Finding the right learning environment for our children is one of the largest challenges for parents. Turning our children over to the "professionals" and trusting they will get the best possible experience is most certainly the easiest route, but unfortunately, that doesn't mean the experience will be a good one. Click here for the latest example in the news.
Parents who choose to take on the challenge of homeschooling find the choices can be daunting. There are so many choices! This is were the researching starts and seeking knowledgeable and experienced homeschoolers comes in handy. (Note for those curious why as an Unschooler, I use the term Homeschooler: Keep in mind, that Unschooling is only a sub-set of Homeschooling.)
Today's parents are so fortunate as we have the internet. It provides connections to people that we otherwise would have a slim chance to ever learn from. Instead of reading through older books, we can get up to date information just by going online. Not to say that I don't love books! So many homeschooling parents currently blog which is a wonderful way to take a peek into what life outside of institutional school looks like. The internet also provides a community forum allowing for local groups, co-ops, and even the area's program directors, to keep in contact with each other. Parents can come together to get advice, plan classes,and get-togethers just to name a few of the benefits.
I use my blog as my personal reference Library. I'm always coming across interesting and or helpful links that may or may not be useful at the current time and my blog gives me a place to store them until such a time I may want to use them. I have made my blog public so others may benefit from it, too.
So today's useful links come from a few places. First, since my last post was about Early College/Duel Enrollment I will start with more information about this topic from the Davidson Gifted ~ Educators Guild. In the March 2010 Educators Guild Post, they explore the reasons for Dual Enrollment and have further links to more articles on the topic. If this is something you are considering, I highly recommend popping on over there and having a read.
The next interesting link is from Meet The Masters. Meet The Masters is an Art Education based on the work of Master Artists: Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Michelangelo, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Leonardo da Vinci. Normally, I steer away from posting resources that are not free. I'm bending that rule as I'm wishing I would have come across this link back when my son first started homeschooling as this was what he wanted to learn. Even though I had studied art myself, I found my teaching skills on the subject not very engaging. This course seems like a well put together learning tool.
The teen years bring on topics that not all parents are comfortable teaching. As I'm always looking for information I believe my son will be interested in, and he is interested in Biology, I didn't hesitate to record Sizing Up Sperm which is currently playing on the National Geography Channel. The National Geography Channel can provide all sorts of great learning on a wide variety of topics, so if you haven't tuned it recently, I'd suggest you do!
As a working mom, making dinner can become burdensome. It's not that I'm against cooking as I actually love to cook but having the energy or the time or the creativity to come up with something new can sometimes be stressful. I've been trying to carry cookbooks to work so during my downtime, I can think about what I'm going to make for dinner. (The daily phone call home to ask, "What are you in the mood for tonight?" is really more stressful then successful.) Recently, someone made the suggestion to use the crock pot. I happen to have a crock pot which was bought just for this purpose yet figuring out what to put in it, still seemed troublesome. Well today I have come across The Crock Pot Blog! There is a wonderful index of all the posted recipes here. I'm thinking tomorrow night, we might be tasting the Turkey Chili posted the other day.
I have one more link I'd love to share. This is a place I dream of visiting but doubt I will actually ever go there. The Paya Beach Resort comes highly recommended by my friend in Singapore. Her family vacations here every year. Doesn't it look like paradise?
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