joyfulhomeschooler Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Has anyone else found this to be not as open and go as they thought? We have had a hard time getting into ECC so upon the recommendation of others I have began adding to it and we are really enjoying ourselves now. BUT.... It is requiring so much of me in the evenings to plan. Has anyoe else experienced this? If so how did you manage it better? Maybe I need to plan three or four weeks at a time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 well... can you explain what kind of planning you are doing? Maybe it's expectations. I don't think MFW is "open and go" as in the sense of "oh here you go substitute teacher". It is a hands on program - and that means I better get my supplies and read over stuff to know what I'm doing that day. I also know book basket is involved so once every 2-3 weeks I should plan for that. I think of it as "I don't have to sit there and plan which pages to teach today and for how long." I don't have to pick and choose among 20 good activites. I still have to spend a few minutes at the library online catalog (from home) to look up call numbers I still have to look at the plans and be ready. and I use the pre printed supply list to tag on an item or two on regular shopping list. I've been using their stuff for almost a decade. Most days (when I don't count driving time to library), I spend about 5-10 minutes to get it all ready. I do not have one of those houses with workboxes where the really good moms have everything in little baggies and all of that... I do have all of their materials together in crates in the kitchen and my supplies. I'd love to brainstorm ideas to make it easy for you as it is for me. But, tell me what's not working or what's up ? love to help -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrightmom Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 What kind of planning are you doing in the evenings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamajo Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 well... can you explain what kind of planning you are doing? Maybe it's expectations. I don't think MFW is "open and go" as in the sense of "oh here you go substitute teacher". It is a hands on program - and that means I better get my supplies and read over stuff to know what I'm doing that day. I also know book basket is involved so once every 2-3 weeks I should plan for that. I think of it as "I don't have to sit there and plan which pages to teach today and for how long." I don't have to pick and choose among 20 good activites. I still have to spend a few minutes at the library online catalog (from home) to look up call numbers I still have to look at the plans and be ready. and I use the pre printed supply list to tag on an item or two on regular shopping list. I've been using their stuff for almost a decade. Most days (when I don't count driving time to library), I spend about 5-10 minutes to get it all ready. I do not have one of those houses with workboxes where the really good moms have everything in little baggies and all of that... I do have all of their materials together in crates in the kitchen and my supplies. I'd love to brainstorm ideas to make it easy for you as it is for me. But, tell me what's not working or what's up ? love to help -crystal Crystal, When you are done with homeschooling, you should really go to work for MFW. Maybe represent them at conferences b/c you have first hand knowledge of all their grade levels!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Crystal, When you are done with homeschooling, you should really go to work for MFW. Maybe represent them at conferences b/c you have first hand knowledge of all their grade levels!:lol: :lol: my application for employment was rejected. Twice. (yes) I can't lift the crates at convention or giggle giggle...I'm so short I can't be seen over the displays.... LOL so I get to be like the Wizard of Oz..... pay no attention to the short woman behind the keyboard... I am the great and powerful Oz... LOL (((thanks))) it would be a fun thing to be able to help like that. -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyfulhomeschooler Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 I've been adding in extra hands on activities, or sometimes switching the activities to fit our family and the ages of our kids better. So in the evenings I have been spending time researching actvities to go with the countries. I just started doing this, so maybe that is part of the problem. I need to plan a few week ahead. Maybe every other week take one night for the planning? Also, I am finding that our library doesn't have many of the books for some reason so then I have to research other books to take the place for book basket. We loved our Adventures year, but this year seems like there is a lot more adjustments I am having to make to fit the ages. I still love the program. I just wish I didnt have to add so much... even though I do love the researching part lol maybe that is another part of the problem, I start searching for ideas nd then don't want to stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Yep, that was me and ECC to a "T". I wasn't impressed with alot of the projects in Global Arts, and starting researching other ones. Once I found a motherload, of course, I would do that for each country. My DS9 and DS5 love to do hands-on stuff, love it, and there's so much out there that can add to ECC, and actually for us, make it better, how could I resist incorporating. Children of the World little guys, videos on BrainPop and Discovery Streaming, maps of the country (still don't understand WHY MFW does not have you work and label the individual country map??). Oh, and let's not forget all of the supplies needed for projects, whether MFW sanctioned or my own. I had to go out and get those quite often, trying to use my weekly Michael's coupon. Our library is a bust for most book basket books, but I'd still spend time looking only to end in frustration. Then look for others. MFW's science with POE was a non-factor for us, as I wasn't touching it, so that led me to doing another science, and I'd spend time researching the science we were doing, which was still animals and not too far from the idea of POE.. I spent most of July doing all of this research for the first 9 weeks or so, and had it all organized, printed and listed, and ready to roll. But then we got into our schooling in August, and my free time to keep planning ahead started to peter out.....until I was essentially working a week ahead, and then the Sunday of the coming week, etc etc. I definately do not feel that MFW is as open-n-go as is often touted, at least not ECC. Adventures was more so for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyfulhomeschooler Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Yep, that was me and ECC to a "T". I wasn't impressed with alot of the projects in Global Arts, and starting researching other ones. Once I found a motherload, of course, I would do that for each country. My DS9 and DS5 love to do hands-on stuff, love it, and there's so much out there that can add to ECC, and actually for us, make it better, how could I resist incorporating. Children of the World little guys, videos on BrainPop and Discovery Streaming, maps of the country (still don't understand WHY MFW does not have you work and label the individual country map??). Oh, and let's not forget all of the supplies needed for projects, whether MFW sanctioned or my own. I had to go out and get those quite often, trying to use my weekly Michael's coupon. Our library is a bust for most book basket books, but I'd still spend time looking only to end in frustration. Then look for others. MFW's science with POE was a non-factor for us, as I wasn't touching it, so that led me to doing another science, and I'd spend time researching the science we were doing, which was still animals and not too far from the idea of POE.. I spent most of July doing all of this research for the first 9 weeks or so, and had it all organized, printed and listed, and ready to roll. But then we got into our schooling in August, and my free time to keep planning ahead started to peter out.....until I was essentially working a week ahead, and then the Sunday of the coming week, etc etc. I definately do not feel that MFW is as open-n-go as is often touted, at least not ECC. Adventures was more so for us. Exactly! Although, we have the first edition so we don't use POE. The science books in this edition aren't really that bad. I do add to it though to keep my kiddos interested. Glad to know I am not the only one who does this. I wonder if I would be this way with any curriculum though? Oh and thanks for giving me more ideas to research ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Exactly! Although, we have the first edition so we don't use POE. The science books in this edition aren't really that bad. I do add to it though to keep my kiddos interested. Glad to know I am not the only one who does this. I wonder if I would be this way with any curriculum though? Oh and thanks for giving me more ideas to research ;) What science books are used in the first edition? Can you share? I wonder if they'd be good as a supplement. I just ordered ECC today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyfulhomeschooler Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 What science books are used in the first edition? Can you share? I wonder if they'd be good as a supplement. I just ordered ECC today. MFW ECC is a great program and I hope you will love it. We really like MFW it's just I find myself adding so much lately. The science books used with the edition we have are http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0794527841/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books and http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0746007981/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 couple of ideas to help you speed up adding things... MFW has a message board with an entire section of "Ideas" for ECC and it's sorted by country/weeks. http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewforum.php?f=15 another crazy side note.... on the first edition science books... for some people this will be a fun note. MFW worked with the publisher of living world ency. to change "millions" of years to "long ago". so I don't know if that's just the ones mfw sells or all versions of that book printed since 2009. Wild Places, the other book in first edition is the book that was replaced in 2nd edition. Wild Places only covered 3 biomes (mountains, jungles, deserts). We liked that book. POE wasn't that hard for me to teach from - instead of just reading the text. Also, I was the type who would scale back those projects in Global Art. Here are 2 of my scaled back versions for weeks 3 and 4 http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=164&start=25#p39584 and this one from Brazil weeks http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=161&start=50#p65898 I don't know if any of that would help or not. I liked Global Art - but sometimes needed to read the project and scale back. Carnival outfits - I made them from squares of felt and put them on stuffed animals. (picture in lnk above) oh.. book basket... remember, you don't have to have every book on there. Library has not been an issue for me. If the city library doesn't have it, then maybe the county system does (even though I have to pay 50 dollar fee), or sometimes - the library of the mega church in town has something. But just this week someone on mfw's board posted about her "library isn't an option" for us story..... here... see if anything helps http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12188 it might be just the early weeks in ECC. I hear many people find their groove in the Mexico or Brazil weeks and it's smooth sailing from there. the other years aren't as many crafts like this. PS- if you're using first edition.... is the photcopying slowing you down any? buy the student sheets for 2nd. -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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