Showing posts with label Linky Monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Linky Monday. Show all posts

Monday, December 5, 2011

Linky Monday~ Conifer Study

The Holidays are upon us and the crisp smell of evergreen is in the air. A perfect time to take a closer look at the beautiful conifers that can be found here in New Brunswick.

Conifers (phylum Pinophyta) are woody plants that have thin leaves, called needles, and seed cones rather than flowers. The Conifer group of plants includes more than 550 species, ranging from tall trees to short shrubs. Conifers can be found growing in a wide range of habitats, from coastal cliffs to mountain tops. Well-known conifers include firs, pines, cedars, junipers, and spruces. (via)




Canada has a diverse forest range and New Brunswick is part of the Acadian Forest.

(via)


The following conifers are found in the forests of New Brunswick~

Balsam fir, Abies balsamea
Black spruce, Picea mariana
Eastern hemlock, Tsuga Canadensis
Eastern white-cedar, Thuja occidentalis
Eastern white pine, Pinus strobus
Jack pine, Pinus banksiana
Red pine, Pinus resinosa
Red spruce, Picea rubens
Tamarack, Larix laricina
White spruce, Picea glauca

Conifers


Trees of New Brunswick



Fun Stuff

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Monday, November 7, 2011

Linky Monday~ Space and Astonomy

The kids (and adults) really enjoyed our outing to the observatory last week so I thought I'd put up some links to continue the exploration of space!


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Monday, September 26, 2011

Linky Monday~ The Schedule Edition

The start of the year always brings with it talk of schedules and plans start being drawn up on computers and in planning books all over the homeschooling community.  For the last couple of years I would basically follow the public school calendar but instead of taking the summer off we would move into a "Summer Schedule" of sorts. I basically like the idea of homescholing year round but I don't think we were taking enough time off.

This year I have decided to change things around and our new year round schedule is blocked off in terms with a week off between terms and additional weeks off at Christmas and in the summer. It ends up being the same number of days as public school but arranged differently.  I have changed our daily schedule too. I used to make specific plans for each day but this year I am making a weekly plan of the things I want us to get done. I have an overview plan loosely done for the year which I broke down to the different terms.  The terms are then broken down by week. Some topics are touched on daily but others are only done on a weekly or months basis. I only plan ahead a term at a time as things change and I like having our schedule open and adaptable. We'll have to see how this works.

Not all homeschooling families grapple with the scheduling dilemma but if you do these links may help you out. Keep in mind that many homeschooling families from south of the border have to report and document all their hours of schooling so some of these plans and tips reflect that.


 Daily Schedules


Yearly Schedules


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Monday, June 20, 2011

Linky Monday~ Homeschooling Methods~ Pt. 4

This is our last look at different homeschooling styles. Today we will be looking at the worlds of Holistic/Alternative Homeschooling in the Waldorf , Enki and Reggio Emelia methods.


Waldorf

The Waldorf Method is a fast growing international movement arising from the philosophy and methods of Rudolf Steiner who founded the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart, Germany in l9l9. Steiner's insights have lead to new approaches in medicine, architecture, the fine arts, economics, and agriculture as well as education.


Waldorf education is designed to address the whole child: the head the heart and the hands. It stimulates the mind with a full spectrum of traditional academic subjects; it nurtures healthy emotional development by conveying information experientially as well as academically; and it teachers the hands to be valued members of the child’s being through a broad range of artistic and physical activities.


Waldorf education emphasizes respect, wonder for nature and reverence for human existence. Learning becomes much more than the acquisition of vast amounts of information; rather, learning becomes an engaging voyage of discovery, both of the world and of oneself. Because it touches children on a deeper level, they remember more easily what they have learned.

(source)


Waldorf Resources


Waldorf Curriculum


Waldorf Blogs


Enki

Enki homeschooling is a curriculum which aims to join vision and practicalities into an ideal education. Each activity must be worth doing and support the overall health of the family.

Features of Enki Philosophy

  • Rhythms and circle times are used to cover content areas.
  • Arts-integrated curriculum is woven into family life.
  • Focus is kept on the core issues of what the parent wants to bring to the children, i.e., health and happiness.
  • Methods are adaptable to various learning environments.
  • Sensory integration and artistic movement activities.

Other features include meeting needs for community and meeting the needs of multiple age siblings.

Content Areas

  • Humanities
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Projects and crafts
  • Foreign language
  • Visual arts
  • Movement arts
  • Music

  • (source)
Enki Links


Enki Blogs




Reggio Emelia

The Reggio Emelia Method originated in Italy and is seen as a wonderful way to see Early Childhood Education. It is an approach more than a curriculum but it has been used in planning homeschooling.


It is fairly new this side of the world so not many resources exist. I have to admit I have not heard of it before I started researching the different homeschool methods. The method and how it has been used is discussed in the following links.





After reading about all these methods for the past month and looking at all the cool blogs filled with thousands of ideas and plans for your homeschool, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. I have about 100 blog posts bookmarked with ideas I'd like to incorporate into our day. I will probably whittle them down to 20 or so actual "do-able" ideas. This is about finding inspiration and being creative. This isn't about setting unattainable standards for yourself and your kids. Find one neat thing you'd like to try and work that in gradually. If you want to add something else a few months down the road then great! This is a great blog post that sums it up quite nicely.


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Monday, June 6, 2011

Linky Monday~ Homeschooling Methods~ Pt. 2

We are continuing our look into different homeschooling methods. Today, we will be looking at Eclectic, Faith Based and Montessori.

Eclectic

Eclectic homeschooling is pretty much as it sounds. Various methods and curricula are used to "build" the ideal homeschooling experience for your family. It can be somewhat labour intensive to create as there can be lots of planning and research but there is the bonus of the freedom to choose exactly how you want to approach your schedule.

Information


Eclectic Blogs


Faith Based

Many families believe that a spiritual foundation is key to a moral education. If this describes your family's philosophy, a multitude of curricula and materials are available for your faith-based homeschool. You may use a traditional curriculum similar to the one taught in public schools, such as the suggestions noted above, and add a study unit based on your family's religious beliefs. Or you may prefer that each subject area of the curriculum incorporates your family's spiritual beliefs.

A science curriculum, for example, may be secular and focus more on an evolutionary theory, while a faith-based science curriculum may incorporate a creationist point of view. These can be important points for families to consider when purchasing curriculum and supplemental books.

Homeschool curriculums and books are available for nearly every religious belief and culture. From Catholic to Islamic, Jewish, Latter-Day Saints, or Native American, you'll be able to find resources to suit your family's homeschool style.

Christian


Other Religions


Blogs


Montessori

The Montessori Method is used primarily in Montessori Private Schools but can be adapted to fit a homeschooling environment.

Montessori (pronounced MON-tuh-SORE-ee) is a comprehensive educational approach from birth to adulthoodbased on the observation of children's needs in a variety of cultures all around the world.

Beginning her work almost a century ago, Dr. Maria Montessori developed this educational approach based on her understanding of children's natural learning tendencies as they unfold in "prepared environments" for multi-age groups (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and 12-14).

The Montessori environment contains specially designed, manipulative "materials for development" that invite children to engage in learning activities of their own individual choice. Under the guidance of a trained teacher, children in a Montessori classroom learn by making discoveries with the materials, cultivating concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning.

(via NAMTA)


Homeschooling Information and Curriculum


Montessori Blogs

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Monday, May 30, 2011

Linky Monday~ Homeschooling Methods~ Pt. 1

I have been doing some research into the different methods of homeschooling and thought I would take a few weeks to share my findings here. Since our group is inclusive and open to all homeschooling families, it would be nice to become familiar with other methods out there. That way when you meet a family whose methods are different than yours, you can understand where they are coming from. I also find there are so many interesting ideas and techniques to check out. Even if you don't use a method solely, you may pick a part of it or a theory you can incorporate into your home education plan.

This will also be of interest to those families who are researching home education. There are many terms out there and I hope to give a little bit of understanding to what they are. These posts though are not meant to stress anyone out! You don't have to pick a particular label and then identify with that for your whole homeschooling adventure. Some people choose to and that's OK too. I am hoping these will help sort out some information and show how diverse a community home educators are.

Today we will be looking at Charlotte Mason, Classical and Cyber Schools.



Charlotte Mason

What is the Charlotte Mason Method?

Charlotte Mason Method
A method of education popular with homeschoolers in which children are taught as whole persons through a wide range of interesting living books, firsthand experiences, and good habits.

Charlotte Mason was a British educator who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Her method, the Charlotte Mason method, is centered around the idea that education is three-pronged: Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.

By “Atmosphere,” Charlotte meant the surroundings in which the child grows up. A child absorbs a lot from his home environment. Charlotte believed that atmosphere makes up one-third of a child’s education.

By “Discipline,” Charlotte meant the discipline of good habits — and specifically habits of character. Cultivating good habits in your child’s life make up another third of his education.

The other third of education, “Life,” applies to academics. Charlotte believed that we should give children living thoughts and ideas, not just dry facts. So all of her methods for teaching the various school subjects are built around that concept.

For example, Charlotte’s students used living books rather than dry textbooks. Living books are usually written in story form by one author who has a passion for the subject. A living book makes the subject “come alive.”

She taught spelling by using passages from great books that communicate great ideas rather than just a list of words.

She encouraged spending time outdoors, interacting with God’s creation firsthand and learning the living ways of nature.

Charlotte Mason Information


Charlotte Mason in Action




Classical

A Classical Curriculum includes reading great works of literature and studying rhetoric and logic. Advocates of this approach are critical of progressive trends that, they believe, water down education. Their main goal is to cultivate independent thinkers, and develop great communicators and leaders.

“Classical education depends on a three-part process of training the mind. The early years of school are spent in absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. In the middle grades, students learn to think through arguments. In the high school years, they learn to express themselves. This classical pattern is called thetrivium” (Susan Wise Bauer, www.TheWellTrainedMind.com).

You can find a great description of the trivium here.

Classical Homeschooling Blogs



Cyber Schools/Distance Learning

Some homeschooling families choose to enroll their children in correspondence schools for all or part of their education. The courses are taught by teachers with the parents facilitating at home and the students participate via the internet. Some public schools offer an online program for students who wish to work from home.

In her blog, The Cyber School Mom Diaries, follow one families journey through online education.

A few Distance Learning Schools~

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Monday, May 16, 2011

Linky Monday~ Gardening with Kids

Even though it has been raining forever, I thought we'd look at some gardening activities you may want to do with your family. Gardening is a wonderful addition to any homeschooling family! If you don't have room or time for a large plot, think about container gardening. All you need is a place to set up that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day. Flowers always brighten the day and you can't beat a nice cherry tomato right off the vine!



Gardening for the whole family


Gardening Blog Posts


Container Gardens



Pizza Gardens


Butterfly Gardens


Herb Gardens



Fairy (Elf) Gardens



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Monday, May 9, 2011

Linky Monday~ Science

We spent the weekend in Fredericton and really enjoyed visiting Science East. It is not really big or as fancy as The Discovery Centre in Halifax but both the kids and adults had a good time. We were there for a little over two hours so it is definitely worth a look if you find yourselves in that next of the woods.

Here are some neat science links to check out.


Supercharged Science is offering a free download~
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Monday, April 18, 2011

Linky Monday~ Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22 and these links are all about celebrating our Earth and learning about protecting it for generations to come.

Earth Day Education


Earth Day Projects


Some ideas on making a difference~

This is a very cool idea and easy for kids to do too!


Consider joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program and eat locally. We just joined one and I am really excited to see what goodies we will be receiving this Summer!


Here are some New Brunswick farms that offer a CSA Program


Check out what this awesome homeschooling family did to their yard in Hawaii!
So inspirational!






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