partyof5 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Seriously...I've been thinking about this Do-It-Yourself idea with a few local friends. None of us are that interested in the speakers at our state conventions because they are the same EVERY year, more or less. And while I am a Christian, I don't go to conventions for ideas on how to include a devotional time in our day...I go for new and creative ideas about SCHOOLing. So, we are thinking about planning our own weekend retreat--an inexpensive getaway with just a few homeschooling moms and we will use our best resource: each other! We all have gifts and talents and areas of strengths and experience. Why not have some focused sharing time in these areas? I can talk about some of the successful changes I've used in our writing program, how I've gone back to TWTM methods for outlining & how that's worked, or how I've made TOG work for us, and my other friends can share their successful pursuits--math, science, literature, organizational ideas, etc. Probably, within a small group, we can share ideas and brainstorm new ones and come home feeling refreshed and energized? And in some regard, isn't that part of the goal too? I think we sometimes sell ourselves short. The hive is wise, experienced, and ready to improvise, improve, and imagine new ways of teaching our kids. I think a small assembly of ourselves could be a spark for something great and unexpected in our own homeschools...without the traditional convention. So my friends & I are looking at booking a weekend in April together (borrowing an off-season vacation home for nearly nothing)--any thoughts on what your own DIY homeschool retreat might look like or what we should include at ours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindyD Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I think that sounds like a phenomenal idea! Just to add, you could always listen to downloads of speakers or topics that you are interested in, and then discuss them. The only thing you'd miss out on is the vendors hall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abreakfromlife Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I want to come! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 For the last few years I have chosen not to attend our local conference because it simply was not a good fit for where I was in my journey. This year I am so excited that SWB is speaking! Wohooo!! I.cannot.wait!!! Still not one of the workshops they are providing appeal to me. This year I will do a hybrid conference. I will go listen to SWB's keynote talks and then find a local restaurant with free wi-fi where I can filll the remainder of my days with things that will really help me where I am in our family's homeschool journey. And I will mostly be learning about homeschooling. Gasp! :D And probably listening to more of SWB's talks she doesn't cover at the conference! I have blogged about creating my own conference for the past two years. I did mine by myself as most of my friends were attending one of the local ones. I enjoyed it so much and it was perfect for what I needed at the time! If you are interested in seeing what I did you can read about my 2010 conference here or my 2009 conference here. I downloaded MP3's I wanted to listen to, brought books I wanted to read, browsed websites, wrote my personal mission statement as well as ones for our school, wrote out goals for myself and each of my kids and and on and on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosyl Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I think that sounds like an excellent idea and the money you would save from not browsing the vending hall:tongue_smilie:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Seriously...I've been thinking about this Do-It-Yourself idea with a few local friends. None of us are that interested in the speakers at our state conventions because they are the same EVERY year, more or less. And while I am a Christian, I don't go to conventions for ideas on how to include a devotional time in our day...I go for new and creative ideas about SCHOOLing. So, we are thinking about planning our own weekend retreat--an inexpensive getaway with just a few homeschooling moms and we will use our best resource: each other! We all have gifts and talents and areas of strengths and experience. Why not have some focused sharing time in these areas? I can talk about some of the successful changes I've used in our writing program, how I've gone back to TWTM methods for outlining & how that's worked, or how I've made TOG work for us, and my other friends can share their successful pursuits--math, science, literature, organizational ideas, etc. Probably, within a small group, we can share ideas and brainstorm new ones and come home feeling refreshed and energized? And in some regard, isn't that part of the goal too? I think we sometimes sell ourselves short. The hive is wise, experienced, and ready to improvise, improve, and imagine new ways of teaching our kids. I think a small assembly of ourselves could be a spark for something great and unexpected in our own homeschools...without the traditional convention. So my friends & I are looking at booking a weekend in April together (borrowing an off-season vacation home for nearly nothing)--any thoughts on what your own DIY homeschool retreat might look like or what we should include at ours? I love this idea. For me it would be useful to be at a site that had wireless. Then if I needed to look something up, I could. It would also be nice to take along a printer that you could share. Of course, I could live without either; it would just take more advance planning so that I knew I had what I needed. Of course I would also need a friend willing to hit me with a pillow when I got off track or sucked into responding to FB or WTM posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partyof5 Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 I have blogged about creating my own conference for the past two years. I did mine by myself as most of my friends were attending one of the local ones. I enjoyed it so much and it was perfect for what I needed at the time! If you are interested in seeing what I did you can read about my 2010 conference here or my 2009 conference here. I downloaded MP3's I wanted to listen to, brought books I wanted to read, browsed websites, wrote my personal mission statement as well as ones for our school, wrote out goals for myself and each of my kids and and on and on. Jennifer-Thanks for sharing this again! I think I may have read about this in 2009 because the idea has been on my mind for a while, likely thanks to you. I just re-read your 2010 entry and I think SWB's audio lectures would be perfect for our getaway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Homeschooling Cruise to the Bahamas. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partyof5 Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 I love this idea. For me it would be useful to be at a site that had wireless. Then if I needed to look something up, I could. It would also be nice to take along a printer that you could share. Of course, I could live without either; it would just take more advance planning so that I knew I had what I needed. Of course I would also need a friend willing to hit me with a pillow when I got off track or sucked into responding to FB or WTM posts. Yes, wireless would be ideal. We can probably make that happen, but like you, I'll have to block other websites or something so as not to get distracted by the stuff I'm trying to avoid by getting away in the first place!:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Jennifer--I was hoping you would respond. Just wanted to let you know I've loved reading your blog post on your independent conferences and have used the idea for myself. Partyof5--I think this sounds marvalous! I wish I had a group of homeschoolers to get together with to do something like this. One top of your presentations, perhaps all of you could bring your curriculum. That way everyone can get hands-on time looking at curriculum they might not have had a chance to see in person before. There you have a mini-vendor hall experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdalley Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I'm actually thinking about having a day at our church this summer for something like this. We have great resources in our congregation and I thought about having them speak and do Q & A or something. Our local group is having a bring your curriculum so we can all look at it meeting in April and in May is the book sale which is all the vendor hall I need. I really need a couple of days to get away and plan but I don't see that happening any time soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partyof5 Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 I'm actually thinking about having a day at our church this summer for something like this. We have great resources in our congregation and I thought about having them speak and do Q & A or something. Our local group is having a bring your curriculum so we can all look at it meeting in April and in May is the book sale which is all the vendor hall I need.. I think this combination is a great idea! We now have lots of homeschooling families at our church (a new development in the last 3 years or so) and a day like this for everyone would be wonderful, especially with a curriculum display. Hmmm...I might have to start planning this as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Jennifer-Thanks for sharing this again! I think I may have read about this in 2009 because the idea has been on my mind for a while, likely thanks to you. I just re-read your 2010 entry and I think SWB's audio lectures would be perfect for our getaway. You are welcome! I can't really take any credit b/c the whole thing was dh's idea. :001_smile: In '09 I signed up for our local conference and was ready to go. The night before I sat at the computer to look over the schedule and plan what seminars and workshops I would attend. I was so sad to realize that most of the talks were almost exact repeats of years past and/or not applicable to me. Dh already had set aside the two days to spend with the boys and encouraged me to plan my own conference. Within an hour I typed up my first schedule and was ready to go! I am so thankful for audio lectures! SWB's have been some of my favorites along the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Yes, wireless would be ideal. We can probably make that happen, but like you, I'll have to block other websites or something so as not to get distracted by the stuff I'm trying to avoid by getting away in the first place!:tongue_smilie: This is exactly why I typed up a schedule! I needed the accountability of that sheet of paper sitting on the table telling me what the plan for the day was. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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