kroe1 Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 DD13 in 10th loves the box. She loves texts, curriculum guides, and even tests. Any suggestion of deviating into a self guided learning adventure makes her cringe. After reading the other thread, I feel very alone. if there are any more like us out there, why do you stay in the box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Lol, I'll be reading this one too! I can't decide if I need to be outside the box for school, or stay inside the box for school and let him run all over the place outside the box when the books are put away. I'm thinking learning will take place either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 My dds are both entirely inside the box with no desire to even peek over the edge. :D We stay there because the box is the best fit for my dds and our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 You are not alone. I posted on the other thread that we are in the box with last dc since we are using textbooks and prepared materials for every subject. We do this because I don't have the time or ability to prepare courses. Based on what oldest dc did in college, I know that dd will be prepared, and I expect the transition from homeschool to college to be smooth. She knows how to use a textbook; she knows how to study for tests; she knows how to prep for a class, which will be appreciated by her profs; she knows how to take notes on lectures and texts; and she knows how to annotate and discuss literature selections. She is on her way to becoming a strong writer, and she is working on math and other areas where she needs to improve. I love posts by moms who are creative and who have children who have done wonderful out of the box things because they inspire me, but our path is different, and we are fine with that. Adding this: During dd's last semester of high school next year, she will be working on a research project, which is as outside of the box as we will go. At that point, she will have the writing and research skills to do something worthwhile. I don't what direction this will take or the topic, but it will be her choice. That's another reason I read the posts about creative courses. All those ideas are simmering in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I am in the box with dd1. She wants everything clear-cut, with deadlines, assigments, and the like. For this child, I had an AP syllabus approved. She is completely different from ds1. I nudge her to look outside the box. But this is what she wants and is happy doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 DS14 is a relatively "in the box" schooler. He prefers a syllabus with clear-cut assignments, expectations, textbooks, directives, lectures, etc. He has many, MANY interests outside of his school subjects, but has no real interest in mixing the two. He prefers to get the schoolwork out of the way and then move on to the things he's interested in. In his mind, I think trying to mesh his outside interests with his schoolwork taints them in some way. Oddly enough, I can understand that logic. I used to do a lot of volunteer work and LOVED it. Eventually, the school hired me to do the exact same work. It immediately felt like such a chore, which is ridiculous considering the only difference was that they were paying me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 DD13 in 10th loves the box. She loves texts, curriculum guides, and even tests. Any suggestion of deviating into a self guided learning adventure makes her cringe. After reading the other thread, I feel very alone. if there are any more like us out there, why do you stay in the box? You have a 13yo in 10th grade? Woman, you are outside the box in my view.:) I was an advanced middle and high school student. I started 10th grade aged 15. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I think there are students out there who like the box because they know how to learn that way and it is comfortable for them. I think some like the box because it can be done independently (if the box is set up that way). I think some like the box because they have other things they are doing and want the school part of their education to be as efficient as possible or require as little energy as possible (if the box is an easy one). Those are all good reasons to stay in the box, but I would want to make sure that the box is challenging them or that something else in their lives is challenging them, making them learn and grow and learn to think and problem solve. Remember that many of us outside the box spend quite a lot of time trying to teach our children to extract information from a textbook and take a test without misinterpreting half the questions. : ) Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in CA Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I haven't responded to any of the threads; although I have been reading them with great interest. I think we are outside as well as inside the box. Let me explain. I think that where you are (inside or outside) is actually a matter of perception. Compared to many who responded on the "outside the box" thread I feel very much inside the box. However, when I compare our schooling to our friends whose children go to school (public or private) I am very much outside the box. We do not follow our states requirements at all because ours are actually higher anyway. I am not concerned about how far behind or ahead anyone is. We work where we are and that's that. Some of our unschool friends might see us in a giant doing-school-at-home box because, well, we deliberately do school work. So, really, it depends. I guess, I am mostly in a WTM box. This box has fit us best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Jann in TX teaches great online math courses that are in the box (traditional textbook etc.). I've been happy to have her help and expertise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 DD13 in 10th loves the box. She loves texts, curriculum guides, and even tests. Any suggestion of deviating into a self guided learning adventure makes her cringe. After reading the other thread, I feel very alone. if there are any more like us out there, why do you stay in the box? When I read the other thread (which I stopped reading without finishing) I realized that we are pretty "in the box" and we like it that way. We use some pre-packaged homeschool courses. We use some textbooks. We do some online and University classes. We find variety and challenge using different methods and providers for different subjects. I think of it more like walking through a field of boxes and occasionally we even step out onto the grass. :lol: We weren't originally homeschoolers. We are accidental homeschoolers forced here because of my ds's 2e issues. We love homeschooling, but we really like it to be a lot like school at home, just throwing out a few things we found useless and adding in a few extra things we find value in or that bring us joy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 If I had to choose, I'd put us inside the box rather than out. It worked well for my guys - and me. There's only one English course I created - for middle son's 11th grade year - he did Great Works in Literature picking selections he wanted to read and finding study guides for them online. I'm NOT an English person, so he was pretty much on his own for it other than we talked about what books he wanted to read. I'd read many of them in my day. The couple I hadn't read, he filled me in on. For his senior English he did a cc class. As with anything else, inside/outside the box - or a mix - depends upon both the family and the student. The "plus" with being inside the box is that we NEVER had to do course descriptions for college apps. It helped that we are in a high reg state with portfolios every year that are approved - colleges actually told us that they didn't worry about course descriptions from students in such states UNLESS the course was unusual. I'm sure it also helped that my guys were easily in the top 25% of stats for their respective schools. Without those "confirmations" admissions might have wanted to see more. Most of our outside the box learning (often coming because we are travel junkies) was listed as extra curriculars if it even made it on the app (things like scuba). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 DD13 in 10th loves the box. She loves texts, curriculum guides, and even tests. Any suggestion of deviating into a self guided learning adventure makes her cringe. After reading the other thread, I feel very alone. if there are any more like us out there, why do you stay in the box?I have kids in both camps....how is that for driving a mom nuts?? My one dd wanted the text, the tests, the guide...the tell me what to do so I can be done. Lol. I have another like that now. So, basically, by following an inside the bx curriculum, you are outside the box in a homeschool sense... :-) J/k! In our homeschools, we have to do what s best for our particular students! Find what sparks them, and go with it until it doesn't anymore. My most out of the box kid is a big fat pain in the @ss, quite frankly! He is a difficult kid, so teaching him needs me to be constantly on my toes and full of saintly patience. I vacillate between radical unschoolish and drill Sargent. My other dd is easy to school outside the box because she insisted on one for years, until this one actually. She is fascinated by great literature, poetry and art. She s not stem focused in anyway whatsoever....so, I have to force her to do math, but everything else is easy peasy and then some. Middle ds is a textbook list kid. He is an avid reader in his free time, but school is school....lol. So, we have lots of boxes...sometimes we are in them, sometimes on them, sometimes we use them to build something else, sometimes we crush and recycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 My kids were mostly in the box -- after a few disastrous forays into the world of completely self-determined learning in early elementary school (amusing stories all, but I learned that I am NOT an unschooler!), my kids and I decided to stay within the box for CORE ACADEMIC subjects. For us the advantages of staying within the box were -- 1) Efficiency! My kids were all incredibly involved with extra-curriculars that they were passionate about and spent hours on per day. They wanted a top-notch education that didn't require hours upon hours of schoolwork. 2) Easy to translate for colleges. Colleges like AP scores, SAT-2 tests, high SAT scores, and dual-enrolled classes. Those things are their love language. My kids pursued a relatively "normal" super-strong academic program so they could focus on their passions, which were NOT academic! (And stellar EC's are another thing colleges like -- though my kids pursued those interests because they loved them, not as resume-builders.) 3) Easier on mom. There are only so many hours in a day, and every moment I'm trying to remember what an oxidation number is is a moment I am NOT helping my younger kids, maintaining the house, reaching out into my community, or even just teaching the older kids the subjects that I care more about! We were definitely out-of-the-box for non-academic pursuits! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 So, we have lots of boxes...sometimes we are in them, sometimes on them, sometimes we use them to build something else, sometimes we crush and recycle. Love it!!! My kids were mostly in the box -- after a few disastrous forays into the world of completely self-determined learning in early elementary school (amusing stories all, but I learned that I am NOT an unschooler!), my kids and I decided to stay within the box for CORE ACADEMIC subjects. For us the advantages of staying within the box were -- 1) Efficiency! My kids were all incredibly involved with extra-curriculars that they were passionate about and spent hours on per day. They wanted a top-notch education that didn't require hours upon hours of schoolwork. 2) Easy to translate for colleges. Colleges like AP scores, SAT-2 tests, high SAT scores, and dual-enrolled classes. Those things are their love language. My kids pursued a relatively "normal" super-strong academic program so they could focus on their passions, which were NOT academic! (And stellar EC's are another thing colleges like -- though my kids pursued those interests because they loved them, not as resume-builders.) 3) Easier on mom. There are only so many hours in a day, and every moment I'm trying to remember what an oxidation number is is a moment I am NOT helping my younger kids, maintaining the house, reaching out into my community, or even just teaching the older kids the subjects that I care more about! We were definitely out-of-the-box for non-academic pursuits! :-) I think we are mostly in your camp - whatever we want to call that camp. We gave the colleges what they wanted to see (except we skipped SATIIs) and enjoyed our "outside the box" stuff, literally, outside with our ECs that we all loved. I can easily tell you what an oxidation number is though... ;) It's English I let them "do" mostly on their own (with no regrets - AND they did well, very well, on the ACT and in their cc DE class, so no harm). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 You have a 13yo in 10th grade? Woman, you are outside the box in my view.:) I was an advanced middle and high school student. I started 10th grade aged 15. Lol. I guess I am outside the box a wee bit. But, it only happened because she schooled all year. During the elementary years, we just started a new grade whenever a text was finished. Over time, she got ahead. I never thought of it as being out of the box. I love how some of the larger families are not only teaching to multiple grades at once, but also multiple styles and curriculum choices. You guys should be able to retire from homeschooling with honorary teaching degrees, PhDs. Thank you for pointing out my teaching Is out of the box after all. I guess now I will throw away an A Beka curriculum guide and see how that feels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Calvin started taking high school exams (roughly equivalent to SAT subject tests) when he was eleven. He likes structure, curricula and concrete evidence of achievement. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Calvin started taking high school exams (roughly equivalent to SAT subject tests) when he was eleven. He likes structure, curricula and concrete evidence of achievement. L This is Trinqueta to a T. She is so much happier when she has an online class (with a real, live teacher who isn't me) or at least an objective standard she must meet. I seem to have woken up one day to discover that my little girl is suddenly ready for high school level foreign languages and algebra. I'm very glad we have the option of online classes, because the middle school next door won't provide this and neither will any b&m in driving distance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Calvin started taking high school exams (roughly equivalent to SAT subject tests) when he was eleven. He likes structure, curricula and concrete evidence of achievement. L I do think that "the box" is relative and subjective, but if this is "the box," count us in! Our box is well-planned, well-used, and well-loved. It's challenging, personalized, goal-oriented, passion-oriented, awe-provoking and discussion-inducing. It just occurred to me that we are literally in a box--our study is nearly a square. The study/box is filled books, books, books, and a map. ;) (And yes, some of those books are textbooks and *gasp* workbooks! ;) ) One of my favorite moments of every morning is opening the glass-paned french doors and taking those first steps into our box. We :001_wub: our box! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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