Virtual Field Trips - Meet Me At the Corner

Looking for virtual field trips? Meet Me At the Corner is a fun website which focuses on sharing short, educational videos which get kids thinking about a wide variety of topics.

I've been receiving the Meet Me At the Corner virtual field trips newsletter for several months now and I've been really impressed with the range of topics. Recent topics include:

• Canine Companions for Independence
• Falconry at the United States Air Force Academy
• An American Cowboy Interview
• Homing Pigeons

These all sound great to me. It's too bad that my computer is not letting me view the videos - hopefully you'll have better luck. Upcoming topics sound great too and include: Cable Cars; The History of Chemistry; and Wolf Rescue.

As well as the videos, Meet Me At the Corner provides related websites, quizzes, and reading suggestions to accompany the virtual field trips. You can also submit your own field trips to share with other homeschooling families and there are lessons on how to make a podcast.

Do you have another virtual field trip site to share? What do you think about virtual field trips compared to live field trips?

Free Online Math, Science, Finance

Khan Academy is a non-profit website site where you can access free online math, science and finance lectures. When you visit you'll see subjects under group headings like Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, SAT Preparation, and Arithmetic.

Under each subject, such as Arithmetic, are listed all the topics, such as Dividing Decimal Numbers. Click on the link and you'll be taken to a YouTube video, such as this one here.

Khan Academy looks like a really amazing resource. Not only are there all the video lectures, but there is also a curriculum, with exercises to work, for some of the math topics, including Arithmetic and Algebra 1. Here is the link to the Khan adaptive math program. I didn't go in and look to see how the exercises are presented because you have to register for that part, but I recommend you check it out if you're looking for a new way to do math.

Now I'm wondering if I could have avoided some of the $$$ I've spent on math curricula over the last 6 years of homeschooling...