Anyone use AO (whole thing, not just parts)?

[Zoo Keeper]

My guys are younger, but I'm in planning/researching mode...;)

 

I know that many use/glean from AO on the K-8 board; does anyone actually use it **as written/scheduled** for high school? I took some time to look through the upper years last night, and I was pleasantly surprised. Lots of good stuff in there--modern material! Not just vintage texts! Links to many speeches and some other goodies! I'm not whole hog into all of CM philosophy, but I'm willing to be convinced...

 

It also seems to have a very reasonable amount of work (compared to Omnibus, or TOG R level, both of which I think are just too much for many students).

 

So, anyone use AO through high school, besides the members of the Advisory?

 

:bigear:

[Rhonda in TX]

I think Lindafay from the Higher Up and Further In blog does. (she took a break from blogging for a couple of years, but she's back - yea!) She has her own curriculum through Year 6, but after that, her kids use HEO. She also has a website - Charlotte Mason Help.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

:bigear: I was wondering about this as well. I am switching my younger 3 to it next year and will use it as written (atleast for my first year- the plan is to use it as written unless I find after my 1st year I need to do some tweaking) I have been wondering about switching a high schooler to this (so dd who will be in 10th next year can do it as well)

[Zoo Keeper]

I think Lindafay from the Higher Up and Further In blog does. (she took a break from blogging for a couple of years, but she's back - yea!) She has her own curriculum through Year 6, but after that, her kids use HEO. She also has a website - Charlotte Mason Help.

 

It was her site that spurred me to re-think my opinion of AO.:001_smile:

 

I had been looking for info on the SL Eastern Hemisphere core, and found her Year 5, which is Eastern Hemisphere with a CM twist. The more I look over her books and schedule, the more I like it...(better than SL's version! Don't tell Sarita...;)).

[Zoo Keeper]

:bigear: I was wondering about this as well. I am switching my younger 3 to it next year and will use it as written (atleast for my first year- the plan is to use it as written unless I find after my 1st year I need to do some tweaking) I have been wondering about switching a high schooler to this (so dd who will be in 10th next year can do it as well)

 

 

I like the "lite" schedules for the high school years; they still look thorough to me!

 

I'm finding my crew does more (and with a better attitude), when I schedule in less. The AO/CM type schedules seem to be a good fit for that...

[SkateLeft]

You might find Carol Hepburn's website helpful, if you haven't already seen it. Her son used AO all the way through high school.

[Zoo Keeper]

You might find Carol Hepburn's website helpful, if you haven't already seen it. Her son used AO all the way through high school.

 

Thanks for the link--interesting reading!

 

 

 

Anyone else have any good (or bad) experience with AO in high school?

:bigear:

[stripe]

It appears to have a heavy libertarian political bent. I am not certain anyone else would find it appealing to use as written.

[Snoopytwo]

I use AO for high school. Although, I also use WTM suggestions for writing and math. But otherwise, AO is the spine of our homeschool and has been since dd16 was in 2nd grade.

 

The reason I like AO is because it really is a very deep, rich curriculum.

 

There is a new forum for AO users here http://amblesideonline.org/forum/index.php

 

The one thing I learned from using AO for so long is not to be afraid to make book substitutions if your child doesn't connect with a particular book or if it doesn't suit your purposes. For example, if your child doesn't like Churchill or finds him hard to follow, look for another book that will cover the same material in a literary way. I think to use AO/HEO sucessfully one needs to have a good grasp of the Charlotte Mason philosophy - Goods books with good writing that convey big ideas. I know that might seem like an oversimplification, but so far, keeping this in mind has really helped me when selecting material to use with my kids.

 

For us, AO is the starting point. I look over the list and schedules and then I make changes according to our needs/desires. For example, this year we are doing YR 10 which schedules Frankenstein for literature. My daughter has already read this book. So I get out my WTM and select something else for her to read from the same time period. Years 9-12 are written as suggestions for you to choose from.

the HEO high school Years are designed not as a single curriculum list (like the preceding Years), but rather as what we fondly call the HEO "Salad Bar" approach. In many subject areas, we offer a variety of options for you to choose among (or you may substitute your own). The final product will be your design.

 

Using AO in the high school years does take some time and effort with regards to selecting material and scheduling it, but so far it has been worth it. My kids enjoy school and are passionate, interesting people.

HTH:)

[Snoopytwo]

It appears to have a heavy libertarian political bent. I am not certain anyone else would find it appealing to use as written.

 

I can see where one might get that opinion. And, it is true that the new AO forum is quite a bit more conservative than this one. However, it is quite easy to make substitutions. For history, we are adding in A People's History by Zinn for some balance. AO also recommends many of Hendrik Van Loon's books. I don't think I would call him libertarian.;)

[stripe]

I can see where one might get that opinion. And, it is true that the new AO forum is quite a bit more conservative than this one. However, it is quite easy to make substitutions.

All their economics material is libertarian, as I recall, and the OP asked

 

does anyone actually use it **as written/scheduled** for high school?

so I was answering based on what they actually recommend.

 

My experience with AO people and groups made me drop it. I am sure some people are nice, but I did not feel the love. I'll leave it at that!

[Zoo Keeper]

Most of my opinions about AO/CM have been filtered through info from this board...not sure if that is the best way of going about it, but..

 

it just seemed that when I have dipped into more CM style sites/blogs, folks start raving on and on about Charlotte Mason. I'm sure she was a wonderful and innovative educator (esp. for her times), but c'mon folks, she put on her bloomers one leg at a time just like everyone else. :)

 

I haven't had my "conversion" yet. Just wondering if anyone could give me more info that might helpful one way or another.

 

 

 

Thanks, Stripe, for the heads-up on the economics books; food for thought...

 

Thanks for sharing how you use AO, rlreddy, and how flexible it can be. I do like that.

[Snoopytwo]

All their economics material is libertarian

 

Yes, this is true. The economics needs other things added in for balance.

 

as I recall, and the OP asked

does anyone actually use it **as written/scheduled**

 

Yes, you are right. I guess because I am one who never has used anything strictly "as written/scheduled", my definition of that is different than it may be for others.:D

[Zoo Keeper]

:bigear: I was wondering about this as well. I am switching my younger 3 to it next year and will use it as written (atleast for my first year- the plan is to use it as written unless I find after my 1st year I need to do some tweaking) I have been wondering about switching a high schooler to this (so dd who will be in 10th next year can do it as well)

 

I did find this thread...it's older, but still has good info.

[Snoopytwo]

it just seemed that when I have dipped into more CM style sites/blogs, folks start raving on and on about Charlotte Mason. I'm sure she was a wonderful and innovative educator (esp. for her times), but c'mon folks, she put on her bloomers one leg at a time just like everyone else.

 

:lol:Yes, I can see this. I have actually had that feeling over at the AO forum. Someone will asks a question that to me calls for a very practical answer and people will respond with "Well, Charlotte would do it this way" or "Charlotte wouldn't do this". :lol:

 

I follow the philosophy of education that Charlotte Mason espoused, not the woman herself. If what she did is not practical for me homeschooling in 2012, then I move on.

 

I think AO is used best when one views it as a suggestion for putting the philosophy into practice, just as WTM is full of suggestions on how to put a "classical" education into practice.

[Zoo Keeper]

 

Yes, you are right. I guess because I am one who never has used anything strictly "as written/scheduled", my definition of that is different than it may be for others.:D

 

Did you read my signature? :lol: I'm not too worried about following anything exactly... I was looking for thoughts from folks who had really used AO in high school, not dabbled with one or two books.

 

Thanks for giving your thoughts. I like diversity of opinion. That's why I asked this question HERE, and not on any CM boards. :001_smile:

Edited September 30, 2012 by Zoo Keeper

[stripe]

it just seemed that when I have dipped into more CM style sites/blogs, folks start raving on and on about Charlotte Mason. I'm sure she was a wonderful and innovative educator (esp. for her times), but c'mon folks, she put on her bloomers one leg at a time just like everyone else. :)

 

Yep, this is part of my discomfort with CM. I get less creeped out by reading her own stuff than reading websites that are a bit too cultish in their admiration, and seem more about a love of the Victorian era than any particular educational style. I did find some criticism of CM from 1905 as being a sort of cult of personality. (I posted this previously, sorry for the repeat.)

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I did find this thread...it's older, but still has good info.

 

 

Ohh thank you!! :001_smile:

[Kfamily]

We used to use AO, but as my older dd began to move up in the years I adjusted them so much that I no longer felt like we could use AO as it was designed. However, we do follow the majority of CM's methods and ideas. (But, I have no issues adapting even these ideas where it seems best for our family and our goals.:001_smile:)

 

But having said this, my older dd has and will in the future read a number of the books laid out by AO. She did a small bit of Year 7 and will have completed the majority of the books for Year 8 in a couple of weeks. At the time, not so many here used AO at the high school level, there was no AO message forum (I think this will be a great help) and most importantly, our home, where we had friends who used AO through high school, was no longer our home since we had to move away. It is harder to use AO through high school without a support system. Much of CM's methods and ideas are not explicit or updated enough to really use with ease which, in turn, causes many to turn away from it. (I also don't think that she got everything right...I do have aspects that I disagree with, feel the need to update or that does not suit our family's needs. I look to other classical ideas and methods to fill in these areas. Or sometimes we just do our own thing completely.:lol: )

 

I can say that I do think that our approach to learning has paid off with huge benefits. Both of my dds are hungry learners who look for and appreciate the beauty in print, music, art, life, etc. This has turned out to be more important to me than most anything else.

 

I ended up creating my own CM booklist, and this is just as legitimate. CM is not about a booklist and much of her ideas can best be understood by reading her books about her methods. I still feel that I have much to learn about CM and about teaching classically in general. My girls and myself are, as I like to say, a work in progress. :lol:

Edited October 1, 2012 by Kfamily

[Zoo Keeper]

We used to use AO, but as my older dd began to move up in the years I adjusted them so much that I no longer felt like we could use AO as it was designed. However, we do follow the majority of CM's methods and ideas. (But, I have no issues adapting even these ideas where it seems best for our family and our goals.:001_smile:)

 

But having said this, my older dd has and will in the future read a number of the books laid out by AO. She did a small bit of Year 7 and will have completed the majority of the books for Year 8 in a couple of weeks. At the time, not so many here used AO at the high school level, there was no AO message forum (I think this will be a great help) and most importantly, our home, where we had friends who used AO through high school, was no longer our home since we had to move away. It is harder to use AO through high school without a support system. Much of CM's methods and ideas are not explicit or updated enough to really use with ease which, in turn, causes many to turn away from it. (I also don't think that she got everything right...I do have aspects that I disagree with, feel the need to update or that does not suit our family's needs. I look to other classical ideas and methods to fill in these areas. Or sometimes we just do our own thing completely.:lol: )

 

I can say that I do think that our approach to learning has paid off with huge benefits. Both of my dds are hungry learners who look for and appreciate the beauty in print, music, art, life, etc. This has turned out to be more important to me than most anything else.

 

I ended up creating my own CM booklist, and this is just as legitimate. CM is not about a booklist and much of her ideas can best be understood by reading her books about her methods. I still feel that I have much to learn about CM and about teaching classically in general. My girls and myself are, as I like to say, a work in progress. :lol:

 

 

Thanks for all those details on how you make it work for you.

 

Your blog is WONDERFUL! :001_smile:

[Kfamily]

You're so welcome!

 

Thanks!:blushing:

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Yep, this is part of my discomfort with CM. I get less creeped out by reading her own stuff than reading websites that are a bit too cultish in their admiration, and seem more about a love of the Victorian era than any particular educational style. I did find some criticism of CM from 1905 as being a sort of cult of personality. (I posted this previously, sorry for the repeat.)

 

Thanks for posting this again. If I read it before I had completely forgotten, so it was good to have it posted again. I found parts of it rather humorous--mainly because I've had similar thoughts.