Integrating Technology and Learning

Since I have been hearing about this video all weekend, I figured that I should share it with you:



Mind you it does not strictly apply to us homeschoolers and many of us will see it as confirmation as to why we homeschool, but if you can get past that you may also be inspired. Of course DD's reason for her excitement about this video is that she sees it as yet another reason why she should get a cellphone. I'm not sure that that is going to work, but I am going to allow her to create a PowerPoint in leiu of a self test in Social Studies. We'll see how that goes and go from their. I'm also thinking, she may be getting some interesting emails. Also, I noticed that our library now has mp3 books on their website for downloading. This may be just the thing for DS.

Let me know any great technology ideas that you have.

TeacherTube.com

Did you know about this? It is just like YouTube.com but with an educational bent.

In one of the lectures I sat in on last night and today, the speaker was talking about the integration of technology and education. Mind you for a homeschooler, the usage is a little different, but it certianly can impact our teaching / learning too. For example, check out the following video:



Show it to your children and then have them pick one of the items in the song to do a research on and write a quick summary.

I am looking forward to really crawling around this site to see what else they have to offer.

Reading Your Way into Good Habits

When I was at work the other night, the Family Consumer Science teachers gave me an article, “Healthful Messages, Wrapped in Fiction” by Tara Parker-Pope. The article discussed the idea of positive messages to girls can be introduced in literature and successfully change their habits. As we have been having problems with DD (teenage issues) and would love to have her get better (more positive) media information, I thought this article may help. I thought it may help me foray into a conversation about the media and its impact on her. Also, I thought perhaps she may read these books.

Impressively, she took to the idea right away. She read the article with interest and then this morning took out not one but three of the Beacon Street Girlsbooks from the library to read and review for me. I thought this was great, because we adults can sit around and discuss what is “good” for kids, but they need to decide if it is really good. When she writes something up, we’ll publish it for your review.

In the meantime, please let me know if you or any of your daughters have read this series.

Dutch Oven Cooking

Homeschooling with heart sometimes means that you do something illogical. Tonight DS and I cooked dinner on an open fire. Did we really have time to do it? NO. Was it the most effective way to cook? NO. Did I do it anyway? Yes.

DS has gotten involved in Dutch oven cooking because of Boy Scouts. He has been enjoying it when they go camping, so tonight he wanted to share one of the recipes he made. So tonight we had Dutch Oven Pot Roast with carrots and potatoes.

DH loves Dutch Oven cooking too, but I think desserts are his favorites. He especially like to make cobblers? DS seems to be fully involved he wants to make soups, side dishes, main dishes, breads, and desserts. We may have a culinary master born 150 years too late.

Note: This is also another great site for recipes.

Rock Star Animation

Check out this new character that DS created. This is actually my rendition of his creation. He has a drawing but my scanner is broken so I have given up waiting and decided to try to recreate it using paint.

Now I'm thinking that it would be cool to create an animation. Does anyone know how to do that? What basic programs would you recommennd? Any information is welcome.

Election Day Plan

Our house is revving up for Election Day. Of course, step one is to get out and vote ourselves. I have always brought the kids to the Polling Place. Many years they have seen me work the polling place and two years they have assisted me in running for office myself. These activities, I think, have made them more aware of the whole election process. When I grew up, my mother would never tell us who she would vote for. She said it was her business and no one else’s. In my house, I can’t imagine that. We talk about politics all the time.

During the primaries, we had a list of the states posted on the fridge. As each state declared its delegates we would post the results. It was CNN and our dining room table coverage. DD was often better informed than even my husband and I were. Our friends were amazed.

I think for tomorrow, we are going to print off a blackline master map and a state by state chart to record the Electoral College votes. This site gives you the number of electoral votes for each state and the number of votes needed to win. I figure tomorrow, we’ll be glued into the tv first thing in the morning and then after 6pm. I just hope that we have an answer by the time we go to bed and not have to wait until Christmas again.

How do you plan to experience the election with your kids?

Update on Science Experiment

I cannot believe how much a plant can grow without light. DS had to grow seeds. One jar with water and one jar without in the light AND one jar with water and one without in the dark. I thought that it would teach him that plants needed water and light to grow, but apparently NOT. See the great thing about homeschooling is that even the adults learn with the kids. The seeds in the dark, wet setting actually have a much healthier looking root system and they actually grew first. I am actually now looking forward to continuing this experiment to find out what other tid-bits I may learn.