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pdesler

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    Female

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    Homeschooling mom of 2
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    Davis, CA
  1. I like the free online resource - Khan Academy. I have been working through the math programs myself to stay ahead of my son. The videos do a good job of explaining the problems and then when you do the problems, you can ask for hints which show you the next step only... We have also used Key To...series, but the Khan Academy is free!
  2. We are on the 5th week of Plague - I am teaching the Plague Studies for One to a group of 4 homeschoolers (10, 11, 12, 13 year old). I think it is going well and the kids seem to like it. It does require a lot of parent prep work - but, of course, that can be modified to suit your time schedule. I wrote earlier about my disappointment regarding the single stakeholder (weaver) in the process. I did contact both RFP and Sheilagh Gallagher - who told me there was only one stakeholder in the classroom version as well. This doesn't seem to be true according to the one post who mentioned using the classroom unit, but whatever. We are doing the class once a week for 2 hours and the kids do homework/research in between sessions. I am going to post a few pictures....well the files seem to be too big to upload. We made a learning issues board on a wall and made a huge risk map as well. I put together a medieval looking book from a website and put copies of all the original source documents and images into it. The kids are putting/will put together the Osbourne cut-outs: medieval village, town, port, castle and cathedral. I think the research is going well - we spent quite a bit of time talking about original source documents vs. secondary sources, how to read a primary source, how to take notes from a close reading of a text, how to organize your findings into logical categories, and so on. One of the things I have enjoyed about this unit is the opportunity to teach how to approach an idea and how to think critically. We have spent a lot of time talking about goals for each class by looking at the matrices and how to judge or critique one's own work. The kids seem to enjoy the art and original sources. We have a few more classes of research and discovery before I ask them to write a problem definition. I would recommend that you "take apart" the lessons and do them out of order in the research section (according to what the kid's have "asked")...I am doing them in order, but sort of wish I had done it differently.
  3. Hi there, I am planning to teach PLAGUE! to 4-5 homeschoolers (grade 6-8) in two weeks. I am disappointed in the Studies for One unit that I purchased because each child is a "weaver." Before purchasing this from Royal Fireworks Press, I exchanged a couple emails with someone who answers the emails asking for information about using this for a group - and specifically, did the packet contain several different stakeholders, since as each stakeholder would have a slightly different agenda, the problem-solving park of the process would be very different than if it were to have just one stakeholder. I got the materials today and have been reviewing them - and, guess what...only one stakeholder: the town weaver. I am going to quickly try and write a backstory for 3-4 other villagers that will somehow allow each student to have slightly different concerns from the weaver in order to make the problem-solving/collaboration part more realistic. And then find resources that allow those different villagers to learn about their role in a medieval village and bring their individual concerns to the Council of Elder meetings. There is a lot of prep work to teach this material - although that can (of course) be as much or as little as you have time to do! I would definitely suggest a month or so with the materials before starting your course of study (and I have a degree in medieval history!). Also, Gallagher states that this is a three-week course - but that is doing a few hours everyday - which is not reasonable in our homeschooling life! We are planning to take 10 weeks - with the kids meeting 2-3 hours each week and then doing research on their own time (and following their own interests) at home. This also allows time for a field trip or two. I will try and keep posting as the learning process unfolds.
  4. Just as a suggestion for MCT stuff (all the Island, Town, Voyage stuff) - you can get away with only using the teacher's manual and not the student text. (except for the practice books).
  5. I did a lot of research and liked Michael Clay Thompson's approach to grammar/writing. We were planning to use it in addition to First Language Lessons as I thought my son would LOVE the more story/visual part of MCT's books. Turned out he doesn't really connect with them at all! I am planning to sell the books as I bought them at the beginning of the summer to looks over them (try to marry the FLL and MCT together) and missed the return window by the time I realized my 8-year old didn't like them!
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