Tuesday, November 13, 2007

New & Improved Blogger


Blogger is finally allowing comments from non-Google account holders. You no longer have to post as anonymous and you don't have to login if you don't want to. Just select "Other" and type in your name. This will make commenting much easier. Add your blog address to your comment if you want me to find you!

4 comments:

Becky Avella said...

Hi Ginger,
I've been trying to get readers to leave me comments on my blog, too. It's hard work, isn't it? : ) Don't they know how much we live for the feedback. : )

I have been learning so much from you and have lots of questions. I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I ask more questions. (?)

As a former public school teacher, it is hard for me to get over my biases and training. Teachers have what is called a "scope and sequence.” It is prepared by the district and it basically shows the academic map for K - 12. As a sixth grade teacher, I knew what was covered in 5th grade and what I needed to have done to have my students prepared for 7th. I wondered how you know that your children won't leave homeschooling with holes in their education. I would also be concerned about not having the equipment and expertise for high school level courses like Trig, Calculus, Chemistry, Biology, etc. Do you worry about these things? Do you plan to send your kids to college? Sorry.....that was more than one question. I’m just so curious.

: ) From the formerly anti-homeschool girl who is now thinking, "hmmm....maybe not such a bad thing..."
Becky

Ginger said...

I know what a scope & sequence is, actually have one for my kids. I know what books we'll be reading 3 years from now and what math functions we'll be learning after we master the current one (that is to say, we work to mastery, I don't move on in January if they haven't got it yet - that's the benefit of homeschooling). Isaac loves math and wanted to do several lessons today; we accomplished 2 weeks of work this morning because he was really enjoying it. My kids will definitely be leaving homeschool with holes in their education, just like I did when I left public school. I just now enjoy reading - never learned that in school. I just now understand the point of history - never got it while in school. I'm not concerned about holes - I want my kids to know how to learn and to love learning. They can look anything up that they don't know - I want them to have the motivation to do that because they love knowledge.
I can purchase any equipment needed for high school classes, however I plan to send my kids to college for that stuff. Dual credit classes are free to homeschoolers here, and my kids won't have to take Calculus, Biology, or Chemistry twice (hs and college). If that isn't available, I can always outsource those classes. Yes, I want my kids to go to college. Statistically, they will have no trouble. Homeschoolers have the highest academic scores across the board.
I sympathize with your concerns. I used to be anti-homeschool as well. I'm not concerned with when my kids learn a skill, I'm concerned with them actually learning it.

Becky Avella said...

Thank you, Ginger.

I'm just so full of questions. : ) My girls are only 4 and 5, so I'm always evaluating the decision we made to do public school.

I'm really impressed with how you are doing things. As a teacher, it was always my goal to focus on teaching kids how to think, how to evaluate their thinking, and how to be scholars who loved learning instead of being so concerned about absorbing facts that may or may not stay with them. This was not an easy thing to do with 70 kids. : )

I would love to read a blog post someday about how you made the decision to homeschool and why you chose the Charlotte Mason philosophy, if you are willing to share. I know your busy, though, and have other things to blog about.

Thanks again!
: ) Becky

Ginger said...

Your wish is my command. I'll work on that. Any other questions?

:D