(on) The Road (to becoming a) Scholar: October 2011

Saturday, October 29, 2011

iPad Apps We Use

I have had lots of requests for the iPad apps we use the most around here. Here's a quick and dirty list:

The Kindle App for iPad (The 13 year old and 12 year old read their CK-12 textbooks there…CK-12 is an organization that provides FREE textbooks for eReaders.) for Science, Spelling and Literature

CK-12 Earth Science Quiz App (to go with our Earth Science text from CK-12)

Spelling Test (Weekly spelling tests and quizzes)

Math Drill, Math Ninja, Rocket Math and Math Bingo

ABC Cursive

Stanza (to read pdf files)

Edupad iTooch 5^th Grade English LITE (grammar reinforcement)

TextVook Exploration (History Supplement)

GeoBee (Geography)

Ultimate History Quiz (thank you, History Channel)

RC Calendar (a part of Religion is to look up if there are any feast days and read the daily readings)

Apps that we like that are not part of school, but get used regularly:

Go Skywatch Planetarium - AWESOME app for looking at the constellations.

GoAtlantis – shows where the International Space Station is currently located, along with its flight patterns.

Intellicast.netHD – Weather forecast and current satellite images

GoogleEarth

Dragon Dictation

Apps I’ve been reviewing for use this year:

Constitution (explains the preamble and each article and section of the US Constitution)

Latin Word of the Day (Like Latin flash cards)

Pocket Latin Lite

Free Greek Essentials

Apps I use:

Google Books app

iBooks app

Kindle app

The Road Scholar

Cathie and her husband are blessed with six children and have home educated them since 2003. Before children, Cathie developed curricula and taught classes for adults around the world on a variety of topics in the computer industry at the corporate and technical school level. She loves to develop curricula, teach homeschool co-op classes and organize book clubs. For five years, she held board positions on a large homeschool support group such as general coordinator, membership coordinator and advisory member.

Workshops, Presentations and Seminars

To arrange a presentation for your homeschool group or convention contact me here.

Topics:

Beginning Homeschooling - Beyond the Basics

Are you new to homeschooling? Where do you start? How do you ensure a very good (not just adequate) homeschooling experience, especially in that important first year? This practical how-to session will help you determine the appropriate first steps on your homeschooling adventure. We'll talk about picking a curriculum, scheduling and strategies for developing an independent child as well as strengthening your family and social relationships.

Get Your Game On!
Using EASY, Almost No-Fuss Games to Help Keep Learning Fun

Kids love games and so much is gained by playing games: learning to taking turns, good sportsmanship, patience and development of relationships. By using games, we can tailor to the needs of the child - not just academically, but socially, too. Come join in the fun yourself and learn how easy it is to put together games for your children—and you don't have to be creative to do it, either! Besides learning how, you will walk away with instructions, tips and resources to make your own games at home.

How to Get Your Kids to See the Light (or Feel it or Hear it)!

Teaching different learning modalities requires different tactics. Learn how to determine which modality your child uses and find ways to present material so that it sticks the first time, especially if it is different than your own learning modality.

This Old Schoolhouse

The school marms and school masters of yesteryear taught several children at different levels and formed many of our favorite American heroes. We will look back at how those school marms ran their one room schools and take some tips on making our school days more successful. We’ll talk about schedules, curriculum, discipline, independence, character development and motivation for the one room school in your home.

Socrates Meets Homeschool Mom

If Socrates could teach you one thing, it would be to use his method (the Socratic Method) for literary analysis. This presentation addresses the fundamentals of literary interpretation from within the accessible world of children’s literature, so even young students can easily identify the language of literary analysis. As they mature they will readily spot these fundamentals in more difficult works, enriching both their understanding of the literature and their appreciation for the author’s handiwork. Learn the aspects of literary analysis and how to help kids appreciate and find the meaning in all the great books they read.

The Motivation Myth

What do sticker charts, time-outs and spelling bees have in common? They are examples of “Carrots and Sticks.” Over the last 40 years, study after study has shown that "Carrots and Sticks" don't work for long term motivation, especially when thought is required in the process. How are you motivating and inspiring your kids to study, do chores and reach goals? Learn about what truly motivates kids, how to mentor them and help them become successful in their endeavors. I will dispel the myths and reveal truths about human motivation and mindset. And here’s a hint. It’s you, not them. I hope you will join me to find out what that means.