Jump to content

Menu

I am new to HSDLA


Recommended Posts

I know of someone who has her children in Classical Conversations. CC isn't for me, although she loves to promote it, A LOT. She now is on this kick about HSLDA...She spoke to HSDLA and they had said that CC is a very challenging and full curriculum for high school - and she now thinks CC is one of the top academic programs out there. How important is HSDLA for college-bound children? Do universities highly regard HSDLA? I feel torn because I spend SOOOO much time researching fitting curricula for my kids, which really is a mix of curricula to keep them progressing and interested. I didn't feel I needed HSDLA, unless I am completely wrong! Personally, after hearing how CC works at the Challenge level, if I understand it correctly, is a little unusual. They teach each  subject for 4 minutes and cycle through those subjects a few times. Is this accurate? I have a K-12 teaching background and taught for a few years and found this method of instruction interesting, not bad, just interesting. If this way of teaching/learning is suppose to be challenging and high level, then why isn't it incorporated into other curricula? I think my ego is getting bruised when talking with her. It is making me question what I'm doing...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What?
I don not understand.  HSLDA is simply a legal assist, nobody cares about it outside of HSLDA and their members.

There is a very long thread here in the GE part of the board (scroll through pages until you find it) all about Classical Conversations.  Having seen the written plan in Ms. Bortins' book, I'm not impressed in the least with what they offer and what they consider a full day's work at home in younger grades.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, bfw0729 said:

I know of someone who has her children in Classical Conversations. CC isn't for me, although she loves to promote it, A LOT. She now is on this kick about HSLDA...She spoke to HSDLA and they had said that CC is a very challenging and full curriculum for high school - and she now thinks CC is one of the top academic programs out there. How important is HSDLA for college-bound children? Do universities highly regard HSDLA? I feel torn because I spend SOOOO much time researching fitting curricula for my kids, which really is a mix of curricula to keep them progressing and interested. I didn't feel I needed HSDLA, unless I am completely wrong! Personally, after hearing how CC works at the Challenge level, if I understand it correctly, is a little unusual. They teach each  subject for 4 minutes and cycle through those subjects a few times. Is this accurate? I have a K-12 teaching background and taught for a few years and found this method of instruction interesting, not bad, just interesting. If this way of teaching/learning is suppose to be challenging and high level, then why isn't it incorporated into other curricula? I think my ego is getting bruised when talking with her. It is making me question what I'm doing...

I"TA with HmeAgain: HSLDA is a legal assistant (and more, but still...), and no one outside of homeschooling knows about HSLDA.

IMHO, anyone who is homeschooling should be a member of HSLDA, but it is not curriculum, instructional materials, accrediting agency, nothing like that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't mean to speak ill of your friend but just from what you have typed here, she sounds quite gullible. As the others have said, HSLDA is a legal defense agency and homeschooling law lobbyists. Many, MANY homeschoolers do not agree with their agendas and opinions and I would wager the majority of universities do not even know it exists much less care if an applicant's parents chose to be members while they homeschooled their child. That would be similar to putting on a college application for a public school child that the parents were members of the PTA. The universities don't care about that.

Your friend seems to enjoy drinking the kool-aid and raving about how wonderful it is without giving it much thought in my opinion. Don't feel bad about not drinking the kool-aid with her and don't be afraid to limit time with her if her enthusiam for kool-aid is causing you grief.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The thing with CC is that it is supposed to be a guide.  The parents should be the ones teaching the material at home, and the tutor should be reinforcing that weekly at the co-op.  They do use some good materials in higher level, even if they aren't my personal choice.  That said, I see more of the blind leading the blind.  The tutors are "trained" just enough to have them bumble through a class the first go unless they're really into the subject. The parents rely on the co-op to do the bulk of the teaching.  I looked at the schedule for elementary age in the back of Leigh Bortins' book and was not impressed in the least when comparing to the WTM.  In it, she recommends doing only math and language arts for 10-20 minutes each day, and memorizing the CC pieces for history, art, science, Latin.  When compared to the daily suggestions in the WTM, the work is fuller and richer than in CC.  There are more stories, more science, and Latin isn't just a series of memorized phrases.  I would not give up our plan to do what Ms. Bortins suggests as being enough.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

The thing with CC is that it is supposed to be a guide.  The parents should be the ones teaching the material at home, and the tutor should be reinforcing that weekly at the co-op.  They do use some good materials in higher level, even if they aren't my personal choice.  That said, I see more of the blind leading the blind.  The tutors are "trained" just enough to have them bumble through a class the first go unless they're really into the subject. The parents rely on the co-op to do the bulk of the teaching.  I looked at the schedule for elementary age in the back of Leigh Bortins' book and was not impressed in the least when comparing to the WTM.  In it, she recommends doing only math and language arts for 10-20 minutes each day, and memorizing the CC pieces for history, art, science, Latin.  When compared to the daily suggestions in the WTM, the work is fuller and richer than in CC.  There are more stories, more science, and Latin isn't just a series of memorized phrases.  I would not give up our plan to do what Ms. Bortins suggests as being enough.

 

I agree!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

What?
I don not understand.  HSLDA is simply a legal assist, nobody cares about it outside of HSLDA and their members.

There is a very long thread here in the GE part of the board (scroll through pages until you find it) all about Classical Conversations.  Having seen the written plan in Ms. Bortins' book, I'm not impressed in the least with what they offer and what they consider a full day's work at home in younger grades.

I assume she's referring to HSLDA Academy, which offers online classes for high school students (members and non-members).   I'm not sure what their reputation is, but it would probably be just fine.  Use the classes and resources that work best for you students.  

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, shinyhappypeople said:

I assume she's referring to HSLDA Academy, which offers online classes for high school students (members and non-members).   I'm not sure what their reputation is, but it would probably be just fine.  Use the classes and resources that work best for you students.  

OK - this explains a LOT!  I couldn't figure out how someone could be "new to" something if they didn't even know what it is.  I am now reading the OP with a new lens (adding academy after HSLDA).  OP - you are correct.  You do not need an online academy.  As far as I know most universities won't even know what HSLDA academy is, though probably conservative Christian ones do know it. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

People get so hung up on worrying whether their specific curriculum or class will look good to colleges. They seriously don't care or know most of the time.

I also had no clue HSLDA had online classes now. Guess their reputation hasn't made it here yet because I haven't seen them mentioned on the high school board as an option yet. It looks like standard online high school and AP classes, but Christian, of course. There are lots of providers for those. Most people who use outside providers use multiple ones. It's not like CC where you're enrolling in a whole system and philosophy. You pick a course with an instructor, price, and syllabus that you like at one outlet and another at another and so forth.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Kinsa said:

I've put four always-homeschooled kids into four different colleges (private,  public,  in-state, out-of-state, large,  small,  technical,  liberal arts, secular,  religious), and I can assure you that colleges don't give a fig about your curriculum, or whether you were CC vs HSLDA Academy, or whatever.  They care about seeing a transcript so they can check the boxes,  and they care about your standardized test scores (SAT/ACT). So you can breathe now. ?

Hear, hear!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/17/2018 at 8:24 AM, bfw0729 said:

How important is HSDLA for college-bound children? Do universities highly regard HSDLA? 

College want to see a transcript with course titles and grades, and standardized test scores. They don't give a fig whether you're in HLSDA or not. It also has no bearing on your kids' education. 

Unless the college requires course descriptions, they won't know what curriculum you have used either.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...