Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Monday, January 26, 2009
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Homeschooling Science Online with CyberEd
This year for science my family chose CyberEd science online, available through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op. Now the news has been released that CyberEd are closing their business doors. This product is available only until December 3rd at 1pm Eastern, and only, I believe, through Homeschool Buyers Co-op. Subscriptions run for one calendar year and will be honored; sign up now and you can cover science needs until December 2009. Given that I've found a science curriculum supplier we are extremely pleased with, I am left wondering what to do.
Game Boy has been using the CyberEd Physical Science course, which is just the right level for a middle schooler. He hasn't complained at all about this course, which is a big endorsement around our house. In fact he is self-motivated; he works on it every school day without prompting from me. Of course he might rather be playing a video game, but he likes the interaction of this course. I've every reason to believe that while using CyberEd Physical Science he is tying together a lot of knowledge gained from years of TV science programs, and masses of science books he's read over and over. The only thing it is lacking is related hands-on experiments, which I can easily cover from a few of the Usborne science books I have on my bookshelves. Since Game Boy is a good way through the Physical Science course, I'm seriously contemplating signing up for the Life Science and Earth Science courses - I think he could get to the end of all 3 by December 2009.
Artist Girl, who is working at high school level, is using CyberEd Biology. What she likes about this course is that it is to the point and does not cover any excess unnecessary stuff. In fact CyberEd Biology is described as Introductory to AP Biology. I'd say that is pretty accurate. For Artist Girl it's a pretty big assignment to get through this course in one year. She knows a lot of Biology already from previous homeschool studying; it's the terminology/vocabulary that makes it challenging. With a motivated student who has a good background knowledge you can get through the course in one year. You don't have to do the whole course though. One thing you get with the course is an extremely comprehensive guide to how CyberEd Biology fits with your state standards. Let's say that guide is not for the faint hearted. What it conveyed to me however was that once Artist Girl finishes CyberEd Biology she will have covered almost all of the Kansas state requirements for Biology, a good number of the requirements for Chemistry, and even some of the Physics requirements. I had every intention of us using CyberEd Chemistry next year, but I know we can't get through the remainder of Biology and start Chemistry now and get through Chemistry by December of 2009. So much for finding a course format we like; unless Homeschool Buyers Co-op pull off some kind of alternative agreement, we'll be searching for something else.
OK, well if you like the sound of CyberEd science courses, hot-foot it over there to Homeschool Buyers Co-op and get signed up before the December 3rd deadline. I can thoroughly recommend the Physical Science, Earth Science, and Life Science courses for your independent middle schooler who likes computer based learning. The high school courses I think are wonderful, but not for everyone.
Blogging in association with Amazon.com - home of the Kindle.
Game Boy has been using the CyberEd Physical Science course, which is just the right level for a middle schooler. He hasn't complained at all about this course, which is a big endorsement around our house. In fact he is self-motivated; he works on it every school day without prompting from me. Of course he might rather be playing a video game, but he likes the interaction of this course. I've every reason to believe that while using CyberEd Physical Science he is tying together a lot of knowledge gained from years of TV science programs, and masses of science books he's read over and over. The only thing it is lacking is related hands-on experiments, which I can easily cover from a few of the Usborne science books I have on my bookshelves. Since Game Boy is a good way through the Physical Science course, I'm seriously contemplating signing up for the Life Science and Earth Science courses - I think he could get to the end of all 3 by December 2009.
Artist Girl, who is working at high school level, is using CyberEd Biology. What she likes about this course is that it is to the point and does not cover any excess unnecessary stuff. In fact CyberEd Biology is described as Introductory to AP Biology. I'd say that is pretty accurate. For Artist Girl it's a pretty big assignment to get through this course in one year. She knows a lot of Biology already from previous homeschool studying; it's the terminology/vocabulary that makes it challenging. With a motivated student who has a good background knowledge you can get through the course in one year. You don't have to do the whole course though. One thing you get with the course is an extremely comprehensive guide to how CyberEd Biology fits with your state standards. Let's say that guide is not for the faint hearted. What it conveyed to me however was that once Artist Girl finishes CyberEd Biology she will have covered almost all of the Kansas state requirements for Biology, a good number of the requirements for Chemistry, and even some of the Physics requirements. I had every intention of us using CyberEd Chemistry next year, but I know we can't get through the remainder of Biology and start Chemistry now and get through Chemistry by December of 2009. So much for finding a course format we like; unless Homeschool Buyers Co-op pull off some kind of alternative agreement, we'll be searching for something else.
OK, well if you like the sound of CyberEd science courses, hot-foot it over there to Homeschool Buyers Co-op and get signed up before the December 3rd deadline. I can thoroughly recommend the Physical Science, Earth Science, and Life Science courses for your independent middle schooler who likes computer based learning. The high school courses I think are wonderful, but not for everyone.
Blogging in association with Amazon.com - home of the Kindle.
Friday, November 7, 2008
M is for...
the letter game, passed to me by Janet over at Adventures in the 32 Aker Wood. Janet passed me the letter 'M'. What fun! Ten things I love that start with 'M', in no particular order:
Want to play? Leave me a comment and I'll send you a letter to play with. Yes, I cheated a little and put more than one similar item on each number in my list. What is life without stretching the rules just a tad!
- Mountains, marshes, moss, meandering, and maps, especially the meandering, which makes the maps handy.
- Music - I simply can't imagine life without it.
- Mothers and mummies - I'm thankful for the long chain of women passing back through time.
- Meat free meals and mints.
- Mice, moles, mongrels and magpies - gotta love those adorable, scruffy, brown-eyed mongrels.
- Media, magazines and mail.
- Merry Christmas, magic, moonlight and mangers - we all need a little magic in our lives.
- Memories, macaroon, Mull and Mac... - it's the Scot in me.
- Marriage - I wasn't good at being single.
- Mercy, The Matrix.
Want to play? Leave me a comment and I'll send you a letter to play with. Yes, I cheated a little and put more than one similar item on each number in my list. What is life without stretching the rules just a tad!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Competent and Industrious Homeschool Teens?
Will homeschoolers be happy and successful in adult life? Given how much time and effort parents put into homeschooling their children, I for one hope so!
I recently came across this Harvard study which showed a connection between being industrious at age 14 and future life success. Admittedly this study only looks at men and may not tell us a single thing about women. Also, the results may even be somewhat specific to the generation that these particular men grew up in. Nonetheless, I found the following statement interesting: "a psychologist studying the resilience of these inner-city volunteers, noted three major reasons for their success: a strong attachment to their parents; high-quality supervision, especially by their mothers; and dedication to schooling."
That certainly sounds a lot like homeschooling to me!
I recently came across this Harvard study which showed a connection between being industrious at age 14 and future life success. Admittedly this study only looks at men and may not tell us a single thing about women. Also, the results may even be somewhat specific to the generation that these particular men grew up in. Nonetheless, I found the following statement interesting: "a psychologist studying the resilience of these inner-city volunteers, noted three major reasons for their success: a strong attachment to their parents; high-quality supervision, especially by their mothers; and dedication to schooling."
That certainly sounds a lot like homeschooling to me!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
I Love to Go A-Wandering!
"I love to go a-wandering, along the mountain track, and as I go, I love to sing, my knapsack on my back..." I could be the original Happy Wanderer, at least that seems to be how I go through life; caring less about the destination than about the journey.
When I sit down and think about it, that's how my journey across the galaxy as a homeschooler began. These days I'm less of a hitchhiker and more of a web wanderer and chaffeur for my kids, but I still want to be Maria in The Sound of Music - running across the peaks of the alps through meadows of flowers feeling the wind in my hair and hearing the sounds of nature. I may have my eye on the next mountain top, but there is always time to stop and peer at any rock or flower, even if I need glasses to do so these days, to detour and visit a cool, fresh, mountain stream, or to slow down and help someone else on the trail that is homeschooling and life.
What is your favorite scouting/campfire song? Where do you like to wander?
When I sit down and think about it, that's how my journey across the galaxy as a homeschooler began. These days I'm less of a hitchhiker and more of a web wanderer and chaffeur for my kids, but I still want to be Maria in The Sound of Music - running across the peaks of the alps through meadows of flowers feeling the wind in my hair and hearing the sounds of nature. I may have my eye on the next mountain top, but there is always time to stop and peer at any rock or flower, even if I need glasses to do so these days, to detour and visit a cool, fresh, mountain stream, or to slow down and help someone else on the trail that is homeschooling and life.
What is your favorite scouting/campfire song? Where do you like to wander?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
