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Month: June 2009

Perpetuum Jazzile: vocal ecstasy

The video below is a lovely feast of rich sounds. From their website:

The stage is our canvas, our voices are our colours. We blend and unite them to create masterpieces. Happy faces give us energy and confirm that we are devoted to what we do with our hearts and souls.Perpetuum Jazzile is Slovenia’s only jazz choir, conducted Tomaž Kozlevčar who is also its art director. It thrills its audience with a colourful programme, extraordinary singing and unique joy.

Watch it with the children a few times throughout the day. Music appreciation? You bet!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjbpwlqp5Qw

Do you tweet?

twitter_logo1

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read each others’ updates, known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters, displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to other users – known as followers – who have subscribed to them. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications.

tweet with me

Click here to tweet with me

So, you want to get started with twittering but don’t know how? Easy! Visit the Twitter website and click “Join for free” to create your account. Consider using your real name as your user name to help your friends find you more easily.

Once your account is created, login and click “Settings.” From here, you can setup your account details, manage your password, register your mobile phone and IM account, configure how you receive Notices, upload your photo and customize your account’s design. Your Twitter page is located at twitter.com/your-username

Some people tweet everything from what they are thinking at any given second to sharing links and deeper thoughts, quotes, Bible verses and more! I used to think it was stupid and a waste of time but once I was set up it’s actually a pretty quick way to gather a whole lot of information. Having said that, I do get annoyed at people who tweet what they had for breakfast or when they shaved their legs! I also get a bit cross when individual people (as opposed to businesses) post the same links over and over again. It’s a bit like spam to me. However, these messages can simply be blocked of hidden so that I don’t see them.

Widgets can be enabled that feed directly from your twitter feeds to your blog or Facebook or anywhere else! That can be a good way to keep friends and family up to date. You can see my latest tweets by either visiting my twitter profile or by simply viewing the front page of my blog.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o

Do you Tweet? Why don’t you leave me your Twitter name in the comments so I can pop over to your profile?

Parent or Best Friend?

Hands up if you have a teen daughter? A few years ago, I was advised to be my daughter’s parent- not her best friend. The advice was given that I need to be her guiding influence and an authority figure. And with that, I do agree! But…

So I tried being more parental…and nearly lost her heart. It wasn’t in the being parental part that nearly did it- it was the imbalance…being one but not the other. Oh, praise the Lord that he did not keep me at that place for long…for He knows my heart and what  I desire. He pulled me from that and set my feet upon a path where I could be both parent and best friend.

25-12-07_1134

2007

My 18yodaughter does not have a best friend, besides her father and I. It’s a lonely world out there for a young adult who holds strong values and convictions (and isn’t afraid to speak them!). She has many acquaintances and friends but none who share the same values with similar depth. Well, there are a few other young ladies who do but they are not in close geographical proximity to each other. Therefore, it’s important that I be there for her- to listen to her, to give to her- to be her role model.

Now I have read quite a lot of articles, blogs and magazines that speak of the parent being the parent and not the best friend…how the two cannot be similar. Well, maybe that is true is some situations as I know that all children are different but I do believe that the homeschooling mum can definitely be her daughter’s ‘besty’. Remember I have four other children and that includes our blended family.

Why does it have to be an either/either situation? Maybe it does and I am truly in a unique situation… but I know of others who are in similar situations like Pearls of Truth and her daughter.  Before she *graduated* my own mum was my best friend. She was and always will be my mother…but she was also one that I loved to share with, to listen to and to spend time with. She was a role model, an authority figure and my best friend. She had my heart. And I believe that’s the key. My daughter’s heart is turned toward me (and her father) so this allows me to be both to her. I guide her, instruct her, correct her, laugh with her, play with her, relax with her, pray with her, read God’s word with her and discipline her. She accepts it all  graciously (albeit eventually). 😉

We have an understanding that first and foremost I am her mother and this is my God given role…but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have other elements in our relationship. Naturally, this has changed with the age of my daughter. In the early years it was important to establish the boundaries and roles but as the young girls mature and develop to become young women (who are old enough to be married and running their own home but choose to remain at home until that time) I have found it important to accept the natural (creational principles) changes that different ages, stages and seasons bring. With God, all things are possible. There is balance to be found in His wisdom.

I hope no one would take this out of context and  become a liberal parent in the hopes of becoming their daughter’s ‘besty’. All family situations are different and each person should seek God and His word for the direction of their own family. If you have any queries on what I’ve written, don’t hesitate to write me or leave a comment.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with me? Are you your older daughter’s best friend? What activities do you enjoy doing together?

Some good links that I want to share…for the young unmarried ladies:

A Little Courtship Advice by Nancy Wilson and  Unmarried & Fruitful.

Putting it together

ponderingfamily-life

Well, so far in this series I’ve posted a little about us and the beginnings of our homeschooling journey, how I felt something was missing despite my planning and working so hard and how God pulled me up and put me on a clearer path, with Him as pilot. I wrote about developing a family mission statement and today I would like to share just a little of our lifestyle and how it looks, what sort of books we use in this pursuit of a Bible based, Cross-centric lifestyle of learning.

Jigsaw_PuzzleThere is so much curricula available (and I have owned much of it) but we have prefer to study God’s word directly rather than reading commentaries and regurgitated thoughts of man- regardless of how good or noble those thoughts. We desire that our children go directly to God’s word on matters so this means that the primary curriculum on our shelf is the Bible…it’s our main textbook. We also have a good dictionary, Bible handbook and other reference books.

Many modern publications or Bible study books are good but they may have been watered down or they omit teachings on important biblical matters. Bible study is much more than a fill-in-the-blank approach. To be truly authentic and genuine we must teach by living it, modeling it. This is much more effective than any Bible curriculum one can purchase…but be careful, it’s not for the faint hearted- it’s life changing. I have come to see that this homeschooling journey is actually about me. Not in a modern worldly “me” kind of way but by nature of the fact that God wants me to desire Him, to hunger for Him. God does have an agenda behind all this homeschooling business –  That it will lead not only the children, but me, to a closer walk with Him.

God’s initial goal for Christian homeschooling families is not the raising of godly children. Instead, God’s wonderful, but subtly hidden agenda is that the homeschooling experience be so challenging for the parents that they feel the need and hunger for a closer walk with their heavenly Father.”
~Wisdom’s Way of Learning by Marilyn Howshall

The Bible is a window into our own soul and heart so that we can understand ourselves, our needs. God spiritually feeds us through the word. The Bible instructs us as to salvation, forgiveness, how to live, how to please God. It isn’t just ‘history’ rather it is His Story! It [the Bible] does more than tell us facts and figures and stories…it tells us why we are here on earth and where we are going. Many other books can point to God but only this one book shows us what God is like. Other books are helpful and beneficial, encouraging, thrilling, informative, entertaining, comforting and beneficial in other ways but only God’s word is life! This book alone can give a glimpse into the mind of God…give us a perspective of eternity. Just as the body needs to be physically nourished by good food, so our heart and mind needs sustenance. It is not simply the words in this book that satisfy the hunger in our soul rather it is God Himself. Just as regular exercise is necessary for a healthy body, so is daily exercising of the mind. What better to nourish the mind on than the message of God?

susan_kerugmaRather than start with a state curriculum or generalised outcome based objectives (that have been decided upon by someone else) and then attempt to use the Bible to fill in any gaps, or cover Bible study as though it is just another subject, we start with the Bible and move forward from there: to learn who God is, what He has done and what He requires. This becomes our world view…and our world view will teach more than any curriculum or textbook. Yes, every subject can be taught through the Bible. After all, what is history if not His Story? What is Science? All scientists must think critically and independently. Geography is really the study of God’s created earth and so on.

We use a variety of resources and methods and they’re all good (CM methods, Classical, notebook, natural-learning, etc) but this approach has been what we have found most successful and achievable in instilling vision, purpose, self motivation in all of us. We believe this will prepare us and our children for vocational, entrepreneurial, career or ministry vision.

I don’t believe it mattered that I’d been homeschooling for a few years already. God is King of New beginnings! I asked Him to give me a vision for our family. Through studying His word I’m learning how to hear Him, how to be guided by him and how to recognise and trust the voice of the Holy Spirit. God knows my teaching style! He knows my children’s learning styles! And He has a purpose for us! He is personally directing and guiding me, as I turn to Him and submit my all to Him. This has accomplished more godly fruit that I’d been able to by my own efforts.

Am I  recognising God’s call for our family? Am I seeking Him for direction…for guidance in curriculum choices? Am I resting in Him, submitting everything (academic goals and dreams) to Him? Am I listening to Him and observing my family? Am I putting wholesome, literary books filled with rich ideas before the children?  I want to do these things, watch for the spark …then allow the children room and time to dig further.

Write the gospel, a chapter each day…write it by what you say and what you do. Your children read that gospel, whether faithless or true. What is the gospel according to you?

Our Homeschool Journey

A Few Freebies- Christian, homeschool, blogging

free2Just a quick post to let you know of some goodies that found their way to my Inbox this morning.

The Animal School – A Parable

animalschool

An old story tells of the creation of a school for the animals. In this school, everybody took the same four courses: flying, swimming, climbing, and running. Among the students were a duck, a flying squirrel, a fox, and an elephant. These four were highly motivated, and wanted to get good grades, so they all tried very hard.

The duck did fantastically well in swimming and flying, but he lagged behind his classmates in climbing and running, so focused special attention on those two subjects. However, his feet became so sore from trying to run and his wings were so bedraggled from trying to climb that by the end of the year he not only failed both those subjects, but made C’s in swimming and flying, which had once been his two best subjects.

At the beginning of the school year, the squirrel was first in his class in climbing and running and was second only to the duck at flying. But as the months wore on, he missed so much school from catching pneumonia in his swimming class that he failed everything.

To make matters even worse, because the squirrel constantly squirmed and chattered in class, and had difficulty paying attention, he was diagnosed with a learning disorder. The squirrel eventually was placed in remedial classes and had to be medicated in order to continue with his school work.

The fox was a natural in his running class and scored well in climbing and swimming, but became so frustrated at his inability to get good Grades in flying that he began assaulting his classmates. He even tried to eat the duck. His behavior was so disruptive he was expelled from school. He fell in with a rough crowd and eventually wound up in a center for animal delinquents.

The elephant, meanwhile, developed low self-esteem because he couldn’t do well in any of the subjects. When he sank into clinical depression, his therapist persuaded him to try a different school that focused on subjects such as lifting and carrying. The elephant was disappointed, because careers in lifting and carrying were not as prestigious as careers in flying, swimming, climbing, or running. Even though he always felt inferior, he managed to make a decent living and support his family.

Our Children are Individuals

The point of this silly story about a school for the animals is that modern education sends every child through a program of study that is targeted toward a “generic” child. It expects every student to be able to follow the same course of study in the same sequence, without considering innate aptitudes or individual differences that are crucial to children’s abilities to learn. Schooling does not take into account differing personality types or temperaments.

Parents who understand learning differences can be more sympathetic with the frustrations their children face in school and more helpful in finding alternative approaches. The two major learning differences among children have to do with learning styles and learning readiness.

Article used with permission from Homeschool MarketPlace
Any article appearing on this website may be copied or forwarded electronically provided that proper credit is given and that the article is not substantively modified. No article may appear in whole or in part in a publication sold for profit or as part of any commercial endeavor without the written consent of Home School Marketplace.
© Copyright 2006. Home School Marketplace, 1053 Eldridge Loop, Crossville, TN 38571.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN7QfjIcVvA

Developing the Vision

Previously I wrote how I felt that I was in control of our homeschool and how I had planned everything out just perfectly, yet struggled under the weight of it all. God doesn’t want us to strive for cookie-cutter children, rather He would have us prepare our children for an individual, definable life purpose. We try to recognise and identify each children’s natural (God-given) strengths, weaknesses, abilities, talents, interests and passions. From there, we can lean on God for direction in devising a flexible plan for developing our children as whole individuals with a purpose, for His service.

Early on we realised the immense benefit of home education but it wasn’t until a little later on that we came to see that homeschooling is more than academics… that it is a natural extension of God’s purpose for the family.

Some points that we consider and discuss:

  • What is ‘family’?
  • What things are important to us, as a family?
  • What abilities and interests and concerns has the Lord given to us, as a family?
  • What are some skills that we want our strong, capable child to have as an adult?
  • What are the attitudes, character traits and information/knowledge that we want our children to have as adults?
  • What are our educational, moral, spiritual personal, ethical, goals for our family?
  • What direction has God shown us regarding us and our family’s ministry in His Kingdom?
  • Do our aims line up with the Bible?

Our responses to these points will look different to other families. Our thoughts and goals are based upon personal conviction, values and calling. Whilst we believe our aims (goals) should always line up with the Bible, the practical outworking of them will look different to that of other families. See this video for more information about individuality within homeschooling.

We then go on to ponder:

  • What is education? What does it mean to us?
  • What is the purpose of our child’s education?
  • What is wisdom?
  • What is more important to us: knowledge or wisdom?
  • How best can we meet the needs of our child?

This interesting exercise helps us to identify our family’s unique purpose. However, we’ve found that these questions really can’t be answered in quick, easy, mono syllabic words or sentences. They are rich ideas, encompassing our whole view of the world and everything in it. The ideas and thoughts meld together to form our family’s unique life purpose.

Now we focus upon each child:

Yesterday I shared how we observe each child’s:

  • Strengths and natural ability and aptitude, also called talents
  • Weaknesses
  • Interests; what sparks their curiosity or desire to know more
  • Their passions (things they would do if left to their own devices)

Now we have a big picture. We’ve identified our family’s goals and purpose. We can see what is most important for us and what is most worth our time and energy. Is it academics? Skills? Information or knowledge? Or relationships? Our family has a priority list of:

  • relationships (with God, others and self) first, then
  • skills and then knowledge.

One of our highest priority areas is to grow in wisdom, which only comes from God and falls under the category of ‘relationships’.

Now our Family Mission Statement is in place…the next step is writing it down. Have you developed your Family Mission Statement? I’d love to hear about it. Having your mission statement written down is one of the most important things I recommend. when times of hardship or difficulty come (and they do) we turn to our Mission Statement. This gives us direction, focus and motivation. We’ve also found it beneficial to include the children, especially once they are older.  This in turn helps to shape their own view of the world, family and education. It’s important to be able to articulate why we do what what we do. Your family vision is part of that.

See more of Our Homeschool Journey

Getting the direction – as co-pilot

ponderingfamily-life

A Gospel-driven, Cross-centric, Discipleship approach simply means that we’re teaching each child what he needs to know, with a view to his/her  God given strengths, weaknesses, interest, passions, and talents… their natural bents. Rather than just getting an education we can receive a balanced education through our lifestyle. We are free to seek God for each child’s purpose. This is how we can disciple our children…and prepare them for an individual, definable life purpose.

Recognising God’s Call

The first thing we had to do was recognise God’s call. This was pretty easy…to recognise that God has put me, the parent, as the responsible authority in the lives of our children. I often remind myself that when God calls, He also enables!

Prayer

Ah, I read it, thought it and said it so often that it went without saying but in reality it was at times, the most neglected facet of my homeschool and personal life. I had to acknowledge my weaknesses in order to lean on His strength. This is a walk of faith. But as I have looked to God, more and more He has taken care of all our homeschool needs. In other words, the less I have planned and struggled, the more He has been in control and provided for us.

Rest in Him, Listen to Him and Rely on Him

Listening is so important. I need to listen more to God. Once I’ve asked for His help and direction, I need to stop and listen so that I can hear.

Recognize and Identify

I watch and observe. I have sensed the prompting of the Holy Spirit (and gained help and direction) just by watching and observing the children. Recognising the individual make-up of each child and who he/she was created to be is an ongoing process. In fact, I’ve become a student…not only of the word but a student of my children!

It’s important to spend time identifying the following in each child:

  • Strengths and natural ability and aptitude, also called talents
  • Weaknesses
  • Interests; what sparks their curiosity or desire to know more
  • Their passions (things they would do if left to their own devices)

Once these things have been identified, I’ve prayed and asked God to help me as I’ve devised a plan to develop their strengths and to build up their weaknesses.

Identity

Part of a Biblical or Discipleship based education is based around the child’s identity. Identity Directed education is not child-led. It does not mean that the whim and fancy of each child is indulged. It doesn’t mean only doing what the child is good at and ignoring everything else. While we are free to explore a child’s delights and passions and interests, that isn’t all of it. I’d like to share an analogy with you. It’s my own analogy and so it will show how I think and process information.
An athlete must train the whole body. It would be detrimental to their being to only train the areas of the body that they use most in their sport. A softball pitcher must have strong core muscles, upper body and leg muscles but they risk severe injury if these are the only areas they develop. They must also develop agility and speed, combined with power and explosiveness. They are required to use the muscle which allows them to pitch underarm yet if they don’t develop the muscles that allow them to throw over arm, they risk injury. Athletes use their whole body in a natural way and they never isolate a single muscle group or joint in the competition. In training yes, in order to develop the area but, only with an aim of building a strong whole body, fit for competition. Training with balance in strengths and weaknesses is the key! Just as an athlete has a training routine, so must the education of a child have structure and routine. These things are [natural, God ordained] biblical principles just as day turns to night and autumn comes after summer.

An individual’s strengths and weaknesses and interests are part of their God given make up! By identifying and encouraging their natural bents we will be launching them toward their purpose.

Our Homeschool Journey

Mapping the course- as the pilot

mapsiconYesterday I shared how much I had learned about education and homeschooling. Today I’ll share how God tapped me on the shoulder and straightened me out a bit.

We did Bible study and had memory verses and all those right things, yet something was missing. I knew that I was doing what God wanted- after all, I was doing this for Him, for His glory! Right? Oh boy, God was to show me how wrong I had been. After a few years, in His right time, He stepped in and didn’t leave me to wander for too long.

I had mapped out a course to get to the destination; I knew where I wanted to get to. I had gathered the tools for the journey: knew how I wanted to get there. I loaded the plane, buckled everyone in and took off! I turned to my co-pilot and asked him to bless the journey and to look out for us. After awhile, things got a little bumpy and I turned to my co-pilot and asked Him to help…but He was quite relaxed and had, in fact, been waiting for me to look to Him for help. I came to see that I was trying to take on the role of pilot when instead I am only the co-pilot and God is The Pilot. God knows the destination of each journey for each child. God knows what tools they need for the journey. He knows how to fly that plane better than anyone else: all I had to do was to recognise this and go to Him. I’m so thankful to God that He called me to a process of renewing my mind…to seek His design and not man’s. I had wanted to seek God for His plan for our family, but I got lost in the myriad of information regarding homeschooling.

I experimented on my girls with all these methods I was revising my educational philosophy, my dreams, goals and ideals for the children. In actual fact, my dreams and ideals drifted away from God and more to providing a ‘superior, successful, academic education‘. But deep in my heart I knew that something was missing.

A New Chapter

So began a new chapter in my homeschooling journey: that of putting God first…depending solely upon Him. I wanted Him to show me what to teach and when to each child. I was literally asking ‘What would Jesus do? What would Jesus learn? How would Jesus teach?’ Have you ever asked who is responsible before God for teaching your child? How about searching the Bible to see what God desires us to teach them? Hmmm, how about asking the when question? When to teach them? On the weekend? After school? Next question I asked was how do I teach them this then? I’ve always been one to ask questions (it’s how I learn) and so I wanted to know a few things…things that would impact every aspect of my family and the way I approach the concept of education. I have asked and studied these questions and I’d encourage everyone to do so- it’s a great topic! (I use the 5W’s and a H to learn most things and to teach most things. See my free download here; The Observation Sheet!)

his_stepsGod has a special plan for our family, for each of us and for our homeschool. This will look different to other families! But it is supposed to… I’ve learned that rather than look at what other’s are doing, I need to look only to the Lord. If I want Him to guide me, then I must seek Him, not man. God placed our children in our family. He wants me to diligently teach them His commands all throughout the day, every day, using ways and means that convey His eternal truths and build solid, loving, healthy relationships between me and them. He knows my abilities and theirs. He knows my strengths and weaknesses and theirs. He also knows my needs. I’ve learned that I can turn to Him, I can rely upon Him, die to self and trust in him for peace and assurance. This isn’t just something that I’ve learned about on Sunday, it is a result of trusting in God for everything, even homeschooling. Tomorrow I’ll share the ‘how’ we developed a Gospel based, discipleship approach to our family life and homeschooling.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

 

Our Homeschool Journey

Something missing…

Yesterday I shared how we started the journey toward home education. Today is a continuation of that story…

I bought a series of progressive workbooks, worked out some schedules and away we went! I didn’t give the girls a break that Christmas.  I had them do the testing to see precisely what levels to start with. Then we started with what I knew of education– public school style. I brought school into the home. It was kinda fun…for awhile. But I started to get bored of doing the same thing day in and day out and wondered if I’d be able to do this for another 10 years or so. A few months later…

ponderingfamily-life

We connected to the Internet – wow, a whole huge, new world opened up for me! Even though the ‘net is a lot bigger nowadays there was still a fair amount of information on various methods of homeschooling. I started researching unit studies and we delved into them for awhile. This led me to the Charlotte Mason and the Classical approach which led me to Unschooling and Natural Learning but the CM method was what I really wanted for my family. All methods offer something valuable but as Christian parents, we wanted something more – we wanted to pass our faith onto our children…we want for them to take ownership of that faith and experience a life filled with God for themselves. Throughout the years I started working very hard to become more like a ‘proper CM homeschooler‘ but I’d fall short and then feel like a failure and well, suffice to say that this time was fairly tumultuous for me as I was caught in a vicious circle. It was a great time where I learned a lot but also had its ups and down. I wanted to ‘take the meat and spit out the bones’ but felt an internal pressure to be a CM purist yet I couldn’t attain to the CM ideals! What a quandary…it’s always going to be hard when we keep looking at others instead of God.

Anyway, as I experimented on my girls with all these methods I was revising my educational philosophy, my dreams, goals and ideals for the children. In actual fact, my dreams and ideals drifted away from God and more to providing a ‘superior, successful, academic education‘. But deep in my heart I knew that something was missing. Oh, don’t get me wrong: we did Bible study and had memory verses and all those right things, yet something was missing. I knew that I was doing what God wanted- after all, I was doing this for Him, for His glory! Right? Oh boy, God was to show me how wrong I had been.  After a few years, in His right time, He stepped in and didn’t leave me to wander for too long.

Our Homeschool Journey

Our Story: Beginning to homeschool

Post updated 28-4-13

I am Susan, married for nearly 25 years to John. We have a blended family whereby we have four children together and a 26year old son. Currently, the other children are 22yo daughter,a 20yo daughter, an 18yo son and a 15yo son. This is ‘officially’ our 16th year of homeschooling although we don’t think of it that way. We believe that homeschooling is simply a natural extension of parenting. We are a Defence Force family and have recently moved back to Adelaide after several years interstate. We’ve had 7 homes in 7 years and this is the last, for awhile. This is our story.

ponderingfamily-life

When John and I were first married we hadn’t heard of home education. We knew that we wanted to have a good, solid relationship with our children and raise them in God’s ways but school was just ‘what you did’. We had goals for our family and our children. We wanted to raise godly adults using a healthy process. We wanted to develop in them a love of learning that would continue throughout their whole life. Our hearts were turned toward our children and we wanted their hearts to be turned toward us and God. The godly training of our children was a priority. We recognized that the family unit is God’s design. We wanted a close relationship with our children…we wanted to capture their heart but we didn’t know about homeschooling…so, we sent our eldest, Miss A, to a small private Christian school. It was a nice school. John ended up as chairman of the P&C committee and I was at the school several times a week helping with reading and cleaning and canteen.

But we started to experience a few problems. Miss A would come home from school and be very emotional. She would either burst into tears for no apparent reason or she’d be snippy with her younger sister. We’d also help her with her homework, which was reviewing the spelling words, reading practice, times tables and Bible verse. On more than one occasion I wondered what on earth she did at school for 6 hours if we needed to do all this work at home. I felt like our days consisted of getting ready for school, being at school and then being tired from school. I felt like we, as parents, were missing out. School was getting the best hours of my child’s day! School was teaching her Bible stories and her character was being moulded by someone other than us. As it turned out that there were no problems at school… Miss A was just very tired. However, the seed had been planted in my mind- I questioned the whole concept of school. I don’t recall where I initially heard about homeschooling  but I do remember saying to John,

Oh, I wish I were one of those women who could homeschool her children

John asked me what made me think I couldn’t? I responded with,

Oh no way, I just don’t have enough patience!

But the question nagged at me. Why couldn’t I? So we thought about it and talked about it. We started talking to others about it. We prayed about it. Eventually, we decided to give it trial run for 12 months.  We informed the school principal that Miss A would not be returning to school the following year. Suffice it to say that we were not all that popular from then on.

I bought a series of progressive workbooks, worked out some schedules and away we went! I didn’t give the girls a break that Christmas.  I had them complete the testing to see precisely what levels to start with. Then we started with what I knew of education– public school style. Yes, I had brought them home from school but I also brought school into the home. It was kinda fun…for awhile. But I started to get bored of doing the same thing day in and day out and wondered if I’d be able to do this for another 10 years or so. A few months later…

“Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”
Deuteronomy 6:4­8 (ESV)

Continue reading the rest of this series: 

Delight Directed Learning

coffee_planetI’ve always pursued my delights. Pursuing homeschooling was a delight yet has ended up being our lifestyle. I think it’s really important for a mum to pursue a delight. It sets a living example of how we’d like to see our children live and it also keeps us in awe of God as Creator and Giver.

However, there have been times in my life, especially during periods of stress and busyness, where I’ve questioned whether or not I should continue to pursue my delight or interest.  I mean, wouldn’t it be selfish of me to do so? But my husband disagrees! So do I, when I think about it sensibly. Of course for the believer, spending time in God’s word will come first but is it healthy for a mum to serve the family to the exclusion of her own needs? Some mums can develop a type of martyrdom complex which is really not healthy at all. Pursuing a delight, a passion, an interest, can give mum the refreshment she needs to continue on with her wifely, motherly and house managing duties with vigor. Working within your delight may also keep you feeling younger! Psalm 103:4-5 What a great living example to the whole family! A refreshing atmosphere of renewal, joy, satisfaction, vigor…

…who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:5

Sometimes, a mother’s passion or delight can be something that the Lord places on your heart…maybe it will grow to be something that will serve others and bring glory to the Father.

I have delights and interests…and my family knows all about it, as do regular readers of my blog. :laugh: Sometimes it is health and green smoothies, other times it is exercising and getting fit, but a lot of the time it is website development. Whenever I’m pursuing an interest I read, read, and read all about it. I make copious notes and I talk about it. I collect ingredients or equipment. I research! I unknowingly use the 4 step process. And yes, at times my learning becomes infectious- the whole family catches on! And yes, currently the family has ‘caught’ my current fitness/exercising interest! 😉 I unconsciously go through all the stages of learning about that interest and I tend to use varied means to express myself. This is true learning. This is the style of learning I want my children to pick up on, for it is lifelong learning- not relegated to one book, one subject or one grade level…rather it is life! Throughout, my mind is refreshed and renewed and nourished- what better than to give to my family from a full well?

kids-in-book-nook-for-webOkay, let’s look at  it this way. If you had 45 minutes for yourself, what would you like to do? Sew, knit, garden, paint, write, take photo’s, scrapbook, cook, decorate, do hair, make soap, make perfume, play an instrument, read, write poetry, exercise, embroider…pitch a softball, design a website…the list goes on- it’s endless.  (However, catching up on housework or sleep is not what I’m talking about, okay?)

It doesn’t have to take hours per week. There’s no ‘delight directed police’ who will tell you you’re doing it wrong. The only criteria is that it is something that you are interested in…something that you would like to try. It doesn’t have to be bigger than Ben Hur…you just have to start.

Will you? Start today?

Will you then share it with me? I’d love to hear of your delight directed learning.

Fifteen Books

This was doing the rounds on FaceBook but thought I’d put it here and hope that some of my blogging buddies join in too! It’s designed to be quick, so don’t take too long to think about it.

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Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

1. Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J R Tolkein
2. Gods and Kings series by Lynn Austin
3. Redeeming Love & Leota’s Garden by Francine Rivers
4. For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
5. Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach by Robin Sampson
6. Israel, My Beloved by Elizabeth George
7.  Hadassah: One Night with the King by Tommy Tenney
8. The Cross & the Switchblade by D. Wilkerson (when I was younger this had a profound effect on me)
9. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs by John Foxe
10. The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
11. Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis
12. So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore?
13. Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
14. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (it was my first ever AC book)
15. Pilgrim’s Press by Bunyan

…but I have to mention 3 other really good books and they are:
The Jesus I Never Knew,  The Bible Jesus Read and What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? by Philip Yancey

How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?

:laugh:

Q: How many charismatics does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One, since his hands are in the air anyway.
A: Three, one to cast it out and two to catch it when it falls!
A: Twenty one, one to change it, and twenty to share the experience!

Q: How many Calvinists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. God has predestined when the lights will be on.

Q: How many hyper-Calvinists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. If God wants the light bulb changed He will do it Himself!

Q: How many liberals does it take to change a light bulb?
A: 10, as they need to hold a debate into whether or not the light bulb exists. Even if they can agree upon the existence of the light bulb they may not go ahead and change it for fear of alienating those who use fluorescent tubes.

Q: How many Anglo-Catholics does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. They always use candles instead.

Q: How many evangelicals does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Evangelicals do not change light bulbs. They simply read out the instructions and hope the light bulb will decide to change itself.

Q: How many Atheists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One. But they are still in darkness.

Q: How many Brethren does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Change?????

Q: How many Pentecostals does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Ten. One to change it and nine others to pray against the spirit of darkness.
A: Twenty Five. One to screw in the new lamp. Two dozen to bind the powers of darkness.

Q: How many TV evangelists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One. But for the message of hope to continue to go forth, send in your donation today.

Q: How many campfire worship leaders does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One. But soon all those around can warm up to its glowing.

Q: How many independent baptist’s does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, anymore than that would be considered ecumenical.

Q: How many Episcopalians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: 10. One to actually change the bulb and 9 to say how much they like the old one.

Q: How many Presbyterians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Well, it should require about five committees to review the idea first. If each is staffed with half a dozen members, that’s what … Thirty?

Q: How many members of the church of Christ does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Five. One to change the bulb, four to serve refreshments.

Q: How many conservative Anglicans does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Three. One to change it and two to storm out in protest if the person changing it is a woman.

Q: How many missionaries does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Ten. Five to determine how many can be changed by the year 2000, four to raise the necessary funds, one to go find a national to do the job!

Fast and foxy pdf reader

Want another tech talk tip? If you have not yet figured out that InternetExplorer is yuck and Firefox is a superior browser then you don’t know what you’re missing. First, zip over to Mozilla and download and foxit-300x2311install the free FF browser. Play with it, download themes and add-ons to enhance and speed your webinet (my new word for web stuff and Internet) browsing. But today’s tip is about your pdf viewer. (PDF stands for Portable Document Format) and many computers come pre programmed with Adobe Acrobat.

I used to use it but after a few years I felt it started getting bloated- taking a long time to even start the program and running very sluggish. Add to that the constant updates needed because of security issues. Argh, what a hassle. No more! Mozilla FF to the rescue…again. We have been using Foxit PDF Reader for quite some time now and it has many advantages:

  • It is lightweight in size and doesn’t use up all your PC’s memory just to run.
  • Is as secure, or more so, than Adobe.
  • Is user friendly and super easy to use.
  • Runs very quick.

There is more but I’ll let you read more about it when you pop over to download/install it from HERE.

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It’s available for Windows and Linux users. Oh what? No Mac? For some odd reason, the Adobe reader works much better on Mac than on Windows. Go figure! However, I still use my ‘preview’ viewer on the Mac, which works very good.

Malady of the soul

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Shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the preponderance of the element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit: these and such as these are the symptoms of an evil disease, a deep and serious malady of the soul.

A.W. Tozer, (1897 – 1963 )

Soft Christians

tozer

Our churches these days are filled (or one-quarter filled) with a soft breed of Christian that must be fed on a diet of harmless fun to keep them interested. About theology they know little. Scarcely any of them have read even one of the great Christian classics, but most of them are familiar with religious fiction and spinetingling films. No wonder their moral and spiritual constitution is so frail. Such can only be called weak adherents of a faith they never really understood.”

“Lord, send the Holy Spirit to renew within us a depth and seriousness in our pulpits. Give us boldness in our preaching. Amen.”

A.W. Tozer, (1897 – 1963 ) on Christian Leadership

Do You Have Fun?

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I like to have fun! I love a good belly laugh. But what is fun? Do you ever ask yourself what is fun? I’m not against humour or laughing but how often do I use the word ‘fun’, as though it were really something to strive for…something that is really important. I don’t think God meant for us not to have fun- He is the God of celebration after all! The Bible is full of stories where great celebrations have occurred. The Jewish people are commanded to celebrate their exodus from Egypt…David danced… Jesus even turned water into wine whilst at a wedding! But is this different to what I say when I use the word, fun? Is fun something I should be working toward, desiring, or striving for? Is it a word that I should be using regularly or would I be better off using (and practising) such nouns as ‘happy’ and ‘joy’? Is the seemingly preoccupation with fun more prevalent today than in generations past? We love reading older books (written pre 1950’s) and ‘fun’ just isn’t mentioned as often as in the more modern books…or am I wrong?

Websters 1828 dictionary has this entry:

FUN, n. Sport; vulgar merriment. A low word.

Wow…kinda puts a different spin on it uh? Of course, the word fun’ isn’t found in the older versions of the Bible…so I won’t go there.

Happy:
1. Lucky; fortunate; successful.
2. Being in the enjoyment of agreeable sensations from the possession of good; enjoying pleasure from the gratification of appetites or desires. The pleasurable sensations derived from the gratification of sensual appetites render a person temporarily happy; but he only can be esteemed really and permanently happy, who enjoys peace of mind in the favor of God. To be in any degree happy, we must be free from pain both of body and of mind; to be very happy, we must be in the enjoyment of lively sensations of pleasure, either of body or mind.
3. Prosperous; having secure possession of good.
4. That supplies pleasure; that furnishes enjoyment; agreeable; applied to things; as a happy condition.
5. Dexterous; ready; able.
6. Blessed; enjoying the presence and favor of God, in a future life.
7. Harmonious; living in concord; enjoying the pleasures of friendship; as a happy family.
8. Propitious; favorable.

How about ‘joy‘?
1. The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; that excitement of pleasurable feelings which is caused by success, good fortune,the gratification of desire or some good possessed, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exultation; exhilaration of spirits.
2. Gayety; mirth; festivity.
3. Happiness; felicity.
4. A glorious and triumphant state.
5. The cause of joy or happiness.
6. A term of fondness; the cause of you.

JOY, v.i. To rejoice; to be glad; to exult.
JOY, v.t. To give joy to; to congratulate; to entertain kindly.
1. To gladden; to exhilarate.
2. To enjoy; to have or possess with pleasure, or to have pleasure in the possession of.

Just some thoughts that randomly roam through my mind… maybe I’m just too serious? But I’ve often felt a little guilty and yet envious of those who have more fun. I’ve wished I was more ‘funner’…and there is place for that, but not before joy, peace, happiness, contentment, assurance, etc. What do you think?

The message of MSG

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I went shopping today and wanted to buy some chicken stock. yeah I know, it’s pretty slack of me to not have made my own (I shall have to hand in my home-grown-homeschooler card) but I needed tea on the table…tonight! I wanted a stock (powder or liquid) that does not contain MSG. Now everyone knows what MSG is, right? Monosodium glutamate, is a sodium salt of the non-essential amino acid glutamic acid. It is used as a food additive and is commonly marketed as a flavour enhancer. When a food is stale, intolerable or the product is inferior, many producers will add MSG. MSG tricks your tongue and taste buds into making you think a certain food is yummy, high in protein and thus nutritious. But it is not. Strangely enough, previous generations lived their lives without adding MSG to their foods (it is naturally found in some foods). Many people believe they have an intolerance to MSG which often produces a variety of adverse reactions. We try to avoid MSG as much as possible as some members of the family do have reactions to it – some slight and others more noticeable.

So, it is a new additive that supposedly enhances that which is stale or inferior…but often ends up causing illness and adverse reactions such as physical symptoms, headaches, nausea, drowsiness and weakness!

I was doing some study at the online Bible gateway tonight and as I was cross referencing a scripture with different Bible versions, I had a wry giggle as I saw the abbreviation:

MSG

Here, take a look. Scroll right to the bottom and see for yourself. (Or click the image below…I couldn’t resist and had to take a screen shot) Hmmm, nothing further to add, methinks. 😕

msg

Joe's logbook and goals

For those who like the idea of CalorieKing but don’t want to record their food intake…or maybe for those that have other daily goals that are not to do with food/health/nutrition, then Joe’s Goals might just be the tool for you!

Joe’s Goals
http://www.joesgoals.com/

Joe’s Goals is a simple yet powerful tool to make tracking your goals the easiest part of accomplishing them. Use the simple single page interface to setup daily goals and track them with just a click. Watch your daily score to gage your success and use negative goals (or vices) to confront and overcome bad habits that finally need to get the boot. Share your success with your friends and family or post your personal score badge to your blog or MySpace page. Add as many Goals as you want and update them all from a single interface. Goals of others are to: read, pray, take vitamins, blog, drink water, clean teeth, eat fruit, money, lessons with children, maths, English, exercise, piano practice and much more! Anything you need to keep track of.

Maybe you’d also like Joe’s LogBook
http://www.joeslogbook.com/

Joe’s Logbook is a simple tracking tool that lets you organize your life using the power of your words. Track your activities by adding daily notes explaining your experiences, victories, and failures. Use the simple, single-page interface to setup and track the specifics of any area of your life. Use it to record your thoughts, track your spending, watch your health, and track your dreams and inspirations. Add as many Logbooks as you want and update them all from a single interface.

This could come handy for many things, including homeschooling. Want to read aloud to the children more? Do some exercise WITH the children? have the children cook a meal once a week?…Ah the possibilities are endless. Just remember to protect your privacy…this is the world wide web!

Enjoy!

Calorie King

healthfitnessDid you know that I’ve lost over 100kilograms? It’s such a pity that they keep finding me again! I worked off 20 kgs in order to become pregnant with Miss A. I put on a ton of weight and fluid with that pregnancy and never lost it again until after Miss R was born, when I worked off another (the same) 20kg.

A few years later and I lost a whopping 55 kgs! Then came a knee injury and then the reconstruction. That wasn’t so bad except I never quite got around to doing the physio and strengthening exercises that would enable me to go back to sport. I just  didn’t go back to playing sport again. Oh I coached and ran around a bit but didn’t play. Then we moved to the coldest place in Victoria (well, it seemed like it to me!). Actually we were on the NSW/VIC border and it was so bitterly cold that all I could do each day was rug up, sit next to the heater and read aloud to the kiddos while drinking copious amounts of tea and coffee. So what happened with my weight? Yup, half of the 55 kgs went back on again!

The best way I’ve always found to lose weight is by counting calories. Mind you, I’ve tried just about everything else- portions, low carb, high protein, blah blah blah…But for me, the most successful and easiest way to lose weight as part of my lifestyle is by counting calories – both intake and working them off! For years I’ve used Dr. Allan Borushek’s Calorie Counter, Diary and recipe book and just find it the best way to live. I can still have a glass of wine, milk coffee or a TimTam… just not all at once! :laugh:

I’ve learned heaps from all sorts of books and programs but I still keep going back to Calorie Counting. Well, did you know it’s even easier than ever now?  CalorieKing is Australian…it allows you to input all your personal details and will even plan menus for you if you need. It allows all sorts of diet, nutrition and exercise tracking, recipes, forums, blogs and more! I can load in my regular foods so it is easier to keep track of it or I can use the menu plans designed for me and my needs and preferences. Best of all – it is FREE!

If you are struggling with weight and/or nutritional needs, why don’t you pop over to Calorie King? They have every type of tool and help to help you. Let me know if you join up – we can be buddies!

Another passing…Geoffrey Bingham

Oh. I’m lost for words. A dear man, the best teacher I have ever known has gone to be with the Lord.

Geoffrey Bingham.

Mr. Bingham AM, MM, has truly led a full, rich life…he was a preacher, teacher, a doctor of theology, a former POW in WW2, a writer/author and founder of New Creation Teaching Ministries. The lessons that I have learned most through Mr. Bingham are the grace of God and the Centrality of the Cross and forgiveness.

It is my prayer that the Lord will be with the Bingham’s and friends and all those who will miss his input into their lives.

If you don’t yet know much about NCTM or Geoffrey Bingham’s book, now is a good time to do some reading. SydneyAnglicans has written a tribute to Mr Bingham, and if you want to know more about this man, it is a good place to start.

Geoffrey Bingham: Wikipedia entry
New Creation Teaching Ministries
Roman’s study series on YouTube
Geoffrey Bingham on AudioSermon
New Creation TM sermons on SermonAudio

Thank you Father God, that Mr Geoffrey Bingham was such a faithful servant…thank you that You worked through his life to touch many people, both past, present and in the future.

How hard am I working?

Heart rate monitor

Heart rate monitor for under $50

Working too hard. Yup, that was me. I felt like I have been putting in so much hard work and effort and was yielding nothing in the form of increased fitness or weight loss. Well, after doing a little more reading I think I have discovered why. Simply put, I was overworking! See I think that I have to put in maximum effort in order to get a result. Problem is, this maximum effort usually sees me very tired for the rest of the week- which is counter productive. Whilst re-reading Crunch Time I read about the use of a heart rate monitor. Well, on the weekend John bought me one and we sat down to figure out my Maximum Heart Rate and what I need to be working at in order to burn fat.

My MaximumHeartRate (MHR) is 180. My minimum fat burning rate rate is approx 117 and my highest/best heart rate during exercise is 158. I had been heading up into the very high 100’s…as in 180 – 190. This does in fact burn calories but not fat stores. So in all my work I was working against my goals.

Today I did a Billy Blanks Bootcamp session (DVD) and was surprised to know that I did in fact reach my MHR. It was tiring and sore but I was not at the same point that I had been previously. TaeBo is a form of HIIT as well as strength training so it’s a good workout.

Do you use a heart rate monitor? How do you use it?

The other thing I’m trying to develop is my thinking. Yes, I certainly am free to eat that one (but really, who can stop at just one?) delicious Subway cookie but I need to be prepared to workout for a good 30min just to burn off the cookie! So if I workout I won’t even be burning fat, just the cookie. Is it worth it? Sure I am free to eat it…but is it worth it? This is the kind of thinking I’m trying to develop. It should come easy to me for teaching my own children about making wise choices and choosing consequnces is what we spend quite some time on- so why am I finding it so hard?

Coffee Beans, Beans, Beans

This post was originally on the AussieHomeschool forum (yes, it’s amazing what we discuss!) so I thought I’d post it here.  I don’t know all that much about coffee but I am learning all the time. Feel free to disagree with me and point me to sources of correct information.

Firstly, if you want to read my previous post on the best domestic machine you can do so here.

tulip

However, it doesn’t matter how great a machine you get if you use cheap coffee. The richness, the sweetness, the strength is all in The Bean!If you get a cheap bean it will be bitter- no matter who makes it on what machine! So, getting a good bean is essential.

Next, a good grinder is also very important because the grounds will determine how good the extraction is- this determines whether or not the extraction is bitter or sour. I use my daughters $600 commercial grinder which is ridiculous for home use! However, I bought a Breville BarAroma Grinder which is pretty good for home use and would do a good job for many years.

I could talk for hours and hours about this…as it used to be a little passion of mine but over the last few years it has become an obsession. I have learned all about the history off beans, growing, harvesting, roasting and grinding methods of beans…machines, extraction, milk texturing and more! Yet, I still know nothing compared to my daughter…who also has a lot to learn still.

I have had some cruddy beans and some beautiful beans and they are what makes the difference.

A not-so-good barista can make a super cuppa from a great bean but a great barista will only make an average cuppa with a cruddy, stale bean. You generally get what you pay for but not always.

The Adelaide market sells heaps of beans- apparent coffee houses…but if you have a good look at the bean it is not fresh! This is awful. Shouldn’t be allowed. Should be a crime!

triple

Anyway, Arabica beans are often the typical bean used. Robusta is another variety but isn’t as nice, IMO. It is higher in caffeine but also more bitter. However, it’s also a little cheaper so some flakey companies will use it. Some even use it as a *filler* so always check that you’re using 100% Arabica. (It’s personal taste but good until you have refined your espresso palette).

You can get single origin beans or a blend and blends are usually the best. The blends complement each providing depth and richness whereas a single origin can be slightly more bitter and quite acidic. It’s fun experimenting to find the blend you like most. My dd makes her own blends but you’ll probably just want to buy your own blend (I advise this as it can be costly to play around, finding your own perfect blend ) Some blends are designed more for straight espresso shots where others are more designed to be used with milk. Some blends are rich and fruity whereas others are more chocolatey. What I do not recommend is those awful cheap and nasty beans that have been artificially flavoured. You know the ones like you can buy in a pack at Gloria jeans and they are caramel flavoured? Ugh, not good. I would never allow those beans near my machine!

rawbean

Raw, fresh beans, unroasted

Freshness: the most crucial part of it all. We never buy from the supermarket. It can be anywhere from 3 months (if you’re lucky) to over one year old!

The freshness of the bean is not determined by the time that the fruit/bean was picked! It is actually determined since the time of roasting! A bean can keep well for years (in the right conditions) if left unroasted but the roasting brings out the natural oils which can quickly become rancid, as oils do. Roasting beans produces some gasses. Most gas is released in the first few days and stops after about one week. This is then stale coffee!

Oxygen and moisture are two no-no’s for your beans. Some roasters use water to cool the beans after roasting. No! Not good. Air should be used to cool the beans, not water.

Beans should be stored or packed in those bags that are fitted with a one way valve. This allows for the oils/gasses from the bean to escape (and oxygen is removed before sealing the bag) without letting oxygen in.

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Do not keep your beans in the fridge or freezer! Ack! I don’t know where this came from but it’s not true. Some older generation Italian families do this but they really have no idea how to bring the best out of a bean- they murder the bean anyway.

But how do you know if the beans are fresh? Yeah it’s not easy unless you know what you’re looking for…and truth be told I still struggle when buying coffee- which is why my dd is in charge of all that. However, a few guidelines are what I try to stick to:

Raw, unharvested

Raw, unharvested

Minimal Surface Oil- The amount of oil on the surface of freshly roasted beans depends on the degree of the roast. Some will look matte and you won’t see much oil whereas others will appear to have more oil. If they are too shiny and wet/oily looking then then they could, in fact, be too old and stale. Best test is to breathe and smell it. If it smells like as ash tray then chuck it! It should be nice, sweet,rich, thick, toasted type of smell.

Once you get it home and make a shot of espresso (which you need even for cappuccino) then the espresso shot should be thick and foamy. This is a sign of fresh beans.

We also are willing to pay a little more for our coffee to get the best taste possible but in a fair as possible way. therefore we try to always buy Fair Trade Coffee.

Last, always try to use filtered water in your machine. Oh, coffee is best served in a porcelain mug- it really does affect the taste of the bean.

Here in Adelaide there are a few good coffee roasters: like The Coffee Barun (fantastic) and Five Senses (both in Vic and WA). Rio is okay (IMO). Some people love Rio coffee but I prefer the Coffee Barun. He’s an artist! Sometimes you can go into a roastery and start talking to the Master Roaster, and you will learn heaps! Coffee will never be the same again! Even my 11 and 14yo sons know heaps about coffee- the science behind it all- just from living and learning coffee.

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All coffee photo’s (latte art) posted on my blog are courtesy of my daughter, unless otherwise stated. If you’d like to visit her blog, simply click on any of the images.

Coffee is an interest that helps to pull our family together. I know it might seem a bit ‘over the top’ to some but it is like cords that bind our family together (along with many other things, of course). There are many cords that help tie our family together and they usually come about because of an interest that we each have. Sure, we don’t all have to be equally passionate or interested as each other but relationship building means listening, sharing, going out of our own comfort zones – it is living and learning together.

What passions or interests help to tie your family together?

KeepMeOut of that website!

I don’t need this little app…but maybe someone else needs it??  :X-P:  If you just can’t bring yourself to stay away from your favourite website…maybe you plan to do some actual work on the computer but keep heading back over to AussieHomeschool or FaceBook or Twitter then maybe you need KeepmeOut!

Keep Me Out allows you access to ‘your’ nominated site for a set timeframe (minutes). So, you enter the url of your favourite site and you will only be allowed to access it every 60 minutes. Cool uh? But, yes there is a but…it only works if you use the domain link that they provide you – and put it in your bookmarks bar and rename it.

Sanctification

“You are more sinful than you can imagine! The doctrine of Original Sin is true! You cannot reform your flesh! You cannot become a better person by your own strength no matter how hard you try! But cheer up! If you are a Christian, you have come into union with Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ you are forgiven. Through faith in Jesus Christ you are sanctified and made holy. Through Christ, you are a new creation! The Holy Spirit lives in you! Therefore, pursue the life of faith in Christ with all diligence.”

Walter Marshall, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification (updated edition), p. 13

Crunch Time

Regular readers will know that I like the Body for Life program by Bill Phillips, as well as Burn the Fat by Tom Venuto. I think they’re great ways for homeschool mums to get fit, healthy and strong…in a minimum of time. As busy homeschool mums and wives, how can we afford countless hours at the gym each week? I also love to read inspiration books and magazines of those who  do live a healthy and fit lifestyle. So, as soon as I saw Crunch Time by Personal Trainer, Michelle Bridges, on the store shelf I grabbed it!

Crunch Time: Lose Weight Fast and Keep it Off

Softcover, 204 pages and it is divided into 4 sections.

Part One is titled Get Real! It’s all about why we do what we do…looking at the excuses we make, the habits we have allowed to form and how we change those beliefs and attitudes by developing a plan. Michelle wants us to know that we can in fact lose weight fast and keep it off. She says,

“show me someone who has put the weight back on because they lost it too quickly and I’ll show you five people who put the weight back on because they lost it too slowly!”

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Section Two, titled Get Moving! is where Michelle is photographed doing all the weight loss exercises. Yet for some reason, seeing this thin, well toned woman exercising doesn’t make me mad- rather it inspires me! She talks about body types, body shapes and all the different forms and types of exercise. She also talks about debunking the myths, like “walking is a great way to lose weight and get fit” or another one, “you shouldn’t train with weights everday” and yet another myth in, ” pilates, yoga and stretch classes are great for weight loss” and my favourite, “women get big if they train with weights“. In this section, she also gives a 12 week, Get Moving exercise plan.

“Okay, you’re passionately committed to becoming a leaner, fitter you…Now you are going to exercise. That’s right. You will be an exerciser forever. Not just until you fit into that dress…or until you look great so you can dump your boyfriend while looking hot. No. You are an exerciser. Period.”

The next section is called Get Cooking! and here she outlines what should be in the fridge and pantry and what you should throw out. She goes into the nutrition of it all, which should interest many homeschoolers.She also includes a sample eating plan and her favourite, healthy recipes and tips for eating out.

A theory behind this book is one that I’ve agreed with for years…the key is not so much how quickly or slowly you lose the weight…Rather, the key is whether or not you change your lifestyle habits of eating and exercising. Once one hits their goal weight, if they stop exercising or revert to old eating habits then the kilograms will go back on! It has to be a healthy lifestyle change- not a diet. Because of this she advises that we try to lose the weight fairly quickly with your new lifestyle and then you can get on with living your new lifestyle- the new you!

The last part of the book is about Staying on Track where she gives you a journal and a progress chart.

Why do I like this book? Michelle doesn’t muck around. Just like on the Biggest Loser show, she calls it like it is. She takes away any and all excuses. It is written in a very conversational style…which not all will like but the book is real. It is just as if i were talking with Michelle, in the flesh.

Walking is a waste of time for weight loss unless you either start negotiating some serious hills or you pump up the speed to around 6-8km per hour.

Crunch Time: Lose Weight Fast and Keep it Off

This book is great for me as I’m trying to lose weight and tone/strengthen up. It’s also great for Miss A, who is studying to her Cert 3 in fitness. For her, this book is a ‘living book‘- written by a specialist in her field, in a truly engaging and living way…although I’m not quite sure Charlotte Mason would agree lol. (To be fair, the writing style isn’t rich in literary quality)

Oh, just realised that some may not know what I’m referring to when I mention quick weight loss. No, I do not mean any diet scams, berries, teas, gimmicks, fasting or anything else. I simply mean: calories in, calories out.

Calories in – calories out = calorie surplus or calorie deficit…along with ‘the higher your heart rate, the more calories you smash up‘. Michelle gives an indication of what people may expect to lose:

  • If you are less than 100kg you can expect to lose between 0.5 – 1.5kg per week
  • If you are between 100 – 129kg you can expect to lose between 1.5kg – 3kg per week
  • If you are more than 130kg you can expect to lose between 1.5 – 5kg per week.

If you need to get serious about health and fitness…if you need to become a healthy and positive role model for your children, if you want to lose weight and maintain it, then you need to rush out and beg, borrow or steal (just kidding)  Crunch Time. Want to read more…head over to the author’s website and read on… where you’ll find a brief synopsis of the book, author info and downloadable tools. But wait! There’s more…head over to the book publishers website to see even more excerpts from the book!

Impromptu performances: ImprovEverywhere

Imagine being a bystander and watching this in real life. I sat here and watched it, full of glee, clapping my hands. Loved it! The Sound of Music is a long time family favourite yet I love what they did to modernise the soundtrack.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k

More than 200 dancers were performing their version of “Do Re Mi”, in the Central Station of Antwerp, with just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! You can see more at their youtube page here or visit their website.

Learning in our home…this week

In our home this week…

Husband away,  finishing jobs, starting new ones, new books, exercise, movies, softball, websites, food, coffee, resumes, portfolios, lawn, cars, fitness, iron supplements, centrelink…

John has still been away for work. For the second leg of his journey, which was this week, he was out bush on exercise so we’ve had no contact with him. In some ways I wonder if this is better than him being at barrackes because at least when he is on exercise I know that I can’t speak to him. There is no question about it so I don’t even think about it. But when he is just at a base i wonder if I could send him an SMS, just to let him know I’m thinking of him. Where there is room for a question mark, it often makes things that little more difficult, doesn’t it? Sometimes black and whites re just easier to live with.

As regular readers will know, my eldest daughter is a barista. My younger daughter also managed to get a job at the same place as Miss A. However, last Saturday the shop closed down. 🙁 At the beginning of the week both my girls were out of work. Miss 18, who is 18, didn’t want to work in just any cafe or coffee shop so we knew that finding a job (that was also flexible enough to work around her softball) was not going to be easy whereas Miss R, (16yo) really just wants a job and wasn’t going to be quite so particular.

The girls employer helped Miss R get a job at Cibo and she starts on Saturday. Naturally, she is nervous, but I think she’ll get the hang of it. She is really keen to be finished with school (she is doing yr 11 at school, which includes Cert 1 and 2 in Hospitality) and get out into the world.

Miss A decided to looking for a job herself. She approached a few places but despite wanting to give her work, they all said that they can’t at this time, and cited the current economic crisis. Fair enough too. There is a lovely, family-friendly cafe that we have frequented since we’ve been back in SA so she went in spoke to the boss. Well, it would seem that it will all work out as a hand fits to glove as he doesn’t have a lot of work available but only a few hours per week. This is great as Miss A is also studying her Cert3 in Fitness and preparing for a major, short tournement in July is taking much of her time. But the best thing about this place is…it is ministry based, not financially driven! All the workers are believers and the cafe has an outward, serving, open, welcoming, relational style of ministry focus. This suits Miss A to a ‘t’. Hallelujah! She starts on Sunday, which may seem weird for a cafe but they host big breakfasts as an outreach…cool uh? Oh, even better- the boss knows his coffee very well and he uses a Fair Trade blend! She might also be doing some freelance baristering around the place so that will also provide for some interesting learning opportunities.

Master J has been a little distracted this week as he leaves tonight on a bivouac, where they’re heading out bush for the long weekend as part of cadets. He loves it and is so excited. He has been mowing the lawn, polishing boots, ironing clothes, studying manuals and will need to go to the shop today for a few items, like hoochie cord (whatever that is). He’s been going on with his fitness regime. Argh, I find it quite frustrating at how quickly young people can get into shape. It’s just not fair!

Caleb pottered. He did a little on the exercise bike although I’d like to see a little more. However I can’t complain too much as he gets all his lessons done quickly and without grumbling or complaining.

The boys pottered on with their lessons this week although I changed things somewhat. Just changing things up a bit…to keep them on their toes. 😉 John has started a new book for Science: The World of Physics by John Tiner and Caleb has to read out loud to me for a few pages once a week. Both boys are having a season of copywork again. That’s how we work. We don’t do the same thing 160 days of the year…we have times of focus and then we’ll put that on the backburner for a bit while we focus on something else. This helps to keep their focus fresh.

As for me, I’ve had a lovely week, just being with my children. We went to the Drive In last week to watch Night at the Museum 2 which we thought was pretty good. Just clean fun. Not excellent but just good. I’ve had the whole week with Miss A, which has been lovely especially as know it isn’t always like this. Physically and fitness wise I’m a little disappointed. I wanted to work extra hard on my fitness routine while John was away but it hasn’t quite wokred out the way I planned. My varicose veins started getting sore again and  I went through a period where I was very weak. I know I have megoblastic anemia but it hasn’t bothered me too much until now…I wonder if it is because I did increase my workout load and there just isn’t enough iron to cope with it. So I also started on a new iron supplement this last week. I am severely anemic but despise taking iron supplements because of the negative side effects. However, I found a new supplement at the Chemist. It is called SpaTone and it is a 100% natural liquid iron supplement. Being natural is a real bonus! I have not any of the usual side effects that come with iron supplements. Only problem is the cost…it’s not what I’d call cheap. If you want to know more about this great product (and I get nothing, no commission, not anything…I just like it) then check out the SpaTone website and read the faq.

But the best part is that John comes home sometime this weekend! Yahoo! Sure both girls will be working in their new jobs, Master J will be away out bush but…but John is coming home! And it’s a long weekend! So if my blog is quiet and I’m not on the forums, you’ll know why.

But please tell me this, if you have any ideas…my husband is not a messy man. Okay he’s certainly not Mr.Clean but he isn’t even home long enough to make too much mess. So how is it that the house has been super easy to keep clean and tidy this last 2 weeks? We’ve done very little housework yet the house is fine. How is this so? My enquiring mind needs to know. I’d love to blame John (evil grin) but in all honesty, I can’t. So what is that?

Aussie Homeschool Suppliers

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Used curriculum, books, texts and other resources can be bought, swapped or advertised at AussieHomeschool.

ADNIL PRESS – Australian publishers of Voyages in Language, Voyages in Literature; and Australian distributors for Memoria Press (Latina Christiana), Dinah Zike books, Peace Hill Press (The Well-Trained Mind, Story of the Word), Geomatters, Schonell Spelling, Child Sized Masterpieces (“Mommy, It’s a Renoir”), plus more. We are also now the sole Australian Representative for the ‘Institute for Excellence in Writing!’ Also combined with TRIVIUM-EDUCATIONAL(See Below). Contact us for a combined Adnil Press / Trivium Educational catalogue.

ALWAYS LEARNING BOOKS – Beverley Paine – Writer and publisher of home education books, unschooling and natural learning books. Now stocking books by John Holt, John Peacock, Grace Llewellyn, Linda Dobson, Mary Griffith, Ann Lahrson-Fisher, and others. Publishing Homeschool Australia e-newsletter and Unschool~Kidz! e-zine. http://www.beverleypaine.com and Always Learning Books!

AUSTRALIAN HISTORY PICTURES
Janette’s Pictures Of Australian History and timeline figures; are intended to be used, to teach Australian history. They are a series of pictures or scenes with accompanying notes and rhyme on Australia’s first 100 years of history. They are designed to create windows and hooks; windows that give you a picture of what was going on at a given time and hooks that inform and encourage children (and adults) to investigate further. http://australianhistorypictures.com

CHARIOT PRESS: Suppliers of Learning Language Arts Through Literature, The Learnables, Singapore Mathematics, Doorposts, and more.

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF LIFE : Christian based curriculum materials, resources and support.

CORRESPONDENCE PIANO LESSONS: This successful method uses a set of video tapes for demonstration of piano technique and normal phone calls for weekly, individual tuition with music tutor, Ruth Drew ATCL.
http://gdrew.au.com/piano.htm

CREDO TRUST
We are a Christian family supplying Drawn into the Heart of Reading, Bluestocking Press Economics books, Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings, Notgrass Exploring World History, Queen Homeschool Supplies, Pearables, and many more
www.credotrust.com

DOWNUNDER LITERATURE is run by Michelle Morrow,a homeschooling mother of four children. This publishing business provides quality science,english and history homeschooling resources written with the Australian homeschooler in mind. We have developed a few Downunder products for sale but we want to be more than that. We want to serve homeschoolers by giving access (for free when possible) to distinctly Australian and New Zealand books and resource materials.On this site you will find original products for sale and free educational resources. All our products can be found on our product list and resource index. http://www.downunderlit.com

EBENEZER BOOKS – Parrish Family
We specialise in Godly books and music for children and adults which teach and entertain while they
help to build character. We stock a large range including; fiction, biography, historical fiction and non fiction, character building & heritage story books, Bible story books, colour-in and activity books, music and more. Our books will compliment any curriculum.
http://ebenezerbooks.mywebhome.ca/

GOLDEN BEETLE BOOKS – Rudolf Steiner Education and homeschooling teaching manuals.

Grammar On One Hand: A Tool Kit For Writers DVD
(88 minutes) — visit:http://www.vernaheights.com.au

FOUNTAIN RESOURCES – Australian company, specialising in homeschooling titles and Catholic books. If you are looking for a title but can not see it in their catalogue, they may be able to order it in anyway. http://www.fountainresources.com.au/

HOMESCHOOL AUSTRALIA – Beverley Paine is an Australian author, home educational consultant, and publisher of homeschooling books. She has a special interest in unschooling and natural learning, though her site includes material of interest to all Australian home educators, with information, articles, links to newsletters, and more.
http://homeschoolaustralia.beverleypaine.com/ and http://homeschoolaustralia.come/

HOME SCHOOL FAVOURITES – Catalogue put out by Mary Collis, editor of A Living Education – Resources include Usborne Books, homeschooling materials produced by Diana Waring, Cindy Rushton, Penny Gardner, Greenleaf Press, and more.
http://www.homeschoolfavourites.com.au/

HOMESCHOOL HEAVEN – Australian suppliers of audio tapes from Jim Weiss, and modest clothing patterns from Sense and Sensibility.
http://www.homeschoolheaven.com.au

curiculumKAREN’S AUSTRALIAN USED HOMESCHOOL BOOKS
Lots of hard-to-find titles! http://www.auhb.net

KINGSLEY EDUCATIONAL (KEPL) – Australian company – sells Christian text-books & other materials, (Saxon maths books and Weaver) provides assistance with home education. http://www.kepl.com.au

LEATHERWOOD BOOKS – Australian family-owned business. Catalogue includes a wonderful selection of living books.
http://www.leatherwoodbooks.com.au/

LIGHT EDUCATIONAL MINISTRIES (LEM) Sells Christian text-books (A Beka, Bob Jones University Press, Christian Liberty Press, etc.) Provides assistance with home education. http://www.lem.com.au

MANY HOME BLESSINGS – Helping you enrich your Home-life through products and resources that encourage excellence and a return to family values.
http://www.manyhomeblessings.com.au/

Math-U-See Australasia– Tony & Esther White
For a free Demonstration DVD, giving an outline of the entire curriculum and philosophy behind Math-U-See phone or email:
Ph: Math-U-See products. Order from MUS website: http://mathusee.com

ST ATHANASIUS BOOKSELLERS – stockists of Catholic books
Ph 08-8345 1522
Opening hours for calling in:Thur, Fri, Sat 10.30am – 5pm.Books on homeschooling: Catholic Education-Homeward Bound; Catholic Homeschool Treasury; Catholic Homeschooling. Living history books including many mentioned in popular curriculum guides such as Greenleaf, 4 reallearning etc.
Email:[email protected]

STEINER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS and books: www.steiner-australia.org/other/bookshop.html

HEART AND HOME Mail Order – Family Resources for Building Healthy Hearts and Happy Homes. Stockists of quality reading and listening materials for young Christians, including the Miller Family Books, the Moody Family Series, and various character building and training books. Parenting and homeschooling products by the Maxwell Family, Jeff and Marge Bath and Dr S.M. Davis, and health resources such as Grain Master Whisper Mill and Easiyo Products also available at very reasonable prices. Email:[email protected]

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Homeschool Glossary

Here are a few of the most commonly used acronyms and terms. This list is by no means exhaustive. Please leave a comment below if you have something to add to this list.
This list does not include vendors or suppliers. I have been slowly compiling this list over the course of a few years. It is also printed at AussieHomeschool.

Acronyms

ACG is A Child’s Geography by Ann Voskamp
ACHOW is A Child’s History of the World (Hillyer)
AO is Ambleside Online, a free online CM based curriculum
ATW180Days is Around the Word in 180 Days
CE is Classical Education, usually using a Classical Curriculum
CM is Charlotte Mason.
ETC – Explode the Code
ETWHC is Educating the Wholehearted Child by the Clarkson’s
FAR is Far Above Rubies
FIAR is Five In A Row and BFIAR is Before FIAR
HEA – Home Education Association of Australia
HOW is Heart of Wisdom by Robin Sampson, also included is the HOWTA which is the HOW Teaching Approach
HWT – Handwriting Without Tears
LA is sometimes the unit study program called Learning Adventures or
LA is also Language Arts (the subject of studying English)
LLATL is Learning Language Arts Through Literature
MMM us Making Math Meaningful
MOH is Mystery of History by Linda Hobar
MUS is Math-U-See
RB is usually Ruth Beechick
SL is Sonlight
SM can be Singapore maths
SOTW is Story of the World (Bauer)
The 3 R’s and YCTYCS is for You Can Teach Your Child Successfully Grade 4-8 by Ruth Beechick
TT can be teaching textbooks
TTT or the Bluedorn’s is Teaching the Trivium by the Bluedorn’s.
TWTM is The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer

General Abbreviations

  • Afterschooling – Refers to supplementing a child’s learning after school. In other words, after a child attends regular public or private school all day, they engage in additional educational classes or activities supervised by their parents, tutors, or others.
  • AP is usually the Authorised person from the BOS.
  • BOS – Board of Studies
  • Burnout is a term used to describe a parent or child who has become exhausted from the process of homeschooling.
  • Carschooling – A term coined by Diane Flynn Keith to describe learning while riding in the car.
  • Classical Education – A process of teaching children to learn based on developmental phases and educational principles developed by the ancients. For the primary years, children learn fact-based information. In the middle school years, children learn logic and reasoning, and in the high school period, children develop the art of abstraction and persuasion. Also referred to as “trivium-based.”
  • CM – Miss Mason was a 19th century educator who believed that education should be based on great literature and the arts. She believed in a leisurely, self-directed style of education based on observation and reflection, often through discussion and journaling. Charlotte Mason education is based on a lifelong quest for knowledge and the skills.
  • Copywork – This technique is used to help students learn to write — from the initial skill of forming alphabet letters, all the way through learning to write sentences, paragraphs, poetry and more. Once students have the ability to copy sentences and paragraphs, they usually copy excerpts from good/classic literature. The idea is that by copying, they learn the techniques of great writers that they can then apply to their own original writing.
  • COS – Course of Study
  • Course of Study – Refers to an outline of academic subjects to be covered by grade level such as: English, Math, Social Sciences, Science, Visual & Performing Arts, Health, Physical Education, etc. Each subject may be broken down into topics and sub-topics with references to the educational textbooks, workbooks, and other materials and resources that will be used for study. See World Book Encyclopedia’s Typical Course of Study for PreK-12.
  • Curriculum – The materials used for a course, which can include a text-book, a teacher and grading guide, lesson plans, tests, and worksheets.
  • DE – Distance Education Provider – A school that enrols homeschooling children or families and offers services and curriculum supportive of home education.
  • Deschooling – Deschooling refers to the period of time, also called decompression, when students (and family) adjusts after leaving a traditional school setting. This period can range from a few weeks to an entire year, depending upon the student’s needs. It has been estimated that a period of deschooling be allowed according to the following: 1 month of deschooling for every one year that the child has been attending school.
  • Eclectic Approach – A method of teaching that does not rely on any one approach but rather culls the best from multiple approaches.
  • Lapbooking is a method of recording and tracking learning about a particular subject through the use of “foldables” which are then mounted and stored on file folders that have been refolded from a bi-fold form into a tri-fold form for better presentation. Often associated with Notebooking
  • Learning Methods – Learning methods focus on the way a person best takes in and processes information.
  • Learning Styles – This includes Auditory (learning through listening and talking), Visual (learning through seeing) and Kinesthetic/Tactile (learning through movement and touch).
  • Notebooking – A method used to creatively journal or track homeschool studies and learning experiences by recording them on pages in notebooks or 3-ring binders.
  • Relaxed homeschooling – Relaxed homeschooling is a similar term to Unschooling but takes more of an eclectic or blended approach, fitting curricula and resources to each student.
  • School at Home – traditional schooling – A common beginning method of homeschooling in which a family attempts to simply recreate a conventional classroom education within their home. Many times this includes a boxed curriculum and can be somewhat of a rigid daily schedule.  Also referred to as Boxed curriculum or School in a Box or Pre-packaged Curriculum.
  • Scope and Sequence – S & S An outline of skills and information to be taught, typically organised by grade level or by course. Provides information on what will be covered.
  • Socialisation (The “S” Word) – Many homeschoolers are criticised as not providing appropriate socialisation, meaning the interaction found in a traditional school. As homeschoolers point out, traditional school’s artificial grouping by age, grade, and ability-level, is a dysfunctional and unrealistic situation compared to the socialisation of children within a family and more natural social groupings.
  • Supplemental Resources – These are educational materials, field trips, and projects that are used to enhance the learning experience.
  • Textbooks/ Workbooks– Textbooks are just one part of a package of resource materials that includes: a scope and sequence, an educators’ manual with teaching strategies, a student book with content explanations and examples, and a practice workbook. These packages usually offer a workbook or an enrichment workbook that focuses on higher level critical thinking skills.
  • Unit Study/ Thematic study– A cross-curricular educational approach in which learning is focused around a central, common theme. For instance, a unit study on cars would teach the development and use of early cars (history), major highways (geography), different engine types (science),etc. Proponents of the unit study approach suggest that using unit studies allows students to immerse themselves in a topic and see that topic as a “whole,” rather than learning bits and pieces throughout their education.
  • Unschooling/Natural Learning – Also known as student-led education, this is a teaching method in which students study those topics that interest them, rather than follow a pre-defined curriculum.

Fair Go for Homeschool Copyright

Part of this post is from a previous writing, but is still relevant today. Will you take three minutes to view this video?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJmWKb0_aXw

Years ago, like many homeschoolers, I looked for ways to be frugal in our homeschooling. I learned to use the library a lot. They have some great selections of video’s, DVD’s, and CD’s. Sometimes we wouldn’t get around to watching or listening to them so I came upon the idea of making a copy before returning it to the library. I even felt quite frugal while doing so. After all, if I had to buy that CD I would need to have spent about $40. But now I had saved that. Before long, I ended up with a stack of things that I don’t think I would have needed or used, but as they were free I might as well have them on the shelf, just in case. I had even lent out my resources, feeling fairly sure that the person was going to make their own copy! Thing is, I honestly didn’t even think that this might have been wrong or illegal. I know that sounds terribly naive, but it’s true. I didn’t think anything of it except congratulating myself on being frugal and saving my husband’s hard earned money. I certainly didn’t see how I was hurting anyone else!

Oi voi!

Praise God! He taught me the error of my ways. He did not allow me to stay at that place. He showed me my sin. I was convicted of my wrongdoing. I set apart searching for every little bit of illegal stuff in my house and then we burnt it all. It was a whole family affair. Something started fairly innocently. I did not set out to steal or deceive. I just wanted to save a few pennies…but the fallen nature of man, and the enemy that seeks to devour worked and saw me down a path that I hardly recognised…a path I didn’t set out to take, but ended up there anyway. Thank God that He rescued me from that path and put me on the straight and narrow.

As is often the case with reformed drinkers or smokers, I developed a hot spot (a bug-bear, a passion) for copyright protection and violations. I now stringently try to protect the lawful copyright owner and go to great lengths to ensure that everything I do is above board. I encourage others to always check out the law and consider the use of a Fair Use Policy. Copyright is far more than a list of black and white words- it is legal, ethical, moral and Biblical values.

Do you want to homeschool for FREE? Make sure your free materials aren’t breaking the law. HomeschoolCopyright.com

Good homeschooling books

old-books-i-print-c10303396jpegIf you are looking at beginning homeschooling, need some ideas or encouragement, here are a few of my favourite books on the topic:

  • A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick
  • For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
  • I Saw the Angel in the Marble by Chris and Ellyn Davis
  • Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson
  • Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach by Robin Sampson
  • Education in the Heart of the Home by Elizabeth Foss
  • Upgrade by Kevin Swanson (although mainly for the later years)
  • You Can Teach Your Child Grades 4-8 by Ruth Beechick (later years) and
  • The 3 R’s by Ruth Beechick (practical) and
  • Before Five In A Row by Jane Lambert (practical)
  • Leota’s Garden by Francine Rivers. This book is excellent to teach parents how to use metaphorical language and object lessons in their parenting and teaching.

A few other suggestions AFTER reading the books listed above:

  • A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison
  • More Charlotte Mason Education  by Catherine Levison
  • When You Rise Up by R.C.Sproul Jr.
  • Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola
  • The Preschool Years  by Valerie Bendt
  • Reaping the Harvest – by Diana Waring
  • Easy Homeschooling Companion by Lorraine Curry
  • Things we wish we’d known by Diana Waring
  • Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days, edited by Nancy Lande
  • 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy
  • Guerrilla Learning and The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn

Have I missed your favourite? Let me know by leaving the title in the comments.

Getting Started in Homeschooling

homeskool image

Here are a few of my tips for beginning the homeschool journey.

1) Make the Decision
Making the decision to homeschool is not to be taken lightly or quickly. It is a daunting task to take on the full responsibility for your child’s education. Here are some considerations to help you think through the process.

2) Read books
Yes, reading books is actually much better than reading blogs or websites mainly because there is just so much information available that it can be totally overwhelming. I suggest starting off with a few good books on the topic.

3) Understanding Homeschool Laws
It is very important to know and stay within the laws and requirements of your state. In general, it is not wise to start by asking your local school what the homeschooling law is – often they don’t know, and they may give you misleading information. They may quote policy as though it were law…you need to find out the laws regarding home education in your state.

4) Finding a Support Group
If you’re reading this then you’ve already started this step. Join AussieHomeschool and meet others in the forums.However you may also like to get involved with a non online support group. This often takes a great deal of patience and time as you find a group that is a right match for your family. Homeschoolers are very diverse! However, a support group will generally meet on a semi regular basis for outings or parent meetings where they offer encouragement and help along the way. They can help with choosing curriculum, record keeping, meeting the state laws, and much more.

5) Choosing a Curriculum
Selecting your curriculum can be overwhelming. It is possible to over purchase more than you will ever need. Generally I would advise that in the beginning, less is best!

6) Record Keeping/Documenting Learning Activities and Opportunities
It is very important to keep good records of your child’s homeschool years. Your records can be as simple as a daily journal or as elaborate as a purchased computer program or notebook system.

7) Schedules and Routines
Homeschoolers generally have a lot of freedom in setting up and living within their schedule and routine, but it sometimes takes a while to find out what works best for your family. It’s helpful to hear about what others are doing.

8) Learn a little about Homeschool Methods
There are many methods to homeschool your children. Most families find that they do not use one method solely rather take bits and pieces from all approaches as the needs of their family dictates. A method should be seen as a tool to assist you in homeschooling…it is not an approach that needs to be strictly adhered to.

9) Locate curriculum providers.
Peruse their websites as they often contain a lot of valuable information. Continue to look through resource suppliers, vendors and the ‘Homeschool Mall’ section at AussieHomeschool.

10) Consider becoming a member of the HEA:
The Home Education Australia site has been formed to support, promote and encourage the practice of home education. There are many benefits to becoming a member.

AussieHomeschool

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