Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

Gwen in TX

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    218

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Gwen in TX

    What is normally done for a 40th anniversary?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Normally, the biggie is the 50th, but I love the idea of celebrating the 40th too.

     

    Are they part of a church body? You could ask the church to celebrate with them by bringing cake and punch for an open house (at the church) after or evening service.

     

    You could just get together the family who can come at the time of the anniversary and go out to a big family dinner at their favorite restaurant.

     

    You could do a family photo scrapbook. That way the child who lives farther away could still participate. They can fix scrapbook pages of their own family, send them to someone closer who would put them all in one book.

     

    When you can get everyone together, take a big family group photo (and individual photos too - the grandparents with all the grandchildren, all the grandchildren together, each family, the grandparents with just their children, etc.)

     

    We wanted to plan a large party for my in-laws for their 50th. They thought that would be fun, but they wanted to pay (2 of the children had had major health issues and were budget constrained). Then when we began looking around at prices, etc., they decided they would rather go on a cruise! I thought, Okay, a cruise for the whole family. I would love to go on a cruise. They meant just themselves!!

    More home hair color questions . . .

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I am probably 70 % white, 25 % silver, and 5 % mousy medium blonde. I get those "shiny" roots, but other than that it blends in pretty well.

     

    I have been doing permanent coloring about 25 years - I started going gray at age 16 (Yep, found my first gray hair standing in a DFW airport bathroom after my first plane ride!) Worked with highlights for a while, but needed something more drastic.

     

    (Whispering here -- my dh does the coloring for me! His father did his mother's, so he is willing to help us save big bucks by doing it himself!)

    I saw this elsewhere...You might be a homeschooling family if...

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    How does a homeschooler change a light bulb?

     

    First Mom checks out three books on electricity from the library; then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a biography of Thomas Edison, and do a skit based on his life. Everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles. Next, everyone takes a trip to the store where they compare types of light bulbs as well as prices and figure out how much change they'll get if they buy two light bulbs for $1.99 and pay with a five dollar bill. On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also Abraham Lincoln, as his picture is on the five dollar bill. Finally, after building a home-made ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed. And there is light.

     

     

    Another version for you...

     

    Q: How many homeschoolers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

     

    A: Gasp! Is it legal to change your own?

     

    Shouldn't you let a trained professional do it? Won't your little lamp be brighter if someone who studied for four years (after barely being able to turn on their own lamp) changes your light bulb? What if you screw it in wrong? What if you leave something out? Don't you think you should give your little nursery lamp a chance to be part of a huge, glowing marquee or chandelier? Bulbs do need to hang in groups, you know.

     

    Besides, why do you think light bulbs come in multi packs? You don't just go out and get a single light bulb! If one light bulb needs fixing, then you know the others are ready for it, too. Give your professional a 12 pack and let him/her change them all at once. It's much more efficient and gets you on a schedule with all your light fixtures.

    Resources for Teaching Public Speaking

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Be Prepared to Speak. Toastmasters International, 1991. VHS series.

     

    Beebe, Steven and Susan Beebe. Public Speaking. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2002.

     

    Booher, Dianna. Speak with Confidence. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003.

     

    Fujishin, Randy. The Natural Speaker. 4th ed. New York: Allyn and Bacon, 2003.

     

    Gard, Grant. The Art of Confident Public Speaking. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986.

     

    Litfin, Duane. Public Speaking: A Handbook for Christians. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book, 2001.

     

    Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 1998.

     

    Myers, Jeff. Secrets of Great Communicators. Dayton, TN: Myers, 2001.

     

    One Life. Whose Legacy? TN: Communicators for Christ, 2007.

     

    Rehn, Thane. As I Was Saying... TN :Communicators for Christ, 2002.

     

    Ryan, Margaret. Extraordinary Oral Presentations. New York: Franklin Watts, 2005.

     

    These were in my public library, loaned to me by the speech professor, or purchased from Comm for Christ.

    Resources for Teaching Public Speaking

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Unless you are teaching for your students to enter competitive speech, don't use As I was saying (published by Comm. for Christ). There is nothing wrong with the book -- it is just aimed only at competitive stuff.

     

    I planned a class for our high school co-op students. I wrote my own curriculum for it. Nothing that I found out there already presented the "meat" (and not the classroom fluff) or required enough for me.

     

    I went to our local university and asked the speech prof to look over what I had planned. I was actually requiring MORE than the college speech class asked for (because of number of students, they could only require 3 four minute speeches from each person). He gave me a syllabus, some free texts that he had received but wasn't going to use, and loaned me some others. I organized, pulled out, and wrote.

     

    The first semester I taught quite a bit, but included multiple opportunities for the children to be up front, even if only for a few moments. I wanted the students to get comfortable being in front of a group. With 9 classes, they were in front for 3 times -

    -- 30- 45 seconds about their favorite ice cream. (I modeled that one for them on the first day, doing my own, so they could see I was looking for more than "My favorite is vanilla.")

    -- an informative speech (I taught through my 7 steps and asked them to DO those steps at home for the first speech they were writing. Total time - 4 - 5 minutes)

    -- a persuasive speech (I taught, showed a video that had a hilarious one about running the bad guys out of a western town, had them do the steps at home as we went through it in class. Total time - 4- 5 minutes )

     

    This semester, I am teaching less (because they already know how to do some of this stuff), but am requiring more.

     

    -They have introduced each other as speakers (which was rehearsal for later in the semester). - 1 minute

    - They are doing an newspaper article summary (got this idea from Communicators for Christ - this is one they ask you to prepare ahead of time, and bring to their seminars). 1 minute

    -They are doing a second informational speech (already know how, so just working on that at home). 4 -5 minutes

    -The are doing a devotional (This is where most of my teaching time is being spent this semester, because it is new to them, and requires some special "research".) - 4 - 5 minutes about 1,2,3 verses, not a huge passage. I am also doing multiple devos of my own to show the different variety depending on the setting you are asked to speak in. I will probably present a total of 6 different examples.

     

    Then the final test -- they will choose one speech of all those they have presented in class, and do it AGAIN, after editing, polishing, etc. (I critique each speech, and include something they can work on to improve). This will be given before an audience of their parents and siblings.

     

    We also did other assignments like evaluate a sermon (after we went over what should be in an informative or persuasive speech, they evaluated the speaker of their choice. I was careful to say that the intent wasn't to tear down someone, but to see if we could see the thesis and structure, how they creatively used visuals and stories and humor, etc. I did not talk about those in class - it was just for the student.)

    Any librarians out there? I have a call letter question.

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I too am a librarian. One set of cataloging rules specified to treat all Mc and Mac as Mac and interfile them. Most people don't know which is correct for their particular author, and this saved users from thinking their author or title wasn't there.

     

    I don't think it makes sense any more since the advent of computers. (Oh I just showed my age -- yes, I was a librarian in the actual "card catalog" days!)

    Visiting Gettysburg

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    We also enjoyed visiting Ike and Mamie Eisenhower's home nearby. You actually get on the bus at the visitor's center and ride over there. While there, the kids can get a Junior Ranger badge by pretending to be a Secret Service agent setting up a visit by a foreign dignitary.

     

    We learned so much about Ike. It took a couple of hours.

     

    The visitor's center was being rebuilt. Does any one know if that is complete yet? Might be worthwhile holding your trip until after???

    Is there a "getting around london for dummies" type book out there?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    London is easy to navigate in -- Rick Steves book does help. Also each underground station has an info window to help you in you are mixed up.

     

    You can also do some work online before leaving. Look for the trains that go to the airport (You have to know which airport you are departing). We were able to get a discount on tix purchased on line before hand (two for one, which is huge!!). You can also find the times of departure, how long the train takes, etc.

     

    We used the underground (with luggage) to get to the correct train station, transferred all underground (no weather worries), and arrived at the airport. Never took a cab the entire time we were there!

    I am loving Omnibus

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I am finding it requires 45 - 60 min for discussion, editing of essays, etc. when I have time, I usually read aloud a bit. The literature just comes alive, especially the Greek plays and Homer's stories, which are meant to be presented out loud.

     

    I too (like naturalmom) don't find that I have to have read the entire book, because the answers on the teacher CD are substantial enough that I know where they are heading.

    I am loving Omnibus

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Along with ds (14yo), I am loving Omnibus -- It is giving me the questions to ask, areas to explore in literature.

     

    I love to read, but I read to devour. This is making me pause, look at themes, etc.

     

    I have even been saying, "You know, if the SAT essay question touches on leadership qualities (or hope for a better world, or faithfulness to a long term goal, or ... you get it), you could tie this particular character into that answer." These are things I never thought about before.

×
×
  • Create New...