Interesting look at technology in the classroom...

From Rod Dreher.  Here's the link.

Being a pair of geeks, we have discussed this topic ad nauseum at our house.  We do have the kids using computers, but it is not the focus of our homeschool. 

Doing the right thing...

Copyright issues are really a matter of conscience.  As a Catholic, I cannot make copies of copyrighted material without explicitly paying for it.  It's only fair.  But, there aren't many checks and balances available to keep people from doing things illegal and immoral.


I bring this up because I have been frequenting the used curriculum boards and ebay.  I saw this:

"Please take a moment to look at the awesome savings if you purchase this timeless collection. These are all in wonderful condition because they were all only used once in order to put them all onto my MP3 player so I can listen to them on the go. This shipment will be mailed only after funds are deposited through Paypal because it is a large amount. Please be reminded of the savings you receive but buying here. God Bless and happy bidding!"

They might be saving someone money, but what about the people who are out of jobs?  Now, we've experienced unemployment in this home.  In this economy, we aren't helping each other by pirating CD's, either ones you sell or ones you borrow.   Piracy might be putting some one out of a job somewhere, be it in the store, studio, warehouse, anywhere along the supply chain.  Piracy is making one OR more illegal copies.

One credible analysis by the Institute for Policy Innovation concludes that global music piracy causes $12.5 billion of economic losses every year, 71,060 U.S. jobs lost, a loss of $2.7 billion in workers' earnings, and a loss of $422 million in tax revenues, $291 million in personal income tax and $131 million in lost corporate income and production taxes.  For copies of the report, please visit www.ipi.org. 

You can read more here, too.  That is for music alone.  I'm sure it's much, much worse in the paper world.

Now, here's my rub.  I have loaned friends CD's before.  I can't control if they copied them and I have stopped lending them out because I paid for them and they did not.  So, they are stealing from me when they take that CD home and burn it or copy it.  I will not purchase used CD's anymore from the Internet or from anyone else, for that matter, after seeing this.  It's a hard thing to do because everything does cost more these days.  Perhaps it is because of things like what I found above that drives the prices up on CD's.  Buyer or lender beware!  I don't want to be a party to breaking the law or sin.

Ed. note:  Someone emailed me this on the very topic of copyright infringement:  Ultimately (and I am reminded of that poignant scene in Cinderella Man where the Dad admonishes his son for stealing bread when their family was destitute during the depression) our economic situation should not compromise our morals or ethics.

Beginning Fine Motor Skills

As I was writing about Kindergarten, I mentioned working on fine motor skills.  One wonderful resource I have found is the Ed Emberley books.  My kids, including my preschoolers, love Ed Emberley books.    These wonderful books are a great introduction to drawing and following instruction.  

Ed starts out with the premise that if you can draw a few very basic shapes, you can draw anything!  And he is right.  My four year old was kissing this book last night, our most recent library resource.  Don't tell him, but I just purchased his own copy for school next year. 

Starting out with these drawings, we will be working on the fine motor skills necessary to write and retell stories.  Next year will be filled with read aloud stories.  He will need to retell them to me orally and also to draw pictures of them.    

One more note...my son that has had  fine motor delays is also finding pleasure in drawing with these books because they so clearly illustrate what to add step-by-step.

Another approach to take with this is using finger prints.  Ed Emberley has several books on "funprints".  We used this idea to make Mother's day cards this year.  We'll be using it in our school work, too.  

Both of these books are available in our county library system.  However, I am opting to purchase them as Amazon is running a 4 for 3 sale right now.  Lots of books I will use the whole year are in the sale.  While I tend to buy a lot of books, many that we'll use are available from the library.  But, some I can't pass up when they are so handy the whole year round.

Art will be playing a larger part of our school year next year as we draw in our Nature Journals and as we work on our drawing, painting and Art appreciation skils.

Sample of using the Internet for Free Homeschooling - Kindergarten

One of my commenter had said they were interested in free homeschooling. She has a child who will be in Kindergarten next year.  I did a google search on Kindergarten academic goals (this was for my own benefit, as well as hers because I have a Kindergarten student starting next year).  They are very basic.  It's important to remember that it is better to start off softly, gently and slowly, following the child's lead the first year.  I practically squashed my oldest child's natural love of learning by overzealous teaching in the Kindergarten year.

So, this may seem simplistic, but the academic goals for a kindergarten student are some beginning reading skills, counting and number recognition and beginning writing.  Because we are Catholic, there will always be a component of Religion included, at our house.  I've added that to the basic list of goals I found online.  I also found web-sites that meet the goals for the Kindergarten student.  You need a printer to make worksheets.  I'm also including some good read aloud books, just for good measure.  Reading aloud to your child everyday is important for their language, grammar, character, virtue and self regulation development.  Lastly, work on cutting, pasting and coloring skills to develop fine motor skills for writing later.

I'd like to add the disclaimer that this does not follow any specific "approach".  This is only an example of how you could accomplish doing school without purchasing curriculum.  There are so many websites out on the Internet that will help you educate your child at home following a specific approach, that I did not take a specific "approach" to creating this list.  You can find those by googling things like "free kindergarten charlotte mason".  For example, www.materamabilis.org/ has FREE Catholic Charlotte Mason curriculum.  You can go there and need not do anything else but visit the library.  

Remember, when choosing a curriculum, to look at the needs of the child and their learning style.

Academic Goals for a Kindergartener

Reading Objectives -  http://www.starfall.com/
Identify likes and differences in word forms.
Recognizes rhyming words.
Name upper and lower case letters of the alphabet
Name the beginning consonant sounds in spoken words.
Indicate where a sentence starts and ends and use left to right motion when reading.
Make predictions and use picture clues to read.
Sequence a story with beginning middle and end.

Math Objectives - http://www.kidzone.ws/math/kindergarten.htm
Count to 100 by 1’s , 5’s, and 10’s.
Count to 10 by 2’s.
Recognize numbers to 20.
Show sequencing to 20.
Show one to one correspondence to 20.
Correctly write numerals 0—20.
Make patterns and graphs.
Sort and measure simple objects.
Do simple addition and subtraction problems to 20.

Writing Expectations - http://www.first-school.ws/theme/handwriting.htm
Correctly form the capital and lower case letters of the alphabet.
Correctly write first and last name.
Apply letter/sounds as emergent writers.
Write simple sentences.

Catholic Religion Goals -  Beginning Catechism, Catholic Read Alouds and Bible Stories
Catechism - http://www.catholiccatechist.org/freeFile_Category.php
Great Catholic Book List -    www.hillsideeducation.com/mosaicbooklist.pdf
Bible stories, Saints and Catholic activities - http://www.catholicmom.com/catholic_kids.htm


Unit Study Ideas - http://ebeth.typepad.com/serendipity/2008/08/a-tutorial-for.html

Games and fun activities, thrown in for good measure - http://www.softschools.com/grades/kindergarten.jsp

In Search of Mark and Janice Vreeland of Family Learning

For those that attended my games workshop, I had promised to try and contact Mark and Janice Vreeland that had written that great workbook called "Games...Tools for Learning" that I had gotten at a one day workshop back in 2003. I have tried google searching them, tried their web site, email all to no avail. So, if anyone out there has a copy of "Games...Tools for Learning" that they would like to unload, I know some buyers. I'm happy to act as a go between.

For those interested in further information on a full games workshop that I provide, that would include a workbook and time to create games with other moms, please contact me. The talk I gave at the conference was based on my workshop. My workshop is not like Mark and Janice's. Their seminar was a full day. I do my seminar in 3 hours and you go home with a booklet of quick and easy games. Mark and Janice almost created curriculum out of their games. I don't go that far and I don't use many of their ideas. I have a very different approach and we will have LOTS of fun.


I love doing the workshop and I think it's important, more so for the mom than the kids. Games give moms as much of a needed break as it does for kids. Mom? When was the last time you could say you really had fun teaching a subject? Playing a game with your kids on the subjects they need to learn will help restore our "love of teaching" as much as the kids "love of learning."

I don't charge much for the workshop, just the cost for the workbooks and my travel costs.  My only request is that you have at least 5 people so the copy costs are reasonable.  I get a discount for bulk copying.  So, please let me know via the combox if you are interested.  It would be my pleasure to do the workshop for you.

Beginning Homeschooling - Minnesota Compulsory Reporting

ed. note:  I apologize for the increasing spacing as you go further down...the blog composer keeps adding them and I will have to come back to correct that later!  Sorry for the difficult read!

By request, I am adding the eight slides pertaining to the Minnesota Compulsory Reporting section of my Beginning Homeschooling presentation.  DISCLAIMER:  This is my interpretation of the law.  I am not a lawyer.  Use the MACHE FORM for compulsory reporting and you will have provided all the information required by Minnesota State Law.

Our right to educate our children at home goes right along with the right stated in Canon Law.

From the January/February 2010 Home School Court Report, Michael P. Donnelly, ESQ wrote to Minnesota Home Educators: 

As more and more new homeschoolers get involved without personal experience of past battles, it’s important that we work together to hold the line on compliance.  For example, what do you do when the superintendent calls and asks for his or her annual visit?  This is an uncommon request for most homeschoolers, and many would be ignorant of the fact that in lieu of this legally sanctioned visit to your home, you can provide the superintendent three items – class schedules, copies of materials used for instruction and a description of methods used to assess student achievement. …” 

 I highly recommend checking out MACHE, Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators.

The Minnesota Law MN Statute 120A.22 requires that the local public school district be notified of your intent to home school by October 1st of each year.  Every home educating parent with children between the ages of seven and 16 must annually report the information required in Minnesota Statute 120A.24.

Nothing in Minnesota law specifies exactly how non-public educators are to make their annual report only that it is due by October 1 each year and certain information is to be communicated.  So, what do you report?

You do report a child who is 7 years old, but not a child who has turned 16 by October 1. A child who turns 7 during the school year can be reported following their birthday. Don't forget to send in their address!  (The MACHE form has all of this on it.)

You may submit a photocopy of immunization history from your health provider. Notarization is necessary if you sign the conscientious exemption to immunizations statement.   Conscientious exemption: No student is required to have an immunization which is contrary to the conscientiously held beliefs of his/her parent or guardian.   You can find  a form for MN immunizations and conscientious objection here.

The name of the instructor and evidence of meeting the requirements of teaching your child at home which are:  licensed teacher, some supervised directly by a licensed teacher, someone who has passed a teacher competency exam, someone that is already teaching in a recognized school, someone that has a bachelor’s degree or IS THE PARENT OF THE CHILD. 

IF THE TEACHER’S ONLY QUALIFICATION IS “PARENT”:  a quarterly report of the achievement of each child in the required subjects must also be submitted.

Annual Instructional Calendar/Quarterly report card: Specific dates for report card submission are not mandated by statute. Parents must be responsible to submit this information in a timely fashion. Only grades for the required core curriculum subjects have to be submitted.  This may simply be Pass/Fail. Nothing in statute requires you to use report cards from the school district. Prepare your own report card and proofread it carefully. 

Your school is autonomous from all other educational institutions.You may have year-round school.

Following the local government school calendar or that of a private school may make scheduling for other activities easier.

Indicate beginning and end of year dates and when major  breaks occur for holidays. 

Required Days of Instruction: None.

Standardized Tests: Children not enrolled in an accredited program or public school “must be assessed using a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement examination.” The test, administration, and location of the test must be agreed to by the district superintendent. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.22 Subd.11

Minnesota law does not require homeschools that are accredited by a recognized Minnesota accrediting association to administer standardized tests. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.22 Subd. 11(d). Accrediting associations such as TEACH or HBGAA are free to set their requirements for standardized testing.

Parents who do not meet teacher requirements 2(a), (b), or (c) above must assess their children in required subject areas not covered by the test. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.22 Subd.11(b).

Children who score below the thirtieth percentile, or one full grade below children of the same age, must be evaluated for learning problems. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.22 Subd.11(c).

Parents have equal authority with the superintendent in the selection and administration of these tests. The name, tester and test location of your child’s annual standardized test OR simply telling them that the testing will be arranged at a later date (simply drop a note in the mail saying what test your child will be taking, who will be administering the test and where it will take place).

Parents must be prepared to document that the required subjects are being taught. This documentation must include class schedules, copies of materials used for instruction and description of method used to assess student achievement indicating that the subjects required are being taught. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.24, Subd.2.

The law Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.26 Subd.1 also says the school superintendent can visit the homeschool, but that is a violation of your 4th amendment rights, so as an alternative, a parent who is providing instruction at home may choose to present the documentation identified above rather than have the superintendent visit the home.

Photocopy this completed report and retain it in your permanent record file.  Mail a REGISTERED Mail copy to the school superintendent by October 1st.

 

Beginning Homeschooling - Follow Up

One thing I didn't get to touch on much in my Beginning Homeschooling talk last Saturday at the Minnesota Catholic Home Educator's Conference was scheduling.

Here's my slide titled Schedules - for the Kids:

• ¨At a minimum, make a checklist
• ¨Have a school calendar (wall calendar works well)
• ¨Make your kid’s schedule
• 
  

  ¤Monthly, Daily or Weekly

• 
  

  ¤Free Homeschool Scheduling Software

• 
  

  ¤Cater to their age

• 
  

  ¤Include outside activities

• 
  

  ¤School to-dos

• 
  

  ¤Chores

• 
  

  ¤Things they can do if you are busy

• 
  

  ¤Snacks that are okay to have if you are busy

• ¨Go over it weekly! Remember Monday and Thursday! 

If you are looking for a way to schedule and lesson plan for free, please check out the great FREE homeschool software at TG Homesoft.  You can upgrade to the Plus Edition, which is what I use.  They have an entire page dedicated to the differences.  It is reasonably priced and upgrades are free once you have purchased the Plus Edition.  Here are a few screen shots:

This is the main screen.  Below is an example of the reports screen.

This is a full featured software that allows you to start at a very high level and work your way down to very specific details about your child's school work.

I print out my children's assignments on Sunday night.  On Monday morning, I have time set aside to discuss their assignments.  We agree on what needs to be done by Thursday morning.  On Thursday morning, I check back in with them to see how they are progressing on those activities they needed to do on their own.  We are also do it for me, too, because sometimes the circumstances of having six children ages 12 and under, running a house and keeping up with everything distracts me from my job as a teacher.   It's a good accountability check for all of us.  So, if I have to miss doing a Spelling lesson or working with someone on a project, this is our time to check ourselves before Friday.  

One other important thing I would like to mention is that your schedule should be displayed in terms your children can understand. Now that my three oldest are readers, they can explain upcoming events to the younger ones, but I used a picture chart for a long time with my kids.  I got this idea from the clinic where my oldest attended Occupational Therapy for his fine motor skill challenges.  They used this type of schedule with children with Autism.  It works fabulously with non readers.  Here's an example:

This minimized the inevitable "What are we doing today?"

If I can't picture it. I can't understand it.
Albert Einstein

I will be posting some info from the Get Your Game On! Seminar next.  Have a great day!