Learning styles

I've written before about learning styles from the Gregorc model (Concrete Sequential, Abstract Sequential, Abstract Random, Concrete Random).  I found this site very helpful with it's descriptions:

http://www.floatingneutrinos.com/Message/arcs/links_on_abstractrandom.htm

I tend to really wrestle with homeschooling my Concrete Sequential, mostly because my teaching style and gifting seems to really be at odds with this learning style.  I find it a really difficult stretch to try to bring in more hands-on practical learning.  Sometimes I wonder what God was thinking when He put us two together, lol.  On a personal level, I love the way her mind works and often laugh at the ingeniunity of her simple logic and spot-on humor.  On a teaching level, I'm often wondering how I can go beyond my own boundaries as a homeschool mom, how I might branch out and reach that clever mind of hers.  Most days, I throw up my hands and hope that it all straightens itself out one day, and she grows up to be a well educated, highly motivated individual.  The descriptions above, though, gave me yet another glimpse into what her future might be.  I've often told her she could be a lawyer, and on other occasions, an English teacher.  I think she'd really enjoy wielding a red pen! LOL.  So perhaps she will be an editor someday.

Against Answer Getting (video)

Thought I'd share this gem about "answer getting" as a method of teaching mathematics.  It looks at a mindset difference between U.S. teachers and Japanese teachers when teaching mathematics.

http://vimeo.com/30924981

Choosing curriculum

HomeSchoolReviews.com Forums: Things to consider when choosing curriculum

I thought this was an excellent list for consideration. I've been considering MFW ECC. Although their goals are good goals, it is not my goals for my family. I do not want a focus on missions, this does not match our own family's personal dynamics. And so, I most likely won't be purchasing MFW this year, although boxed lit-based, scheduled curriculum is sooo appealing right now.

Recommended reading list

My librarian asked for a list of books, homeschool related, that other homeschoolers would want in our little library:)  Here is a part of the list I provided:

Senior High: A Home Designed Form+U+La
The Well Trained Mind (Classical Education) (Jessie Wise, Susan Wise Bauer)
Managers of Their Homes and
Managers of Their Schools (life organization and pro-textbook type organization) (Teri Maxwell)
Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe (Todd Wilson)
The Relaxed Homeschooler (Mary Hood)
100 Top Picks (Cathy Duffy)
Help for the Harried Homeschooler (How-to and Organization) (Christine Field)
Homeschooling at the Speed of Life (How-to and Organization) (Marilyn Rockett)

There were a few others (I lost my copy of the list!) so I will add those if I find them later.  I tried to get a good mix of how-to, organizational, classical, relaxed, and textbooky.  I may have listed a Charlotte Masony book or two, but can't remember now.  I struggled with that one.  I haven't read a ton of CM books, but the ones I have read, bored me to tears (all the ones others rave about). I DO like CM's method, but apparently I'm not too keen on reading about it:)

Taking responsibility for one's own education

Yesterday was a rough day.  We had done a bit of carschooling the day before, so our books were in a disarray.  The kids didn't know what they were supposed to be doing.  The 2yo was hyper and needed to stop jumping on my couch cushions.  The brand new protractor was missing under piles of stuff and we were hunting for it everywhere.  Meanwhile, the 2yo quietly stopped jumping on couch cushions to head upstairs and find trouble there.  I felt like the world's worst mother and homeschooler.  That missing protractor was a sign of my failure.

I worried that I was the center focus of education.  I was the authority on whether their work was sufficient.  I was responsible for their supplies.  It was all up to me to make the day flow easily from subject to subject.  It was not flowing easily, because neither one of us was keeping track of our things.  At some point, I wondered how I was ever going to transfer that responsibility from me to them. 

Even our lessons are spoon-fed.  I give the lesson, they work on it.  I tell them when it is wrong and help them make it right.  It isn't difficult for them.  They do not have to wrestle with finding the right answers.  Doubts crept in about what I was doing here.  Wouldn't they be better off in public school, where some responsibility is thrust on them?

A friend with a son in public school told me that she's had the worst week.  Her son isn't bringing home his books.  He didn't know how to find the information he was supposed to be reviewing.  He wasn't taking notes in class.  He was getting poor grades on tests.

We all worry about our children not working hard enough and taking responsibility for their own education.  It isn't limited to homeschool children.  Even many good students in public school struggle to make their education their own. 

Cleaning out the trash from the treasure

For record keeping, I've kept all of our old workbooks in piles, and all of our loose papers stacked in boxes.  After a few years, these things really add up to one big mess!  I spent the weekend sorting through things, trying to pull together a portfolio for each year and each child.  This has been no easy task.  It has been an excellent exercise, however, in seeing what is Educational Trash and what is Educational Treasure.  It has reminded me of an important aspect to curriculum planning.
When you look back on your homeschool five years down the road, what would you like to see in that stack of books and papers?  What would you look for to keep?  What would you toss? 

I didn't have my answer right away.  It took some sorting and reviewing to see what really seemed Save Worthy.  Here is what I came up with:

• Tests and Chapter Reviews.  This gave me a good overview of what was accomplished in a whole chapter
• Handwriting samples.  I dug this out of spelling tests, dictation, narration, or simple question answering in the workbooks.
• Writing samples.  Any papers that the children had written were saved.  Some things I saved a Rough Draft and the Published (or Final) Draft.  If an outside teacher were reviewing this, they'd want to see the process.  I didn't save all rough drafts, but a few to show that we did go through a planning, writing, revising, and final publish phase.
• Projects or pictures of projects.  Let's face it; you probably don't want to save that lopsided diorama, or that huge human body poster your child made.  However, a picture of it is a nice, small thing to keep.  I kept some originals, as long as the originals were small and easy to store.

And that's it! 
I realize that the things I value and save are DIFFERENT from what I value when I lesson plan.  Oops!  Over the past few years, I have been letting the kids skip the chapter reviews and tests.  These are the easiest things to save.  Rather than saving a whole chapter on Addition, why not save that Chapter Review at the end as a testimony to mastering Addition? 

One more thing I found very valuable:  a report card.  I did not keep these every year, but I wish I did.  I didn't assign a grade to each subject, however.  I wrote a brief description of what was covered under each subject.  For example, in Kindergarten, it might've looked like this:
Math:  can count to 100.  skip counts by 2s, 5s, and 10s.  Understands place value ones, tens, hundreds.  Telling time to the hour.  Basic addition and subtraction using objects.
Language Arts:  can use phonics skills to decode CVC, CVC-E, and some double vowel words.  Can read 30 sight words. 
Social Studies:  studied Community Helpers by visiting a Firestation, Police station, Doctor and talking to each one about their jobs.

I used WorldBook.com to get my scope and sequence for each grade level.  I used some of WorldBook.com's ideas and terminology, but wrote what I thought was important for each child, each year. 

Water Cycle, Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle

Some good YouTube videos on the topic:

Water Cycle
http://youtu.be/3tExrDk013A

Nitrogen Cycle
http://youtu.be/1XC7xT0mIbY

Carbon Cycle
http://youtu.be/0Vwa6qtEih8