tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870949912904534662023-11-15T22:17:53.065-08:00Our Secular Charlotte Mason Inspired LifeMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-68850075344943465352018-09-16T06:50:00.001-07:002018-09-16T06:50:53.455-07:00Human Rights High School Course<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">The following is what my son read for a credit in human rights. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Human Rights</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Human
Rights: An Introduction</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> by Andrew Clapham<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Night</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> by Elie Wiesel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Narrative
of the Life Of Frederick Douglass<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lakota
Woman </span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">by
Mary Crow Dog<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Southern
Horrors</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">
by Ida B. Wells<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“The
Nuremberg Trials” Overview on the Trials<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Reflections
On AVisit to <span style="background: white; color: #1d2129;">Toul Sleng Genocide
Museum in Cambodia” by Matthew Kneale (2017)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="background: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Why the world should not
forget Khmer Rouge and the killing fields of Cambodia” </span><span class="pb-byline"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">By </span></span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/adam-taylor/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Adam Taylor</span></a><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span class="pb-timestamp"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">August
7, 2014</span></span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> The Washington Post<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Ain’t I A Woman” speech by Sojourner Truth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Documentary: “Slavery By Another Name”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Films on Human Rights Issues:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hotel
Rwanda<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
Killing Fields<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Amazing
Grace<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-67758515367029014292018-09-10T15:31:00.001-07:002018-09-10T15:46:17.017-07:00The Realities of Working and Homeschooling<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Homeschooling as a working
single mom definitely has its challenges – obviously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I’ve tried to establish a basic rhythm to
help keep things moving along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the
most basic level, it looks like this: Wake up around 6 – 6:30 am and cook lunch
and dinner for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the food is cooking, I sit down to my coffee
and an easy breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
lunch/dinner is done, I pack up my lunch box for work. Then, I drop off Seneca and leave for work
at 8:00 am. I return from work between 5:30 and 6:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it’s dinner at around 6:30/7:00 followed
by homeschool lessons, cleaning, showers, and bedtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
On some days, Seneca brings laundry to my mom’s house while I’m at work.
Seneca is responsible for doing the laundry herself and loading the basket in
and out of the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I leave work at 5:00
and when I first get home, I take some time to sit down and decompress. After
my relaxation, I usually heat up the lunch leftovers and my daughter and I have
dinner together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My best laid plans of
making a hot lunch and dinner first thing in the morning<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>don’t always work out and then it’s make
yourself a sandwich day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On some days,
we are headed out the door and grabbing pizza from Little Caesar’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
After dinner, it’s time for
formal lessons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now, we are
working on math, literature, writing, composer study (The Beatles) and we’re
looking at contemporary artists for artist study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seneca reviewed some works by Jordan Sokol. I
think I’ll present Ai Wei Wei to her next week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’re going to rotate out literature and rotate in history and
science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do need to start adding in
some more art and hopefully some handicrafts. It’s still early in the year
though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the great things about
homeschooling, is that if things are slow to get off the ground, you can always
add them in later or maybe decide to work on some things like drawing once a
week instead of daily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Formal lessons can be such a
controversial topic in the homeschool community. It is true that homeschooling
does not have to look like school at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, almost all of the homeschool activities and social gatherings happen
when I’m at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless something is
open late for an event, most museums and learning centers close in the
evenings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nature preserves close at
sunset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, sunset is later right
now, but we have also been having late afternoon storms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, let me be honest here, after a long day
at work dealing all day long with deadlines and marketing, I am too exhausted
to go on a hike or tour a museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
try to make a consistent effort to get us to Kirtan on Tuesday nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My point is, my opportunity to work with my
daughter to do learning activities is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>limited, so I have to make the best of that
time and the most efficient method is to sit with her at a desk and go through
lessons and check workbook work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is
fine with this. If I sense that she is struggling on working, we do stop and
let things go for an evening.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
school work, it’s time for house cleaning and showers. As you can see, so much
is missing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, as a single mother, I
am still obligated to provide everything that a two parent home can provide. People
say that homeschooling doesn’t have to take up that much time and that’s true,
but it takes up almost all of the time we have together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t say, “Let’s homeschool for a couple of
hours and then go do X,Y,Z,” because when the couple of hours are over, we need
to clean up and prepare for the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there are so many evenings that
I am so exhausted, that dishes and other stuff gets put off until the next
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously, I am not Supermom. I
wish I were, but I’m not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> If my family did not live close by, then continuing to homeschool would probably not be an option. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-1954790977166470602018-06-08T15:11:00.001-07:002018-06-08T16:50:09.872-07:00Applying with Dual Enrollment Credits is Not the Same as Applying as a Homeschooler<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As a homeschool parent of current and former high school kids, one of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>most annoying things I come across are posts
about how homeschooled kids and unschooled kids get into college by doing dual
enrollment or community college after homeschool. These articles will use the
fact that a homeschooled student was able to transfer from community college to
a four year college as evidence of the success of
homeschooling/unschooling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you
KIDDING me?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a student is applying to
college after earning credits at a community college, then that student is
applying as a transfer student – NOT AS A HOMESCHOOLER.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going this route does not validate
homeschooling. In fact, it sends a message that homeschoolers had better take
community colleges – either by dual enrollment while in high school or after
high school – if they want to apply to a four year university.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
If a student wants to do dual
enrollment or go<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to a community college
after completing homeschool high school, that can be an excellent decision for
many reasons. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not arguing against
dual enrollment or attendance in a community college in general. I’m arguing
that there is a significant difference in applying to colleges as a homeschool
graduate vs as a transfer student who has earned college credit at a community
college.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
When I first read that
unschoolers were being accepted to colleges, I was thrilled. It meant that if
colleges were open to unschooling then surely they must be open to other
methods like Waldorf and Charlotte Mason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was also very intrigued and downright delighted that unschoolers were getting
into colleges because<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that must mean
that more colleges were becoming flexible on their entrance requirements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, my delight has turned into contempt,
annoyance, and anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost every
single post or study done on unschoolers going to college has nothing to do
with unschoolers being accepted<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to
college, but everything to do with TRANSFER STUDENTS being accepted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These students were accepted because of their
transfer credits – not because of a homeschool/unschool transcript.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I have yet to see ONE article on
unschooling that mentions acceptance into a four-year college without
mentioning earning community college credits. Again, there is nothing wrong
with earning<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>these credits - either
during or after high school. In fact, it’s a very wise thing to do. It will
definitely help with applying to a four year college. It is cost-effective –
even free in most states if those credits are earned through dual enrollment.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of
the reasons that I feel it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is important
that there always be clarification on applying as a homeschooler vs a transfer
student is because of data and research collected on homeschoolers. There has
been a growing acceptance of homeschooling by many colleges and universities
over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>former homeschoolers are applying to colleges
as transfer students, then the ability for researchers or admissions counselors
to track and evaluate the success of homeschool students is diminished because
the student is not counted as a homeschool graduate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not saying that all homeschoolers should
stop participating in dual enrollment, but this needs to at least be
acknowledged by the homeschool community. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it too much to ask that an article on
homeschooling high school be absolutely clear and state that applying as
homeschooler/unschooler is different than applying as a transfer student? </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As a (mostly) Charlotte Mason
homeschooling parent, it would be completely unethical for me to demonstrate
the success of this method of homeschooling in terms of college acceptance if
my child applied with community college credits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the absolute most, I could argue that this
method of education sufficiently prepared my child to take the entrance exams
for community college classes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I’m not arguing that
unschoolers, or any other homeschooler, shouldn’t do dual enrollment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there is a vulnerability in place when
a student applies as a homeschooler that is completely erased when a student
applies with community college credits or accredited high school credits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A homeschool diploma is legal and it is not
necessary to have an accredited diploma nor is it necessary to have college
credits, but colleges can still cast a suspicious eye on homeschool transcripts
and diplomas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This all makes me very angry
because it can be difficult to know how to go about things like assigning
credits both for work of an academic nature and for interests pursued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, as a homeschooler, you are buying or
using an established curriculum, then you have more of an assurance that what
your child is doing is sufficient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, when you leave that mold, the questions really abound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in this frame of mind that I went
looking for advice, mostly from unschooling resources, as to how to pursue and
present this style of learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though we aren’t unschoolers, we aren’t strictly Charlotte Mason homeschoolers.
There are some aspects of CM that weren’t pursued in high school, and other
interests were followed instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if
anyone was going to know how to go about presenting a non-traditionally
educated student, I figured that it simply had to be the unschoolers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so wrong. As<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have written here, the advice given over
and over again is to get the community college credits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing on presenting oneself to a
college as an unschooler and soley as an unschooler. At most, there is this article <a href="https://unschoolrules.com/unschooling-high-school-transcript/">https://unschoolrules.com/unschooling-high-school-transcript/</a> on turning unschooling experiences into a transcript. But the author’s
daughter was too young at the time of the post to have gone through the college
application process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, while the post
is great with a lot of great suggestions, it hasn’t been through any practical
trial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What angers me is the pioneering
attitude of these unschool sites that talk about the success of unschooling,
but then go and rely on community college credits to validate them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t see how that’s pioneering if they are
just following a prescribed path in the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-287862438787637822018-05-27T15:03:00.001-07:002018-05-27T15:43:05.032-07:00Secular Charlotte Mason: Classics and Diversity<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These days, within the homeschooling community, there has been an
emergence of two branches of a Charlotte Mason education. Typically, the
Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling had been associated with Conservative
Christian homeschoolers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In recent years,
many secular families have been creating a homeschool experience within the
same framework as a CM education, but, for example, without the Bible classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What has been unique about the secular Charlotte
Mason community is an emphasis put on social justice and diversity education
approached by using the Charlotte Mason method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There’s
an article/essay by Professor Patrick Deneen that has made its rounds
throughout the internet lamenting the loss of common historical knowledge. The
article argues for a return to classical education as a remedy for this predicament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not opposed to classical education, in
and of itself, and yes, I do believe that it is an incredibly successful way to
learn history and writing, in particular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What bothered me was that after the author was espousing the great virtues
of a classical education, he then went on to lay the blame for this loss of
knowledge on diversity education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(And
that right there is a perfect example of white supremacy that is disguised to
not appear as white supremacy.) So, it would seem to Professor Deneen that
learning the classics and getting a solid foundation of historical details
would be incompatible with receiving an education which encompasses a more
diverse curriculum.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
this is where the secular Charlotte Mason community has been proving that knowledge
of history of western civilization does not need to negate learning the history
of eastern civilizations nor the history of disenfranchised minorities within
the West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I would argue that
the CM Method of education is the perfect vehicle for encompassing and uniting
diversity education with classical education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m
going to touch briefly on what it is about other methods of homeschool
education that fail<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to meet this
standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, let’s consider
unschooling. In terms of diversity education, unschooling would appear to be
very friendly to diversity education and therefore very successful at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the embracing of diversity education
within unschooling is left to the discretion of the family itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many unschooling parents will make the effort
to expose their kids to issue of social justice and racism, but, not all will. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The very foundation and premise of
unschooling, which promotes student-interest in learning, becomes an antithesis
to social diversity education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A parent
could not require their student to learn about The Holocaust for example. That
is one that I seriously wonder about within the unschooling community. What if
your child never develops an “interest” in learning about The Holocaust?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if your child never develops an “interest”
in learning about the Civil Rights Movement in the United States?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I believe
that Waldorf education comes extremely close to meeting this ideal of learning
an indepth history of western civilization as well as learning what would fall
under the umbrella of social diversity education. However, I would still argue
that CM is more successful in this matter largely because there are so many
more topics covered in a CM education, and, therefore, more opportunities to
include western and non-western lessons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
reading of biographies is considered to be one of the cornerstones of a solid
CM education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the perfect opportunity
for homeschooling families to introduce their children to people from both the classical
western tradition and from minority and eastern traditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A student could read a biography of Pericles
and a biography of Harriet Tubman in the same year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure that somebody will want to interject
here that you could do this while following any other method or philosophy of
education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course you can, but no
other method or philosophy requires the readings of biographies<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>throughout the years of education as CM does.
So if a non-CM family does choose to incorporate biographies it is a personal
decision on the part of the family. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other opportunities to increase diversity
within the curriculum fall under topics such as artist<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>study, composer study, and poet study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traditionally, these had been studies of
mostly White men and their artistic accomplishments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The secular CM community has seized on this
opportunity to include works by artists, composers, and poets of various
nationalities and ethnicities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Including
a more diverse list of artists does not mean excluding white/western artists,
composers, and poets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
are some neo-classical curricula that do include biographies, and do include
diverse biographies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
Christian CM curricula that also include biographies by prominent
African-Americans and links to slave narratives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But not all Classical curricula include
biographies throughout the years, whereas, this is a staple of all CM
curricula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
So far, I’ve addressed the issue
of social diversity within the curriculum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, let’s consider what Deneen is lamenting as our loss of collective
culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I agree with his sentiment that
we have lost a knowledge of history that used to common knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One needs only to watch the late night shows
where people on the streets of America are being asked basic questions about
history and are completely dumbfounded. Granted, this could in part be due to
the pressure of having a camera in their face. Nonetheless, it does show a
concerning lack of understanding of basic history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is where classical education
shines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will give classical education
full credit for an excellent and indepth curriculum of western history that should
not be lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, where secular CM comes
in, is in the retaining of classical knowledge (through readings of Shakespeare and Plutarch, for example) and teaching it while simultaneously
including diversity and social justice within the curriculum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
None of this is to say that there is no value in other educational methods. I might never have discovered the works of Elsa Beskow if it hadn't been for learning about Waldorf education. I might never have been able to see the correlation between tree climbing and business education if not for unschooling. For matters concerning embracing both classical history and a modern, diverse knowledge of history, I do believe that the methodology set up by Charlotte Mason and interpreted by the secular Charlotte Mason community does form the best framework for embracing and complimenting these two philosophies.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
For more information on secular
CM curricula, I recommend <a href="http://wildwoodcurriculum.org/">http://wildwoodcurriculum.org/</a> and <a href="https://ursaminorlearning.com/">https://ursaminorlearning.com/</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ioK3NlYTfzAo0bFyXaCklTOUd_7zNbgYYoFhhNP-29UijAegYlNHPEz2FesUyspKWQaBFo0ofJciB3dffNR_Q2CApLSS2nMihp_pWGBmJmcIFyjqjsbl6rTEu4HIRY422-3gPRe4wXE/s1600/IMG_20180527_163715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ioK3NlYTfzAo0bFyXaCklTOUd_7zNbgYYoFhhNP-29UijAegYlNHPEz2FesUyspKWQaBFo0ofJciB3dffNR_Q2CApLSS2nMihp_pWGBmJmcIFyjqjsbl6rTEu4HIRY422-3gPRe4wXE/s320/IMG_20180527_163715.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-223065458508223142018-05-03T15:27:00.001-07:002018-05-27T17:45:53.907-07:00Literature and Botany<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUx8eJbaqx7mzrCTOSWq2K-fADTVTt67Mz-Y8kspLn6fyorwO0mj9YB98KR2MC-56KLOL7DWoOTkUwidTqdqAfUeMX79mq8opUeCpSNFmxtshJQwziX00FO7rmloStAF-en99NbO9uLqc/s1600/IMG_20180503_181707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUx8eJbaqx7mzrCTOSWq2K-fADTVTt67Mz-Y8kspLn6fyorwO0mj9YB98KR2MC-56KLOL7DWoOTkUwidTqdqAfUeMX79mq8opUeCpSNFmxtshJQwziX00FO7rmloStAF-en99NbO9uLqc/s320/IMG_20180503_181707.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I feel like after losing a bit of steam, we’re starting
to pick back up again. That isn’t to say that life doesn’t seem to be pulling
us in all directions at once. I think, for some reason, we’re feeling a little
less exhausted this week. Seneca’s brother is getting ready to leave in July to serve with Fema Corps. He has to fill out a bunch of forms and get his fingerprints done at the Sheriff’s Office. I’ll be starting a new job on Monday, so I had to get a drug test done today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s nothing too strenuous, but it can be time consuming and things like this can only be done on weekdays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to miss having a couple of weekdays off, but I am excited about my new job.<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
to homeschooling fifth grade, Seneca has been working on the artist Henry Ossawa
Tanner for artist study and Tchaikovsky for composer study. It’s been fun to
listen to the music of Sleeping Beauty and imagine the scenes from the Disney
movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Her
two main lessons at this time are literature and botany. For literature, Seneca
is reading Island Of The Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a little trouble starting the book. I
found some beginning chapters on audio online. This seemed to really help her
to at least get started. She wasn’t crazy about the book at first, but now she
loves it and is reading it independently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
writing practice, Seneca types up a summary of what she has read so far in
Island Of The Blue Dolphins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She still
needs to work on run-on sentences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
also continues to work on cursive by copying a poem and anything else that pops
out at her throughout the week.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shanleyas-Quest-Botany-Adventure-Kids/dp/1892784165/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525386091&sr=8-1&keywords=shanleya%27s+quest">https://www.amazon.com/Shanleyas-Quest-Botany-Adventure-Kids/dp/1892784165/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525386091&sr=8-1&keywords=shanleya%27s+quest</a> </span>For
botany, I am reading to Seneca from a book called <u>Shanleya’s Quest: A Botany
Adventure </u>by Thomas J. Elpe<u>l</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The book is beautifully illustrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did think that the beginning of the book was too wordy and spent too
much time telling a version of the creation story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a wonderful marriage of science and
myth, but since the point of my purchase for the book was for botany lessons, I
just didn’t find the opening sections of the story to be necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That being said, Shanleya’s adventures to
learn about different plants and flowers, is proving to be a fun way to gain
information. Each page features a story and information on plant identification.
There is also a sketch with the identifying parts labeled. Seneca copies<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the sketch into her sketch book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To supplement this, Seneca has also been
watching short videos on plant identification on the buschcraft channel. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXEwe15rui0&t=331s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXEwe15rui0&t=331s</a> She screenshots
the frame with the notes on the dry-erase board, and copies the notes alongside
her sketch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best part of all was
when she said that she loved doing this.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-40300582037505064522018-04-27T09:47:00.001-07:002018-04-27T09:51:00.154-07:00Losing Play as a Working Homeschool Mom<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
One of the
biggest perks/draws of homeschooling and the homeschooling community is free
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/10/all-work-and-no-play-why-your-kids-are-more-anxious-depressed/246422/">https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/10/all-work-and-no-play-why-your-kids-are-more-anxious-depressed/246422/</a> </span>In our area, there are lots of
meet ups at parks, preserves, beaches, etc of homeschooling families gathering
for the sole purpose of free play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
my kids and I can’t attend because of my work schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if there are events on my days off, I’m
so often just too tired to gather up the kids and go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
One of the
biggest concerns from the homeschooling community is lack of play and loss of
recess in public schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is quite ironic that the reason I am
considering having my daughter return to school next year is due to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lack of play while homeschooling. I want to take
a moment here to state that lack of play and socialization is not the norm,
regardless of the stereotype, within the homeschooling community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, most homeschooling moms are not
working moms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a growing number
of working homeschooling moms and a wonderful group on Facebook for Working
Homeschool Moms. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/WorkingHomeschoolMomClub/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/WorkingHomeschoolMomClub/</a> That being said, it’s just not that common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even if it were that common, that would
not solve our problem of cabin fever. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m
not faulting the homeschool community for us not being able to participate in
many of these events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There should be
many opportunities for homeschoolers to meet for play and for academic events
as well. I’m thrilled that we have such a thriving community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also don’t fault myself for working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just is what it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
accepting it doesn’t make the issue of our inability to be part of free play
with other families disappear.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So,
I am looking into schools in our area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
doesn’t mean that I don’t have reservations about the idea of her returning
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love using the ideas of
Charlotte Mason to help chart our educational course. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that as a family we could go to the
preserves and read Shakespeare regardless of whether or not we use traditional
school or homeschool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it would still
be somewhat of a loss of part of our family-culture.</div>
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-72676885382900467672018-04-17T06:59:00.000-07:002018-04-17T07:04:50.280-07:00Poetry, History, and A Sprained Toe<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I’ve been neglecting this blog
lately. I feel like I’ve lost all sense of homeschooling rhythm. However, when
I read my previous entry and reflect on what she’s done in the meantime, I see
that we are chugging along albeit at a slower pace these days.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Her poem
for this week is Maya Angelou’s “Awaking in New York.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has copied it in cursive into her
notebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal is for her to read it
aloud a few times throughout this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She also did cursive copywork from Emily Dickinson’s poem “To Make a
Prairie” last week which is a very short poem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Seneca’s
artist for this term is Henry Ossawa Tanner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s a link to the biography that she read on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Henry-Ossawa-Tanner-Boyhood-Dream/dp/1593730926/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1523973307&sr=8-5&keywords=henry+ossawa+tanner">https://www.amazon.com/Henry-Ossawa-Tanner-Boyhood-Dream/dp/1593730926/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1523973307&sr=8-5&keywords=henry+ossawa+tanner</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
history, Seneca read <u>Who Was Daniel Boone?</u> from the Who Is/Was
series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She types her written
narrations. I’m fine with her doing it this way because typing is a much-needed
skill and this gives her good practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She prefers typing to writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
Daniel Boone narration cracked me up. Here’s an excerpt of what she wrote: <span class="tgc"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">He built a coffin for himself because he knew
he was going to go soon. He would also polish it (which is very weird) he kept
it in his sons house, at age 84 he died his last words were quote “My time has
come.” end quote. He even said before he died that he had very good naps in it.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="tgc"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joke time- can you imagine you knocked on some
old guys door and you kept knocking then he finally answers and he says “Sorry
I was late at coming to the door you see I’m old and my now life is really
awful and you see I’m going to die soon and so I built a coffin for myself and
I just was taking a nap in it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Please note that I am very aware
of the grammar mistakes. I’m sharing her original typed response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These written narrations help me to gauge how
well she is or is not applying grammar concepts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also helps her to just get into the habit
of writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Seneca continues to work on
multiplication and three-digit addition and subtraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Our big event here was that she
was in a ballet production of The Wizard of Oz at the Opera House!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The show was amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They brought in professional dancers to dance
the roles of Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion, but all of the other roles
were done by the students of the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is so new that the choreographer (Vadim Fedetov) and the composer
were both able to come take a bow at the end of the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking of bows, Seneca missed the bow
because she hurt her toe in the second dance that she did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone was so proud of her for holding it
in on stage and not letting on that she was hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back stage the tears started, but seemed to
subside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was when she got into my car
that the floodgates opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took her
to the hospital for an x-ray. Nothing is broken, but she did perhaps sprain it
so no dancing for a couple of weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-9564519715553976282018-03-30T06:48:00.002-07:002018-03-30T06:51:16.265-07:00Responding to the notion that college is the path of least resistance<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
There’s an article that was
recently shared on another facebook group that I am on which stated that “college
is the path of least resistance for most.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After my uncontrollable laughter, the anger came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I Instant Messaged my daughter who is a
sophomore in college. I think her eye roll was audible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As I
read the rest of the article, I saw that it was nothing more than an
advertisement really for this program called Discover Praxis. I have looked
into this program and it sounds really, really good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From what I’ve read and the videos I’ve seen
on exactly how the program is set up, I am impressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are classes in philosophy as well as
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find it somewhat ironic that
the author of the article was upset about required classes in college that she
wasn’t interested in, when it sounds like Praxis has its own core of required
classes before you are placed in an apprenticeship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
much as I am impressed with what I have seen from Discover Praxis, I have
become very alienated by their college bashing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s another advertisement of sorts for them with this young man
going on and on about why college is the wrong choice only to then go on and be
and advertisement for Discover Praxis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
might want to rethink this approach since some of their prospective clients
might have siblings who chose to go to college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
let’s go back to this idea that “college is the path of least resistance.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, committing four years of your life to
study is the path of least resistance. I guess I should be ashamed of my daughter
for writing a nine page essay on the letters between Einstein and Freud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh wait, maybe it’s her lazy classes like
Foreign Policy or maybe it’s her Middle East Economies class that really show
what a cop-out route she took in life by going away to college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
want you to imagine if I had written something saying that trade school is the
path of least resistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would that
be received?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My son, who is a senior
right now, is not looking to go to college just yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is exploring other options. However, I
also told him about the “college is the path of least resistance for most”
quote and he had this look of bewilderment on his face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His response was, “I don’t believe that, but
whatever.”</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the article the author states that you can’t take the classes that you want to
take in college. That is not true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Colleges like Hampshire and Global College of LIU don’t have silly
requirements like English 101 or Algebra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Hampshire, students jump right in and take classes in their freshmen
year that would be considered to be only available to juniors and seniors in
most traditional colleges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am
troubled by a much deeper issue that articles like the ones mentioned and
videos dismissing college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, there
is the issue of all of these young people having their choice repeatedly
bashed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, think of how it would
sound if pro-college people were putting out articles and videos bashing the
choice to go to trade school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then
comes the argument that college isn’t for everyone. Well of course it isn’t.
But how dare you say that it is the path of least resistance. Many people aren’t
up for four years of academic rigor after high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How exactly is dedicating four years of your
life to academics including writing essays, reading some of the great works of
literature, and studying for exams (if you are in a traditional college) the
path of least resistance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If
you don’t want to go to college, then don’t go. And yes, you could just as
easily become financially successful if you do not go to college as someone who
did go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But why put someone else down to
make you feel better about your choice? We have terrifying amount of not only
anti-intellectualism in this country, but a proud embrace of it right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we should all be terrified.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_xCTAJhAeQIrZ_LBV9oWkBUfycd4X30Hn4k1vo0ak24yrLScUYAlvh4E2k5JXi5yK_LoysE-mCxzlF7qMCuI-ovRu_IwcS2DmC95IvJVsywD20l38Gk2_D4lkI-0vbbis7-T5-w-Gaw/s1600/14938382_123388864805163_6701839733038983237_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_xCTAJhAeQIrZ_LBV9oWkBUfycd4X30Hn4k1vo0ak24yrLScUYAlvh4E2k5JXi5yK_LoysE-mCxzlF7qMCuI-ovRu_IwcS2DmC95IvJVsywD20l38Gk2_D4lkI-0vbbis7-T5-w-Gaw/s1600/14938382_123388864805163_6701839733038983237_n+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-10723799070454676852018-02-08T09:01:00.002-08:002018-02-08T09:12:53.676-08:00If You’re Unschooling High School, You Might Want to Peek At Charlotte Mason<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Truth be told, I think the
Charlotte Mason approach to high school is more unschooly by far than what I’ve
seen suggested on many unschooling pages. Dual enrollment seems to be the major
recommendation for high schoolers. Dual
enrollment looks beyond fantastic on a college application, and it’s a great way to earn college credit
for free. But for those people who would
prefer to continue to create their own high school curriculum free from
textbooks and lesson plans, I feel that the CM method offers a lot of flexibility.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
One
aspect of a Charlotte Mason education that seems to be unique is the practice
of spreading out subjects over the years. In CM, a student does not take one
year of Shakespeare study, but Shakespeare plays are read all throughout the
high school years. Typically, a student would read three Shakespeare plays per
year. This approach is used in both Ursa Minor (secular) <a href="https://ursaminorlearning.com/">https://ursaminorlearning.com/</a>and Ambleside Online
(religious Christian). <a href="http://amblesideonline.org/">http://amblesideonline.org/</a> At the end of
high school, you could grant your student one credit in Shakespeare for the
work done throughout the years, or you could include each year’s Shakespeare
readings under the umbrella of Literature along with the other books read.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The study
of economics is also spread out over four years. The student reads books and essays over the
course of four years instead of having one credit, or half a credit, crammed
into a year or a semester. I see this
approach as being so friendly to unschooling because you are not locking
yourself into learning about something for only one year. Or, if you do lose
interest in something for a while and then become curious about it again, this
approach allows you to weave in and out of learning about a specific topic.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The CM method is not in and of itself
unschooling. In fact, if you do approach
it with the attitude really wanting a CM education, then there will be a certain
rigor just by what subjects are covered in a CM setting. Those subjects include art history,
Shakespeare, poetry, Plutarch, along with the traditional subjects of history,
literature, math, science, and foreign language. I would think that an unschooler using a
literature based learning approach would probably not do a study in all of
these subjects. On the other hand, curiosity may be sparked and a student may
choose to learn about Plutarch’s Lives.
That is something that goes back to that idea that education is a
feast. Lay the suggestions out before
the student and allow them to decide how much they may want to tweak things.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
In
many ways, CM’s approach to the rigorous subjects is so gentle that it really
can be wonderful way for an unschooler to approach the subject. For example, art history is learned by
reading one or two books on art history spread out over four years. Each year, three different artists and their
work are studied. By studied, we mean read a biography or even a Wikipedia
entry on the artist. Twelve of their pieces are closely observed and described
by the student. You could definitely be
flexible with this and not necessarily study twelve pieces by the same
artist. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I think that the major concern with combining unschooling with the CM method is
one of credits. It is really hard to
measure credit hours in a CM education because many subjects are spread out
over four years and also because one student might finish a book faster than
another. For that matter, a student
might read a history book with a lot ease and then have to go slower on a
science book – maybe even re-reading parts to gain a complete understanding. If an unschooler learns about six artists, maybe
that could be considered half a credit in art history instead of a full
credit. Or, should that study count for
a full credit? Also, I think a student could
reasonably earn a full credit for Shakespeare by reading six plays instead of
twelve. I asked a secular homeschooling facebook group how many Shakespeare plays
they thought should be read for one credit solely in Shakespeare, and the
average (and majority) of responses indicated that six plays would equal one
high school credit.<br />
I’m not saying that all unschoolers should become Charlotte Mason homeschoolers. I’m saying that I think unschoolers who want to continue to create their own education might find a lot of the CM methods to be very conducive to non-traditional study. The books that are suggested by CM sites are just that – suggestions. There are no textbooks or lesson plans in a CM education. And again, it’s a feast. An unschooler could use the CM approach for economics and not read a single Shakespeare play. It’s not all or nothing. (However, if you are participating in a study on CM educated students then I would say that one would have to show that they really followed all of the methods in a Charlotte Mason education.)<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-71468337784934552632018-01-31T05:48:00.000-08:002018-01-31T06:41:19.829-08:00Adding Geography to Our Line-Up<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
We took a fairly long break for the holidays. Seneca’s cousins were off of school, so she
spent a lot of time with them. Her big
sister was also home from college, and they spent some extra time together with
big sis even taking her out to lunch one day.
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
After
the holidays, Seneca continued our American history theme by reading a
biography of Sacagawea. From this book,
I chose out some passages for copywork and dictation. We don’t do dictation on a regular basis, but
I’m trying to include it more. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I
write out multiplication for problems for Seneca to work on. The goal is to do
a page each day, but that never does seem to happen. However, we have been on a
pretty good roll lately. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Seneca
also worked on a new poem, “My Heart Is in the Highlands” by Robert Burns. After doing a reading each day, she copied a
verse from the poem in cursive into her notebook. The poem is four verses, so this was spread
out over four days. I also found an
audio on YouTube of Prince Charles reading this poem, so that was a nice touch
for her to enjoy. She also listened to
the poem set to music.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Seneca’s
older brother participated in a volunteer day at one of our local nature
preserves. While he was working, we took the opportunity to go walking through
the trails. It was more of a physical
education experience than nature study, but even just spending time in nature
can be so beneficial – and we had a great time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26230905_10214045185939752_4400372777374068511_n.jpg?oh=52358fd72fdb488cce2263003bc31dde&oe=5B1E192E" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="440" height="320" src="https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26230905_10214045185939752_4400372777374068511_n.jpg?oh=52358fd72fdb488cce2263003bc31dde&oe=5B1E192E" width="176" /></a></div>
</div>
I
was looking over the subjects and reading lists at Ambleside Online which we
use for some suggestions. I realized
that we hadn’t done much with geography lately. I looked at Ambleside’s book
suggestion for this year and I didn’t find it very appealing. The book is
online as it is in the public domain, but it just didn’t seem to have the
information that I would have liked to see. So, I did a YouTube search and found
a great intro to geography concepts video. Seneca has already learned the seven
continents, directions, use of a compass, and done some map work. The list of things to work on this year as
suggested by Ambleside are landforms, bodies of water, island, peninsula, etc. I like the idea of working on these concepts;
I just didn’t like the book. Anyhow, I
found a great video and Seneca has been watching and even re-watching it. For writing practice, I’m having Seneca write
the names of the continents in cursive in alphabetical order. This is the geography video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsqKTJtK_vw<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-68742817876186745312017-12-29T20:47:00.001-08:002017-12-29T20:47:42.504-08:00History: Western Civilization Part 1<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">History: Western
Civilization Part 1<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
Battle Of Marathon” in <u>The Histories</u> by Herodotus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
Battle of Thermopylae” in <u>The Histories</u> by Herodotus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Pericles’ Funeral Oration” in <u>The
Peloponnesian</u> War by Eurcydides<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
Plague and Plague Speech by Pericles” in <u>The Peloponnesian</u> War by
Eurcydides<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Melian
Dialogue” in <u>The Peloponnesian</u> War by Eurcydides<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julius
Caesar and Roman Britain </span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">by Walter Du La Garde <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Cincinnatus”
in Famous Men of Rome<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Emperor
Nero” in Famous Men of Rome<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Plutarch’s
“Life of Themistocles”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Plutarch’s
“Life of Alexander The Great”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Plutarch’s
“Life of Julius Caesar”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Ancient Athens and The Golden Age of Greece”
Documentary<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
True Story of Hannibal” Documentary<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Byzantine Empire</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
by Jennifer Fretland VanVoorst (booklet 48 pages)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Life of Charlemagne</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
by Eginhard<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">William
Malmesbury’s Account of The Battle of Hastings 1066<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
House of Normandy” in British Kings and Queens – covers William the Conqueror,
Civil War between Stephen and Matilda,
and the rise of Henry II<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Henry
II and Thomas Beckett </span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">by Walter Du La Garde <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Magna Charta
http://www.bl.uk/magna-carta/articles/magna-carta-english-translation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Magna Charta In
Context” by Claire Breay and Julian Harrison<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “The 95 Theses” by Martin Luther
http://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
Transatlantic Slave Trade” article from UNESCO<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
Slave Route” UNESCO<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maps
of the Slave Route UNESCO<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
Transatlantic Slave Trade” http://www.inmotionaame.org/print.cfm;jsessionid=f8302320431476677508560?migration=1&bhcp=1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-1736447591041144392017-12-18T19:43:00.002-08:002017-12-18T19:43:24.182-08:00Another Day In The Life: Fifth Grade<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Science: Model
making of a cell from play doh.
Learning about sharks and whales<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Poem: Copywork
first four lines of “From a Railway Carriage”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Recitation: “Still
I Rise”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Art: drawing
practice, Van Gogh’s Room At Arles<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Music: The
Nutcracker<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Math:
Multiplication practice<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Now that Seneca has completed her book <u>My Side of The Mountain</u>
for her literature block, she is now working on her science block. For formal study, she is reading from the
book <u>The Way We Work</u> by David Macaulay.
She made a model of a cell from play-doh and discussed the functions of
the parts of the cell. She had to check
the book repeatedly, and I’m still not sure that sure remembers what part of a
cell does what. However, the repetition
is good for her, and we will revisit the model cell again tomorrow. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This isn’t a Charlotte Mason approach to science, but straying a little
and using a variety of sources can be beneficial. The book itself is a good and informative
book. I also think that doing even a small hands-on project, such as making a
replica of a cell, is helpful in learning about a cell. I consider each time she was asked to explain
the model to have been an exercise in oral narration, so that is a CM component
to the lesson.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
On her own, Seneca has found science
websites from which she enjoys learning.
She has always loved learning about sharks. She told me about a shark with skin that is
toxic to humans and she showed me the video.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
She also loves
whales. She showed me a site where she
had been learning about whales. She told me that whales travel in pods (which I
did know), but that there are aggressive and non-aggressive pods (which I did
not know.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
For writing practice today, I asked Seneca
to copy four lines from the Robert Louis Stevenson poem, “From A Railway
Carriage” in cursive. Since she didn’t
love this poem, I had let her choose out another one for reading aloud this
past week. So, her main poem this week
was actually “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou.
However, for writing practice, she is using “From A Railway Carriage,”
and that is because it is a shorter poem.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Seneca has been watching a lot of drawing
videos lately and has been working on developing drawing skills. I am quite impressed with the dedication and
hard work that she has shown. I think I
may order an online drawing course for her in the near future. I certainly
cannot help her at all in this endeavor.
This isn’t something that I assigned or even suggested to her. <o:p></o:p></div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-16158216343396643082017-12-15T20:39:00.000-08:002017-12-15T20:39:16.155-08:00Grades in the Homeschool: What is Fair?<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Let’s talk about grades. All through school, if I studied for a
history or English test, I was pretty much guaranteed to get an A. If I put the same amount of effort into studying
for a math test, I was guaranteed to get a C.
If I did not study for a history or English test, I would most likely
get a C or B-. If I did not study for a
math test, I would still get a C. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Grades are supposed to reflect
effort and time put in to something. And sometimes, those grades are a true
reflection of time and effort, but what about when they’re not. No
matter how much effort I put into math, I can’t get better than a C. Please don’t misunderstand me: I don’t
think I should be given an A unless my test scores are that of an A grade. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
But
here’s a good thing about grades: they let me know not only what I was good at,
but what I was bad at –math. You really
do not want me to be building bridges.
(Aside: I’ve heard people say things like, “Oh you need math to go into
business or be an engineer.” My mental
response was, “Fine. I won’t study business or become an engineer.” So, please be very careful when you say
things like that. You may be doing more
harm than good.) I also now understand
that I have math learning disability called dyscalculia. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
One
of the great things about homeschooling is that you can tailor the teaching method
to match your child’s style of learning.
But does this give homeschoolers some unfair advantage? Let’s say a homeschool student learns physics
concepts by doing project-based learning.
That student is able to show what she has learned both through the
physical project and notes explaining the project and how physics applies. She gets an A in her physics homeschool class. Now, let’s assume we have a public school
student who just can’t seem to grasp these physics concepts within the confines
of the textbook. (Textbooks can be
fantastic resources.) Anyhow, our
public school student ends up with a B-, but not for lack of trying. Had said public school student been allowed to engage
in project-based learning, she might have earned an A as well. So, while I do love the idea of tailoring
learning to meet how an individual student learns, I am deeply troubled by the
ethical implications of this. To be
clear, I am talking about high school transcripts which will be used my college
admissions counselors. Those counselors
assume an A is earned through textbook study and exams. Also, how many projects should a homeschool
student do to earn a credit that is worth 120 hours of work. Granted, as
homeschoolers we don’t have to hit exactly 120 hours, but again out of
fairness, shouldn’t what we do be at least comparable on some level to
public/private school students?</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I agree with teaching to mastery
rather than just moving on to the next topic, but how should grades reflect
that? Public school kids get one shot at
it (maybe more if it’s a series of quizzes), but the final grade is the final
grade. If a public school kid gets a C
on a chapter test, it’s still onto the next chapter with fellow students - some
of whom will have earned As. If a
homeschool student has the opportunity to relearn the lesson and retake the
test, is the higher score used for the final grade (for that unit/chapter) or
is the recorded score an average of both grades?</div>
I
know that a lot of homeschooling families will say to not worry about grades or
comparisons with public school kids. I
agree in theory, but my qualms arise when it comes time to do high school
transcripts for colleges. If a public
school student has to do XYZ to earn an A, then shouldn’t my kid have to
something that is at least comparable to public/private school work in order
for him to earn an A? I do think that
there is a question of ethics. Is it
fair to say my kid got an A if my kid was able to re-do something over and over
again. Is it fair to say my kid got an A if he did less work than a public
school student? <br />
After having a mini existential crisis on the assigning of grades, I did what I do best - I asked Google. Well, I asked on some different homeschooling pages and researched some more on Charlotte Mason's methods of grading. It would appear that I am overthinking this whole thing.<br />
As to the question of how to grade if you are applying the mastery system, the conventional wisdom is give your student the A. I asked on a Classical education site and that is what they suggested. Their logic being if a grade reflects what the student knows and has accomplished, then an A is correct. In fact, students in schools are being shortchanged because even if they do understand the concept of the lesson by the end of the unit, the final grade is often an average of all the grades earned during that unit.<br />
I also found great advice from homeschooling educator Lee Binz. Binz writes about the advantage of we have as homeschoolers of truly knowing what our children know. For example, my son can talk about detailed facts of the Civil War years after learning about them. I can walk up to him and at any moment I can ask him to give me a run-down of the War of The Roses and he'll do it and do a good job. I know he has achieved a mastery of history that he has studied. Binz also brings up a good point by saying that you can explain in your course descriptions if you used a mastery approach.<br />
But what about the lady herself, Miss Charlotte Mason? There were no grades assigned in her PNEU schools. A narrative assessment was done for the parents that was unique to each child. If a child struggled, but was really putting forth his/her best effort, then that should be recognized.<br />
The problem with Mason's method for modern day homeschoolers is that most colleges want to see a letter grade assigned to each course. (My oldest daughter's college is the exception to this and in fact prefers that homeschoolers provide narrative evaluations instead of letter grades. I love my daughter's college.) So, combining the advice of Mason and Binz, one could give grades that are a fair and accurate reflection of a student's achievements. If a student hasn't earned an A, don't give it to him. Even if my child put in her absolute best effort, but still did not master a subject, I would not give an A. I do believe that we all need to know what we aren't as good at as well as what we are good at.Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-13393392539561177982017-12-06T15:52:00.002-08:002017-12-06T20:22:53.855-08:00A Day In the Life: Secular Almost Charlotte Mason<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
After pizza tonight, it was time for official homeschooling. I pulled
up a picture of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers for picture study. S had read a children’s biography on Van
Gogh the week before last. She had actually read the book a few years ago, but
since it can be good to learn about people more than once we are having Van
Gogh as our artist once again - especially since we already owned the book and
could save money this way. For picture
study, I pulled up the picture of Sunflowers that I found online. She looked at
the picture for about a minute, and then described it without looking at
it. We had previously done the same
thing for Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” She
saw “Starry Night” tonight as well, but that was just to be reminded of the
painting. There was no describing “Starry Night” tonight. I had played Don McLean’s “Vincent” for the
past couple of days for her during picture study. It’s a beautiful song, but I think I had
better stop before she grows tired of it.
Here is the song:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHnRfhDmrk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxHnRfhDmrk</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
After picture study, I pulled up
a copy of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “From A Railway Carriage.” S read
the poem aloud and then I read it to her.
She will continue to read this poem throughout the week.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
She had already done some of her
reading earlier today without being asked. She said that she had been bored, so
she read! I asked her if she would do a
written narration to go along with what she had read and she happily obliged.
She typed her narration while I put her little brother to bed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
For math, I wrote out some
addition problems for her to work on in her notebook. She did fairly well with those. She knew how to work through them. She doesn’t speed through math, but her
progress is consistent. She didn’t use
any manipulatives or drawings for these problems. The purpose was to have her work through her
calculations and to keep up her skills in addition. She had been working on multiplication a lot
lately, so I thought it would be best to do some addition work again.<o:p></o:p></div>
For tonight, S has covered
art appreciation (aka picture study), poetry, literature, writing, and math. It does not seem like a lot, but I reflect on the quality of what she is learning. I also know from previous experience that while our days may not seem that full, by the end of the year, she will have covered more subjects and have a variety of artistic and poetic examples listed in her log. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXmg_L02xq-kso7VP-FnXajVzXyVuKMU4Ci_GhYaZgzFO_tOCz6qvjiXnT9mrfdtJN1aDZfJyyeZMYOmYD8xnT0cD8TDDU9FlkMRlYzfQ9nSVh5uebsp5VHa_Wy-WhGxNW5PD410PRDI/s1600/Still-Life_-Vase-with-Fifteen-Sunflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXmg_L02xq-kso7VP-FnXajVzXyVuKMU4Ci_GhYaZgzFO_tOCz6qvjiXnT9mrfdtJN1aDZfJyyeZMYOmYD8xnT0cD8TDDU9FlkMRlYzfQ9nSVh5uebsp5VHa_Wy-WhGxNW5PD410PRDI/s320/Still-Life_-Vase-with-Fifteen-Sunflowers.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-37612730942676374722017-12-04T07:00:00.004-08:002017-12-06T20:29:39.789-08:00Addressing the High Cost of College <div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There has been a
lot of talk lately about the expense of college and questioning whether it is
worth it or not. I’m hearing the
arguments for either no college or community college followed by a public
college or university. However, I’m not
hearing the arguments from the families that have chosen the expensive, be in
debt until you’re dead, private colleges.
Well, as the mother of a daughter who has chosen an expensive college
that will keep her in debt for all eternity, I thought I would share why –
despite everything- I believe that this is the right decision for her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are a lot
of issues to consider when the time comes to apply to college. Two major requirements for my daughter was that
the college she attends have no math requirements and be SAT optional. I’ve learned that here is where a lot of
people want to jump in with remarks like – well, she just can’t have it her way
or that’s not how this works. We’re talking
about a girl who designed her high school curriculum on her own. She took
suggestions from me and from some Charlotte Mason reading lists, but the
ultimate decision on everything was her own.
Good luck telling this girl that she HAS to take a math class in college
or that she just can’t have it her way. She’ll
find a way out of it – and she did. Her college has no math requirements. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Next is the
issue of the SATs. The fact that more
and more colleges are becoming SAT optional indicates to me that we are not
alone in our opposition to these tests.
More and more research is proving that these tests are not the almighty
predictor of college success that they have been touted as for decades. In my opinion, the SAT is a scam. Honestly, I love that my kids don’t want to
go to any college that is being taken in by such a scam. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But, here’s the
caveat – all of those SAT optional and math optional schools are the ones that
charge the exorbitant fees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, let’s
address the issue of debt. Do people
think that these college students are too dumb to realize that they will be
graduating with large amounts of debt?
These students are intelligent people who do understand what they are getting
into. They also have the intelligence and wherewithal to pay their loans just as they would pay for
a car, rent, insurance, etc. I’m not
about to tell my daughter that I don’t think she is capable of creating a
budget after college. As it is now, any
spending money that she has while she is away at school is money that she has
earned being a dining server during her school breaks. That money has to last her, so she does know
how to plan and budget. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The expensive
colleges are not without a heart. The majority
of students at X receive financial aid.
X College has also provided my daughter with an extremely
generous amount of tuition-forgiveness since the federal loans won’t cover the
full cost of tuition. We knew she couldn’t
afford X when she applied, but that wasn’t going to stop her from at
least trying. We had faith that somehow
it would work out and so far it has. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then there is
the issue of the culture of the college.
Schools like Hampshire, New College, Global College, Naropa, etc have
such a unique culture that is so different from mainstream colleges. Yasmeen calls X College a transcendentalist’s
dream come true. These colleges have a
campus culture that is much more aligned with the culture of many unschooling families
and progressive families. If you’ve spent years cultivating a
family-culture so different from the mainstream, why wouldn’t you be interested
in at least considering a college that fits well with your ideals? I don’t know if maybe many
unschooling/progressive families are just not aware that there are colleges out
there that don’t fit into the mainstream mold.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m not saying
that all unschoolers/relaxed homeschoolers/progressive homeschoolers should go
to an expensive alternative college.
What I am saying is that there are logical reasons why some may choose
to go this route. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why am I
defending my family’s choice so much? In
large part, it’s because I worry that with this shift in public opinion towards
college, it will result in grants and other financial gifts to colleges drying up
and students who need the help won’t be able to get it. Ask yourself if – assuming you had the means
to do it- you be more likely or less likely to contribute a large sum of money
to a private liberal arts college after watching some of these videos warning
on the high expense of colleges and claims that a college degree is not that
useful. Also, as these videos circulate,
elected officials may be less likely to support legislation to either grant
more aid in the form of a gift or to extend loan forgiveness programs. A lot of
what these videos do is put the blame on the student for going to an expensive
school and ASSUMES that the student has no foresight to plan for repaying the
loan. Why don’t these videos ask why the
government can’t provide more financial aid in the form of a gift rather than a
loan? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB_IGq3JjlT4Q5mrIRuC9fwskGhprOlV9U2Ox4a_wzTW2sECjv41hsfKPp9GROg88R6tIEZH7ZQnODGrZrXqk2zmQqLbBPntdZbyoLnmPQsUZnDFBK6T0RHwCKLvsfjLBSRZZ6A5CndE/s1600/22855487_316319465512101_510095654_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB_IGq3JjlT4Q5mrIRuC9fwskGhprOlV9U2Ox4a_wzTW2sECjv41hsfKPp9GROg88R6tIEZH7ZQnODGrZrXqk2zmQqLbBPntdZbyoLnmPQsUZnDFBK6T0RHwCKLvsfjLBSRZZ6A5CndE/s320/22855487_316319465512101_510095654_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-30322803244625164122017-12-02T11:40:00.001-08:002018-02-07T17:33:08.081-08:00What Unschooling Has Taught Me About the Value of an Experience<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are a lot
of things that I like about unschooling and a lot of things about it that I
disagree with. Ultimately, it is too dogmatic for me. Yes, I think unschooling is dogmatic. But let’s look at what I do like about it. One
thing that unschooling has taught me is the importance of seeing value in
otherwise unappreciated ventures. For
example, Seneca likes to play an online game called Roblox. It had nothing to do with our
homeschooling. Anyhow, this year we recently
started to implement Written Narrations where she writes a few sentences to a
paragraph about what she has been reading.
She asked if she could type her narrations and I was actually glad she
had asked to type them. I was worried that since she hadn’t done any practice
with her online typing curriculum in about a year that she had lost her typing
skills. I was quite wrong. She sat down
to write her narration and I heard that keyboard clicking away. I asked her where she had learned to type so
well, and that was when she told me it was from playing the online game
Roblox. She had learned this great
skill, but not in an academic approach or set plan to learn typing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With the
unschooling approach, simple everyday acts become seen through a new lens. One of the better presentations on
unschooling was a report done from Australia.
In the segment, the reporter states, “Research shows play stimulates problem
solving, creativity, and imagination. It
also helps social skills including a child’s ability to compromise and
cooperate. And so, unschoolers place
equal value on park days and academic learning.”<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwqMW3bQDro&t=375s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwqMW3bQDro&t=375s</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I would like to
step out right now to say that of all the segments on unschooling that have
been done in the US by American reporters not once was the issue of play
addressed from a positive standpoint. The reporters never mentioned any
research of the positive aspects of play.
To me that is very negligent reporting, and it’s unacceptable to be that
negligent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have come to
see that a day at the beach is not just a recreational activity, but it is a
learning activity. I do not turn it into a learning activity. We don’t stop and study what we are seeing.
But I know that the sand and water are providing sensory experiences. A connection is being formed, so that when my
kids do go to an event or pick up a book studying aquatic life they will be
able to connect with the topic on a deeper level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This is not to
say that to study any particular subject, one must have some sort of direct personal
experience with it. Our experiences and
connections come in all forms. For my
older kids, much of their love of history was initially sparked by movies set
in different historical eras. From there, they did research on the people and
events of the times. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tree climbing
can be seen as a lesson in business planning.
You have to steady yourself, plan where to reach for and step next, and
then do it. Establish yourself and get a
firm grip of where you are on the tree and reach for the next branch.
In business, you get to a point, make your impact; and then prepare
through market research, budgeting, and networking to go for the next level - and
then you do it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCWzEFMVDfbJ9kKxoty-5XihkTMTutte4WzNpAk4qEHhBR0BKH1-AKzkqQUPyGPjfauqM5_KBPaLFUsqdlwajya7iKEvZFRG9EOYNlvh87YTA9cM84WFk4lH9QkkwnzuBOzdyVNZZSWw/s1600/14915273_10210114883964659_2030129126447183673_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCWzEFMVDfbJ9kKxoty-5XihkTMTutte4WzNpAk4qEHhBR0BKH1-AKzkqQUPyGPjfauqM5_KBPaLFUsqdlwajya7iKEvZFRG9EOYNlvh87YTA9cM84WFk4lH9QkkwnzuBOzdyVNZZSWw/s320/14915273_10210114883964659_2030129126447183673_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pvMUQsEUvAp2PreVsuvMbfvsWvPcykMHJhDGdWPbIslZNs30Rj-xJnaYvDzM8k4OkBhiKABjQS7AJMhb8nHFYf91vGdRF6pfoYnGy0IrveZD8X3vrHbO7RyCMpbN_0xreXUN9ep_m-E/s1600/15032732_10210114880804580_6114375482763131110_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pvMUQsEUvAp2PreVsuvMbfvsWvPcykMHJhDGdWPbIslZNs30Rj-xJnaYvDzM8k4OkBhiKABjQS7AJMhb8nHFYf91vGdRF6pfoYnGy0IrveZD8X3vrHbO7RyCMpbN_0xreXUN9ep_m-E/s320/15032732_10210114880804580_6114375482763131110_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUcZfktX5uYfBhVqplVM_hr7KLLeRAdhVWeE3erWX0IRIxQUuH2SgQqwS5xIpBYID8QanFdIU5pCvEPxoDXHoArFPF_cfLlNymD3yvDyKYnW8Yucv_eF2PoxgDiD5vJnVqOYsnB_06i4/s1600/14955947_10210114885164689_5433032002084674443_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUcZfktX5uYfBhVqplVM_hr7KLLeRAdhVWeE3erWX0IRIxQUuH2SgQqwS5xIpBYID8QanFdIU5pCvEPxoDXHoArFPF_cfLlNymD3yvDyKYnW8Yucv_eF2PoxgDiD5vJnVqOYsnB_06i4/s320/14955947_10210114885164689_5433032002084674443_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tree climbing can
also be seen as PE. It is a great physical activity. It also has a connection to environmental
science just as the ocean (or in our case the Gulf) does. And then there is the emotional component of
how time in nature affects our mental health and psychological well being. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> As a homeschooling
parent, the philosophy of unschooling has helped me to be able to relax and to
find value at times when I might otherwise have been stressed out that we weren’t
doing “enough.” I’m not suggesting that
to learn about business planning the only thing one has to do is to go climb a
tree. I’m also not saying to turn the
tree climbing experience into a lesson. What I am suggesting is maybe years
later when the student is studying economics or developing an entrepreneurial
plan, you might remind them of something like a tree climb in terms of planning
and reaching for goals. Or, you could
just let the tree climb sit and if the student has made a connection to that
particular endeavor, great – if not, no loss.
The joy and the fun of the climb is what mattered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-69063899169892397592017-11-21T18:19:00.000-08:002017-12-06T20:22:23.246-08:00 How We Continue To Mesh Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, and Self-Directed Learning<div class="MsoNormal">
In a
Charlotte Mason education, a lot of subjects are covered each day, but lessons
are short. At the beginning of this fifth
grade school year, I wrote about my struggle to choose between doing it the
traditional CM way and following a CM model schedule or working more from a
block rotation schedule similar to what is done in Waldorf programs and
schools. I decided to go with the block
rotation ala Waldorf, and I’m happy with that decision. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
We do writing, math, poetry, art
appreciation, music appreciation, and ballet on a consistent basis, but rotate
out history, literature, and science.
This doesn’t mean that she doesn’t learn any history or science during a
literature block. The point of doing
things in a rotating block is so that we have less things to “check off.” In a way, it’s more to help my sanity than
anything else. I’m not left with an empty
nagging feeling of…”Oh Gawd….there’s so much we didn’t get done today.” </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
For now, our block is
literature. S is reading <u>My Side Of The Mountain </u>by Jean Craighead
George. Her cursive writing practice is
being done through dictation and copywork. She works on typing and grammar
practice through her written narrations.
We do rotate out cursive and typing practice. If she does a written
narration one day, then she would do copywork and dictation on alternating
days. She is given about twenty-four
math problems each day. The artist for
this term is Van Gogh. She just finished a biography on him. The poem for this week is “Words To An Irish
Air” by Aline Murray Kilmer. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwo2qXi73C0p2Ucj0hF2zRUC75yOR3FKIx_Y9bsAWL-KjPHez86MIR6imcYt8Zg4nCgHWvFtkZiuChXRt-dI5s-Ibrn5Tx9Qe9UOY6NNvXx4aCjBmjFgJyWpHAGaNvM4JQwxmeLDhiQxo/s1600/Aline+Kilmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwo2qXi73C0p2Ucj0hF2zRUC75yOR3FKIx_Y9bsAWL-KjPHez86MIR6imcYt8Zg4nCgHWvFtkZiuChXRt-dI5s-Ibrn5Tx9Qe9UOY6NNvXx4aCjBmjFgJyWpHAGaNvM4JQwxmeLDhiQxo/s1600/Aline+Kilmer.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aline Murray Kilmer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Just because our current block
is literature, that doesn’t mean other topics aren’t discussed or covered in
some manner. S can read or do
independent online “research” on a topic in science or whatever during her free
time - and I’ll help her if she wants my help.
She is currently learning about the pirates Mary Read and Ann
Bonny. I didn’t assign this in any way.
She found out about Read and Bonny from the internet and is running with
it. She also loves watching survival
videos. I do count her independent
self-directed learning in her yearly logs.
This independent learning is not antithetical to the CM philosophy. In
fact, it fits nicely with the CM idea that afternoons should be left free for
individual pursuits and interests. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-72495589142513040832017-11-16T19:07:00.002-08:002017-12-06T20:19:00.924-08:00Savoring History in The Primary Years<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
S has wrapped up her lessons on Ben Franklin. (She actually wrapped them up over a month ago. I just hadn't gotten around to blogging.) So, what have I learned from this
process? Before becoming familiar with
the work of Charlotte Mason, I think I would have had her quit the book after
the first two pages. The writing and
expressions are somewhat archaic. As a
non Christian child, some of the references made no sense to her and had to be
explained to her. She was not happy in the beginning. But, I have come to understand that the art
of learning to read this somewhat archaic style of writing (not THAT archaic - 1950s and written for children) will set her
up for success with reading classics later on. Within the Charlotte Mason
method, the approach is to read only a few pages and to spread out the reading
of a book over a longer period of time than you would typically see in most
educational settings. This method worked
so well for us because we could discuss the words and expressions, and then I
could explain them within their cultural context. (I'm not trying to suggest that you can't explain things with longer readings.) Also, by feeling like we only needed to do
one or two pages, it removed any anxiety to keep going under stress. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
After a few pages, S was on
a roll. She adjusted to the style writing and didn’t need much further
explanation. She was able to narrate back from the readings. It can be so funny
what a child will pick up on from a book.
Of all the things about Ben Franklin, the thing that stood out the most
to her was Franklin’s bathtub that he designed with a board over it with only
his head sticking out so that he could have visitors to his ship cabin while he
was in the bathtub. I think the
illustration also helped to cement that image in her head. In a later retelling, I thought that she was
saying that Ben Franklin was in the stockade, but then I realized she was
talking about his bathtub. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It is in the Charlotte Mason philosophy to not interfere too much with the narration process. This is the moment for the student to share what she has gleaned from the reading. The teacher does not tell the student what she was supposed to have learned from the lesson. It's about respecting the student's connection to the author's work. There can be some flexibility with this, but generally speaking asking leading questions or trying to solicit a specific answer is not encouraged in a Charlotte Mason education. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
My long term hope is that S will develop the same love of history that her grandmother, mother, and siblings have by forming a connection to the people of history. And that is also a fundamental aspect of a CM education. In later years, students often really enjoy history classes and have an easier time with learning the material because they have formed a connection to these long departed people by having heard their stories. There is connection that has been tended through the years. Those connections are formed by not racing through biographies, but by savoring them as best as can be done.</div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-49131011025665521802017-11-15T10:13:00.002-08:002017-12-06T20:18:45.277-08:00Math: Slow Down!<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Slow Math<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
What
is It? Slow math is the teaching of
mathematics at a pace much slower than what is taught in schools and other
curriculums. Slow math is a direct
challenge to the idea that math must be studied everyday and early on in order
to be prepared for higher math. In slow
math, a fifth grader can be learning basic multiplication.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21765086_10213170841441686_2988535682890198694_n.jpg?oh=82314d57fe65dba1577c469747815cc1&oe=5A64B200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="595" height="320" src="https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21765086_10213170841441686_2988535682890198694_n.jpg?oh=82314d57fe65dba1577c469747815cc1&oe=5A64B200" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In our house, my fifth grade
daughter uses a Melissa and Doug abacus to do her basic multiplication; and I
prefer it this way. I prefer it this way
because she is not learning multiplication facts out of context. She understands that 8 x 4 means eight bars
of 4 beads on each bar. Or she can draw
out eight bags and fill each bag with four circles and count the circles to get
32. She also understands that 8 x 4
means 4+4+4+4+4+4+4+4. Mathematics is
about relations and calculations are done by understanding how figures in a
problem relate to each other. Fast
math is so obsessed with memorization early on that many kids (not all)
completely lose any concept of how numbers relate to each other. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
What
does the research say? Well, the Sudbury schools have no required courses. Many of their students’ first math class is
in 10<sup>th</sup> grade and it’s a course to prepare them for the SATs. Their results? Their students pass just fine. Students who have never had a math class
until 10<sup>th</sup> grade, pass the SAT after a 20 week crash course in
math. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
There
was an experiment done in a district in 1929 in which math was removed from the
curriculum until 6<sup>th</sup> grade.
By the end of 6<sup>th</sup> grade, the students had caught up to their
fellow students in neighboring districts. <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201003/when-less-is-more-the-case-teaching-less-math-in-school">https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201003/when-less-is-more-the-case-teaching-less-math-in-school</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
In
fairness, I know that we cannot fully compare the outcomes in 1929 to
2017. For example, kids in 1929 might
have been exposed to more real life math as they may have learned certain
skills such as knitting and woodworking that use basic math. Kids might have been more likely to use (or
see their parents use) scales to measure ingredients. These details do make a
difference, but I think that the point that delaying math instruction does no
harm still stands.<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
In
our homeschool, math has been a part of the learning process, but it has been more of
an elective. My daughter did work
through the Red Workbook in the Miquon series using Cuisenaire rods in first
grade. We did not continue with the
program as I wanted to give math workbooks a bit of a rest. A concern that was brought up was that
sometimes with spiral learning (as done in Miquon), students sometimes don’t
get a full grasp of some of the fundamentals of math and this can cause some
problems later on.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
One
thing that we did do a lot of was math games – in particular, Money Bags and
Sum Swamp. We also read a biography of
Ada Byron Lovelace and she has watched the movie Hidden Figures many, many
times. </div>
We’re
not following a math curriculum this year. I write out math problems for her to
solve and then we discuss how she solved them.
Sometimes she has memorized the correct answer and sometimes she uses
her abacus to find the answer. I don’t
mind if she uses the abacus because I’m happy that not knowing the answer is
not a reason to quit or leave the space blank. If she doesn’t know the answer, she
knows how to find out the answer. She is
also learning the trick of “If I know that 3x3 is 9, then (counting on fingers
10, 11, 12) 3x4 is 12. Again, it’s about understanding and
recognizing mathematical relationships.Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-44603870001236578432017-11-05T09:11:00.001-08:002017-12-06T20:17:51.081-08:00 My hero<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> Truth be told, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I couldn't have made it through this Hurricane Weekend without this girl. She is the one who got the air mattresses set up and inflated. (Just plug in and turn on, but still hard for me due to lingering back problems.) She got our stuff unpacked and repacked. When all phones except our one back-up line were down, she delivered my handwritten messages to the nurses' desks and to Asst. Dir of Nursing. After my shift was over, she returned to the dining room to help serve meals to the evacuees and sweep the dining room floor. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXOHCv1nilFG60QNKEvxpSN1Bg3SarVd2dg0EoMlumtMu5lv9U8qMteGu4CIAgQKoUcY-wWYWvrfxcE8V8ycsyXtYS5qtgeQD7WdE5sgdrWj7cU97Q-kPOhws3wDrPWUPL_FATst339Q/s1600/21740295_10213070112483525_3941690974350303764_n+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="714" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXOHCv1nilFG60QNKEvxpSN1Bg3SarVd2dg0EoMlumtMu5lv9U8qMteGu4CIAgQKoUcY-wWYWvrfxcE8V8ycsyXtYS5qtgeQD7WdE5sgdrWj7cU97Q-kPOhws3wDrPWUPL_FATst339Q/s320/21740295_10213070112483525_3941690974350303764_n+%25282%2529.jpg" width="238" /></a></span></div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-5289816423901238192017-11-05T09:06:00.001-08:002018-02-10T08:19:07.456-08:00Working Through Hurricane Irma This is my first entry after Hurricane Irma. By the time Irma hit our area, it was down to a category 1 hurricane. Seneca and I went to stay on the campus of the retirement community where I work along with many other associates. Our hurricane experience was one of really being able to see a community pull together and everyone be able to be of service. <br />
The news of the hurricane caused somewhat of a panic in Florida and people ran to the stores to stock up and fill up their gas tanks and, in many cases, gas cans which resulted in thousands of people searching for gas, food, and bottled water in the days leading up to the storm. Preparedness is one thing, but this became panic and hoarding. I was able to buy two cases of bottled water only because a Walgreens employee was guarding the cart of waters and selling two cases per family. My brother found gas for me - I was almost empty. I was so low on gas because I was waiting for payday to get gas. I had no idea that by payday my town would be almost out of gasoline. <br />
People may ask, why didn't I evacuate with my kids. Short answer: I knew that there was no danger. I have lived in Florida for nineteen years and I have never experienced a hurricane. Many hurricanes hit Florida and cause widespread devastation, but during my nineteen years here, not one has hit the county I live in. So, while everyone else was panicking, I was completely calm -as was everyone else in my family. It wasn't the storm that started to cause me some anxiety, it was the fact that there wasn't much food to choose from to stock up on. It was also the thought of sleeping at work on an air mattress (which I would need to get) with my bad back. <br />
Hurricane Irma caused the largest evacuation in American History. And if you ask me, a good portion of that was unnecessary panic. I'm not talking about people who live on the coastlines or in manufactured homes or in flood zones. They needed to get out to safety. One week before Hurricane Irma hit, we had a tropical storm that caused flooding and damage to homes, vehicles, and businesses. Anyone who was effected by the flooding would likely have been very concerned about an approaching hurricane and choose to evacuate. I can understand evacuating in those circumstances, but I still think that a lot of the evacuation was the result of unnecessary panic. Don't forget that the evacuation caused a massive gasoline shortage for those who stayed behind - and those who stayed behind were nurses, caregivers, FPL workers, tree removal people, food service workers, AND we needed that gasoline to run the generators here. Next time, I hope people think long and hard about their decision to evacuate. If it's necessary, go, but ask yourself if it is really an issue of safety. In my case, it would have been selfish and irresponsible of me to hog up the road and hotels when I knew my house and my work (where my daughter and I would stay at for the actual storm) were perfectly safe. If I thought a Category 4 or 5 hurricane was coming, I would evacuate. But I am not evacuating for a category 1 or 2 hurricane. <br />
Anyhow, as I have said, my ten year old daughter and I moved onto the campus of the retirement community where I work. My dear friend, Niki, lent us her our mattresses after I put a call out on Facebook asking if anyone had any that they could lend us for the weekend. For our first night, Seneca and I stayed in an empty apartment in one of the independent living buildings along with some of my co-workers.<br />
On the night of the actual storm, Seneca joined me at Health Center. my desk at thewhich was moved to the conference room - away from the front lobby. She fell asleep early on, and housekeeping staff brought us blankets and pillows. Our phones and computers went down. We lost power, but then our generator kicked on. For the storm, windows were boarded up, so I was almost oblivious to the actual storm raging. All of our residents, had to be moved out of their rooms and into the hallways (despite having boarded up windows) in their wheelchairs. Staff did everything they could to make everyone as comfortable as possible. Snacks and juice were served. But still, it was hard on these people who simply wanted to be able to go to sleep. Our residents in our independent living buildings also had to come out of their apartments and into the hallways during the storm. I learned later that members of the community's housekeeping staff sat with residents who were nervous and scared during the storm. Sometimes just having someone there to help you feel safe really does make all the difference. <br />
Before and after the storm, our executive and leadership staff had on their sneakers and were all pitching in and doing physical work to keep the community running, and to help members from a sister-community who were evacuated to our location. And our maintenance crew never stopped. They were out there during the storm. And when we lost generator power after the storm, they ran from one pump to the next to get fuel to the generators and to get the window boards down as fast as possible.<br />
Not only did staff come together and serve the residents, but residents volunteered to help deliver meals and even to take in staff members into their spare bedrooms and pull-out couches. The community pulled together and even hosted another assisted living community that was evacuated to our location. <br />
<br />
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-39871128173955540642017-08-24T09:53:00.002-07:002017-08-24T09:53:58.270-07:00Letting the Music Quiet Our Noise<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The other
night, Seneca fell asleep listening to Palestrina’s “Motets for Five Voices.” This piece is part of this term’s Composer
Study and was the selection for the week.
I don’t think Seneca fell asleep because she was bored with it. We often have this perception of people
falling asleep at concerts (read: classical music concert) because they are
bored. That may be the case in some
instances. But I wonder if sometimes the people who do fall asleep at concerts or
fall asleep to classical music at night do so because they are put into a
meditative state almost a trance. When I
was listening to Motets for Five Voices along with Seneca and I closed my eyes,
it was as if the music had entered and surrounded my brain. All of the other white noise in my brain
seemed to stop. This particular piece of
music has so much going on as alluded to by its title “Five Voices.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> On the night she fell asleep listening, I
had actually offered to turn off the music after the first break at the eight
minute and thirty second mark. I had
actually started to turn it off and she simply said, “More.” When I first played the piece for her, she
was not as enthusiastic. She listened
for about 5 – 8 minutes each day as we made our way through the piece for the
week. Slowly, it began to resonate with
her. I guess that is the truth with so
many things. Sometimes we need repeated
exposure, but gentle repetition. My new “problem”
is that she now likes “Motets for Five Voices” so much that Palestrina’s other
works can’t compare and she only wants to listen to “Five Voices” during
Composer Study. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQo_LirQY-k&t=828s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQo_LirQY-k&t=828s</a></span></div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-6221052827229736792017-08-16T04:19:00.001-07:002017-12-06T20:16:44.245-08:00Dancing, Math, and More<b>Ballet: </b>1 hour and 45 minutes of ballet class<br />
<b>Jazz:</b> 45 minutes of jazz dance class<br />
<b>History:</b> S continued to read <u>Benjamin Franklin</u>.<br />
<b>Art Study:</b> For this week's art work, S was shown a picture of a bust of Col. Robert Shaw by Edmonia Lewis.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D6CjscuGneDb_FD5JRE79D-HwD68U0ytXexsXsJ7pP04viKS1Ol3Z1CKu3LuL4CdCc3O-AbhRoHcoaI8yVPYXWr29Xlx5P_wb0VHBbEuObJniLkRXOxGoyCnut7tEoX6vR6vEGAmtF0/s1600/Edmonia-Lewis_-Colonel-Robert-Gould-Shaw_-1867_jpg-201x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D6CjscuGneDb_FD5JRE79D-HwD68U0ytXexsXsJ7pP04viKS1Ol3Z1CKu3LuL4CdCc3O-AbhRoHcoaI8yVPYXWr29Xlx5P_wb0VHBbEuObJniLkRXOxGoyCnut7tEoX6vR6vEGAmtF0/s1600/Edmonia-Lewis_-Colonel-Robert-Gould-Shaw_-1867_jpg-201x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Composer Study:</b> I decided to choose our composer from Wildwood Curriculum's <a href="http://wildwoodcurriculum.org/">wildwoodcurriculum.org</a> rotation for this year. The first term composer for 2017-2018 is Giovanni de Palestrina. Their listing for the first piece of Palestrina's work to be listened to is Motets For Five Voices. Seneca and I listened for the first 8 minutes and 30 seconds of the piece. We plan to listen to more throughout the week. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQo_LirQY-k&t=508s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQo_LirQY-k&t=508s</a><br />
<b>Poetry/Copywork: </b>S decided on her own that she wanted to copy the poem "Trees" into her new notebook. She copied half of it and will copy the rest hopefully tomorrow. <br />
<b>Math:</b> Addition drill as we were riding in the car. She wrote out her 2x tables in her new notebook.<br />
<b>Science:</b> S continued to read from her Usborne book <u>Sharks.</u> The reading was followed by an oral narration.<br />
<br />
Narrations: I have S narrate back to me what she does in her dance classes. She discusses floor exercises, barre work (Big Sis: "You went to the bar! S, that's illegal!), and stretches. Narration doesn't only have to be about a reading that was done. It's an exercise to help build memory and communication skills.<br />
S was so excited! She finally got to show everyone her illusion. She has been working on learning this move all summer and she has got it down. She got to show each of her three teachers individually. They all said what a great job she did. She learned to do it by watching a tutorial on youtube, and she has the flexibility from intense dance training to be able to learn the move.<br />
You may have noticed that S's math assignment is below what is typically done in fifth grade math. We used the approach of delayed formal mathematics. That doesn't mean that she hasn't been doing math. She did use a math curriculum for first grade, but not after that. Instead, we played math games, read books about math, and taught math concepts as fun sporadic lessons. I decided to approach math this way after reading this article <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201003/when-less-is-more-the-case-teaching-less-math-in-school">https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201003/when-less-is-more-the-case-teaching-less-math-in-school</a> about a community in 1929 that removed math from its elementary school curriculum until sixth grade. Now, I think it is very important that we acknowledge that kids at that time were more likely to be exposed to more real-world math through things like knitting (patterns, patterns in multiples of 3s or 4s), woodworking, farming, cooking with scales for measurements, etc. S has learned math concepts and she has done work on long addition and subtraction with borrowing and carrying, but this is her first year to really approach memorizing her math facts. She actually has a lot already memorized just from doing gentle math over the past few years. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-79263972186965581352017-08-15T08:56:00.002-07:002017-12-06T20:15:12.659-08:00First Day of Fifth Grade! Fifth grade homeschooling year has officially begun! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkVq76qM3uN2NVEX5XvFHjzqbf39mx9lIICK5Iht8yYrQaUbbr8Di1klBBqHQRxZB_lR0OkCxcCZs7w53fHcxeasP9aDAVd3iAp6EN6wiRRTpkxoyfIJEbr0xAaWUlGCBcbgrb6RkkPs/s1600/20170815_114909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkVq76qM3uN2NVEX5XvFHjzqbf39mx9lIICK5Iht8yYrQaUbbr8Di1klBBqHQRxZB_lR0OkCxcCZs7w53fHcxeasP9aDAVd3iAp6EN6wiRRTpkxoyfIJEbr0xAaWUlGCBcbgrb6RkkPs/s320/20170815_114909.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
For history, S read from <u>Benjamin Franklin</u> by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire. I had some hesitation about her reading it because although it is not from a religious book publisher, it is clearly a Christian book. Our homeschool is secular, but I don't want to exclude religion or there's also the argument for having religious (Judeo-Christian) knowledge as part of cultural competency. The books itself was written in 1950 at a time when it was taken for granted that everyone in America was a Christian. That, in and of itself, is a great teaching point. For now, our approach is to be aware that this book was written by Christians for Christians and we will discuss those implications as they arise. For example, S read about the Franklin family saying grace before a meal. That made no sense to her at all. I had to explain that to say grace means to say a prayer. She asked if using the word grace like this was an old-fashioned expression. I said it wasn't so much that it's old fashioned, but since we're not Christians we don't ever use this expression. One old fashioned expression in the book that had her completely thrown was "knee high to a grasshopper." "Huh?! What?! Okay, this book makes no sense."<br />
For science, I pulled a book off of one of our bookshelves that had been bought a little while back, but not used as much as I would have liked. It's a reference book on sharks from the Usborne publishing company. It is definitely not a living book or a book that would meet Charlotte Mason criteria, but it's in our house, so we are using it. It's a good book and very informative. I just don't think it would be considered a Charlotte Mason book. I think if we were to use it along with a book, such as a biography of shark scientist Eugenia Clark then it would lend itself to being more of a Charlotte Mason resource. For now, our book on Sharks will do for science reading.<br />
Our artist this term is Edmonia Lewis. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIvPT8UmZZgwIyGUg8uwrdwxJ0fFTifw3vBD1r5if7mts_9QIAIg5eKRqM0FuKVkh_znQLCInIaPlp_bp1arQ0z0uuuO3_xqNlpKbKtY27-GCHSGJ-6ukJ2BfAV5jQK2Ae_zlz1FE4MY/s1600/Motto_edmonia_lewis_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="798" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIvPT8UmZZgwIyGUg8uwrdwxJ0fFTifw3vBD1r5if7mts_9QIAIg5eKRqM0FuKVkh_znQLCInIaPlp_bp1arQ0z0uuuO3_xqNlpKbKtY27-GCHSGJ-6ukJ2BfAV5jQK2Ae_zlz1FE4MY/s320/Motto_edmonia_lewis_original.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
Seneca listened to the first ten minutes of lecture on Edmonia Lewis. In the lecture, it says that her date of death is unknown. However, I looked up Lewis on her Wikipedia page and it gave a specific date of death. At this time, I don't know why there is such a discrepancy. Here is link to the lecture that we are watching. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e74ImAzS38">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e74ImAzS38</a> We will continue watching the rest of the lecture next week.<br />
Ballet is back! Ballet is three days a week for two hours per day. She will also have jazz class one day a week, pointe class, and Russian character dance class. This means four pairs of dance shoes! We have two - ballet and pointe. In fact, we had to stop at Payless (which has amazing deals on ladies shoes at the moment) and buy a new pair of ballet shoes. <br />
Our poet this term is Joyce Kilmer. His poem "Trees" is Seneca's favorite poem. I read aloud some general information about Kilmer. He was killed in World War I. I told Seneca that this was the war in the movie "Wonder Woman." Her response, "Wait. That was World War I? That couldn't be because in the movie Steve said that that was the war to end all wars, but then there was World War II." I couldn't believe that she had remembered that line. We had a discussion about how there really was a saying that World War I was to be the war that would end all wars. <br />
As to the poem itself, S read it aloud five times and almost has it memorized. We'll aim for a daily reading of the poem. She is the one who wanted to keep reading it over and over again. I only asked for two readings. <br />
I'm going to jump in here and mention our use of technology in our lessons. On the one hand, I don't want us to become dependent on screens for learning, but they can be a huge money-saver. We will look at pictures of Lewis's sculptures and access Kilmer's poems online. We also are listening to the lecture on Edmonia Lewis because it has been posted online. Free online material is also a time-saver.<br />
We really should have done some math, but we were too exhausted. Not only is ballet a two hour class, but it's a forty-five minute drive from our house when the traffic is good.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487094991290453466.post-9003459752362860222017-08-08T04:49:00.001-07:002017-12-06T20:13:51.891-08:00High School Literature Option B<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt;">
<b><span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11.0pt;">Books:</span></b><span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt;">
<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11.0pt;"><u>A
Song of Ice and Fire </u>by George R.R. Martin, </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt;">
<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11.0pt;"><u>Deathless</u> by Catherynne
Valente, </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt;">
<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11.0pt;"><u>The Paris Wife</u> by Paula McLain, </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt;">
<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11.0pt;"><u>The Lady in The Tower: The
Fall of Anne Boleyn</u> by Alison Weir, </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt;">
<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11.0pt;"><u>Gone Girl </u>by Gillian Flynn </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt;">
<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11.0pt;"><u>Of Mice and Men</u> by John Steinbeck, </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt;">
<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11.0pt;"><u>The Great Gatsby</u> by F. Scott
Fitzgerald, </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 3.0pt;">
<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11pt;"><u>The Hunger Games</u> by Suzanne Collins</span></div>
<div style="margin: 3pt 0in 15pt;">
<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11pt;"><b>Poems:</b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 3pt 0in 15pt;">
</div>
<ol>
<li> “Helen of Troy Dances on Counter-tops” by Margaret Atwood; </li>
<li>“Quattrocento” by Margaret Atwood; </li>
<li>“The Queen” by Pablo Neruda; </li>
<li>“Inheritance” by Warsan Shire; </li>
<li>“The Mermaid” by William Butler Yeats; </li>
<li>“In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae </li>
<li>“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe </li>
<li>“The Faded Flower” by Samuel Coleridge; </li>
<li>“Life” by Samuel Coleridge<span style="color: #383838; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></li>
<li>“Nothing
Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost; </li>
<li>“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost; </li>
<li>“Stopping
By The Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost; </li>
<li>“Fire and Ice” by Robert
Frost; </li>
<li>“Lady Lazarus” by Sylvia Plath; </li>
<li>“Daddy” by Sylvia Plath; </li>
<li>“Cinderella” by
Sylvia Plath; </li>
<li>“The Rival” by Sylvia Plath; </li>
<li>“Because I could not stop for Death”
by Emily Dickinson; </li>
<li>“There is another sky” by Emily Dickinson; </li>
<li>“I’m Nobody! Who
are you?” by Emily Dickinson; </li>
<li>“Nobody knows this little Rose” by Emily
Dickinson; </li>
<li>“A Slash of Blue” by Emily Dickinson</li>
</ol>
Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12462633070845378631noreply@blogger.com0