PeterPan Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Well I'm bummed. This is the first year in my 8 years of homeschooling (not as long as some, I know, but still) that I haven't been fixated on a single fad or new product we're all wanting to try just to say we did. What's wrong with me? Maybe you have something to recommend? A convention's coming up and I'm feeling nothing to indulge on! :D :lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Maybe you have something to recommend? :D Don't you know that the new fad is a science fair project? Or at least I am trying to make it so. :lol: Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 :bigear: :lurk5: :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Maybe Faithe is right. Maybe gardening should be our thing, lol. My inlaws do it, and I like to send the kids down as slaves. That way it's ok for me to harvest tomatoes to can. :D Science fairs, hmmm. One year we did that. (notice the past tense on that) Well it's pretty stunning, isn't it. After all this time, not one fad is luring us... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 :lol::lol::lol: The new curricula that I've heard the most "buzz" about either I don't have a student at the right level for (Beast Academy) or don't really appeal to me (Logic of English, Essentials in Writing). The whole Circe bandwagon got to be way too intimidating for me to even begin to wade through :tongue_smilie: but I did finally order LCC (which I've been meaning to read for ages but had never gotten around to it). I did order the new Memoria Press Geography to incorporate into our study of world geography next year. I will also most likely get Horizons Algebra 1 when that comes out assuming the samples look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Well that geography is interesting! Dd would hate it, but it's interesting. I didn't know Horizons has an Algebra 1 coming out, well cool. We're pretty content plugging along with TT. She might test horribly, don't know, but she LIKES it. And when your dd is 13, well liking it ends up mattering, ugh. I oughtta figure something to spur her on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 And when your dd is 13, well liking it ends up mattering, ugh. I oughtta figure something to spur her on. When my DD is 13, I'm pretty sure that she will be WELL beyond my ability to teach her math! :lol: Algebra 1's my limit and anything beyond that will need to be outsourced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mesa Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Dont go asking for a new curricula... I honestly was happier last year when I was on a forum break. I am a curriculum junkie. I wish I could just find a curricula I like and stick with it. SO I'm hoping that some of the new stuff I'm trying will fit the bill.. like Imitations.. and maybe Writing Strands.. some IEW for good measure. I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY hoping that TT and MUS will be the magic fix to our math woes. *sigh* BJU Science and AAS both seem to be keepers. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Mesa, yup, I haven't been reading curriculum stuff much because I've been busy with other things. I scan the boards. It just kind of surprised me. I'm thinking about trying the new BJU Earth Science, so I guess that will be our new thing. So maybe you're right that spending less time on the boards is why I haven't got anything calling to me. Yes, TT is really good for us right now. I'm still scared to death her test scores will be awful (you know the feedback you hear), but as a PROGRAM she LOVES it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I'm developing a new fad, use what you already own. :lol: Our budget is so tight for next year and I've tweaked a few times to use what is already on my shelves. That doesn't keep me from looking at the new items. I checked out Beast Academy and Logic in English and a few other items that I don't even need because of ds's age. Shiny new curricula is so pretty. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Well that geography is interesting! Dd would hate it, but it's interesting. I didn't know Horizons has an Algebra 1 coming out, well cool. We're pretty content plugging along with TT. She might test horribly, don't know, but she LIKES it. And when your dd is 13, well liking it ends up mattering, ugh. I oughtta figure something to spur her on. We've been using MP's States and Capitals workbook this year, so I was thinking about MP's world geography for next. I think he likes something straightforward and workbooky mixed in with other subjects. And when your ds is 13, well.... you wish you could find something (anything) he likes! By the way, this was posted on the board awhile back, but since you're looking for fads, have you looked at the Classical Historian? Or maybe something to encourage me to keep our "practice" transcript next year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Lynn, that Classical Historian is going to be at the Cincy convention!! I'll definitely find their booth. I didn't even know about them. Yeah, my dd is pretty unworkbooky, lol. But like you're saying, it just has to fit. I buy workbooks, she groans. Rinse, repeat. Ooo, transcripts. Now my little secret? I evaluated them for a year in the admissions department of a university. It wasn't a highly competitive school, so I'm no help for Ive League applicants or anything. But just for our purposes, for what *we* need to do to get my dd ready, I'm not worried at all. We're going to take whatever we do, put it into terms they can understand (normal labels for abnormal stuff), make sure the units I mark reflect the amount of time spent, make sure I have enough academic units to meet the minimums for entrance without deficiency (not including classes that were done dual enrollment, as those won't count toward it), and make sure she has standardized tests. That's really all there is to it, at least for us. But like I said, I evaluated thousands of them. I know what this university does with them and what I'm looking for. I know how straightforward the homeschool app is with them. People talk about reading lists, etc. etc. and I can see where some universities might want that. The place I worked *tossed* them. All that mother worry went into the vertical can! Seriously. So my only advice is to make sure you're keeping the records your prospective school wants and not something to fit someone else's paradigm for the schools they went to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Lynn, that Classical Historian is going to be at the Cincy convention!! I'll definitely find their booth. I didn't even know about them. Yeah, my dd is pretty unworkbooky, lol. But like you're saying, it just has to fit. I buy workbooks, she groans. Rinse, repeat. Ooo, transcripts. Now my little secret? I evaluated them for a year in the admissions department of a university. It wasn't a highly competitive school, so I'm no help for Ivy League applicants or anything. But just for our purposes, for what *we* need to do to get my dd ready, I'm not worried at all. We're going to take whatever we do, put it into terms they can understand (normal labels for abnormal stuff), make sure the units I mark reflect the amount of time spent, make sure I have enough academic units to meet the minimums for entrance without deficiency (not including classes that were done dual enrollment, as those won't count toward it), and make sure she has standardized tests. That's really all there is to it, at least for us. But like I said, I evaluated thousands of them. I know what this university does with them and what I'm looking for. I know how straightforward the homeschool app is with them. People talk about reading lists, etc. etc. and I can see where some universities might want that. The place I worked *tossed* them. All that mother worry went into the vertical can! Seriously. So my only advice is to make sure you're keeping the records your prospective school wants and not something to fit someone else's paradigm for the schools they went to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 How about "Problem Based Learning"? Doesn't that sound great as a new fad? Something to research then feel like your homeschool is inadequate without it. :D Other than that, Have you looked at the Self-Evident Truths books from MCT? I've been using the Jefferson one this past month as part of our philosophy study. It is nice: I read, and we discuss. Open and go which is what I like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Shari, you should have seen how she blanched when I suggested we might go through the BJU 7 just to check and make sure she has nailed that content. :D Karen, problem-based learning, what a hoot! Any suggestions on how you intend to go about such a thing? I've seen the GEMS units, but other than that... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Shari, you should have seen how she blanched when I suggested we might go through the BJU 7 just to check and make sure she has nailed that content. :D Karen, problem-based learning, what a hoot! Any suggestions on how you intend to go about such a thing? I've seen the GEMS units, but other than that... :) Guess what I'm reading about this summer? But other than that, the PBL projects I'm most familiar with are science based. Here is an example of two college level PBL projects to get an idea science and non-science PBLs. I'm hoping my library has some books. It kind of reminds me of the old Oregon trail video game. :) The articles I've read are all filled with lots of current edu-babble, but I'm hoping to find some interesting ideas and maybe some good projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Create Your Ritual Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Karen, The only problem based learning that I could come up with was to have my dc re-open my soapmaking business. They can learn how to order the materials, make the soap, package it, sell it locally at a few of the fairs, and then count back change, etc. I thought it would give them a lot of insight into how a small business runs and also what working with the public is like. I would love to hear what you come up with though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha2U Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Perhaps the new fad could be acquiring any resources that OhElizabeth may suggest for preparing transcripts, now that I'm officially spooked about them. ;) On a side note, it'd be interesting to see a list of all the "new fads" that occurred over the past ten years or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Guess what I'm reading about this summer? But other than that, the PBL projects I'm most familiar with are science based. Here is an example of two college level PBL projects to get an idea science and non-science PBLs. I'm hoping my library has some books. It kind of reminds me of the old Oregon trail video game. :) The articles I've read are all filled with lots of current edu-babble, but I'm hoping to find some interesting ideas and maybe some good projects. Ok, I have the History Alive! books, one or two, I forget. I can drag them out and see if they have anything for that. I was hunting last night for just the right thing to engross us this week, and nothing was calling. Well actually I found this book of women in the Civil War that was good and left you with ideas. I think you're right though that there's this point where the projects have to shift from merely being crafts to having synthesis. There's just not quite as much I'm finding. Like I was looking through the BJU 8 tm last night (I have it just lying around), and for pity's sake I found NOTHING You're telling me 8th graders no longer want to do projects??? Maybe the experts say they shouldn't, but the stats and the child in front of you don't say that. Maybe they were somewhere in the tm and I missed it? I should look harder. I was so hopeful, because at the lower level they *are* more multi-modal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Well I'm bummed. This is the first year in my 8 years of homeschooling (not as long as some, I know, but still) that I haven't been fixated on a single fad or new product we're all wanting to try just to say we did. What's wrong with me? Maybe you have something to recommend? A convention's coming up and I'm feeling nothing to indulge on! :D :lol::lol: I broke down and purchased Image Grammar this afternoon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 could be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Right there with you, OhE!! Nothing new and exciting. Or maybe I'm just jaded. I am just "meh" with all of the curricula now. Dd12 is too. I tried showing her lit based stuff for Amer Hist next yr, and she just wants the BJU8 textbook to "get it done". I think after awhile you know that "new and shiny" becomes "old and a slog" pretty quickly-lol And I'm tired of piecing stuff together to make it what we want, telescoping through things, modifying, etc. At this point I kind of just want to outsource everything. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Happy, I think you're right. We're just jaded. We've tried everything by this point or passed by it for strong reasons. There's just nothing left, no hill to conquer. I was looking at the BJU8 myself last night, hehe, wishing I could get something like that to fit dd. I SO adore a good textbook. But I have to keep telling myself round peg, square hole, round peg, square hole. But if your kid craves it, by all means! I was looking through the tests and tm, and there's really a lot to it. Mercy, now I know why we get so jaded. We've tried a lot, and we've owned a lot we couldn't even get to work enough to try. Now THAT'S pathetic. I picked up another thing yesterday that was popular at the time I bought it, and I was just wondering WHAT the (removing all nasty words) authors were thinking. But nuff of that! I'm going to have to do some searching for something for editing. I don't really have anything we love, and I don't know what I'm looking for. We got spoiled one year and have never found anything as good since. The Chortling Bard is just incomprehensible the way it's written. Format is bad, retellings are too hard for her to understand, just a total no-go. Hmm, doesn't Easy Grammar have something like that? Now there's something I've never tried, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Right there with you, OhE!! Nothing new and exciting. Or maybe I'm just jaded. I am just "meh" with all of the curricula now. <snip> I think after awhile you know that "new and shiny" becomes "old and a slog" pretty quickly-lol And I'm tired of piecing stuff together to make it what we want, telescoping through things, modifying, etc. At this point I kind of just want to outsource everything. :) :iagree: Outsource.... oh, if only I could. Amen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Happy, I think you're right. We're just jaded. We've tried everything by this point or passed by it for strong reasons. There's just nothing left, no hill to conquer. I was looking at the BJU8 myself last night, hehe, wishing I could get something like that to fit dd. I SO adore a good textbook. But I have to keep telling myself round peg, square hole, round peg, square hole. But if your kid craves it, by all means! I was looking through the tests and tm, and there's really a lot to it. Mercy, now I know why we get so jaded. We've tried a lot, and we've owned a lot we couldn't even get to work enough to try. Now THAT'S pathetic. I picked up another thing yesterday that was popular at the time I bought it, and I was just wondering WHAT the (removing all nasty words) authors were thinking. But nuff of that! I'm going to have to do some searching for something for editing. I don't really have anything we love, and I don't know what I'm looking for. We got spoiled one year and have never found anything as good since. The Chortling Bard is just incomprehensible the way it's written. Format is bad, retellings are too hard for her to understand, just a total no-go. Hmm, doesn't Easy Grammar have something like that? Now there's something I've never tried, lol. Now, I really want to know what you picked up! BTW, I've done the same and then wondered what I was thinking, after all I bought it! With you all on being jaded. I so dream of nice orderly text/workbooks neatly lined up on the shelf, but dc want to keep on with what we are using (mostly not texts). Sigh........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I am finding the same thing. If anything I am reverting back to old standbys and putting more focus on them than looking for the next great thing. I think after 6 yrs I finally figured out what works for us and am running with it. The only curriculum item I still need to buy is a toss up right now, I would like to get exploration education but do have other ways to teaching the same concepts here just without as many cool contraptions. Only took 6 yrs of jumping around to make us find what works. I did switch out a bunch of curric at xmas time before finding the working list, so who knows maybe by next xmas I will start getting the urge to shop for curric again. Then again I keep thinking like elegantlion that I should just use what I own. After 6 years of buying every cool curric item I could find, I have enough materials to homeschool for another 10 years without buying anything new :lol: I have convention THIS friday/saturday so maybe something will jump out at me, but as of right now there is nothing making me want to run into the vendor hall like usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 For editing, if you've already passed over the Daily Editing type things, have you looked at Fix-IT? I thought of an idea for PBL for you. How about a stock market simulation? I remember doing one of those when I was in middle school. We learned about stocks, bonds, trading, investing and stuff like that then had 10k or 100k of "money" to invest. We had to account for capital gains taxes and trading charges. We'd check the value of our portfolio every day and research the companies, markets and countries we wanted to invest in also. If our stocks chaned prices significantly, we'd research what had happened that could have caused that. It was a lot of fun required learning about many different related areas of information. You could incorporate computers into it and track the value with a spreadsheet program. You could both invest your money then see who's portfolio ended with the best value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I broke down and purchased Image Grammar this afternoon... Oooh, I've had my eye on that one for ages but so far have resisted because I have WAAAAAAY too many writing programs on my shelf already. :tongue_smilie: Last week I picked up Writer's Inc. at my local Friends of Library shop because it was only $1. I hope SWB takes her sweet time with WWS2 because I'm pretty sure that I will want to get that as well. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 For editing, if you've already passed over the Daily Editing type things, have you looked at Fix-IT? I thought of an idea for PBL for you. How about a stock market simulation? I remember doing one of those when I was in middle school. We learned about stocks, bonds, trading, investing and stuff like that then had 10k or 100k of "money" to invest. We had to account for capital gains taxes and trading charges. We'd check the value of our portfolio every day and research the companies, markets and countries we wanted to invest in also. If our stocks chaned prices significantly, we'd research what had happened that could have caused that. It was a lot of fun required learning about many different related areas of information. You could incorporate computers into it and track the value with a spreadsheet program. You could both invest your money then see who's portfolio ended with the best value. Oh no, lol, you know I BOUGHT Fix-It a few years ago, had it sitting around, and finally sold it. And at the moment I'm not sure WHY I sold it, as it might have been really good. Am I an IDIOT or what? I've been afraid to look at it, lest I'd decide I wanted it (again) and find myself in the place of rebuying something I sold. :lol: So yes I researched editing options last night but didn't find anything I loved. Ooo, stocks sound fun! I'll bet there's an app for that. I don't know if dd would like it, but I always wanted to do it. It would make a great econ requirement. We've got hs looming (shudders, butterflies). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Oooh, I've had my eye on that one for ages but so far have resisted because I have WAAAAAAY too many writing programs on my shelf already. :tongue_smilie: Last week I picked up Writer's Inc. at my local Friends of Library shop because it was only $1. I hope SWB takes her sweet time with WWS2 because I'm pretty sure that I will want to get that as well. :lol: Would you believe I actually thought of you as I posted? If you like, I'll tell you about it once it gets here. Thanks to Amazon Prime, that will be NLT Wednesday. I hope the book is helpful..Until yesterday, I considered myself done with purchases for next year. What a fool I've been! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I'm developing a new fad, use what you already own. :lol: Our budget is so tight for next year and I've tweaked a few times to use what is already on my shelves. That doesn't keep me from looking at the new items. I checked out Beast Academy and Logic in English and a few other items that I don't even need because of ds's age. Shiny new curricula is so pretty. :D :lol: After losing his part time consulting job, DH and I dragged out all the curriculum we own, organized it by subject on the kitchen table and decided there would be no science or Writing programs purchased this year. But then, I found a GREAT deal on WWTB2:blush: Shari, you should have seen how she blanched when I suggested we might go through the BJU 7 just to check and make sure she has nailed that content. :D Elizabeth, This is our last-ditch effort to get the oldest up to par in math. If it doesn't work, we'll go back to MUS and call it good. The only way DD would agree to try BJU 7 was if I would rent the DVDs for her to use with it. I decided it was a fair deal. I don't want to teach her math anymore than she wants me to!:lol: And as for nothing new and shiny, I thought I had finally reached the status of, "Experienced, Home School Mom Who FINALLY Knows What She is DOING?!?!" Are you telling me that's not true?!?:001_huh: ;) Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 And as for nothing new and shiny, I thought I had finally reached the status of, "Experienced, Home School Mom Who FINALLY Knows What She is DOING?!?!" Are you telling me that's not true?!?:001_huh: ;) Dorinda Uh no, you have one more year to get to that point. :D (just joking) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Uh no, you have one more year to get to that point. :D(just joking) :lol: :toetap05: :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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