momto2Cs
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Posts posted by momto2Cs
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:hurray: :hurray: :hurray: and :party:
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K12's American Odyssey is good.
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I don't have an answer for you, but you might try posting this in the Site News & Discussions... http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/forum/22-site-news-discussions/
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Have you looked at CHC's Life Science text? I think the online sample is appealing.
I have not seen this, but will look!
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We've just wrapped up a year of interest led zoology, and she wants to tackle biology next. I'm looing at several resources, but am having trouble choosing. I like the idea of having everything laid out, at least to a point (hence the first two options), but also like books that are more along the lines of living books (hence the Hoagland book). I'd like there to be at least some hands-on!
Under consideration...
Elemental Science's Logic Stage Biology
Pandia Press's RSO level 2 biology
Exploring the Way Life Works (Hoagland)
Other resources you could recommend? Any feedback on the above?
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Tweedle Greentoes Academy.. not too sure about that one!
My ds named our school when he was 5. We file a PSA (here in California), so it has to have a name. Thankfully he did not go with lastname Academy!
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So I have two high schoolers, both are eligible to take classes at the local community college and that is our plan.
Daughter age 16 ( junior in the Fall)
Math - Trig with Derek Owens
English - AP English with Blue Tent
Social Science - Cultural Anthropology at the community college Fall 2015
Science - Astronomy at the community college Fall 2015
Foreign Language - German at the community college Spring 2016
Elective - something at the community college in Spring 2016
She wants to major in either Earth Science or Anthropology with the ultimate goal of being a writer of fiction.
Son age 14 (sophomore in the Fall)
Math - Trig at community college in the Fall
English - English 2 with Blue Tent
Social Science - California history at home
Science - something at the community college in Spring 2016
Foreign Language - Spanish at the community college in Spring 2016
Elective - Computer Science at the community college in Fall 2015
Elective - recorder lessons
He wants to major in computer science with the goal of being a programmer. I am somewhat nervous about not having a science class or a foreign language class in the fall, but he can't handle more work in a single semester and he really wants the programming course.
Am I worried for nothing or does this seem like a reasonable plan?
I wouldn't worry too much. Remember that a semester of community college is generally considered the equivalent of a year of high school. My ds14 is starting cc classes this fall too, and he's not doing a formal science. I am trying to make sure he does not overload himself his first semester there!
See I wouldn't worry about about starting FL in the Spring if you continue through the next couple semesters there'd be no break. That would be different if you were doing Fall semester and skipping Spring semester.
Are they taking the FL to fulfill H.S. credits only or does the College require a certain amount of FL classes to graduate? Neither of the "big" Universities in my state require any FL for Science major graduation but do require 2 years of H.S. FL to be accepted. If that's true then 2 semesters at CC would count as 2 years of H.S. credit, although you should check with the CC/University you DC plans on attending to make sure.
ETA: I'm with your kids, I'd pitch a fit about Saturday School for a language I had no plans on continuing to study.
Exactly. Does he plan on continuing the FL past Spring? If yes, then I wouldn't worry. If not, what are his goals with a FL?
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Okay... plans for 9th grade
At home:
English:
Brave Writer's Help for High School
Excavating English OR something similar
dystopian and science fiction lit
Math:
Life of Fred Begining Algebra, then right into Advanced Algebra
Other:
Possibly finish Conceptual Physics (still not sure on this... TBD)
We may use K12 books for an overview to world or American history
Minimum one fiction and one nonfiction book per month (can include English as above)
At the cc/Dual enrollment:
This fall:
Drawing and Composition
Beginning Welding
Spring:
TBD, probably Intro to Automotive Technology
Art? Photography?
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UPDATE...
What we've decided...
He is taking more control of his own education for high school. He wants to work toward both a professional certificate (automotive technology) and an associate's degree. He figures this will give him a good background for future employment, and a fairly well rounded education. His current goal is to finish at least the first by the age of 18. The second he plans on completing with IGETC in mind, as it opens up more opportunities for transfer. He believes that having a good position as a mechanic would help him pay for any college he plans on attending past dual enrollment.
So what that looks like at the moment is this: he will continue, for now, to work on math and English at home, with an eventual goal of doing well on both placement tests at the cc. He will also be studying science, TDB -- most likely finishing up Conceptual Physics (has over 3/4 of the book to go as he went off on a number of rabbit trails in the last year). History will be unschooled for the most part this year, though we've talked a bit about reading through a world history or American history overview type of book (K12's Our Human Story or American Odyssey, for example). He will be taking an art class (Drawing & Compostion) and Beginning Welding at the local cc this fall, which is a total of 5 units. I don't want to overload him at home during this transition to cc classes. My only other requirement at this point is that he read at least one fiction AND one nonfiction book every month.
I feel very fortunate, after reading through a lot of the cc threads on this board, that ours is considered to be pretty darn rigorous, academically speaking, and is highly regarded by other college systems in our state. I know that when I transferred from there to a 4 year university, I was fairly frequently disappointed by the classes at the university -- they were not as challenging (some were, many not). And I still think it is interesting , after all these years, that when I attended the cc, I could not test out of algebra 2, but tested right into statistics at the university.
Anyhow, he is very excited about his high school years right now, and I think he has set some good goals for himself! Thank you again for all the feedback and assistance!
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We're really enjoying Great Tales from English History as a family. Short chapters, nice writing style, good overview from ancient times up through modern.
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Thank you all very much for chiming in on this! I actually feel much, much better after reading through the responses. I think my tendency to overthink/over-worry comes out full force when I see the intensive plans others have for their students, I realize once again that my child doesn't have plans like that. Overall, the message I am getting loud and clear is that there are a multitude of ways I can support my son in following his passions.
Usually for DE purposes you're going to convert 1 semester of college work to 1 year of high school. So by that parameter, if he does a semester of chem at the CC he has *done* his chem for the year. So pretty much to the degree he's able to handle anything he tries there, he's golden, done, no problem.
I'd just let him do what he wants and see where it gets you. Give him the normal graduation requirements in a list and discuss lots of ways he could meet them. Then meet mid-year and at the end of the year to see whether he's on track. There's no need to change how you were working (with him leading), so long as his choices result in him getting enough credits to convert over to high school units to meet the requirements.
Maybe then have a couple diploma tracks (standard and more college prep) so he can make the choice himself how far he wants to go with that. As you say, IQ does not correlate to profession in this. There are some EXTREMELY bright hands-on people in this world.
I like the idea of reassessing at mid and end-of-year. I am working with him later today in looking at what the standard requirements are for gradation, so he can give some input on how HE wants to work towards that.
I can't speak for what you need re. accreditation wise but from a lifelong learning perspective - from personal experience and that of many people I know, Science and maths are a LOT harder to pick up later in life than History (and I say this as someone who has a double major in History for her undergraduate degree). If you were looking to 'firm up' some subjects, I would say Science over History, and with a focus on Physics and Chemistry, or an Engineering Science course if you have access to one. My husband is a Civil Engineer (and also knows all about cars :lol: ) and for Senior Highschool he did lots of Maths, Physics and Chemistry, and English but only because that was necessary. At age 41 he is actually a well rounded individual who can talk outside those areas - he has learned a lot about art, history, politics etc. outside of formal schooling. I rebelled after winning the Junior Highschool Science prize and took no Science, focussing on humanities instead. While I am not stupid I still to this day feel I have never been able to learn enough about Science without that highschool foundation.
As for specialising at a young age - usually I am really against it. BUT we have to remember that until very recently a lot of people would start their apprenticeship in a specialised field at 15, including mechanics. What you are suggesting seems very well rounded, and if he can manage the load of practical skills courses along with the academics you are suggesting he will have a really firm foundation that will place him in good stead when it comes time to choose whether to go for a university education or to continue the 'skills' path.
Good point!
I would recommend working to complete a college prep set of high school credits, some of which could be done with the dual enrollment, OR, could be done at home and the dual enrollment could be used for Vocational Tech work towards an AAS in mechanics, and further apprenticing and specialization in mechanics after high school.
One thing you might look into is if you have a university in your town with an Engineering department; DS might be able to volunteer to be a high school intern with one of the Engineering clubs (university clubs are open to all college students to participate in, regardless of their major). Our local university has a SAE formula Baja Racer club, which competes at a national level; the club has offered to let high school students from our homeschool group to work alongside the college club students as volunteer interns. :) That would make a SUPER extracurricular activity for your DS's high school list, AND it is an opportunity to learn (and to do some networking!) in an out-of-the-box way.
Some Electives could also be accomplished in a more out-of-the-box way -- through extracurricular involvement, personal projects, online tutorials, "apprenticing" or working with a mentor to learn specific skills, etc.
One Elective through the CC that might be very useful to your DS: CAD (computer-aided drafting) -- which would help with blueprint reading and any electronics that are a bit part of autos these days. Another Elective he might pursue on his own is Electronics.
I didn't say anything about English because it looks like you are making sure DS is solid in Writing. Perhaps use high school to branch out and cover a range of types of writing he might find esp. useful later on -- types of Business writing, persuasive writing, etc. Maybe include a unit on Public Speaking to get comfortable in speaking to a group -- giving presentations, explaining a process, "teaching" a skill, giving a report, debate an issue, etc. For the Literature portion of the English credit, I'd cover some of the works most frequently covered in high school and that are referenced in movies and culture to give him some solid "Literature literacy". Maybe do a year of sci-fi and have fun discussing the ethical issues that modern science and technology bring up. Maybe enjoy Movies as Literature as an out-of-the box way to introduce analysis of Literature (not to mention of movies!). You could easily do your English credits as "DIY" courses and be very out-of-the-box in the way you accomplish these credits. :)
For 9th grade, based on needs/goals/concerns listed in your post, I'd suggest doing:
- 1 credit = English (Writing and Literature)
- 1 credit = Math (Algebra 1)
- 1 credit = Science (Physics??)
- 1 credit = Social Science (American History??)
- 2 credits = Electives (2-4 dual enrollment courses: Art, Photography, Welding, etc.)
That allows plenty of exploration of interests through the Electives, and gives you several "formal" subjects at home to get solid with foundational skills of math and writing, but also to start practicing study skills that DS will need if he ends up taking academic subjects such as Math, Foreign Language, Science, or History as dual enrollment.
Use 9th grade as your gradual transition year. Reassess at the end of 9th grade.
- What worked/didn't work? Why?
- What should be done differently? How?
- Should some things be done more/less formally?
- Should more/less be outsourced?- Does DS need more/less direct supervision or instruction to succeed in some areas?- Have DSs' interests shifted? Or intensified in an area?- Have new opportunities (summer programs, internships, volunteering, extracurricular groups, etc.) become options to consider?- Have family circumstances changed in some way, which require a change in the way homeschool high school needs to happen?BEST of luck as you move into high school homeschooling! ENJOY these exciting years! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.Lori, thank you SO much for all the advice! He loves the idea of interning with an engineering group, and will pursue that. I think overall you made some excellent suggestions about possible ways to approach a solid high school plan while allowing a great deal of flexibility.
Your description of your son reminds me of my dad. My dad is an amazing artist and he has his own Body Shop. He spends all of his free time either restoring old cars (had one featured in Hot Rod Magazine), weaving baskets, building cobblestone bridges, creating cartoony clay figurines, or building furniture. He's one of the most talented and smartest people I know.
I agree that while we want to foster a passion in our children we also don't want to hinder them in their choices. My own DS is most interested in Environmental Science as a career path. So I think this year we'll do Earth Science and Geography. We'll focus on the Environment part of the science, biomes, resources, Geological features that effect the environment etc... and the Human Impact on our environment for Geography. We'll still have to eventually get to Chemistry, but we can do soil and water tests for some of the labs learn about pollution, and chemical erosion/acid rain, and focus on the Environment (migration, habitat, all the other stuff I can't remember) for Biology. He'd skip Physics for Environmental Science in 12th grade(Don't judge me, real Physics is so beyond my capabilities and interest that I'd just screw it up and ruin his year).
With US History,required by most Universities we'd consider, we can again spend extra time on the creation of National Parks and on the impact of Humanity on the American Environment, including Clean Water/Air acts, oil spills in the Gulf, strip mining, etc..... We won't be doing World History again, Instead we'll do Government and Economics which can easily have an Environmental focus while still staying within the standard definition of the course. That's a total of 3 Soc. Studies credits and 4 Sciences. If he changes his mind nothing has been lost and I can re-figure the next year's coursework to reflect his new interests inside of the traditional framework.
We'll also do a Political Sci/Current Events type class for an additional Soc. Stu. credit.
ETA:punctuation/Grammar.... no more kitten zombies.
I love the unique approach to history/social sciences here! Gives me some good ideas.
Some kids, like one of mine, just know early on what they want to do and it can work out wonderfully well.
I had one of those kids who graduated high school with the barest minimum of required high school courses -- far less than Lori just outlined above. And much of what we did was rather unschooly and non-traditional. It was not an easy decision, but it worked for him. He was going to just do community college and transfer to a state school until we found a unique college program with a major that suited him. He did that, graduated, and is working full time in his dream job -- the job he wanted from the time he was 12. He still reads, still enjoys history and has never once regretted not taking Algebra II or physics or chemistry.
A friend's son was obsessed with cars from a young age. He wasn't homeschooled but through a program unique to California, started community college in 10th grade, mostly taking auto mechanics classes. He settled on a professional auto mechanic school where he was one of the top students. Mercedes Benz courted him, sent him tuition free to their own specialized school and now he is working at a Mercedes Benze dealership full time.
Both these boys (young men!), whose high school paths were so very untraditional, whose high school paths most posters on this board would warn against, are 23, making excellent salaries with health benefits, and most importantly, are just as happy as they can be, and are valued by their supervisors at work.
A college prep high school may sound sensible, but clearly it is not the ONLY path to a successful adulthood.
I love to hear that those with less traditional paths still succeed. I think my son's career choice is a pretty solid one - mechanics are always needed for something!
If he takes math and science at the CC, 1 semester = 1 yr HS credit, so that leaves plenty of time for courses that interest him. It seems like the main question is what to do for history and English? You can always do interest-led versions of US and World History at home, such as studying World History through the history of technology. There are plenty of books on the subject, as well as documentary series like Connections and The Day the Universe Changed. Instead of a standard US History survey, you could do 20th Century American History & Culture, focused on various aspects of art and design: product design, advertising, car design & "car culture," the WPA arts programs, how various movements in American art & design reflected the culture of the times, etc.
For English he can choose themes or topics of interest: steampunk literature, science fiction, techno-dystopian literature, or whatever interests him. English Comp 101 or a Technical Writing course at the CC would give a full year's English credit, too.
I wouldn't worry too much about replicating a standard PS HS transcript. He sounds like he has a great career plan, and the passion and talent to make it work. And if, in a few years, he decides he wants to pursue a 4 yr degree after all, he'll have an interesting transcript that will stand out from the pack, and he can always fill in any minor gaps with CC courses in 12th grade.
FWIW, one of my brothers was a mechanic. He traveled all over the globe, including spending 3 years hitchhiking around the world, starting in Australia and ending in the UK. He worked on everything from rusty old tractors in Africa to prop planes in NZ and research equipment in Antarctica. He also owned his home and shop outright — no mortgage, no car payment, no credit cards. He knew what he wanted to do from the time he was little, and he never regretted it.
Excellent points and ideas!
I have a lot to think about now, and a lot to discuss with my ds! Thank you all again so much -- I feel more comfortable embracing our own path.
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May I PM you?
Of course!
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Thinking of buying at least the history ones for my dd12. She's NOT a big history fan, and I think maybe this will give her the opportunity to choose different time periods/events/etc. to study, while requiring a decent level of work. Is there any reason NOT to buy them?
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Update in post #20
Background: Ds14 is very bright, and spends hours working on the things he is interested in. Except for math and writing, which I consider to be foundational skills, we've had a fairly relaxed approach to homeschooling over the years. He has had decent exposure to history and the sciences, is a self taught artist (definitely a passion of his), and is most interested in mechanics. His current plan is to become a car mechanic, specializing in rehabbing older automobiles, with custom paint work, upholstery, engine modifications, etc., and he wants to own his own business someday doing so. Honestly, he is at his happiest when he's working on something practical, like our car, or rebuilding our rototiller motor. He has adored cars since he was an infant, and knows a tremendous amount about them. He's also interested in engineering in general. Other (in which he is less involved) interests include physics/quantum physics.
That said, I do not wish to shortchange him, in case he changes his mind later on.
I am trying to decide how much will be enough for his high school years. He plans on doing dual enrollment throughout high school, at the local cc. He is starting with art this fall, and will then possibly start on automotive training as soon as next spring (probably welding to begin). He wants to take engineering courses as well, German, and plenty of art, including photography. We've also talked about him taking chemistry and physics there at some point, as well as higher math.
While we've "unschooled" history and science the last couple of years, I am not sure if we should continue this into high school. As he's going to the cc, I don't know that I need to worry as much about hitting the standard "requirements" in history, science, etc., but I don't want him to end up below potential either.
Sorry for rambling on...I guess my main question is, should I allow him to be fairly single-minded/to specialize this early on, or should I have him complete a broader education? Should I have him do the standard approach to high school in our area/for college, with a year each of world and American history, 2-3 years lab sciences, etc.? I keep reading and rereading the posts on how to educate the child you have, and doing high school outside the box, but I still don't know where to go with this. I want him to have time still to explore interests as they pop up, to skim over something or delve deply into it as desired, but still have a solid education.
Thanks for your patience in reading this!
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What is BFSU?
Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding. Three volumes that intertwine the "threads" of science (biology, chemistry, physics, earth/space), for grades K-8.
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We worked through vols 1-2 off and on over the years. More an more, I have come to appreciate what Nebel did with those books, and now I am wishing there was a high school level, or that volume 3 was at high school level. Any ideas for anything even remotely similar for a rising ninth grader? Or could I add to vol 3 to make it worth his while?
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What about Homeschool in the Wood's Time Travelers? I think these would be a great fit for your dd's age/grade. They are focused on American history, up through WWII. If you wanted to add in some world history that is relevant, you could add in topical library books, or something like Famous Men of Modern Times.
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And how did it impact you?
For me, it was reading And the Skylark Sings with Me by David Albert. His ideas of community based education were so eye-opening for me! His family situation is quite different from mine, so I couldn't replicate even if I tried, but it really shifted my thinking from "books first, everything else second". I'm a second gen homeschooler, and of course we did all the extracurriculars, co-ops, field trips, and everything, but "school" was textbooks. And I knew I didn't want to do textbooks with my kids, so it's been a fun trail of Grace Llewellyn, John Holt, Ruth Beechik, John Taylor Gatto, the Colfaxes, Marva Collins, and Charlotte Mason. I needed to figure out how to get from here to there; away from texts and into something different. Albert's book filled in a big missing piece of the puzzle for me.
So one of my goals this year is USE all the amazing community resources we have around us!
I have never heard of this book, and thought I had read everything homeschooling from our local library system. They have his other title on homeschooling, and I put in an ILL for this one. Thanks!
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We get a great magazine from our Department of Conservation called Xplor http://xplor.mdc.mo.gov/xplor/get-xplor-magazine Yes I agree it should happen more than once a month for older students. My oldest turned 6 less than a week ago. I remember reading a kids current event magazine in public school as a kid. We had activities that went along with it, but this happened sporadically. Usually the articles were things that had happened within the past year and not really "current" in our now 24 hour news cycle. What else do you suggest "we do" to make this part of the family culture? I know of sites like NASA picture of the day or BrainPop Jr. weekly video, but maybe I need to create a list so it isn't just left to whims.
What age range is this magazine for? I'm looking for a good nature based magazine for dd12 (reads at a roughly 10yo level), and the out-of-state subscription price on this one is great!
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I was the field trip coordinator for our local homeschool group for a couple of years, then stepped down because I couldn't work with all the no-shows anymore. It makes business owners grumpy when they are expecting and set up for x number of people, and only get y. Plus I think it makes homeschoolers look bad in general... or at least flaky. I think more rules for no-shows would have been beneficial.
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But I am looking for links to any good unschooling-the-high-school-years blogs.
Anyone out there know of any?
Thanks!
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But I am looking for links to any good unschooling-the-high-school-years blogs.
Anyone out there know of any?
Thanks!
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So I've been emailing back and forth with Julie about where to place my dd in her writing programs. As dd is dyslexic, and just really getting into writing, she suggested Partnership Writing along the Arrow. I know you've done, and raved about, Partnership Writing, but anything more you can tell me about it would be appreciated. How much time does it take? Would you recommend the Arrow along with Partnership?
Thanks!
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I am looking through my plans for ds's ninth grade year, thinking about what we want to accomplish. I am currently thinking of the following for science, but worry that it may be too much, and would appreciate any feedback! (Note: he does love science)
We're doing the Big History Project for history, and I've been planning to add in some readings (The Sciences: An Integrated Approach OR Conceptual Integrated Science) and/or lectures from The Joy of Science, to expand the science presented through the lens of history. This would be a non-lab approach.
However, I am wondering if it would be too much to add in biology. I like the look of Exploring the Way Life Works, and the plan Quarks & Quirks has for hs biology, with a lab component.
Am I looking at piling on too much here?
CA personal exemption for vaccines stricken except for homeschoolers
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
Reading the text of the bill itself, it looks like anything post-high school (including community colleges) is NOT included in the bill. What I am not sure on is how this will all pertain to DE students, who are technically high school students attending a college.