Teaching Other People’s Children

I never planned to teach children. At different points as a kid, I wanted to be an archaeologist,  an astronaut, a brain surgeon, and a social worker (although I didn’t know what they did). So naturally, I spent college as an English major. My inner scientist emerged a few years later, and I found myself as a Physician Assistant with an inkling that writing professionally and teaching in a PA program would come later.

It’s eighteen years later, and I write for free, don’t teach at the Univeristy level, and do teach children, my own and Other People’s Children. Oh, and I still practice as a PA. Of all those, it’s teaching other people’s children that’s stretched me the furthest and taught me the most.

My movement into the education of offspring other than my own (beyond a bit of Sunday School) started four years back, beginning what is now known as MacLeod Biology or Quarks and Quirks Biology.My older son, then 12, was ready for high-school level biology, and I had a history of flaking out on labs and formal science study. His buddy, another gifted kid, needed Biology as well. I knew I’d not flake with two, so after a summer of reviewing biology books, chatting with my biology professor of a father, and making then unmaking plans, I started teaching my two charges.

I’ve not looked back. Teaching someone else’s child increased my follow-through as well as my drive to find supporting materials for classes and labs. I did, after all, have two hours once a week to fill, and being responsible for the education of another’s offspring brought out the more responsible  me. I kept a list of labs, videos, assignments, and readings on a website, thus (ideally) fostering some independence on their part as well as a record of what we’d done.

Delighted with our success, the boys and I moved on to high school level chemistry. I was nervous. Where biology offered the comfort of the familiar, chemistry brought the promise of review. My chemistry over 20 years old, dusted off only in the context of medicine and revisited only lightly as a homeschooling parent of children under the age of 13. I expected a rough time of it and was surprised how quickly the material returned. My son and his friend brought enthusiasm for the subject matter. I brought the discipline that comes with maturity and far better discernment when working with fire and potentially hazardous materials. They distilled spirits, made black powder (not an official lab, but safely done), and regularly reviewed lab safety while learning an impressive amount of Chemistry. As a teacher, I honed my test design skills and learned when to stretch my students. It was a fabulous year.

Last year, without a science to teach (having drawn the line at physics), I taught six weeks of bioethics and team taught six weeks of research paper writing. With a group of ten, classroom management issues appeared. Faced with a spectrum of skills and experience, I was stretched further than previously to make a concept clear in several different ways for the varying learning styles of my students. When teaching them to write a research paper, I learned to discard global expectations and simply work with each student individually, attempting to improve a few skills during our six weeks of writing.

The lessons learned with those students led me to start teaching writing one-on-one this school year. Most of my writing students are profoundly gifted, and some also have a learning disability. Familiarity with my home-grown versions of twice exceptionality gave me only a hint of how to start approaching other people’s children with similar challenges. The first weeks or even months with each student can be littered with my missteps and mid-course corrections, and patient parents, tired from the battle, become my allies as we pick our way through the labyrinth of their children’s complicated minds. Generally, we find a way through, a pace that works for the family, and perhaps even a bit of rhythm.

Teaching writing to other people’s children informed my work with my own sons’ writing. As one who loves to write, my older son’s writing challenges and resistance have frustrated me. After teaching other people’s children,  I began to think differently about the process of teaching him to write. I now work with him through Google Docs, making notes in the margin and through the text, just as I do with my distance students. This seems a bit less personal than red marks all over a paper. It provides some distance we both need, which helps both of us.

This year also found me teaching physics and physical science. Both boys needed the material, and both had a friend or two also in need. My one and only physics class was 25 years back, but, alas, several of the topics we’re covering were not in that semester of coursework (electricity seemed to be a second semester offering, for example). It’s work. Hard work at times, explaining what I’ve just only figured out. But teaching as I’m learning drives me to reach deeper understanding faster than if I were learning the material on my own. Additionally, I’ve become more familiar with the workings of the universe. More of the world makes sense, and that delights me.

Teaching other people’s children offers an opportunity to share what you love, to hone a skill that’s been dormant, or to learn new material, even the type that scares you. It broadens your appreciation for the differences between kids and between homeschooling families. It can even help you educate your own children more effectively, if you can bring the patience cultivated from that experience back home. That’s the benefit the whole family can appreciate.

Review: EEME Genius Light Circuit Kit

A completed Genius Light

It’s a physics year. Both boys are studying the subject with friends under the tutelage of yours truly. It’s been a good deal of work (see Working at My Edge), given my one and only physics course was over 20 years ago and was the semester on kinetics and heat transfer. Having convinced myself that I could indeed do well in the course for engineering majors, I moved on to other pursuits that didn’t involve hinky lab equipment and equations to memorize. When electricity came up in both boys’ curriculum (CPO Foundations in Physics for teens and CPO Physical Science for the preteens), I knew I had some studying to do. I’m keeping up well, thank you very much, and some of my sense of confidence came from a small circuit kid from the start-up EEME.

EEME pairs hands-on projects (just one now, the Genius Light) utilizing real electronic components — a breadboard, four wires, two resistors,  one white LED, a photoresistor, a battery box with a switch and wires, two AA batteries, and a box to hold the Genius Light. Not sure what some of that stuff is? No problem. EEME provides video instructions including explanations of the why behind the steps on their website for no extra charge. According to the website, the activities are appropriate for ages 7 to 12 with the intent of teaching electrical engineering concepts. I picked up my Genius Light kit during a promotion, paying only $10 for a kit that retails for $50. At this writing, this is the only kit available, although two more appear to be coming soon (a DIY Display kit and Buzz Wave kit).

So how does it work? Essentially, you watch the video with the kit in front of you, building as you go. There are 45 minutes of video broken into 22 bite-sized pieces. After two introductions, including a review of the contents of the kit, each piece of video is either an activity (building something on the board), a question (a single multiple choice question about material learned), or informational (labeled ”learn” and designed to teach about circuitry).  In general, the activity comes first, with the instructor giving step-by-step detailed information about what to put where. Explanation of the path of the circuit is repeated at the end of the step, with further information about the hows and whys appearing in the “learn” sections. The instructor speaks clearly and at a reasonable pace, with only his hands and the equipment visible. He doesn’t joke but he does keep it interesting and moving along. It’s clearly the circuit that’s center stage, not the instructor. By the last step, you’ve built the Genius Light, a light that comes on in the dark (or even just a normally lit room on a cloudy day) and turns off in the light.

I integrated the project into the electricity study of my three younger (ten and eleven years old, all gifted learners). In previous weeks, we’d discussed electrical flow, had heated debates about the conventional direction of flow and reality of that direction, studied Ohm’s law a bit, and build circuits in series and parallel. In short, they were a prepared audience with plenty of ready knowledge. I had them preview the video at home before the build day, preferring familiarity with where we were going so the project would fit in the hour we have allotted for class. Any of them could have built and understood the circuit on the first pass through, however, but this did help our process as they built on Genius Light together.

I’d been concerned about the fine motor control required to work on such a tiny board. Finding one’s place on the breadboard isn’t easy and, at least for my eyes, requires good light. They managed far better than I thought, and what they lacked in coordination they more than made up for with good eyesight and smaller fingers. As they progressed through the activity, they grew more comfortable with the (real) electronics and how to make them fit the space of the board. They were even quick to pick up the way a breadboard works, which isn’t easy, since the connections aren’t visible.

Overall, the quality of the kit was good. The electronic parts were standard, with the wires cut to the necessary length for the project, which made for easy identification (“Now take a short wire…”), made even more easy by the match of color of wire in the video to those in the kit. These small details make a big difference, as does having a kit ready-to-go out of the box. Warning: the thumb pins that hold in the battery pack and breadboard are as delicate as the instructor says they are, and I broke one putting in the battery pack despite  thinking I was heeding the warning to be careful. This has no impact on the project, but I’d not expected the plastic to be that brittle. Be gentle with the case!

So what didn’t I like? The online information mentions eight quizzes. In reality, this is eight single questions. They’re pertinent questions but not worthy of the word “quiz.” Second, as  clear as the video instructions are, I’d like to have a written set of instructions with diagrams to go with them. While it’s not hard to stop the video while building, I’d like a hard copy of the instructions to refer to, rather than just the audio. I’d also like circuit drawings and a diagram of the connections in a breadboard for teaching purposes.

Finally, and most significantly,  I feel the $50 price tag is far too high, even with an excellent video (which is free to those not buying the kit). None of the electrical components are at all expensive or hard to obtain. If the containing box for the device is the big cost (It is clearly manufactured specifically for the product.), I’d gladly do with a piece of wood on which to mount the battery and breadboard with, if desired, a cardboard foldable top to display the lights.  It’s just too much money for a single, hour-long project. Better yet, I’d like to see the kits bundled, with many projects in one box. While it seems it’s designed to be a permanent project to keep, I doubt this is a priority for many families. I’d rather have a kit I can reuse, creating new circuits after disassembling the old. After all, that’s the beauty of the breadboard — alterable circuits without the permanency and work of soldering.

Overall, the EEME Genius Light is a fine product with excellent instruction via video. There is nothing needed from the user to complete the kit, making it truly and open-and-do project. That’s appreciated. The electrical instruction is sound and clear, although an instructional insert with diagrams would add more to the learning experience and support those who don’t follow auditory directions well. Additionally, its price point is too high for a single-project kit. This makes it unlikely I’ll purchase the kits to come despite our enjoyment of the first one. If it fits your budget, however, the Genius Light from EEME is an excellent way to introduce your young learners (and yourself) to circuit building.

There are other options for taking education about circuits to the next level. Snap Circuits, while simple to build, contain advanced circuitry in even the 300 level kit. While I’ve heard many parents dismiss them as “too simple” for their kids over the age of six, I doubt they’re utilizing them fully, as there is far more to the sets than following the maps to build the circuits. The highest level kits include software for computer interface. While the instructions for Snap Circuits are scant, there is information along with the directions to help the learner grow their knowledge.

For students wanting more breadboard work and the ability to control a circuit with computer code, check out the Arduino. My older son’s been tinkering with that, relying on an excellent starter kit and booklet (a bit hard to find in the US but worth the search). This isn’t designed for the younger set, but the booklet provides excellent directions and information about the components included (tons of bits and parts, all reusable) as well as information about the circuits and programming. I don’t see him outgrowing that anytime soon.

Nearing The Half: Curriculum Keepers and Changes

We’re closing in on the end of the semester. My older has finals for two of his courses in two weeks, with the rest of the term ending in three. While we caught a breath at Thanksgiving break, it was not the idyllic week of rest I envisioned. How could it be, with classes going through Tuesday night, past when company arrived? The following five days were a flurry of cooking and eating followed by a few too-short days of respite from a semester that started at the end of July.

Yes, I’m tired. Tired, with a to-do list that grows by the minute, urgency growing on numerous items. I’m longing for more evenings where no one needs to go anywhere and just a few weekends where, “What do you have for homework?” doesn’t escape my lips. Fortunately, a break is coming, and the second semester is set. Here’s what we’ll be doing for Winter 2012

A.D. (15)

Classes at a local university are going well — astonishingly well, given my doubt three months back. My son doesn’t seem as surprised, but he is pleased. Despite a few hiccups and a resulting rapid revision of study habits, he’s pulling good grades in both his Sign Language class (our answer to a foreign language, and the first of four semesters) and Calculus I. He’ll move on to the next in both come January, with more of the series the following semester. I do like predictability and pattern.

He’ll add a third college-level class, PC Troubleshooting and Repair, come January. After building his own computer with a neighbor and fiddling with it endlessly on his own, he’s itching to know more about the innards of those machines. Now, I get antsy at the suggestion of even opening the case of any computer, sure that my mere presence will frighten the workings of the thing into an eternal black screen of death. I’m limited outside the box as well, having a few quick fixes at my fingertips but quickly phoning a more capable friend (or more recently my son) when something goes awry on the screen. While this isn’t a class with credits likely to transfer to a university some day, it could lead to the ability to perform some helpful work around this house and the homes of others. I’m enthused, as is he.

Personal Finance (Dave Ramsey), taken with a handful of friends, continues until early spring. Initially, he was certain this course had nothing to offer him, a sure sign to me that he very much did need some financial education. A few months in, he’s enjoying himself and appreciating the information. (Since I’ve not been watching the lectures, I can’t give a full review of the curriculum. Ramsey is entertaining to watch although overly optimistic about saving rates and investment returns. Watch this series with a post-2007 reality check from a well-grounded adult.)

Piano continues, albeit with a new instructor. I’ve shared our piano woes here before (Piano Lessons), and we’ve learned a good deal about the importance of chemistry between music teacher and student as well as the necessity of teens to set their own musical course. I’m optimistic, as is he. (A full post on music education will follow).

Physics, taught by me to my son and his friend, continues as well. We’ve finished our tour of mechanics and have moved on to sound. Next semester takes us to light, magnetism, electronics, fluids, heat, and quantum physics. I have quite a bit to learn. Our original goal was the SAT Physics Subject Test, but I’ve not looked at where we are on that road in some time. Add that to my very long list.

Ironic as it may be, I’m farming out writing instruction to a tutor. It seems teaching writing to one’s own teen isn’t always effective or desirable. Now, as a source of some of my income, I rely on that fact, but it took me until now to act on it at home. So my older is looking forward to ten assignments spread over 20 weeks, all lead by someone who is Not Mom. I’m smiling, too.

A.B. (11 years old)

My younger son will enter his fifth semester with Online G3, lead by the brave and nearly saintly Jamie Smith. With an assortment of gifted kids in the 8 (or younger) to 13 (or older) age group, he’ll take three classes. Magic Lens/Word Within the Word 2B continues his trip through Michael Clay Thompson’s books by the same name. Aside from adding weekly vocabulary quizzes and reviewing the new stems and words with him, he’s independent in this class. American Literature will round out his Language Arts study, carrying him through Huck Finn, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Red Badge of Courage, and Call of the Wild. The accompanying text is from Lightening Literature, a series with which we’re familiar. Finally, he’ll take Government. He’s been prepping for months, if one considers his immersion into the election and regular (guided) watching of The West Wing. Jamie, beware.

Math will continue as before, with the goal of finishing Discovering Mathematics 1A and 1B (or 7A and 7B, as the new editions are labelled). Well, unless we’re distracted by other math. An interest of trigonometry will return us to Challenge Math after our current chapter in Discovering Mathematics. I’m in favor of side roads on this journey.

Physical Science (CPO Middle School series) continues, and we’re adding a third young person to our studies come January. Overall, the book is serving us well, and we’re progressing through at a reasonable rate with rather impressive retention. I’ll review this more thoroughly a bit later.

New to the schedule will be Latin with The Pericles Group. This is Latin via video game  (practomime), and he’s enthused. I’m interested to see how much he actually learns. It’s recommended for ages 12 and up and requires a good amount motivation and initiative to be worthwhile, says the creator and Latin teacher. My younger son doesn’t lack either, so I’m betting he’ll be fine. When we know more, I’ll report it here.

His Coursera World History class is winding down, and he’s done a fine job keeping up with 750-word essays, challenging readings, and over two hours of lectures a week. We’ve just started a Coursera class on argumentation, and while I’m not sure we’ll take all the quizzes or make it through all the assignments (which walk right through the two weeks when  I don’t want to discuss homework), so far the lectures are interesting and even amusing. The wisdom of placing a naturally argumentative child and his mother into an argumentation class is not open for debate.

Piano and fencing round out his schedule. He’s happy with his piano teacher of the last four years, and he steadily progresses.  He’s also quite satisfied with his with his fencing coach and venue, feeling accepted and challenged. He’s started to enter local tournaments, fencing foil at the  under 12 level. He loves it, and he’s gradually gaining skill.

Those are the plans. We’ll see what really happens. My older son thrives on the greater challenge and demands from his college-level coursework. My younger continues to do well whether I’m in charge or someone else is, although his schedule is heavy on outside courses this semester. Everyone, myself included, is learning. And perhaps just as important, everyone is feeling successful and happy. Sounds like a fine start to second semester.

Working at My Edge

For the latest lesson plans for our physics class, visit Don’t Touch the Photons.

For reasons that somewhat elude me now, I offered to teach high school level physics this year. I swore I’d never take that science on, since it’s the one in which I have the least formal instruction. Biology was a treat and came quite naturally. Chemistry was generally comfortably doable. Physics scared me. I’ve had one semester of engineering-level physics in college. I did well. Twenty-four years ago. How much of that have I used since then? Precious little. But my older son was due for physics, and he already had two classes at the local university. With questionable study habits and plenty of unknowns facing him during this first year in a new setting, I was pretty sure adding physics there could be a big mistake. So I did what I said I wouldn’t. I offered to teach it myself.

Sure, I could have just taught it to my own child, but science is best when it’s collaborative. Besides, I was certain I’d plan far better if I had a child other than mine also counting on me to guide him through this coursework. I’ll admit that I have more planning drive when I’m responsible to more than just my child. I don’t understand why my slacker self is straightened up by the presence of children other than my own, but I know it’s true and act accordingly.

Eleven weeks in to teaching my own 15-year-old and his 17-year-old friend, I’m generally feeling confident. Well, most days.  Overall, it’s going well. We’re well into mechanics, just finishing projectile motion, friction, rotational motion, and too many inclined planes. Heat, light, magnetism  electricity, and quantum physics all are yet to come. And that single semester of physics seems a light year in the past.

I’m not sure how much I really appreciated the connections and underlying concepts back then. While I did quite well in the course, I recall points of disconnect, where I learned enough to solve the problems but felt I was missing some critical understanding. As a person with a tendency to over-think everything from the meaning of life to which socks to buy, my nagging feeling might have been more self-doubt than reality, but likely there was a bit of truth to it.

Truth be told, that feeling is still sometimes there.

This is hard work. It requires a fair amount of study as I go, and I’m never that much ahead of them. I once said in an interview for either undergrad or graduate school that one of my strengths was being a skilled learner. I know how to learn new material and resurrect material that once was in my head. I’m good at recognizing what I don’t know, seeking it out, and soaking it up. I have a high degree of tenacity that undoubtedly annoys those closest to me yet serves well when faced with a challenge.  To put it briefly, I’m smart and stubborn as hell. It works for me. Still, this is hard work.

I also have physics-oriented friends who offer their help when I’m struggling. One leads monthly labs that reach beyond the more typical labs I have the boys do during our weekly class. He pushes them further and (hopefully) is spreading his passion for the subject to them simply via his high energy about the subject. Another answers my questions in English. He’s quick with an example or demonstration and patient with my quizzical looks. Until recently, I’ve underutilized him, not wanting to appear as lost as I sometimes feel. I’m wising up, however. As I tell my kids, use your experts. And then thank them profusely.

Even with a decent brain, tenacity, and a supportive team of experts, this road has been trying. Just vetting books for the course overwhelmed me. The search for something that covered what we needed, appeared approachable, and had a solutions manual available took a good month. I’m fairly pleased with our choice, only second-guessing about every other week. Other years, I’ve caved midway, adding a second text. This year, I’m trying to keep it a bit simpler.

While I do love to learn something new or deepen previous knowledge, I can’t say that I’d have chosen to spend that energy on physics unless my son had needed the class. I am enjoying reviving neuronal connections associated with torque, energy, and friction, admittedly. But it’s tiring to work at my edge continually, relearning then teaching, week after week. There’s a pride element here, too. It just feels a bit better to teach what is comfortably in my domain. And, frankly, in this domain, there’s still so much I don’t know, and what I do know isn’t all that comfortable. I have to muddle through problems just like the boys do (and sometimes they pull me through rather than the other way ’round). I look plenty of things up and utter, “I don’t know,” at regular intervals. This is a stretch.

Not that I’ve not had other stretches before. Matrices, translations of functions, points of inflection, and many other elements of precalculus left me asking my older son (15) for more answers than I was giving him at times. I learned quite a bit, not least of all being that Calculus was something I’d farm out. My younger boy, 11, has learned to skip mom as a history resource (smart child) and head straight for a book or the computer. Then he’ll come back and tell me what he found, whether I’m curious or not.  Somewhere between all my “I don’t knows” and “Let’s look it ups,” he gained some terrific research skills along with a recognition of his mom’s limits. What I’ve offered during these times is a model of how to learn and how to persist. I’ve taught them when to seek out an expert and that asking is strength rather than weakness.

While working at my edge through energy equations and free-body diagrams might not be always comfortable or fun, it’s worthwhile for my boys and for me. The boys watch someone learn and sometimes struggle. They see read and re-read and hear me ask questions of those who know more. The process also expands my knowledge. I ask them to learn plenty of things that don’t fascinate them, and it’s okay for me to learn what doesn’t always entrance me. (Although I do love the aha moments and my deepening understanding of the workings of the universe.) I’m better for the process.   But next year? Next year, we’re back to biology.

A special thanks to J.K. and B.S. for encouraging me, educating me, and not laughing when I make mistakes or just look lost. You’ve given me the courage to walk this road. 

 

 

 

Summer Break?

I’ve moved past the “Whew! It’s over!” stage that began Memorial Day weekend. The first few weeks of summer, I luxuriated in my new freedom from coaxing kids through assignments and planning lessons. Then I started to approach a few of those nagging projects: the doors that needed painting, the mounds of paperwork on my desk, and church committee work. Once the fun of all that wore off (yes, there are still more doors needing a coat of paint), I moved on to start preparations for fall. No, they aren’t complete. No, I don’t know exactly what each subject will look like for my kids (although here’s my guess for my older and my younger). Specifically, I have two new projects (and another hatching project) that keep me occupied and occasionally stressed during these hot and hazy days of summer.

As mentioned in my preliminary plans for my older son, I’m teaching Physics this fall. No one could be more surprised than I. Biology was my first foray into planning and executing a lab science course for more than just my own child, and I had fun. It is my domain, scientifically, and I thoroughly enjoy the exploration of the living science and sharing that exploration with others.

Chemistry was the logical next step, and I felt some trepidation planning that one. My last Chemistry class was two decades earlier, and while I understood the basics of the science, I didn’t have the same passion about it. But my son and his friend had an enormous amount of excitement about the course, which promised dangerous chemicals, controlled explosions, and liberal use of flames. Their excitement was contagious and made planning easier.

But after Chemistry, I swore I was done. No Physics, I told them and myself. And last year, my older took a year off from lab science, instead doing a Meteorology and Earth Science study while I focused my energy on subjects other than science.

But Physics was due. With nine other credits at a local University scheduled for my older son this fall, I knew college-level physics at the same institution would be overwhelming. I also knew we’d both fare better if his Physics study included someone other than just him. Science is collaborative, and bouncing ideas off of lab partners mirrors the intra-lab confabs that occur in professional science. Plus, I’m more consistently prepared when my audience extends beyond my offspring. (Call me a bad mom, but it’s true.)

So mid-August, I’ll begin an Algebra-based Physics course for four high schoolers, ranging from 14 to 17 years old. We’ll meet weekly for three hours or so, spending time on assignment review, lecture, and labs. Once a month, more or less, another dedicated homeschooling parent will make the class sing, encouraging experiment design and implementation with plenty of support and wisdom. With a true love for Physics, he’ll provide the heart for the science that I find a tad intimidating. I’m grateful beyond words.

As the lesson plans unfold, I’ll add them to a page on the top of this blog. This may not happen every week, so if you’re interested, visit Don’t Touch the Photons for the most up-to-date lesson and links. Keeping a webpage for a class keeps crucial information about assignments in the hands of students and forces me to plan ahead, which are both convincing reasons for me to make the effort.

My other summer endeavor falls well within my comfort zone. I’m offering writing coaching/tutoring to a handful of students. A few are local, but most are scattered around the country. While I’ll rely somewhat on Michael Clay Thompson’s Paragraph Town and Essay Voyage, I’ll likely create my own materials based on the needs the kids present. For some students, I’ll be planning a course and carrying it out, available via email and Google Hangout (a Skype-like setting where documents can be shared and marked up together). For others, I’m assisting on a project assigned by someone else. I’m quite excited as I start this journey, anticipating steep learning curve for me while hopefully delighting in the growth of young writers.

My own writing projects often takes a back seat, and this summer proves to be no exception. This is avoidance, of course, and a fear of starting without the whole picture in front of me. I have a few larger projects in mind (read: books that want out of my head), including one that would likely spring in one direction or another from my writing here. I see some holes in the books available for homeschooling families, and I’d like to try to fill one. If that sounds vague, it’s because it is still fuzzy to me. I’m not sure what I’m waiting to have happen — what moment of clarity I await  – but I seem to be in a holding pattern.

As I watch myself procrastinate, I understand my children a bit better. Their stalling and occasional downright opposition to assignments (often the writing sort) stems from a similar place. Both admit to fears about starting when the whole project isn’t clearly in mind. Both suffer the sort of perfectionism that makes task initiation difficult or even impossible. I’m open about my own “stuck” times, sharing what worries me when I can’t start and what, if anything, I find to help me along.  And that, perhaps, is a perpetual fourth project: better understanding my children. The stakes feel high, but the timeline is long.

There’s plenty to do this summer. Along with two definitive projects, one incubating work (with duct tape on the egg as a precautionary action to ward off failure), and a lifelong quest, there are vacations to take, friends to see, gardens to tend, books to read, and clouds to watch. And those other doors? They’re not looking that bad after all.

Preliminary Planning for 2012/13: My Older (10th grade)

A few weeks back, I posted preliminary plans for fall for my younger son, A.B. My older son’s plans still have some holes, but here’s what I have so far.  As always, plans are subject to change. For past plans for both boys, see the tab above, “What We Say We’re Doing.”

A.D. (15, 10th grade)

Math: This one is easy, at least for me. My older will be enrolled in a local homeschool-friendly university for Calculus I and II this year. Math is his strongest subject, and his biggest challenges will be showing his work and writing legibly. The math part should be no problem, especially since he’s spent the past month working through my college calculus text with the help of Khan Academy videos. Yes, he’s excited, albeit in that somewhat cool, detached way teenage boys often have.

Language Arts:  The goals for this year are to continually build his writing skills, with a focus on the essay and academic writing, and doing more formal literary study and analysis. For the writing, we’ll selectively work through Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition, adding in a few research papers throughout the year.  He’ll also complete a Hewitt Lightning Literature course, likely American Mid to Late 19th Century, although that’s under debate.  I’d like to add some formal vocabulary study, since that fell by the wayside midway through Word Within the Word II. What we’ll use remains unknown (suggestions welcome).

History: This one’s a mystery. This summer, he’s watching and discussing The World Was Never the Same: Events that Changed History (Teaching Company) with a group of homeschoolers.  I’m adding some readings to round out the subjects as well. A friend is musing about creating a course on the history of the English language, but this is still in the maybe stage. Last year was American history, so this year won’t be. Beyond that, I’m uncertain (and again, open to suggestions).

Science: Ack! It’s physics time! Somehow, I found myself volunteering to teach (algebra-based) physics to a handful of local homeschoolers. Then, I promptly lost a night of sleep in sheer panic. I’ve found my ground and some good resources. We’ll likely be using Singapore’s Physics Matters for the text, with additions for the material it’s lacking (parabolic motion, centripetal and centrifugal force, and quantum physics, just to name a few). A friend’s husband, who will be doing labs for my younger son and his own son, volunteered to run labs for the high school kids one day a month. I’ll teach the material, likely working some smaller labs and demos during our weekly meeting, and turn over the true excitement to him. Lesson plans will appear on this blog as they develop.

Foreign Language: Latin didn’t work. Spanish with Rosetta Stone (assigned to give the flavor of the language only) yielded less than 20 vocabulary words, per my son’s estimate. So this fall, we’re trying something different. So this September, my older will start the American Sign Language  sequence at our local homeschooling-friendly university. A kinesthetic language for a kinesthetic learner seems appropriate. Will colleges accept it? Many do, and he understands the limits this choice may place on his options later.

The Rest:  He’ll continue with piano through the summer and next year. His negotiations with him piano teacher did yield a happier student and a generally satisfied teacher, and he’s pleased enough to stay put.  While he spent some time at tennis lessons this winter, he’s not interested in our local Y’s current configuration of classes (teens were moved from  classes with adults to classes for age 8 and up). He needs exercise, and finding what will work for him is one of our summer quests.

I’d like to teach a class using David White’s The Examined Life: Advanced Philosophy for Kids, although not first semester when I’m settling into physics. Both my boys enjoyed White’s Philosophy For Kids: 40 Questions That Help You Wonder About Everything, but I’d rather run this second one with a larger group than my own two children (and I think only my older is ready for this much more challenging tome).  I’m also waiting to hear from my older. It is, after all, his education.

Suggestions are always appreciated, as are links to your plans.

Preliminary Planning for 2012/13: My Younger

It’s that time of year. May. The time of year when I can’t stand one more minute of homeschooling and just want to be done. It’s the point when we’re almost done with most of the books and classes we started the semester with and have even moved on to new material in some, vamping a bit for the last few months of the school year. (This always seems to happen with math.) It’s also the time to set the fall schedule for the classes and events that happen outside of our walls, and given that’s going on, I might as well make some selections for home, too. Here’s what I have so far.

A.B. (11, 6th grade)

Math: After a fair amount of angst, we settled on continuing with Singapore Math for secondary mathematics study.  We’re a few chapters into Discovering Mathematics 1A, which contains a fair amount of review for him on subjects covered in The Algebra Survival Guide but with far more depth and extensions. Our pace is a lesson a day, with a day at the end of each chapter to play with the more challenging problems in the workbook and a day for the end of chapter test.  Taking tests is new for him, and he’s still pretty anxious about that process, but since that’s the only hiccup thus far, I’m giving DM a thumbs up.  We’re still plugging away at Singapore Challenging Word Problems 6 as well, and I keep a stack of alternative math options on the shelf for his more anxious days when “regular” math just isn’t doable.

Language Arts:  A.B. will continue with Michael Clay Thompson’s Word Within the Word and Magic Lens series via Online G3, this year studying the second level. This program of study (both the books and online class) work wonderfully for him. For literature, he’ll pick one the Hewitt Lightning Literature classes Online G3 offers, most likely Mid to Late 19th Century American Literature.  That course’s reading selections seem accessible given his age (and I’m fairly sure some of the selections in British Lit, like Jane Eyre, would not be enjoyable reads for him). He’s determined to participate in NaNoWriMo 2012 and plans to continue to write on his blog. I’ll likely try to broaden his writing beyond these forums, but he’s a strong enough writer that I’m willing to largely follow his lead and work my agenda into his.  I’m considering signing him up for WriteGuide for the second half of the school year with the aim of strengthening his fiction writing.  Finally, since he enjoys Steck Vaughn Spelling, he’ll proceed to level six in that series.

History: In fall, he’ll take the last of the American History classes from Online G3 this fall. This course covers the Civil War and the rest of the last half of the 19th century using Joy Hakim’s History of US books.  He has his eyes on her Government class for the following spring. The first semester, he’ll also take Coursera’s A History of the World Since 1300, a free online class from Princeton University.  History is his favorite subject and one of his career aspirations (historian and college professor vs lawyer), so plenty of new ideas in this area are key to his happiness.

Science: This year is physical science with a focus on physics. Middle School Chemistry provided a sound base in that portion of the physical sciences, so I’d like not to belabor that end of the subject. He’ll be studying with a friend, although what text or supports we’ll use are to be determined. Any suggestions for a text are welcome!

The Rest: He’ll continue piano lessons and daily practice, and at this point, he’d like to attend Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in the summer of 2013 for further piano study. We’ll see where that drive goes come the new year. For physical education, he’ll continue to fence, a sport that replaces karate for him as of the last five months. Lessons are twice a week, and eventually, he should be ready for a few tournaments. He’s interested in becoming a fencing director (think ref), which is a path open to him as well. He loves rules and the enforcement of them, so this seems a reasonable pursuit. We’re still discussing foreign language options. He’s interested in German. I know none and have no desire to learn it. He might play with it via Rosetta Stone this summer and see if that mode of learning works for him. It was not a good match with my older son, but these boys are wired completely differently, so I’m willing to give it a try.

As always, we’re working on communication and social skills. I’m not using any formal materials for this but rather continually discussing the nuances of the conversation, friendships, and general relations between people. We have a few resources on the shelves for this purpose, but they just seem to sit. We do post-mortems on situations, with a mix of trouble-shooting and celebration of successes and will continue this process.

As always, ideas are welcome. What are your plans for fall?

Early Review: CPO Middle School Earth Science

This is our Earth Science year.  I’ve never formally studied Earth Science (the honors sequence in my high school bypassed it in favor of two years of biology), although my older son was intensely interested in astronomy, meteorology, and natural disasters throughout his younger years.  My younger son had no such previous interest, so this year we set to filling that hole in his education.  He and I are using CPO Middle School Earth Science and, five chapters in, enjoying the tour of our planet. (We had Chemistry to finish for the first two months.  Some day I will finish my science and history plans in a school year.)

CPO Science offers secular courses in Earth, Physical, and Life sciences at the middle school level and physical science (with or without some earth science) at the high school level.  

Review: The Story of Science (Joy Hakim)

My younger explores pi via a Story of Science quest.

With four years of chronological history behind us, last school year left me wondering what to do next.  My younger son and history buff wasn’t keen on starting the sequence over, and neither was I.  We’d covered a fair amount of American History via his forays into war:  he’s self-studied the American Revolution, Civil War, both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam.  While the peaceful part of history was reasonable fodder, I remained uninspired.  So I turned to my overloaded book shelves, groaning under the weight of books and curriculum yet unexplored.  

Planning Time: What’s Happening for My Older

I have a high schooler.  Academically, I’ve had one in many subjects for several years.  It seems this year, it’s official.  This year, so say those in the know, I should keep track of credits and classes.  I should create a transcript and map out the next four years.  Coming from a state requiring no paperwork from their homeschoolers, this is a bit of a stretch for me.  We’ll see how that goes.

First, however, I need a plan for Fall 2011.  His friend down the street starts school next week, so I’m sure it’s time to get these plans out of my head and onto screen or paper.  Input is welcome, as always.

Study Skills:  This year, study skills, note taking, and organization top the list of goals for him.  His dysgraphia makes note taking a serious challenge, and we’ll more actively explore ways to take effective notes this year, looking for the best answer for him.  He’ll try a few tried and true methods, including Cornell and concept mapping, but nothing’s stuck.  This year, we’ll bring out his Livescribe Pen again and try note taking on the computer as well.  Studying for tests offers challenges, too, so that’s on the list, although I’ve yet to figure out what tests he’ll study for, since the materials we’re using don’t have many.  Time organization, our constant challenge, also needs addressing.  We’re likely starting with the white boardand moving today a notebook.  Too sketchy?  It is for me, too.

The Livescribe pen: Take notes as the pen records the lecture. Later, touch any part of your notes, and listen to what was said when you wrote the notes.

Math:  He’s still finishing ALEKS Precalculus, so that will fill the first several months.  After that, we’ll wander down some math sidetracks, perhaps using some Teaching Co. videos as launch pads.  I’d like to cover a bit of stats and probability this year as well.  I’m open to him taking Calculus (in a classroom), although I don’t think his study skills are ready for that yet.  (see above)

Piano:  Yes, with an hour a day of practice, Piano is a course of study for him.  He’ll change teachers again (his recent and marvelous teacher is moving), and that’s feeling a bit rough to him.  He’s entering fine hands, however, and I’m confident the transfer will be smooth.  He has some specific goals for Achievement Testing and Federation for Fall, and I hope he can make those goals happen this year.  (Insert gush over son’s ability and hard work here.)

Grammar and Vocabulary:  We’re still Michael Clay Thompson fans, so he’ll continue this fall and next spring with Online G3 for Magic Lens II and Word Within the Word II.  I’ll be testing him regularly on the vocabulary as a way to keep him on task and to develop study skills.

Science, History, Composition, and Literature:  These are together this year.  My older adores meteorology, so he’ll using two Teaching Company titles, Meteorology and How The Earth Works.  These serve a dual purpose, first as science material and second as note taking practice opportunities.  We’ll also use a few meteorology and earth science texts for some book study experience (again, some note taking and effective reading of potentially boring material purposes).  Additional reading of literature associated to meteorological events (and a handful of natural disasters) will include Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Good Earth, and  The Snows of Kilimanjaro, among others.  Using Academic Writing I, he’ll start writing about literature, a new experience for him.  And the history?  He wants to study the weather’s influence on history.  Fortunately, others have also found that fascinating, and we’re accumulating a pile of nonfiction reading of that ilk.   I’ve spent a fair amount of time this summer gathering resources, and while I have a rough idea how I’d like this rather massive unit study to work, I still have work to do.  I’ll post our syllabus (or at least resources and some rough plans) on a page at the top of this blog as they take shape.

Spanish:  No formal study, just a year with Rosetta Stone’s Spanish I for all of us.  The goal is to give my older enough confidence to formally study Spanish in the classroom (high school or college) next year.  My younger and I are along for the ride.

Physical Education:  Hopefully, we’ll all be testing for our Black Belt in Tang Soo Do in early 2012.  At this writing, that’s likely just a mark in time, with study continuing, at least for them.  My body could use a less, um, painful sport.

All the Rest:  My older also plans to join the theater club at our local public high school, which has a reputation of quality productions and openness to homeschoolers.  He’ll take two classes with six to eight other teenaged homeschoolers this fall:  NIH Science Supplements (Bioethics, Infectious Disease, Sleep, and more) taught by yours truly and a Film as Literature course taught by Not His Mom.

Too much?  I hope not. We’re going easy on the math this year, and I hope by our unit study approach to the other major subjects that the year feels more integrated.  We’re still almost four weeks from our school start, with two vacations between now and then.  I guess I’ll be traveling with curricula and a notebook.