I love to find amazing talents and outstanding people who have been home-schooled. Christophe Bisciglia is just one of those people.

He was one of those kids in a public school, who just couldn't keep still, kept asking questions, often annoying teachers, he wanted to learn and he wanted to learn now. So he was taken out of public school to be home-schooled, where he found the time to pursue the things that he loved

Not one for ordinary lesson plans, he started raising horses and collecting computers, and this is really where he found his spark.  He learned to hack all his video games, he grew up and attended University of Washington, and at the age of 22 started working for Google.

This is where the Hero part comes in.  Now that he is 27, and still hacking games, he designed a program called Google 101, which became a class at University of Washington that teaches students a new concept called "cloud computing".  The concept hit big, so big that through a partnership with IBM, it will spread to other Universities.

To learn more on cloud computing click here:  Cloud Computing

Christophe Bisciglia is making his mark in the world, and that is why he is a Home-school Hero.....

ChaCha.com has started their new text service (it's free try it!), and I have been busy training for the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, where Chacha.com is the official text service for the event.  It has been really fun, but has taken me away from blogging for a bit.  But I am back...

Today, I want to tell you about a few free good services out there for Home-schoolers and their teachers:

The first one is for free placement tests.  This is a Christian Home-school site which allow you to download their placements test onto your computer, and you can test your student to see what level they are currently at. This will be really helpful for you at the beginning of your school year:
Switched On School House 2007 Edition

This second one is also for Christian Home-schoolers.  It offers a daily bible quiz, which will aid your child in remembering important details about the bible, the answers may seem simple, but it is not as simple as it looks, so it is good for all ages:
Home-school Bible Curriculum

This next site is for any student (or for that matter, parent), who needs to learn how to type.  It is a free on-line typing course, you just need to register:
Goodtyping.com

I know in this day and age of computer, some teachers in public schools are dropping cursive as a subject.  I think it is a big mistake, but to help aid your student with his or her cursive skills, this site has print-outs on everything you need to teach cursive handwriting, it is not a fancy site, but click on the links provided and see how valuable it actually is:
Handwriting for Children

I am now going back to my Home-schooling, and of course my Cha-Chaing! Come join us!

One of the first speed bumps I saw coming was my hubby and I getting on to the same page as far as home schooling expectations.  He works from a home office, so is very involved (or at least likes to listen in).  We have very different styles and approaches, but the same goals.  He is the organized, structured type and I am more of the "go with the flow" personality.  Well, I have been married to him long enough to see a conflict in the making.  So I decided to speak to him in a language he understands...

Before we started, I wrote a business plan for our "school".  This business plan included a monthly budget, mission and vision statement, broad schedule, curriculum, academic benchmarks, and discipline plan.  I was intentionally broad in my language, so that I gave myself wiggle room.  This served 2 purposes, gave my husband an outline of the school in a format that he understands and gives me some benchmarks to work toward and a little structure in my chaos.

We also have included the kids in the rule-making process and gave them contracts to sign.  Since they went to public school and then home school, I want them to understand that this is going to be fun, but a serious endeavor - not permanent vacation.  We explained to them that we feel that this is a great gift that we are willing and able to give them, but that they need to take some ownership in this process and that it is their education. 


My plan is to provide the basic skills, but let them explore the areas that interest them and work that into our plan.  I cant wait to see where that leads...

I thought it would be fun to take a look at some homeschooling statistics.  The list that I have compiled comes from many different sources.  All you have to do is click on the link next to each statistic group to read more information.  Let's take a look.

Christian Home Educators of Colorado

*Based on a study by Rudner, 8th graders who are homeschooled are performing approximately four grades above the national average.

*Homeschooling families average a spending of $450.00 per year.

*Approximately 70% of homeschoolers attend religious services.

*On standardized testing, homeschoolers average in the 87 percentile, while public school peers average in the 61 percentile in reading (white).

*On standardized testing, homeschoolers average in the 87 percentile, while public school pers average in the 49 percentile in reading (minority).

Heart of Wisdom

*Approximaely 18% of homeschooling families earn <$25,000 annually.

*Approixmately 44% of homeschooling families earn $25,000 +/- $49,000 anually.

National Home Education Research Institute

*African American parents that are homeschooling as increased from 85,000 to 105,000.

*Home-based education is growing around the world.

*There are approximaely 2 million children being homeschooled in the U.S.

*The most common reasons for choosing to homeschool include:

     -  Ability to teach a certain set of values and beliefs
     -  To accomplish more academically than can be done in a school setting
     -  To customize curriculum for particular learning styles
     -  Ability to provide a safer environment for children
     -  Ability to enhance family relationships

*Homeschool students are being recruiting by more colleges than ever before.

I think this is outstanding proof that homeschooling is not only a viable option for teaching our children, but perhaps the best way to teach them.  Being a Christian homeschooling mom, I cannot let the opportunity pass to let you know what the Bible has to say about parents teaching their children:

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6 ~ NIV

Let me introduce myself, I am Alison and I am a stay at home mom with 3 kids.  I have a son who is 10, a son who is 6 and a daughter who is 2.  My boys are in 4th grade and kindergarten.  Until now they have been educated through the public school system.  I just withdrew them and we begin home school on 1/7/08.

Why home school?  Well, first off for me it is purely academic.  No religious factors whatsoever.  Both my husband and I are products of the public school system and did not have good experiences.  As our oldest approached school age, we were not in a position to send him to private school and I had many misconceptions about home schooling, so we sent him to kindergarten with all of his neighborhood buddies.  We live in a pretty upscale area and have a pretty good school.  As he progressed from K-3rd we had issues arise, and had my son tested for all kinds of things.  No real problems were identified, but we kept a close eye on him.  Because of some of his struggles, his workload was modified (made easier) and he was in slower classes.  Once he hit 4th grade it all came to a head.  Getting a little behind in an area has a cumulative effect at this age and the gap got wider and wider until he was failing classes.  His weakness in reading was bleeding over into other subjects.  Once again the public school system's answer was to give him easier work.  That is when I realized that sitting in a group of thirty kids, trying to get by was not going to cut it for him.  What he is learning right now is the foundation for the person he will become - academically, socially, emotionally - and he wasn't getting what he needed.  I can not wait until we have more money and send him to private school.  This is it, he is learning it now and so I had to take action.  Meanwhile, this idea of home schooling was in the back of my head.  I knew of a couple of people who did it and I thought I would look into it.  After my research, I decided this is what was best for us, so why wait.  That decision (to not wait until the end of the school year) was my first "think outside the box" moment in regards to home schooling.  Why should my school go by their calendar?  I am in charge now!

My concerns about homeschooling...  Before I began to give it any serious consideration, I had my misconceptions which were quickly dispelled.  First, being in the south, the "bible belt", I was afraid that any social groups or home schooling support groups would be all serious religious fanatics who did not believe in science.  Not true at all, I have found several secular groups, both locally and internet based who welcome all walks of life.  Second, I thought it would cost a fortune.  Now don't get me wrong, you can spend a ton and it is easy to get resentful about your tax dollars going to schools that you don't use.  But I have found an extensive network of online, local and other resources that are very cheap or free.  I have no fear that my kids will be getting an inferior education because of the money I choose to spend.  Finally, my last fear was for myself- will I have any time alone again?  will my kids listen to me like they will a teacher?  will I be organized enough?  how can I teach with a toddler around?  Now, some of these answers will come with time, but after joining groups, speaking to others and reading other peoples experiences, I feel a lot more confident in myself. 

For those of you reading this who have been down this road before me, I know you are just laughing and thinking "just you wait!"  One thing I am sure of, is that I have no idea what to expect, but I am up for the adventure and so are my kids.

 

Florida Virtual School a Homeschooling Public School Option

 

It may seem a misnomer, but trust me your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you.  I live in Florida and about ten years ago, Florida began a new program called Florida Virtual School.  This was a public school that consisted of interaction between homeschooled students with public school teachers.  In fact, the homeschool actually uses public school curriculum and when students graduate, they receive a public school diploma from their county.  All of this occurs while the child is technically “home schooled”. Since Florida Virtual School is a public school program, it is free.

 

Florida Virtual School went on to become very successful and what began with 77 students in Florida has now grown to embrace students throughout many states. This expansion has been termed, “Florida Virtual School Global Services” and allows students from other states to receive public school education online, while taking classes at home. 

 

Florida Virtual School and Florida Virtual School Global Services offers advanced middle school and high school courses.  All of the courses are accredited and are taught by state certified teachers.  Students take courses and are assigned a teacher whom they converse with through tools such as Email, Chats, and Forums.  They may also telephone their teachers as well.

 

Many students discover that they have more interaction with their teacher through the virtual school program than they did in a conventional public school setting.  Though students may access their courses at any time, they are required to work at a minimum pace, however there is plenty of room for students to work ahead of schedule and complete their courses in an expedited manner.

 

 

Here are some Important Links Regarding Florida Virtual School

 

FLVS Course Demos

 
Information for Florida Students

 Requesting Courses Video

 

Florida Virtual School Coverage Area

 

Florida Virtual School Course Offerings

 

Computer Requirements for Florida Virtual School

 

Remember, if you live in a state outside of Florida that your child may enroll through Florida Virtual School Global Services

 

 

There is such a sad, ridiculous story coming out of Florida this morning, and a little 10 year old girl is now sitting in a juvenile detention center because of it.  This story made my blood boil.

It seems this little girl was eating her lunch at Sunrise Elementary School in Marion County, Florida.  She took a steak knife out of her lunch bag and began to cut her food, a school worker noticed and reported her.  Now mind you, this little girl was cutting her food, not threatening a fellow classmate.  The authorities were called, and the little girl was arrested and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.......my guess is to spend hour upon hour trying to assess why the girl chooses to cut her food with a knife instead of ripping it to shreds with her bare hands.

There is so much wrong with this story, but let's start from the beginning.  I personally don't think a steak knife should of been brought from home (perhaps cut the food before packing it), but we don't know if this little girl just packed her own lunch or not.  I understand the school's position on not having a sharp knife in school, anything can happen around a group of children........BUT.....and this is a big BUT.....to have the child arrested is downright criminal in itself.

Here is an idea Sunrise Elementary School, take the knife away and explain to the child she needs to cut her food up at home because knives are not allowed, don't make a big deal out of it, just explain that is one of the rules.  Then, make a call to the parents to explain the same rule.  All done, now the little girl can go back to class.

But you have her arrested??  And she is sitting down in a center full of juvenile thieves, rapists, troublemakers, or perhaps, if this is the way of your county, it's a center full of habitual food cutters?

To her parents.....run.  Get her out of the public school.  Home-school, send her to a local private school, anyplace but there at good ol' Sunrise.  I have news for you, there are no working brains in that building anywhere, and you are allowing them to teach your daughter?

Her first lesson plan?  I would suggest another perfect example on getting out:

How Public Schools Dumb Down our Children 

To read the original news story:

10-Year-Old Charged With Possession Of Weapon On School Property

 

 

I had recently polled kids in my surrounding area of Richmond, VA to find out what they believed to be the benefits of homeschooling.  They managed to come up with some pretty neat responses.  I think it is important to get a kid's perspective on homeschooling because often times parents make the decision to homeschool, but we don't take the time to ask our kids if they see the benefits.  Let's take a look at what they said.  These responses are not in any particular order.

 

*One reason kids like homeschool is because they can take field trips to great places and take as long as they like at their destination.  Public schools need to leave by a certain time to get the kids back to school.

*Older kids really liked the fact that they can learn subjects that interest them instead of following what every student has to learn at the same time in public school.  An example of this includes learning about the Bible.  Some teens who want to become a minister or a missionary can study this during their high school years, whereas you cannot do this in public school.  It gives them a head start on their career much quicker.

*Kids like the fact that they can master a subject in homeschool before learning something new.  In public school, the teacher pretty much has to teach a concept, especially in math, and move on to a new concept within a time frame in order to complete a curriculum on time.  Sometimes kids will ask for their parents help, if they did not understand a concept, and other students will not, and end up with a poor grade.  With homeschooling, you have the opportunity to master a concept before learning new things.  You can basically work at your own pace, and kids like that idea.

*One family shared that they consider a birthday a holiday in their home.  If someone's birthday falls during the week, they don't have school that day.  It is a day set aside to make that person feel very special.  When their child's birthday falls in the summer, that child gets to pick a day towards the beginning of the school year to make his day off.  So, it all works out.

*Taking a vacation mid-year is something a lot of homeschooling families take advantage of.  They are able to rent places to stay during off-season for better prices, and they have the ability to see the sites without bunches of crowds.  It is really cool to be able to go somewhere really fun and enjoy it feeling totally relaxed.

*If an emergency arises at home, homeschooling families know that they have the flexibility to take care of the situation, and school will not suffer because they can make it up easily, or just treat it as an off day.  Homeschooling is a way of life, so it does not have "set hours" that work has to be done by.  Flexibility is something kids really enjoy.

*One child shared that his dad is the "principal" of his school.  That is true for many homeschooling families.  I think that is pretty neat to have a principal who can hug and kiss you, and say "great job."  And just think...you don't have to wait for an appointment to see your principal.  He is always there for you!

*One family gave their homeschool a name.  They put this on letters to the Board of Education, and they display it in their "school room."  They found a way to make their homeschool personal.  Not many students get to name the school that they attend.

I bet you and your kids can think of more advantages to homeschooling.  It is a neat opportunity, and I feel blessed every day that I can teach my kids and enjoy their company 24/7.  How about you?

 

 

 

 

Homeschooling is a growing trend. In fact, statistics indicated that it is the fastest growing form of education. It is estimated that 2.1 million children were being homeschooled in 2003. The number of homeschoolers is on the rise, growing 7% to 15% per year, according to Dr. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute.

 

 

   

    Why is homeschooling becoming so popular? It probably has something to do with the fact that homeschooled students, or their parents, can set their own schedule. If a student, or parent decides that they want school to get out in April, then they can double up their efforts and get finished when they so choose.
    The popularity could also have something to do with the fact that homeschoolers are generally better socialized. This may come as a shock, because it seems ironic, however, Thomas Smedley, a graduate student at Radford University of Virginia, wrote a master's thesis indicating otherwise. He says that homeschoolers are, in general, better socialized than public-schoolers. Homeschoolers are usually more sociable around people that are not their age, both adults and young children. This has given homeschoolers a unique advantage when interviewing with prosepective employers.
    Lastly, homeschoolers, on average, score between 15-30 percentile points higher than children from public schools on standardized tests and also score above average on the SAT and ACT, according to Dr. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute. Because of this, colleges are beginning to actively recruit homeschool students. Is that not enticing?

 

Of course, nothing is as easy as it sounds. What does it take to homeschool? What do you need to know to start homeschooling? Find out soon!