Table School Work

"Education is not preparation for life. Education is life."

Schooling in the camper

"Each student can learn just not in the same way." - Evans

There have been a few days that have just been to cold to go outside and we did not have any inside educational trip schedule for the day.  Yesterday, (Saturday) was one of them.  Now, we don't do school on Saturday but with it being windy, colder temp and the possibility of closed roads, it gave us something to do.

The boys are studying Astronomy. They are doing well. They have little notebooks that have them color a picture, dictate facts from the book they are reading and doing scripture copy work.  Of course, all the scripture from the Bible relates to Astronomy.   They watched a couple of clips on the Mars Rover too this week.  They really liked Chris Hadfield's space experiment videos  that he recorded for youtube while he was on the space station.  We just finished all of them already.

The Little Lady is studying Swimming Creatures. She is doing really well in this subject. She memorizes factually information super easily.  I guess it is a super fun and an interesting subject to some one who loves to study zoology.  In her text book, there are a few experiments that we have not been able to do since we are in the camper but she plans on getting them up and started as soon as we get settled in the house.  (Well, she probably thinks that means as soon as we get the key to the house as she has been waiting for weeks to do them.)  In the picture below, they are watching a video about shark biology and a video on how they clean the Georgia Aquariums for the whale sharks.

They also did several lessons in Math too.  Again this was just to fill up time on this cold day! 

Kiddo HS Schedule

"Every Student can learn just not in the same day or in the same way." - G. Evans


Bible is not a subject but we do it every day.
Piano is not a subject but we do it every day. 
Swimming
Horseback Riding

1st 9 weeks
Full Subject -  English
Full Subject -  Math
9 Week Subject -  Handwriting
9 Week Subject -  Selective Reading


2nd 9 weeks
Full Subject -  English
Full Subject - Math
9 week Subject - Science
9 week Subject -  Selective Reading


3rd 9 Weeks
Full Subject -  English
Full Subject - Math
9 week Subject - History/Geography
9 week Subject -  Selective Reading


4th 9 Weeks
(They should be completed already with MATH/ ENGLISH but if they are not they  have this 4th 9 weeks to complete the last little bit of it. So, it should leave only two 9 week subjects to focus on. )
9 week Subject -  Spelling
9 week Subject -  Logic Workbooks
9 Week Subject -  Selective Reading


5th 9 Weeks  (Summer time frame)
9 week Subject -  Foreign Language 
9 week Subject -  Selective Reading
9 week Subject -  CRAFT Projects for the State Fair

* Full Year Subjects have to be completed over the entire Year.  All 9 Week subjects are an entire Year's worth of curriculum done in 9 weeks.

School Classes on the Computer

"Today is a great day to learn something new." School Quote; Pin

The children are signed up for 2 online classes (free!).

The older three are signed up for a Lego Historic Building Club for Homeschoolers.   (I sit and listen too)  This lesson was on lego puzzles. The teacher is showing how to build a puzzle. She spent 30 minutes on the History of puzzles and showed pictures of the earliest puzzles that archaeologist have found all over the world. 

The other class is an American Girl History Home school class. They go through History and the time periods of when the books were written.  They talk about the time period. They make a craft. And, the teacher shares recipes for the girls to make at home.  It is sort of a History Class/Home Ec class all in one. This class was on the Native American period. The teacher is showing how to make a craft drum.  She also showed how to make Native American cookies.

With both classes there is a little chat box for all the kiddos to type in their answers to the teachers questions.  They do not allow excess talking so no information from your children is in the chat boxes to make any connections with other students for security reasons. They don't allow video in these classes either so no one can see each child.  (It is set up just like our Graduate classes which seems to be the going format.)  However,  they do allow you to take pictures of your crafts and recipes and up load them to the teacher. Then, the teacher shares them with the class the next lesson.

The Little Lady and the Little Miss listens in on these classes.
But, when it comes to the cooking part of the class we both bailed on her!

Super glad the children get to do these classes. It gives me the opportunity to see who is ready to do a few Christian Science classes on line with some of the Christian Web Schools that cost a good bit!  We have had our eyes on a Marine Biology class for the Little Lady!  Since we don't have a TV in the house and they rarely use the computer for anything Online, they are probably not as techno savvy as many children.  Yet, they are still always a techno step ahead of me!

Peak into my School Schedule

"We're not trying to do School at home. We're trying to do home school. These are entirely two different propositions.  We're not trying to replicate the time, style, or content for the classroom. Rather we are trying to cultivate a lifestyle of learning in which learning takes place from morning until bedtime- 7 days a week. The 'formal' portion of each teaching day is just the tip of the iceberg." - Lamberts


We are doing school in the piano room today.  (The baby grand is on the other side of the room so it is not pictured.)   This is the front part of our house. It is the first room that guest see as they enter the house.  I needed a change of scenery for our 7th week of school.  So, we piled in here today. I snapped a picture after our Bible devotion.

This school year's schedule is 9 weeks on and 1 week off.

I have been told that I do things a little different in regards to their subject work.
It works well for us though. We have "Full" year subjects and "9 week" subjects.

Our full year subjects are English, Math and Reading. They do them every day.
Reading is a list of books that I have them to read. They are coordinated with the type of Science/History subject they are doing and/or character trait I want them to learn, etc.
I have a list of books for each grade and I just highlight them off as they read them. They read in the afternoon.

Our 9 week subjects are Handwriting, Science, History, Geography, Foreign Language, Logic.
We complete the subject's entire years worth of work in 9 weeks. 
This 9 weeks subject was Handwriting. They have completed the Handwriting books already.

They want to do Science next 9 weeks. Usually, I do Science in the Spring.  But, apparently they got a hold of the Science books and looked at the experiments and felt it would be a super fun time. So, I guess we will see...

Another school year.

"Prepare children for life.... and our life depends on the Lord. Academics are just a fraction of what we are teaching our children at home. Teaching them to seek the Lord above all is our main goal. Without him, the academics mean nothing..." Bible Based Homeschooling

We are back up and running on a full school schedule. This is our second week.

We school all over the house but for Math and English everyone sits at our formal dinning room table.  (We rarely eat in this room!)  So for our time here during the morning, I just put on a table pad protector to protect the wood and they just get into their favorite seat and work on their lessons.

We always have one of our three mascots join us.
Today, Bella is asking for attention.
All of them, have a bad habit of plopping themselves on the papers or demanding a kitty massage during this time.  For some reason the cats think they can get away with jumping on the table during this time. They know better to do it any other time though!

We will do 9 weeks of school.
Then, we will have a week off.
Then, we will do a 2nd 9 weeks that will have us go up to Christmas.
This will cover the first half of the school year.

Not sure when we will have to pack the house up for our move.
We are still waiting on orders. But, we suspect that we will pack the house up around the end of October, maybe. So, we are hitting our living book list fairly hard this 9 weeks.
This way when we are in transition I can keep the home school books fairly simple while we are in the camper traveling to our next duty station.

Air/Space Annex

"Space. The final frontier." 

We did not get to hit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in the downtown area of D.C.  It was a conscious choice on our part because we heard that the Smithsonian Air and Space Annex where they store  their air and space airplanes is more impressive to a Pilot.  So, we spent hours at the three story warehouse. Beloved was so in his element. He remarked several times how much fun he was enjoying everything.

This place is absolutely huge. This is the second story and only one small little area of the building.

 Air photography cameras through history.

Ultra Light. 

There is no way I would get in one of these - ever! 

Although, I know there are many that do fly these little cracker jack boxes. 

The boys were talking about how they could build one in the garage.

Look what we found in the Night Stalker Military section. 

This is the "Balloon section".  It was what was taken up to the edge of space. And, a guy now holds the record for the farthest free fall from it. 

It gives a whole new meaning to airborn!  

 The Black Bird. 

Flew across the US in an hour.

(This plane is huge and as you can see it is small compared to just one little section of one little hanger in the warehouse.) 

Space Suits through the years.

 Headed in to go see the SPACE shuttle. 

The hanger that holds all the Space Memorabilia.

Post Office Box - R2 D2

The next two plane pictures are specific pictures for me. 

 Beloved said,  "When I was a kid, I spent hours drawing them."

It was easy for me to take pictures in the Museum. I probably took over 50 or more. There was so much that was interesting to see. My favorite was seeing the different Pilot watches. I got a chuckle over them.

The Children road several simulators as well. So, that was also a fun thing for them to enjoy. 

And, it was super nice to see Beloved relax. 

He spent several days working plus balancing being a tourist while we did some road Schooling for the few weeks that we were in the area.

Just finished Dumbed-Down

“DUMBED -DOWN SATS DISGUISED DEFICIENCIES—

THE FAULT, DEAR EDUCATOR, IS NOT IN Our Tests,” by George C. Roche, president of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, was published in the July 5, 1996 issue of Human Events. Dr. Roche’s article underscores the success of the internationalist change agents’ relentless efforts to dumb down our children and, in turn, our nation.The following excerpts are most enlightening:  --  Deliberate Dumbing Down of America

“SAT Scores Rise Strongly after Test Is Overhauled” read a Wall Street Journal

headline.The continuation of the article carried the title “SAT Scores Post Strong Increase.” Good

news?

Hardly. The “higher” scores came from a “dumbed-down” test. Students now have

an extra half hour to complete the “new” Scholastic Aptitude Test. They now use electronic

calculators and answer fewer questions in general and fewer multiple-choice math questions

in particular. Reading passages now ask definitions from context. And the difficult antonym

section (involving knowledge of words that are opposite in meaning), calling for linguistic

and intellectual subtleties long lost, has been dropped entirely.

...Here’s the College Board’s rationale for the changes: “Students taking the SAT in the

1990s are substantially different from those who took the test in the 1940s when the scale

was created. Continuing to force-fit their scores to a scale established for a very different

group of students reduces the interpretive value of the score within the population for the

sake of slavish consistency to the original scale and comparisons over time.”

They’d like you to be persuaded by exaggerations like “force-fit” and “slavish” and

breeze past their statement that today’s students are “substantially different” from those who

took the test in 1940. I’d like you to be persuaded that the College Board just admitted that the

educational system’s “substantially different” students are really “substantially deficient.”

...The history standards of the government’s new Goals 2000 program, drenched in

political correctness, highlight America’s admitted faults and leave out much that is positive.

OBE students going through the Goals 2000 program wouldn’t have much of a chance with

the older, tougher SAT test, but the easier version, plus the “recentering” changes now in

place will help disguise actual deficiencies.

Putting an artificially higher number on actually lower academic performance only

highlights the problems facing American education. You can fiddle with the figures forever,

but as long as education “professionals” refuse to be honest with our citizens, matters can

only get worse."

[Ed. Note: Not only did Dr. Roche vent his frustration with the new SAT,

The New York Times, in an article entitled “Defining Literacy Downward” in its August 28, 1996 issue, stated: “The S.A.T. turns poor performance into a new norm.”]

Rainy: Inside Camper Type of Days

  "Let a smile by your umbrella on a rainy day." Unknown

It has been raining the past couple of days. So, we have only been able to go outside after the rain showers have stopped for small walks around the camp ground.  While most of our sitting areas outside are under canopies, the seats and picnic tables still get extremely wet.  So, it leaves us with the only option of doing ALL school activities inside the camper.  It isn't the most fun thing in the world but we make it work.  Here is a few snapshots.

 Coloring Time

Phonics/ Spelling

Read Aloud. She crochets. 

We are reading the "Hobbit". 

Neither one of us are really enjoying it all that much, yet.
(I am critiquing it highly)   

She is a C.S.Lewis fan at this stage it appears.

But, at least we are moving right along on our reading list for the year.

 Reading

 The table is some times up and sometimes we put it down.

It gives us an awesome game area. 

They are playing a game called Headbands.

It hasn't been easy to get piano practicing into our schedule as much as we had hoped due to all the sunny weather we have enjoyed the last week. So, the rain got us focusing on it a bit. We have a piano recital around the end of May and their piano teach is going to want them to have their songs memorized several weeks before the event.

Ready to Instruct

"Study while others are sleeping. Work while others are loafing. Prepare while others are playing. And dream while others are wishing." - William Ward 

Beloved is studying and organizing for his Fixed Wing Instructor Pilot course. 

We were out doing errands this weekend and in the conversation, I found out how much this course cost the military. I about coughed up a lung! My response to the price was, "Dear Lord! We got to get you "home" to study!!"

Schooling at the camper

"Think Outside. No box required." - Unknown

I would like to school as much as possible outside while we are camping for the next six weeks while Beloved is doing a military school. So, I was surprised to see that this area is busier than the last time we camped here. We have a huge, wide open spot but what comes a long with that is a lot of the campers are curious as to why my kiddos are outside all the time.

 The camp hosts are the very same people from last time.  2 years ago, while we were here the male camp host was so curious as to this "homeschool thing" that he came down almost weekly to make sure I was actually homeschooling.  The deciding factor in his mind that I truly "school" them was the fact that I actually did know that Pluto was not considered a planet anymore.  (I was teaching them astronomy.)  After that, I never saw him again but I heard that he told everyone that "She actually does school those kids."  (giggle)  He has not been down here this time. He just said, "Welcome Back. How long you all going to be down here this time?"   

All that to say, the days have been a little cool. But, today it was warm. So, I think we have an outside school routine here at the campground as long as the weather continues to warm up for us.

Other wise it will be schooling in the camper. We will see what comes up this time about our outside schooling.

Right now it looks something like this...

and then some of that...

 

Some of this...

And, then some of that!

And the cats alternate school time with us. 

When we are outside they are like this....

Inside they are either sleeping are not to happy that I am disturbing them with my camera. 

He was watching a wild turkey!

CAT Standaridzed

"The best teachers teach from the heart not the book." - Unknown

 In the state in which we are living right now, the STATE require Homeschoolers to test every year!  Even though the state did not have money to test the public school kids! Homeschoolers were not let off the hook!  Nice huh?

Testing Day is probably  the ONLY day that I think,  "What if I am messing up my kiddos?" (giggle) Well, in receiving the Little Lady's scores (haven't received the boys yet) I feel I can breath again until the next stupid standardized test!  

I asked for a raise. Beloved always teasingly empties his pockets but I never get more than 37 cents out of the deal. 

Little Lady and Zoology

"You may find it hard to believe that God could make everything out of nothing, but the alternative is that nothing  turned itself into  everything." - M. Cahill

 We are going to begin a transition for the Little Lady in School the next year or so. At that time, she will have complete all her 5th grade material.  Most of the things are the same as far as English and Math goes but other subjects will go really in depth. She has asked for this. 

Zoology is the subject that she asked for us to go more in depth on first. 

So, for awhile now, I have had to really research books!

These are my trusted textbooks that I have researched to give her. 

On another note though, I am finding animal behavior books are full of junk, and the biographies on animal behaviorist are also a little annoying.  My black permanent marker is a best friend at this point. 

Since Zoology is not an easy  subject to find textbooks and information on it has proven to be a challenge lately. But, I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

The problem is she has already read half of these! 

And, so I continue to search. 

By the time, she finishes all this material and her others subjects, I am sure she will have me on another wild goose chase.  

Edit:  all in one homeschool . com   has a 180 day zoology curriculum for children. 

http://allinonehomeschool.com/individual-courses-of-study/zoology/

Becoming a Reader

"Books build a stairway to your imagination."

 

Finally.

The first time he picked up a book by himself.

He is 8.

Now, I have hope.

 

 

* 3 times through the 100 Lessons to Read book

* Phonics Museum for 1st and 2nd grade

* Spelling with Spell, Write to Read ( s-l-o-w-l-y!)

*Lots of reading aloud by Mommy

 

Then, out of desperation, a whole year off. 

 

 

.... And, then it happened!

He is reading!

A study partner.

 

"Everybody has addictions, mine just happens to be you!" - Unknown

 

 

 

A crazy school notion

"By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn." - Latin Proverb

 

Beloved convinced me to apply to a Graduate Space Education program instead of  doing the other Graduate Program that I started awhile back. I had 4 of the 12 classes completed out of the other program through my scholarship/grant money but he said  "The Space program will be fun. I think you will enjoy it. It is an interesting subject. I can help you if you need it. The children will benefit.  And.....on and on.  "    

 

I applied thinking I would never be accepted and thought that since I would never be accepted I would not have to worry about learning ALL new material. Besides,  I don't even have an undergrad in it and I don't plan on using it anyway outside the home. 

 

So what happened? 

I got accepted!

They obviously will accept anyone!

 I am sure the qualification of  "Airhead" did not get me in to this Space Education program.

 

Let's just say that I can physically feel all the new brain connectors sizzling and growing!

Painful.

.

The amount of work equals two undergrad classes in my opinion.

And, with being a full time Homeschool Mom and the duties of a Military Wife .....

The load is to heavy for me to do anything but one class at a time.

And, it requires me to do all the work after the Children are in bed.

 

It is actually a class where you have to read the book!

Imagine that.

 

I have a 5 hour lecture that I have to listen to every Monday from 830pm to 130am this semester.  It is all through the computer. It is similar to video conferencing. I can hear and see my professor and hear and see all the people in the class  -- all in the comfort of any room in my house!

 

I have research discussion questions  every week that you post to a "board" which consist of you doing research, posting your research to the professors question and then commenting on other peoples research. 

 

I have a test every week as well.

 

I have a MID TERM

 

I have a 20 page research paper.

 

I have a FINAL

 

 All in 9 Weeks.

Not 18 weeks. 9 weeks!

 

I have made it through 3 weeks of class.

 

 

This program will be one in which it could take  1 1/2 years to complete if you do a full time load of 2 classes! I will finish it on slow time. I will take one class every 9 weeks unless we have "life" happening because life always happens here!  An example: In March, Beloved will be going to get his Instructors Airplane add-on. He will have to study for 6 weeks so that semester will be one in which I will take off.

 

I am thinking it will take me 3 years or more.

That is if I can understand Aerospace Engineer lingo.

They live on a different planet than I do. You know?

And, if I can keep from feeling stupid. The fact that the entire bio of every one in the class ranks on the geniuses level was slightly intimidating to this little ole homemaker!

 

Thank God, Beloved speaks "AERO" lingo.

I can assure you that by the time I talk every concept out to him to make sure I understand it, he will wish he had never talked me into such a crazy idea!

He Graduated with his Masters!

 

The tassel's worth the hassle!  ~Author Unknown

 

He is finish!!!

It only took me 10 years to get him to started on it! Then, it took him just over 3 years (because he took off a year during our move) to complete his dual concentration Graduate Degree! So, I am super excited and so proud of him!

 

He is my hero! 

 

He did it through a move while living in a camper, several military classes, over 5 military war deployments, two children being born,  --- many, many, trips all around the United States,  learning several new planes, 5 children and an absolutely crazy wife!  

 

I have to be honest I wasn't sure if he was going to finish it!

He did one class at a time!!!

  I had to quit doing my Graduate degree so he would continue his and then after he took off several semesters for a military school, he once again had to reach really deep to get motivated to continue!

 

 

 

 

And, then while he was eating cake... 

I mentioned the PHD word.

He gave me the evil eye. 

 

I am totally not scared!

A Snippet into Studying

I have frequently gained my first real insight into the character of parents by studying their children. - A.C. Dyle

 

 

Little Lady Reading Log Jan/Feb

"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr Seuss   



The Little Lady


January 2013

You Wouldn't want to be a Civil War Soldier  (History)
You Wouldn't want to be a Ninja  (History)
How God Stopped The pirates   (Christian Fiction Reading List)
How God sent a Dog to Sava A Family (Christian Fiction Reading List)
How God used a Drought and an Umbrella  (Christian Fiction Reading List)
First Thousand Words in Spanish  (Foreign Language)
Spanish Hablo Expanol  (Foreign Language)
The Very Quiet Cricke't  (Picture book)
Spring With the Moodys  (Christian Fiction Reading List)
Summer With Robinson (Christian Fiction List)
The Secret Soldier (Christian Fiction List)
The Story of Moses (Christian Fiction List)
Joseph and his Coat   (Christian Fiction List)
The Dreams Came True (Christian Fiction list)
3 Brave men (Christian Fiction List)
Daniel and the Big Cats (Christian Fiction List)
Flags Unmarked (History)
Box Car: Hidden Beach  (Twaddle Literature)
Box Car: Mystery of Spider Clue  (Twaddle Literature)
Quote the Prophet (Christian Fiction List)
Box Car: The Spy Game  (Twaddle Literature)
Autumn Day with the Moodys  (Christian Fiction List)
Box Car: Mystery of Peacock Hall  (Twaddle Literature)
Box Car: Guide Dog Mystery  (Twaddle Literature)
Box Car: Mystery of the Stolen Sword (Twaddle Literature)
Box Car: Radio Mystery (Twaddle Literature)
Twenty and Ten  (Secular Reading List)




Febuary 2013

Robin Hood    (Literature)
Balloon Animals   (Art and Crafts)
Swiss Family Robinson  (Litarture)
Marshmellow Incident  (Math)
The Statue of Liberty  (History)
The King with out a Shadow  (Christian Fiction)
You wouldn't want to sail on the Titantic  (History)
You wouldn't want to explore with Sir Frances Drake (History)
Knights Handbook  (History)
Box Car: Movie Star Mystery (Twaddle Literature)
A Light in the Attic   (Poetry)
Where the Side Walk Ends   (Poetry)
 Nims Island (Secular Reading List)
The Big Birthday Surprise  (Math)

Little Man Reading Log Jan/Feb

"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr Seuss   


The Little Man

January 2013

Blaze and Thunderbolt  (literature)
American Boy The Adventures of Mark Twain  (History)
The First Thanksgiving Feast (History)
Pirates Research Guide (history)
The Story the Dreams Came Tree of Moses  (Christian Reading List)
Joseph and his Coat (Christian Reading list)
The Dreams Came True (Chistian Reading List)
3 Brave Men  (Christian Reading List)
Daniel and the Big Cats (Christian Reading List)
Buttons for General Washington (History)
When I was Young in the Mountains  (Secular Reading List)
My Great Aunt Arizona (Secular Reading List)
Blaze Shows Trailblazer  (Literature)
Quote the Prophet (Christian Reading List)
The Story of George Washington  (History)
A Picture book of George Washington (HIstory)
All those Secrets of the World  (Secular Reading List)
All the Places to Love (Secular Reading List)
The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto (History)


February 2013

Robin Hood  (Literature)
Balloon Animals  (Arts and Crafts)
Swiss Family Robinson  (Literature)
Pippi Longstalking  (Secular Reading List)
The Big Birthday Surprise  (Math- Finance Princaples)
The Super Red Racer  (Math - Finance Princaples)
The Fantastic Field Trip (Math- Finance Princaples)
Careless at the Carnival  (Math- Finance Princaples)
Battle of the Chores  (Math- Finance Princaples)
A Special Thank You Junior Discovers Integrity  (Math- Finance Princaples)