Creating Opportunities

Part of the process of training our children to be lifelong learners is showing them how to take advantage of educational opportunities that can be found all around them. But sometimes, homeschool mothers must go one step further and actually help to CREATE these opportunities. For instance, my oldest son has recently decided that he does in fact want to go to college (!). His reasons being:

1. to learn how to type
2. to learn all he can about fixing and operating computers
3. photography

Now, you can see from this list that college is not an absolute necessity in order for him to reach his goals. However, learning opportunities are certainly required. And I, as his teacher, have the responsibility to create those opportunities for him.

Of course, it might be easier for me to ignore his goals and stick to my OWN plan for his education. And I might succeed in giving him an education which is excellent by many standards. But, in reality, I will have crippled him and left him unprepared to follow the path God is directing him to follow.

This isn't to say that education should always be left to the whims of the child. I am not advocating unschooling or child-led education, but we do need to take into consideration the goals and interests of our children, especially as they grow older. And we ought to do all we can to help them to reach those goals. So, with that in mind, I'm off to create some opportunities!

What learning opportunities have you created lately?

Childhood Griefs and Comforts

Yesterday we found my four-year-old's cat dead in the road. After her initial grief has abated, she began to worry about the kittens. Who would feed them? Who would protect them?

I assured her that the kittens would be fine. They are old enough now to be on their own, which is why we have been trying to find new homes for them. But she was still worried, especially about Cherry Dumplin', the kitten we had told her she could keep as a substitute.

As we were putting things away and closing the house up for the night, I noticed my oldest son carrying a wooden box out to the back of the house. He had spent the afternoon building his sister a cat house out of scrap lumber. She was absolutely thrilled.

Someday she may appreciate the fact that she has brothers who protect and care for her. But for now, she is content knowing her kittens are safe.

Creating a Cloud Notebook And Growing Birds' Nests

I found a couple of neat ideas in a library book I was reading today and thought I would "file" them here, so I don't forget about them. 

The first idea was to create a cloud diary using cotton balls stretched out to show how the clouds look each day. I thought this would be a great idea to use in a notebook or lapbook on weather to show the different types of clouds.

The second idea was to place an abandoned bird's nest in a shallow pan with 1/4 inch of water. After a few days, any seeds that were left in the nest will grow, and you will be able to see what the mother bird fed to her babies. I'm guessing this would only work with certain types of birds' nests, but it sounds fun anyway.

The Study of Stories {freebie}

I love to study genealogy. I find it fascinating to look at lists of names and dates that tell me who my ancestors were, when they were born, and when and how they died. I enjoy reading those long lists of names in the Bible and figuring out who was alive when various events took place. I even love visiting cemeteries and reading the gravestones. It is interesting to see what names were popular at different times and what each family thought was important enough to record on the headstone. But what I really love is the stories that are hiding behind all those names and dates. That's also why I love geography- it is the study of stories that are still being lived.

There are many wonderful resources available on the internet to help you start learning these stories from many nations. Harvest Ministry is even offering a complete free downloadable homeschool curriculum with an emphasis on missions. Teaching With God's Heart for the World is a two-volume world missions curriculum by Ann Dunagan. The curriculum includes day-by-day teaching plans, missionary highlights, motivational mission stories, crafts, songs, prayer projects, and hundreds of ways to incorporate a passion for the lost into nearly every subject (including Bible Study, Family Devotions, Reading, Writing, Geography, History, Art, Science, and even highlights for Math).

Everyone, in every part of the world, has a story to tell and every story is different. But no matter how different, they all have one thing in common. Your story and my story and every other story from Adam until the end of time are all part of a bigger story- HIS story. No matter how different we all may be, God can still use our lives for His glory. And even though the world may seem like a very large place, there is no place so far away that God's love cannot reach it.

The Study of Stories

 The Study of Stories

I love to study genealogy. I find it fascinating to look at lists of names and dates that tell me who my ancestors were, when they were born, and when and how they died. I enjoy reading those long lists of names in the Bible and figuring out who was alive when various events took place. I even love visiting cemeteries and reading the gravestones. It is interesting to see what names were popular at different times and what each family thought was important enough to record on the headstone.  But what I really love is the stories that are hiding behind all those names and dates. That's why I also love geography- it is the study of the stories that are still being lived.

 

There are may wonderful  resources available on the internet to help you start learning these stories from many nations. Harvest Ministry is even offering a complete free downloadable homeschool curriculum with an emphasis on missions. Teaching With God's Heart for the World  is a two-volume world missions curriculum by Ann Dunagan. The curriculum includes day-by-day teaching plans, missionary highlights, motivational mission stories, crafts, songs, prayer projects, and hundreds of ways to incorporate a passion for the lost into nearly every subject (including Bible Study, Family Devotions, Reading, Writing, Geography, History, Art, Science, and even highlights for Math).

 

Everyone, in every part of the world, has a story to tell. And each story is different. But despite the differences, they all have one thing in common. All stories- from Adam until the end of time- are  part of HIS (bigger) story.  And even though the world can seem like a very large place, there is no place so far away that God's love does not reach it.

There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

If you have studied economics you are probably familiar with the expression "There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch." As homeschool moms who face an abundance of teaching resources, available at the click of a mouse, with no cost to us personally, it is easy to forget this fact. But the truth is, none of those "free" resources are really free. Each and every one of them has cost somebody something to create them or host them and it is by their generosity that these resources are available to us. In return, we ought to consider it our duty to show gratitude for the benefits we receive.

Here are three easy ways to demonstrate your appreciation to these "silent heroes" of the curriculum world:

1. Don't forget to say "thank-you". This ought to be obvious, but how often do we really send out notes of thanks for the freebies we receive? Most of these individuals ask for nothing more than to know that they have made a difference in someone's life. Be diligent to encourage those who otherwise receive no recompence for their labors and they will feel that all their time and effort was well spent.

2. Be fair in your critiques. Have you ever downloaded something and thought, "What a waste of my time! I could have done a better job than this!" or "This isn't what I was hoping for!" Yet the fact that you have no need of that item doesn't make it less valuable to others that might download it or make its creator any less generous for offering it.

As both a reviewer and a publisher on the Currclick website, I like to keep up with the comments posted there. Over the past several months I have noticed some very bad reviews being given to products which are offered as freebies. People download a file because it costs them nothing, then give a review based on how the product fit their needs, rather than on the quality and merits of the product. They do this without stopping to think what it cost that publisher to offer it in the first place or to consider what their review will do to the overall reputation of that publisher. I wonder how many of these publishers, after making such a sacrifice and receiving such a poor thanks, will have the desire to make that mistake again?


3. Respect copyrights. It is easy to assume that because a publisher is willing to give his product away, he has given up all rights to it. Yet this is not the case. Many publishers use free promotions to draw traffic to their websites and generate income to support themselves. Others offer freebies solely for the gratification that comes from helping others. No matter the reason, and no matter the price, these items are still under copyright. It is up to the publisher to decide where they are posted and who receives them. And it is also up to the publisher whether or not these items should remain free.

Too often I've seen examples of files being copied from various websites and posted on Yahoo Groups or on file sharing sites without the permission of the original creator. I 've also witnessed conversations concerning limited time freebies. Someone who has missed out on the opportunity to download a previously posted freebie will request that the item be forwarded to her and someone else will send it. We may see these as harmless acts, but if intellectual property rights are not respected, more and more publishers will decide that these "free" products are not worth the cost.

I'll end with a quote from Jessica Feliciano of Notebooking2Learn. I believe she voiced the thoughts of all our "silent heroes" when she wrote:

"For those of you who have been blessed by the free resources that you find here and elsewhere among generous homeschooling mom's, please don't take them for granted. They truly are labors of love and many times cost their creators much more than time. What some may not realize is that the cost of clip art, printer ink and paper to make these resources and to make sure that they "work" before they are shared can really add up. If you are blessed by a free resource, consider taking the time to say thank you. It is a little gesture that goes a long way. Be considerate of the creators and make sure you link others back to their work and don't just share a resource because it was free. Be grateful for the resources that are available and don't make a habit of expecting more."

Local Flavor, Mountain Style

Civil War doctor's kit

Ever since our house sold, the children and I have been taking photographs of our hometown in anticipation of our move to Michigan. We plan to use these to create a special notebook for the children to look through when they are homesick. We even took pictures of the local Food Lion because it's my three-year-old's favorite "restaurant."

A small part of the arrowhead collection

We've also been photographing some of the fun places nearby that we don't usually take time to visit. Last month, we made a trip to a boot shop in a neighboring town which is home to a small, private museum. The owner has a huge collection of artifacts, newspaper clippings, and photographs. There are cases full of Indian arrowheads, Civil War bullets, pioneer items, and some more unusual items. The kids had a great time and made even more wonderful memories to carry with them. 

A few of the many antique tools

And the most memorable items in the collection . . . The stuffed calves