church, 202 West Rudisill Blvd,Fort Wayne. For more
information contact me at jccasey@verizon. net.
–
Jane
Jane Casey
IndianaHomeschooler s
Founder and Moderator/Chocolate Queen and Barista
www.ihen.org
Allen County Contact
www.indianajane. com
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09.13.08
Posted in The nuts and bolts of it at 3:57 pm by Meg
In my previous post, Jove asked
What are the consequences of her missing home room or missing some of these Spanish classes because the times have changed?
The fact is that she wants to go to homeroom because she made a friend there. And so Hubby is okay with her missing her martial arts class because of it. I’m not really happy, but she doesn’t want me to get her out of it.
As for missing Spanish - you have to understand, in their view there is NOTHING as important as her attendance at the high school. In fact she’s missed 3 classes at this point already - 2 for taking her brother to Texas and 1 for being sick - and is nearly half way to not getting any credit for the class (from them at least).
Here’s bits and pieces of their attendance policy:
Loss of Credit (High School) – A student may be denied credits
after the 8th absence from school/class in a trimester. Extensions
will be provided to students who have documented medical or dental
excuses on file.
On the fourth (4th) and the eighth (8th) absences, when appropriate, an
attendance letter will be mailed to the home informing the
parents/guardians regarding the importance of good school
attendance and alerting them that serious attendance patterns may be
developing. Schools at each level (elementary, middle and high) will
include in this letter pertinent information about possible
consequences of continued absences. The school will keep proper
documentation of this communication.
On the tenth (10th) absence, when appropriate, the school will contact
the student and the parent/guardian and develop a Probation in Place
of Expulsion (PIPE) plan that sets the expectations for improved
attendance. Schools at each level (elementary, middle and high) will
again share pertinent information about possible additional
consequences of continued absences. The school will keep proper
documentation of this communication.
On the fifteenth (15th) absence, when appropriate, in communication
with the student and the parent/guardian, the school may involve
Child Protective Services, the Juvenile Justice System, and
recommend expulsion. Additionally, driver’s license/permit and
work permit may be revoked by the principal after the 15th absence.
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09.12.08
Posted in The nuts and bolts of it at 8:14 pm by Meg
Who?
The public school. Remember me talking about Girl’s schedule? Very busy, but more importantly, she has multiple activities (5 including the class at the public school) which fall at particular times during the week. And I’m not including the Friday ‘play’ time that our homeschool group organizes.
Now, normally, the school runs on A schedule and she’s done at 9:20 AM giving us plenty of time to get her to her martial arts class on Mondays or Thursdays, or to come home and get onto seatwork by 10 (think possible shower, snack, and cat chores). The exception to that is suppose to be every other Wednesday when they run on B schedule.
On B schedule she goes to homeroom after class and finishes at 9:44. Then we get home at 10 AM and she still has at least the cat chores to do and a possible snack to grab. (She just isn’t hungry at 6:30 in the morning). So everything gets shifted by 30 mins., but it’s Wednesday - we can handle that. You know if she’s not finished with things for me, she can finish them up after her Global Studies class.
Well, the public school (bless their nitpicking little hearts) have been getting ready for standardize testing next week. So, every day except Monday they have been running on B schedule. And the kids have been sitting in homeroom and listening to lectures through the AV system on…how to write a 3 or 5 paragraph essay, reading comprehension, and math skills. (and yes, she is expected to attend homeroom.)
So, yesterday she missed her martial arts class.
Anyway, she mention that B schedule would continue on Monday (hence no martial arts class then also) and then would get really wacky while the school tested. So, I emailed her counselor to see what we are looking at.
We will be on a “B” schedule Monday, Sept 15th. Tuesday (9/16), we will be on an “A” schedule, so 1st hour class will be from 8:10 AM until 9:20 AM. Wednesday (9/17) we are on a modified schedule and 1st hour will be in the afternoon from 1:15 PM until 2:12 PM. Thursday (9/18) we will be on a different modified schedule, and 1st hour will be from 8:10 AM until 9:35 AM.
The bold letters were the counselor’s doing, not mine.
Now, B schedule on Monday - means not martial arts class.
Having the 1st hour class on Wednesday start at 1:15 PM - means she’ll miss her Global Studies class.
Whatever is going on on Thursday - may also mean she will miss her martial arts class (though that one is close enough that we might make it).
These people have NO respect that we might have other commitments. (and yeah, I know. They are used to a closed system where as long as the kids come and go at the same time, no one really fusses about the details in between.)
But it is screwing with our plans.
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Posted in The nuts and bolts of it, Life, the Universe and All that Jazz at 12:20 am by Meg
In playing with my blog yesterday to wipe the face of it clean, I removed the widget that counts how many people came by and where they came from.
When an hour later the number of visitors hadn’t increased, I started thinking about it and realized what I had done. And fixed it, but I’ll never know what happened during that time.
So, since we are talking about “smarts” I thought I’d post a few interesting links I’ve come across lately. I’ve fiddled with these a little, but not in their full depth. I just thought I’d pass them on.
It’s all math and science stuff…
For anyone looking for elementary reading ideas for either math or science we have list of the top 10 trade books of 2008. Looking down the titles I see some possibilities of living books.
At the high school and higher level we have SOS Math (and that’s not Switched on Schoolhouse) with links covering: Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Differential Equations, Complex Variables, Matrix Algebra, or Mathematical Tables.
Anyone looking for some information on astronomy, biology, chemistry, earthscience (which for some reason they are calling geography), or physics can find all sorts of info through Rader’s kapili.com site. They also have some (what appears to be) elementary math activities to fiddle with. And they’ve made the site FREE!
And if human anatomy is what you want to explore, this appears to have you covered.
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09.09.08
Posted in COLLEGE at 5:03 pm by Meg
I figured some people might be wondering how Boy is finding college. It’s been over 2 weeks since we left him there - though I’ve just sent off the third box of things he needs ASAP.
He’s taking 5 regular classes plus an internship with the student paper (that’s the way to get employed there later) as a photographer.
He is really enjoying Intro to Philosophy (they are reading Plato’s Republic and discussing it) and the Freshman Seminar (the one he’s in is reading and discussing sci-fi). He has nothing but good things to say about the classes and interactions. While he has never had large class discussions before, he is feeling like he is having no problems participating.
He is taking Calculus 1 and finding it boring, but he and Hubby did Calc. last year and he had decided not to take the AP test. Hubby doesn’t expect him to see anything new until a week or two into next semester.
He is taking Physics 1 (for majors, engineers, and pre-meds) and is also finding it a little slow, though he is really enjoying the professor’s lectures. He is hoping to finally have his first lab this week.
And lastly, he is taking Macroeconomics, (there was a pre-req of micro, which he did take the AP for) and it is also going very slowly. He says that it is mostly review.
He went to Trinity trying to decide between Physic and Economics as his major and as you can see he’s finding that he was very comfortably prepared. Hubby and I are fearing that he’s considering changing to a philosophy major the way he’s talking.
Beyond the classwork, he is still working on finding his spot. Boy is my introvert and he has been finding people to hang out with, but not a circle of friends that are crazy into Magic and D&D. We expect that will take a little more time.
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09.03.08
Posted in The nuts and bolts of it at 10:39 pm by Meg
My wanderings lead me to a post by Mom is Teaching where she is wondering if she can “handle” high school (btw, her kids are little - it’s a long time away). I guess I feel drawn to answer those thoughts because I did - including pointing her to my post about “handling” high school.
That post, where I admit to “8th grade panic” lead her to ask me why homeschoolers try to create an appearance that we have it all together. She wondered if more of us said: “No this is not easy, yes I’m scared of failing, but I’m going to dedicate myself and make it work” if it would be easier for others to accept us.(and I’m paraphrasing some, so go read her response in her comments if you want the exact wording.)
Now, my thought is: “I think a lot of us project that on the surface. It’s probably partly a shield against having everyone else second guess our choices.” And while she says some nice things in her response, I’m as guilty as the next person about having that “all-together” shell.
But it made me wonder what other reasons people would suggest. So, anyone want to take a stab at it?
Have you ever had someone imply or tell you that you seem to “have it all together”?
Why do you think they are getting the vibe? or Why do you think many homeschoolers tend to give off that vibe?
and as a corollary to it - From talking to many newbies, the point that this conversation hits with me, is that realizing that we are all human and don’t “have it all together” is a hurdle for anyone new to homeschooling. You know, when they have a terrible day and post some dis-heartening question and you can see that they think everyone else’s kids are these perfect little agreeable angels. (Yeah - right)
Is there anyway to make that adjustment easier?
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