Saturday, December 12, 2009

Home education... why?

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As we close another fun-filled week of learning, I am reminded as to why I home educate. 

Proverbs 1.7 states "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."  I not only desire our teens to learn their 3 R's, but also to revere GOD and increase in their knowledge of Him.  Then, "He will make your (their) paths straight." (Prov 3.6b)  My prayer for our teens is that they will be so grounded in Christ that their choices now and in the future will reflect Him to those around them.

Another verse that I keep in front of me is 2 Timothy 2.15: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."  I feel this weighs more heavily on me than the teens.  As the "teacher," I need to be very careful to present Biblical truth and not my version of truth.  I do not want to be the "wolf in sheep's clothing" and lead any astray.

Home educating is a privilege I do not take lightly.  God has called us and is equipping us each step of the way.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

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We enjoyed an unusual early snowfall here in NW GA this past Saturday morning.  We had about 1 inch on the back porch and in the yard.  We found ways to have our winter fun.... quick snow ball fights (sans coats!) and rolling a very large-sized dinosaur egg snowball!  That snowball lasted until Monday night!

I grew up in the north and miss the winter fun of childhood.  This gives my kids a "taste" of winter without freezing like we used too! 

What are your favorite wintertime sports? Skating, Skiing, Sledding, Snow ball fights, Snow angels, making snow men?

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Middle Ages

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Another school week has ended... thankfully. Everyone had numerous tests on Friday before a well deserved break. We had semester exams in World History and Vocabulary, and weekly tests in spelling, math, and grammar. Over the next 10 days, we will be reading historical fiction books set in the Middle Ages. Any recommendations?

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Websites for learning...

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http://www.quizlet.com/
This is a wonderful site to "plug-in" your student's vocabulary (in any subject) and allow the student to learn their words through use of flashcards, games and tests. I was even able to email the link to my students via their facebook accounts.

http://www.spellingcity.com/
This site allows the parent/teacher to post a spelling list for the student to practice. Again, it uses games to help them learn the new words. On spellingcity.com, the student can also hear the word spoken and used in a sentence for context.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Matt's Corner

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Review - G.I Joe: the rise of Cobra.

Rating: PG-13

Run time: about 2 hours

Review: 4 out of 10

Ok, so what do you think of when the words G.I Joe comes to mind? I think of the action figures that came out for the 8 to 10 year old boys. Now, when i came to see this film, I had high expectations. I was expecting a very well planned action film to entertain teens and adults. What I got was an action film with too many problems. The first problem is that its all action. The second problem is that there are too many characters and cameos for me to learn about each main character. Third, its a teen movie not aimed for teens. It's aimed for ten year olds. One good thing about the movie is that you can spend two hours on this film and never be bored.



The film is rated PG-13 for pretty much violence, but there are a couple of disturbing scenes involving a face shifting and an experiment involving needles. It shouldn't be a problem for most teens.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

A new school adventure begins tomorrow...

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Thanks to a great friend, I think my "simple" blogging site is up and running for our new school year. We begin bright and early tomorrow morning, if 9 AM is considered early! I love the feel and smell of new books... too bad most of ours are gently used. Join us as we learn about the world around us this year.

~ Happy Schooling

Sunday, July 26, 2009

2009-2010 Curriculum List

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Having 3 high school students and 1 junior high student keep me (us!) busy. This year we will be using the following curriculums.

Bible, History, and Literature (all students) ~

World History by My Father's World (http://www.mfwbooks.com/)
This program includes 3 credits - one for Bible, one for History, and one for Literature/English.

Grammar/Writing/Vocabulary ~

Michael and Shelby:
Applications in Grammar, Book 1 (Christian Liberty Press)
English from the Roots Up
Vocabulary from Classic Roots "A"
Spelling Power

Melissa and Matthew:
Vocabulary from Classic Roots "C" and "D"

Literature ~

Michael
A Beka 8th Grade Literature: Of Places
Miscellaneous books (some from the high school curriculum)

Mathematics ~

Melissa and Matthew:
Teaching Textbooks - Geometry

Matthew:
SAT I Math Subject test review and test
Saxon Advanced Mathematics

Michael and Shelby:
Saxon Math

Shelby:
Calculadder 5 and 6 for drill review

Science ~

Matthew, Melissa, and Shelby
A Beka Biology, 3rd edition - Hilger Higher Learning

Michael:
Prentice Hall Science, 4 books - Middle School Science at Hilger Higher Learning. (http://www.hhlearning.com/)

ELECTIVES...

Community Service ~
All students volunteer throughout the year in different venues (children's museum, church, mission trips, J103 Christian radio station, etc.). 150 hours = 1 high school credit = A.

Introduction to Logic ~ The Fallacy Detective and The Thinking Toolbox (if time allows)

Driver's Education ~ http://www.driversed.com/ for 30 classroom hours, 40 hours driving with parents (YIKES!), and a 6 hour course at NW GA Tech.

Typing ~ type it by Joan Duffy
~ This is an old-fashioned program... not playing games with a computer typing
program.

Drama/Theater ~ Matthew is active with the Colonnade Foundation of the Performing Arts and
and enjoys being on stage and working behind the scenes. He sees acting as a
part of his future. Again, 150 hours = 1 high school credit = A.
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