Online Fun

BlueSkies in Tagxedo

Followed a friend's pin and found this wonderful site called Tagxedo.  I'm thinking there has to be some way to incorporate this into our homeschool!  Cards, posters, web images.  I think I'm going to have some fun with this!

Maps!

AH is obsessed with a website that was highlighted on the blog, Free Technology for Teachers.  He hasn't stopped playing around with the animated maps on History Animated.  They have maps of major battles for the War of 1812, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War II: both the Pacific Theater and the European Theater and the Mexican-American War.  These maps are animated so you can see troop movements and also read about the strategy used, the central characters, etc.   If you have students who love maps, check it out!!

A Picture A Day: July 10, 2012

AH was intrigued by this activity during our July HiSci Science Club.

Planning A High School Education

I find myself facing the prospect of homeschooling a high school student.  Panic does certainly raise it's ugly head at times.  But panic like this is simply fear of change and the unknown.  Fear is relieved when a plan is in place.  When I think of my son and his learning style, I know that he will do better homeschooling where he can learn the way he learns best.  AH wants to attend college, so together we will be planning a college prep education that will take place not only here at home, but will also take advantage of the many opportunities available to us around the area.  This summer we will begin planning the first year of high school using the book, College Without High School by Blake Boles.

This book is full of real-life student stories and exercises to take general interests and make them into specific goals.  It is full of suggestions for cobbling together experiences and study such as auditing a college course, volunteering,   reading,   researching, interning, etc into a "course" worth high school credit . It is written directly to the teen reader, but I found it very helpful in my own life.  

The author, Blake Boles, has an interesting story and has built a wonderful education and life using these techniques.  You may recognize his name since he runs a well respected business, Unschool Adventures.

So this is our summer work.  We'll be taking it chapter by chapter until we come up with a plan.  Change is frightening.  But planning for that change is exciting and empowering!