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Jean in Wisc

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Everything posted by Jean in Wisc

  1. Oh, so fun to see those names of people I know from those golden days--Colleen, Tammy, Lisa. You know, there are days when I am home alone listening to silence that I wish I had one more little person at my kitchen table, who I could read to during the lunch hour, and who would just be here making noise and needing a mom!
  2. Hard. Yes. I wrote this several years ago: http://shadesofwhite.typepad.com/shades_of_white/2008/03/tomato-staking.html Parenting and hard is definitely hand-in-hand. Bless you!
  3. My other son took 4 years to learn his multiplication tables. He is now a Mechanical Engineer for Rayovac. That is not one of the futures I would have guessed in a million years!
  4. Once in a while I like to stop back to read the boards. My kids are graduated and off living life, but before that, I use to spend a lot of time here. I like to stop by to encourage those of you who are still in the trenches. Homeschooling was a lot of work, and it was exhausting, but I do not regret it! For those who struggle with young children--trying to teach them to read and helping them to learn--I have a story for you. Not everyone's story will be like ours, but I want you to know that the end of the book has not been written for your children. Those who struggle today may not tomorrow. My youngest was slightly dyslexic. In 3rd grade I began to panic that he would never be able to read. He could not read, he could not memorize, and he just was not learning! I read everything on learning problems, looking for answers. I tried all the various materials...and then one day it started to change, and he began to learn. It was not an overnight sensation, but a slow, steady process. Hard work. Laborious. Today he is a senior in Software Engineering. Last semester was described by other students in his program as the worst/hardest one for his degree. Last semester: GPA 4.0 This week, he was musing over what it would take to get into MIT, although he claims he is not serious about it. I am not saying you will have the same results, but for those young children who struggle, it may not always be this way. Just keep moving forward. Don't panic. Take a few days off to recharge your batteries. Remember that you do not have the whole picture yet. I once said a long, long time ago that homeschooling is a marathon, not a sprint--it is a long journey that ends way too soon. Take a deep breath and enjoy the time you have with them. Before you know it, the house will be silent all day long, and you will cherish the memories of sitting at the table together--even if you were overwhelmed and tired. Take a moment and enjoy the little ones under your feet. Life is too short to live it in a rush and a panic. Slow down. Every day, find a reason to fall in love with them all over again. Keep on keeping on, and blessings to you all-- Jean
  5. Long time no see! My baby is currently a junior in software engineering, and I am an empty nester, so I don't visit these boards like I use to. :D With my love of astronomy, I decided to take an astronomy class at the local university this semester--I know my way around the night sky and am working my way through the Herschell 400 with my telescope, but I have never studied the physics side of this hobby of mine. The textbook we are using is good: In Quest of the Universe by Theo Koupelis We have the 6th edition. Comes with a Starry Night DVD http://books.google.com/books/about/In_Quest_of_the_Universe.html?id=GVlpKZ67DscC My prof use to work with the author--and my prof is a really nice, down-to-earth, night-sky-loving sort of guy. We are about a third of the way through the book--I can give you more info later if you want it. I have read through most of Astronomy Today--a textbook often recommended on these boards. When I am looking for information and read both textbooks to compare them, I find In Quest's vocabulary and explanations easier to understand. So....if you are looking, this is another option. Jean
  6. Thanks for the heads up, Colleen! I talked to SOS folks once-upon-a time (seems like years ago. LOL!). They suggested using Secondary Spanish as year 1, Spanish I as year 2, and Spanish II as year 3. If you do all 3 of these and add some reading and writing, I would say your child will cover everything (and more) than most 4 year high school Spanish programs . On the transcript, I'd suggest you call them Spanish I, II, and III (not secondary, I and II). This is also what SOS suggested. Jean
  7. We tried everything with one of my children. We worked diligently. Ordered new curriculum when we heard of something...worked, worked, worked. Somewhere mid freshman year she rebelled: "No, I don't want to do one more spelling program!!!!" So I informed her that spell check needed to be her best friend for the rest of her life, and we stopped. By the time she went to college, she had started putting a lot of it together on her own. She still has errors, but nothing like it use to be. She still got a 4.0 in college. So maybe sometimes letting them figure it out on their own is not the worst thing you can do. Just sayin'.
  8. Maybe someone will join you if you say you are going to try it. We had 3 a few years ago. Each year another person or 2 joins the group. We had 6 people stay all night this year and several came and left half way through the night. It is especially helpful when you have a club house with a fireplace and a member who apparently cooked all week getting ready for the marathon. :-) In the early morning, when you aren't quite sure which stars belong to Capricornus, it is nice to have others standing next to you with lasers having an opinion--"Those are the two stars at the right corner." "Are you sure? because Aquarius's water jar is here, and it should be closer, shouldn't it?" Then when someone yells, FOUND IT!!! We know we are looking in the right spot! Or you can come to Wisconsin for a March vacation. :lol: Jean
  9. Probably not. :lol: I read a lot, but the only textbook I have is Astronomy Today. I'm reading it right now, and it is interesting to me--not sure for your child.It might be a good choice for you, though. I've listened to the Great Courses' Understanding the Universe. http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=1810 They are not entertaining, but they are interesting. (And they are not on sale which means you have to wait until they are. LOL) I have studied astronomy by going to the book store or library and sitting on the floor thumbing through their books; when I find something interesting, I buy it. Now that I inherited my mil's Kindle, I order a lot of samples and then buy them if interested. One could make a list of topics and then go looking for materials on each topic.Since you already have a background knowledge, this might be a fun way to cover topics of interest. Require 1,000 pages of reading for the year (or some such number) on the topics of your choice. I still enjoy Signs and Seasons, but you may be waaaaay past that. It depends what you have learned so far. It does cover stuff that normal textbooks do not. http://shadesofwhite.typepad.com/shades_of_white/2009/01/jay-ryans-signs-and-seasons-understanding-the-elements-of-classical-astronomy.html A large number of my books are field books--you know, the ones I use with my tele: 365 Starry Nights (Raymo), Stephen James O'Meara's books--only for the die hard telescope person, though.Turn Left at Orion is a good. Binocular Highlights (Sky and Telescope). I've read and liked Simple Stargazing by Vamplew, Galileo's Daughter by Sobel, Connecting with the Cosmos by Goldsmith, and Special Relativity 1 (An Everyone's Guide Series)--this series has a bunch of short books covering different topics. He writes well for the non-math/physics person. You might find something in that series... But generally, no, other than Astronomy Today, I don't have textbooks to recommend. I just follow my interests. :) If you want something to do outside, the Astronomical League has observing programs that I have learned so much from. I spend a lot of time getting my materials ready and the paperwork organized before I can go out and find/draw/study under the sky. I'm working on my Master Observer's award, and I have learned SO MUCH by doing these! http://astroleague.org/observing.html You could have your child make a power point presentation followed by showing a group the night sky--at the library or a homeschool group that would be good. It is amazing how quickly you learn night sky objects when you know you are going to have a group of kids standing around your scope asking "What's next?" LOLOL! :-) Enjoy the journey. Jean
  10. You can do some star gazing in a small town, but it is better to have some place you can go under some dark skies.. I live in the country where there are a number of small towns about every 8 miles, and their light is always visible along the horizon, but my skies are fairly clear. I live in a green area on this map: http://www.astronomyforum.net/astronomy-locations/usa/ If you can find some one out side of town who would let you view the sky or, perhaps, a state park--that might give you a chance to see a bit more. Many come to our observatory who live in big cities, and they see the sky with all its stars and Milky Way for the 1st time. They are truly amazed!
  11. It is fun! I spent an entire summer working on the Virgo cluster; every time I went out, I ran through them quickly. Being able to find those 16 (?) galaxies in just a few minutes speeds up the whole marathon. The biggest problem is finding those in the early evening and morning that are just above the horizon--bad seeing plus not enough of the rest of the constellations to locate where you are makes them hard. But it is so much fun, especially when you have a group with each one trying to do his best. Each year I find a few more. :-) I love the book A Year-Round Messier Marathon Field Guide by Pennington. The grids and charts help a lot. But there is a free one--TUMOL: http://www.davidpaulgreen.com/tumol.html Hope you get to do one sometime. :-) Jean
  12. I fell in love with the night sky 17 years ago when doing an astronomy lesson with my 3rd grader. 9 years latter I became the president of an astronomy club. I was an English/Language/Linguistics major (not science!). I went out under the stars 17 years ago to find constellations for my kids and didn't find anything more than the Big Dipper--something I could find before I spent those 2 hours under the sky. But I saw Saturn and nebulae and galaxies through the tele and fell in love... So, you see, when I say that last night I spent ALL NIGHT looking for the 110 deep space objects that Charles Messier charted around 1800, you can say I'm crazy, but all those nights on my hill have paid off: I found 106 (If you divide that out, that is a about 1 every 4 minutes. LOL). Missed 4--lost in twilight, a town's light pollution, or in the trees. One was my fault--someone called out a warning that M79 was going to hit the trees real soon, and I waited too long. FUN, FUN, FUN... :-) Jean
  13. 17 years ago I went out to find constellations so that I could show them to the kids for their elementary astronomy class. I was out there a couple of hours. I went out knowing where the Big Dipper was and while I was out there I kept a list of all the constellations I found: 1) Big Dipper Sad, I know. If anyone would have told me then that in 9 years I would be the president of an astronomy club, I would have fallen off my chair laughing. Today I can find 51 constellations (2 more if I have a planisphere in my hands). I’m working on my Master Observer’s Award through the Astronomical League…yeah, I’m in love with the night sky. If I can do it, just about anyone can! Enjoy! Jean
  14. I bought mine just when the 7th ed was coming out and there were no used books yet. The new books were--what? $170? Yes, get the new one for that price! Tomorrow night we are having our Messier Marathon at the astronomy center. My best year, I found 105 of the 110. Tomorrow night is suppose to be very clear. I don't know, thought, if I can beat that record since those faint fuzzy blobs that I missed have to be found in the in the morning and evening twilight. Glad I could help-- Jean
  15. Astronomy is my hobby; I love the "hunt"--finding deep space objects with my tele. I keep trying to educate myself in general astronomy by reading.I picked up a 6th ed of Astronomy Today a while ago. The basic information in the book is good and sound, but astronomy is changing rapidly--and the 6th edition does not have any of the "newest stuff" in it. The 5th will even be less current. If your DVDs are current and will bridge the gap between the text and today's knowledge, I would not be afraid to use an older edition. Reality is that as soon as he gets done with his class, unless he keeps up with the current changes in astronomy, he is going to be outdated anyway! The older addition will give him a whole lot of information that will help him step into the current world of astronomy--even 5th ed will allow him to read Sky and Telescope and Astronomy Magazine and make more sense out of them. But yes, it will be missing the newest data on the planets and stars and....everything because we are constantly adding information. However... What are your goals? Do you want a basic intro that allows him to follow astronomy news and perhaps give him a gateway to a hobby that does not break the budget? Do you want a current study that will get him into today's newest finds and, perhaps, prepare him to move into the field of astronomy? Is his passion astronomy? Does he plan to use this as a stepping stone onto bigger and deeper? A subscription to Astronomy Magazine or Sky and Telescope for a year will give him the info that is currently coming in. Maybe that with the older edition will be enough. And...what would I do???? Hm...well, if I were buying the book, I don't know if I'd pay new price for my kids' high school astronomy class textbook. I do think I'd look for a 6th ed, though. Hopefully that is clearer than mud... Jean
  16. All I know is that there are a large number of students graduating in Engineering this spring who still do not have a job. Lots of companies are not hiring "right now" even though they came to the career fair. I think it is the economy more than a STEM glut.
  17. The engineering school my boys attend (state university) will not accept a high school language credit from a homeschooler. (Well, my boys did not have to take it in college, but that is because I went in and argued that since I majored as an undergrad in Spanish from their school and was a certified Spanish teacher, they should accept my credits. LOL). Any way, do find out if this is a problem. No need to take the classes at home and then take them again in college. FWIW... I remember slimming down the classes I had my kids take in high school. We did not cover as much as I had thought we would. I worried so much over my 1st child, who got a 4.0 in college. Made me a bit less antsy for my next 2 kids. The basics are good. What I taught in writing was a very good stepping stone into their English classes, and the teachers still acknowledge them as good writers. The strong "basics" of writing enabled them to learn what the profs wanted them to learn--I did not have to teach college level writing (that is what English 101 and 102 is all about!). My boys were not math geniuses. They had to take precalc in college. I have a friend who is an engineering prof who says he is bothered by the number of kids who come in with a high school calculus coarse who do not know algebra well enough--they end up taking lower level maths over again. He would rather they know what they know very well than to push through and have to go back over it again. Yes, if my boys had had more math earlier, they might have gotten through school a semester earlier, but I kept chugging along as best as I could--I gave what I could give. They very quickly pass the science and math that we teach them.What we teach is good, but some of what they cover 3 or 4 weeks into physics class outstrips anything the high school textbook covers. I have a friend who says, "Do high school in high school and college in college." I like that. I don't know how that would work if you are trying to get in to more elite schools, but our state university system is good, and my kids were able to do well without all the high school extras. Just giving you some feedback on life after homeschool here. We moms tend to stress out a lot, but if we give them a good work ethic and the desire to do well, and a strong basic education, they will study hard and do what they have to do to make it work. They will have to take responsibility for their college years and do what they have to do to reach their goals. Just sayin', Jean (mom to a May graduate in Mechanical Engineering and a sophomore in Software Engineering) P.S. Do you have a list of materials you want to use next year?
  18. Your son can get an idea whether he really enjoys this by taking high school classes. My son did not, but when he took the intro to engineering class that introduced him to the engineering options, he fell in love with Software Engineering. He is doing fine even though he did not take it in high school. Just fyi, Jean
  19. Been there. Oh, so been there. FWIW, my kids all have done well in college--deadlines were never an issue. Sometimes this kid thing is a mom/son problem: "Mom is STILL telling me what to do!!!" Having him hand assignments in to Dad sometimes works. (And sometimes not.) I like the comments about breaking things into small pieces. Sometimes they really don't know how to go about the whole task.I remember writing the same assignment as my child (we sat at the table together talking about the assignment but each of us doing our own writing)and comparing, discussing, and analyzing our differences. Sometimes I had the child sit at the computer while we discussed what he might write (or work on an outline or look up references together). Then when he had something to put into writing, I'd let him type. We started by writing paragraphs this way, but I can say sometimes we wrote WHOLE PAPERS this way. I don't think I every had to do the WHOLE PAPER more than once with the same kid unless there were other problems coming into play (dyslexia, for example). Sometimes I had over scheduled--too many assignments for THIS child in one year. I changed my lesson plans so I had assignments/books/papers that were mandatory and the rest of the year was "if we had time". That helped a LOT. Some classes we got it all done. Some we had to push to get the mandatory done. It allowed us to butt heads a little less often. Fortunately, my kids did not want to attend ps. I did have a friend whose son got the bulk of his work done by the time he was 16, and they then enrolled him in ps (his choice). What classes do you want to be sure he gets from you? Or do you have a community college that you could send him to for a single class each semester? Would that give him a chance at getting out but keep a bulk of his classes at home? Could he be going through a growth spurt where his brain is not working? This is typical for 9th grade boys. Could he need more exercise? I bought my 2 boys running shoes and made them research cross country running. Both of them are still running--one very seriously. If their bodies are overflowing with unused muscles, hormones, and all, they can't sit and work on anything. What does he do each day to get himself moving? Brain storm. Good luck. Someday you will have done all you can, and it will be his turn to make it work.(Yeah, that sounds sooooo good, and sooooo scary!) :-) Jean
  20. I've not read through all the posts... I could see having a child do the video program and then following it up with labs. There are a large number of lab kits you could get--choosing a few that correspond with some of the subjects you covered this year might enable you to find ones that interest your child--dissection and using a microscope come to mind. I spent a lot of years doing science by going straight through a textbook and skipping the labs. Then we finished up the year by doing the labs as sort of a review of what we had done. We enjoyed this a lot because we would get everything planned out and then set aside a few days or half-days and just do labs--labs can take a lot of time, but if you move on to lab #2 while lab #1 chills, do all the microscope activities at the same time, etc, etc, you can really get a lot done quick time. If your child is good at keyboarding, you can put all the lab worksheets on Word. You can fill out the worksheets ahead of time so that on lab day, you only have to put the results and conclusions down, and then the child has read the lab and knows what the experiment entails before he starts. It is just one way to streamline a science class.
  21. My opinion, fwiw, is that once your child gets to Ch 7, you can put it down on your transcript as Latin I; the transcript shows that your child has the knowledge of a 1st year Latin student.
  22. After 18 years of homeschooling (my baby is now 21), I can honestly say that my answer to this question (which I have seen several times over the years) has not changed. I do not think that we teach our children math, literature, science, logic, or Latin based upon what they are going to take in college. We are preparing them for life. My middle child took 3 years to learn the multiplication tables. Math was his bane. We kept on keeping on through high school. He will graduate in May in Mechanical Engineering. Never would have guessed that one. He is excited about job hunting and has goals in life beyond all boundaries I had set for him. My youngest struggled to read--didn't start being able to do so until he was in 4th grade. He struggled with everything in those early years. He is a Cadet Colonel in the Civil Air Patrol and a sophomore in Software Engineering--grimaces when he gets anything beneath a 4.0 for his semester grades. Nope, would not have predicted that one either. And believe me, this kid plans to go and do and live!!! And then--me. I did O.K. in Math. I did O.K. in Science, but got my high school physics grade up by doing extra credit, not by understanding it. I was having a discussion with my youngest last night on Einstein's special relativity. Why? Because he is interested in studying it further and I am now the president of an astronomy club. I picked up that hobby while homeschooling. I wish I had taken more math and science so that my self-led studies would go a little faster, but I cannot pick up what I did not do back then. You might be surprised what a lifetime of interests brings to your child. Even if it is hard work, that won't hurt anyone. And maybe, just maybe, it will open doors later that you never dreamed of opening. Jmo-- Jean
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