It’s a holiday weekend in the USA - a time for picnics, fireworks, and Wordles.

Yes, Wordles - those nifty word clouds that turn a random set of words into a work of art.

Click on the image to see full-size.

The free Wordle generator gives you several choices for tweaking and sharing your word art.  You can type your own text, like I did with this Fourth of July “word cloud.”  Or, you can input your blog or other web address to generate a gorgeous composition such as this On Living By Learning Wordle:

 

Turn a poem into a visual work of art, make a special card for a loved one, or create a homage to Barbra.  There are so many ways to enjoy Wordles.  And, when you’re done, you can print, email, or copy the code to share your masterpiece.

Looking for inspiration? Visit the Wordle Gallery.

Share your Wordle with me.  I’d love to see it!  Just post your link in a comment.

For more wired world ideas that you can share with your family, be sure to visit previous Friday Finds:

Animoto - Create a music video with your photos.

Instructables - Discover instructions for all kinds of projects - from recipes to robots - or post your own.

Mr. Picassohead - Unleash your inner abstract artist.

Hulu - Watch a movie or catch up on your favorite TV shows on your computer.

Don’t miss the best of the web on Friday Finds.  Sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email.  (Click this link.  Fill out the form.  Don’t forget to click on your verification Email.  Look for this in your mailbox.)  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

Have you noticed that some people are explorers, and some are not?

The other day my husband was asking how he could get a hold of the Barbie breast implant video. 

Okay.  This was a little upsetting. 

Not because he wants to see the video, but because he should’ve seen it already.  He gets all the On Living By Learning articles via his Email subscription.

Now, those of you who are explorers will already have noticed that you can click on the hyperlinks, or blue text, to: a) find the video; and b) subscribe by Email to receive articles from On Living By Learning.

These hyperlinks are an obvious call to action that no one can miss; however, finding the video on an Emailed blog article requires a little more initiative.  You have to click on the article title - which, while in blue text, doesn’t have the same recognizable hyperlink look.  This takes you to the online blog post where you can easily view the video.

Explorers of the wired world tend to find this out for themselves.

They don’t just look at a web page and assume that’s all there is.  They click around, finding mostly treasures, and only rarely a land mine.

Making the most of the wired world requires an exploring spirit and a sense of adventure.

Now, you might argue - like my hubby - that you don’t have time to follow online tangents.  All right.  I get it.  We don’t all have the time to turn over every rock.  We all have to make choices about how to allocate our most precious resource - our time.

So, I asked my husband how did he find the time to Email me this You Tube link?  Dead silence.

Join the On Living By Learning Community

Are you curious about what the wired world has to offer?  Would you like to find new online resources for yourself or your children?  Can I help you figure out how to make sense out of so many bewildering choices?

Sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email.  (Click this link.  Fill out the form.  Don’t forget to click on your verification Email.  Look for this in your mailbox.)  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

Post a Comment

For those of you who share my spirit of adventure, I challenge you to take the plunge and post a comment.  Join our ongoing discussion of ways to share the wired world with your family. 

It’s easy to comment, just click on the “Comments” hyperlink at the end of this blog post.  Fill in your text in the empty box, and include your name and Email address.  You can also include your own web address, if you have one.  If you have a gravatar, it will upload automatically.  If you don’t have one, a random image will be displayed.  But, why not get your own gravatar?

Grab a Gravatar

Be original and grab a gravatar so that you can proudly display your own unique logo - whether it’s your photo or Bart Simpson’s - whenever you comment on any weblog.

What do you say?

Tell me, how do you share the wired world with your children?  Have you found any online treasures or land mines?  Can I help you find an online resource?  What would you like to find?

It’s summer, and I’m hoping most of you will be exploring the great outdoors instead of the wired world.

However, when you’re ready to veg out with some serious screen time, consider Hulu.  You and your kids can view classic movies such as Monty Python’s Meaning of Life or Planet of the Apes right on your computer screen. 

Personally, I’m going to host a family version of Mystery Science Theater 3000 where we hurl insults at some of the worst movies ever made.  Checking out the movie section of Hulu, I found some winners: Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine; Attack of the Puppet People; and The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave (a personal favorite of my own “Super Dave.”

Then, I’m going to hog the computer screen to catch up on all the Highlander episodes that I missed - probably only 5 out of the 117 that are online. And, of course, I may have to review Burn Notice’s first season before Season 2 airs on July 10.

If you would like to join our learning journey, sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email.  (Click this link.  Fill out the form.  Don’t forget to click on your verification Email.  Look for this in your mailbox.)  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

In the wired world, you get to meet all kinds of people who share your interests, but express this with incredible diversity. 

One of my favorite homeschool bloggers, Tammy Takahashi of Just Enough, and Nothing More, is inviting homeschoolers to share their stories in Homeschoolers Tell All. 

Tammy was inspired by Alasandra who was inspired by Marserinitatis, and so on and so on.  Six degrees of separation takes on a whole new meaning online!

Marserinitatis, a fellow Stargate enthusiast, recently posted a blog article about Homeschool stereotypes and how we don’t fit into them…  Well, bloggers are a social bunch, so it wasn’t long before Alasandra’s Homeschool Blog Awards, invited homeschoolers to a mixer.  Yeah, it’s a party!

Okay, well, there won’t be any refreshments or dancing, but I’m looking forward to celebrating our diversity.  So, I’m playing along and answering these relevant questions:

1. Why do you homeschool?
2. What technique or curriculum do you use?
3. Do your kids work above or below grade level (or both!)?
4. What is your educational level?
5. Do you feel that your education level has an effect on your teaching (both limits and abilities?)
6. What does your daily schedule look like?
7. Are your kids always polite and ready to learn?
8. Do the kids (or you!) get frustrated?
9. How has this affected your parenting?
10. How much free time do they have?
11. What do they do during their free time?
12. What hobbies do they have?
13. What difficulties and challenges do you have with homeschooling?
14. What makes homeschooling enjoyable?
15. How do you get involved in the community?
16. When do you have opportunities to interact with public or privately schooled children?
17. Would you like more of these opportunities?
18. How can they be created?
19. What is your least favorite homeschool stereotype?

I love these questions!  They cover the gamut of questions that I’ve been asked or that I thought about before I started homeschooling.  Here we go!

Why do you homeschool?

At the beginning of the year, I listed several reasons for our homeschool choice including providing room for creativity and meeting the needs of the Gifted & Talented in the No Child Left Behind Universe.

Those reasons are still valid.  However, now I would add the freedom to be whoever you want to be. 

Friends have argued that we have to fit into the fabric of society, but I strongly disagree.  Why should we?  It’s not like you can please everybody, or anybody. 

That’s a good way to end up a miserable pretzel.

It’s possible to be a nonconformist within the school setting, but we’re loving being free outside of the school box.

What technique or curriculum do you use?

It’s eclectic, but I like to call it the “Whatever Works” method. 

In New York, you have to provide an IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan.)  Our IHIP is more of a goals and resource list that we’ll be referring to for several years.

Over the year, I’ve also realized the importance of adaptive learning and wired skills (the ability to use digital tools.)

As a result, I’ve put a lot of emphasis on finding ways to encourage my kids to enjoy and create online media.

Do your kids work above or below grade level (or both!)?

Both, although this is a tricky question due to how subjects are covered in different schools or curriculums. 

Alex is clearly reading well above grade level, but he is working on grade level Singapore Math.  However, Singapore Math covers material in greater depth than Alex’s former public school.  So, while he is on grade level for Singapore Math, he is above grade level when comparing his work to that of that PS. 

Then, again, if you are comparing his math work to that of students in the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, where we have friends in the same grades as my kids, then Alex is on or even below grade level.

What is your education level?

I have an MIA (Masters of International Affairs) from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and my husband has an MD from CPMC.

Although we both have degrees from Columbia University, he followed a traditional path from prep school to doctorate while I took the scenic route.

By 10th Grade, I was already taking college classes for fun.  Then, I skipped my senior year to attend the College of the Virgin Islands as an Early Admissions student.  After a year, I attended the University of Delaware as an exchange student.

Instead of returning to CVI, I enrolled in Columbia’s School of General Studies for non-traditional students.  It took awhile to complete the BA since I had to fund it myself, but I did.  Afterwards, I enjoyed being a full-time student in the two year MIA program.

We both have attained high education levels at a prestigious university, but we’ve discovered that there are many paths to attain the same goals. 

Do you feel that your education level has an effect on your teaching (both limits and abilities?)

Yes, our education level does have an impact in that we are confident learners.

I’d say that we share the ability to comprehend elementary, middle school and high school subjects with our combined strengths in liberal arts and science. 

However, my confidence stems from the knowledge that we are capable of learning, and the humility to ask others when necessary.  No one is capable of knowing everything, but we can learn anything.

As a result, we are comfortable learning with our children.  We’re partners-in-learning, not fountains of wisdom.

What does your daily schedule look like?

A daily schedule doesn’t work for us, at least, not for me.  Something always comes up that takes precedence over any set schedule.  Sometimes it’s a field trip with my daughter, or a special class or activity for homeschoolers.  There is always something going on. 

Instead of a schedule, I’ve set our daily requirements. 

Alex is required to practice his math and piano every day, and to complete some science and history work each week.  He also has writing projects that we work on regularly.  And, on some days, he has gymnastics, piano, or other lessons.  That’s it. 

Of course, he reads every day and works on his own projects just for fun. 

Are your kids always polite and ready to learn?

Yeah, right.  Actually, Alex is always ready to learn, but he is never ready to practice math or piano.  For him, those are daily chores.  He is usually polite, but sometimes he isn’t.  Then, again, I’m not always polite either.

Do the kids (or you!) get frustrated?

Sure, some days learning is difficult, especially when we’re introducing a subject.  However, this makes the reward of “getting it” even sweeter.

Of course, there are those days when I have to get work done, when I don’t even try to work with Alex.  Then, I work on my own projects while Alex does his independent work.  He reads, plays computer games, watches educational TV, or just plays outside. 

There were even a few days, usually after a big trip, when we were both burned out.  Those are usually reading days, although we also had an extended Stargate Learning period this past winter.

How has this affected your parenting?

I don’t think homeschooling has affected my parenting, but it’s forced my husband to take on more responsibility with household chores.  Between the homeschooling and the writing, I just don’t have as much time as before.

How much free time do they have?

Alex has a lot of free time.  His daily work only takes a few hours, maximum.  However, some days we get a very late start on desk work or we get involved in a project that takes all day and evening.

What do they do during their free time?

In his free time, Alex is always coming up with creative, imaginative projects.  Last week, he took a dislike to the roofers, so he set “traps.”  One of these, was a growth stimulator to turn his seedlings into man-eating plants.  Really.

What hobbies do they have?

Currently, Alex’s hobbies include: Reading, GameBoy and Wii Video Games, Computer Games like Zoo Tycoon, online games like Runescape, Videography, Tennis, Skiing, Frog Catching, Digging, Gardening, Cooking and all things Pokemon related. 

Of course, he picks up new hobbies all the time.  For example, a day has passed since I filled this out, and now Alex has started sewing pillows for his Pokemon plush friends.

What difficulties and challenges do you have with homeschooling?

Maintaining balance is always a challenge, but not just with homeschool.  We’re always discovering new things that we want to try.

In homeschooling, I have to remind myself that this is a long-term project.  We don’t have to accomplish all our learning goals in a day, week, month, or even year.

What makes homeschooling enjoyable?

I love being free from the frustrations that we experienced with the kids in public school. 

I hated seeing the endless opportunity costs of a system where students have to slow down to work at the class pace.  When my daughter described the glacial-paced, monotone buddy read alouds, I was nearly in tears seeing how this was killing the joy of reading.

So, one of  the most enjoyable aspects of homeschooling is getting to read whatever, whenever.

However, the absolute best thing about homeschooling is that we are learning, exploring, and growing together.

How do you get involved in the community?

What I’d really like to know is how to get un-involved in the community?  I don’t want to sever all ties, but I’d love to have others take over some of my volunteer commitments.

Actually, I let go of several volunteer activities - Gifted Advocacy, Spanish Lessons, and Book Fair - when I pulled both kids out of our district public school.

However, I’m the Girl Scout Service Unit Manager for our area, and our troop leader.  My husband is my son’s Cub Scout Den Leader.  I also volunteer at my daughter’s new school as a Room Parent, and with the Scholastic Book Fair.

And, whenever the kids take on an activity - whether it’s swim team, theater, whatever - we always end up volunteering within that community.

When do you have opportunities to interact with public or privately schooled children?

Again, many activities - sports, music, scouting, etc. - provide opportunities to interact with children from other schools.

My son has several close friends from the neighborhood and from his school days.  Every Monday, we pick up one of his friends at the public school for their weekly play date.  And, we occasionally schedule play dates with his other friends.

This year, we also planned play dates with a neighborhood friend who switched from the same PS to homeschooling.  The boys enjoy similar interests and a shared experience, and they were free to play during “school hours.”

Additionally, area homeschoolers have organized events at libraries, parks, and other venues.  Perusing the local Yahoo Groups, it’s possible to find activities scheduled every day of the week.

Would you like more of these opportunities?

I think we have plenty for now.

How can they be created?

It’s easy to create these opportunities if you’re willing to reach out and initiate.  My son has been asking to participate in Odyssey of the Mind, so I might start a group for that purpose next year.  Fortunately, Yahoo Groups makes it easy to reach other interested persons.

What is your least favorite homeschool stereotype?

hmm… The stereotype that we are all incredibly brilliant, insightful people who love our kids and are trying to make the best choice for them?  Okay, I know, it’s not a stereotype if it’s true.

If you would like to join our learning journey, sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email.  (Click this link.  Fill out the form.  Don’t forget to click on your verification Email.  Look for this in your mailbox.)  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

For your weekend amusement, I bring you Mr. Picassohead.  Got a little spud artistry in your soul?  Unleash your inner artist.

On the Mr. Picassohead web site, you’ll find a template that walks you through all the elements needed to create your own masterpiece.

You and your kids can add to the gallery of Picassoheads, or send Email art to friends. 

Take a look at my creation.  See?  Anyone can do this.

For more wired world adventure that you can share with your family, be sure to visit previous Friday Finds:

Animoto - Create a music video with your photos.

Instructables - Discover instructions for all kinds of projects - from recipes to robots - or post your own.

I’d love to see your Mr. Picassohead.  Please post your link in a comment!

If you would like to join our learning journey, sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email.  (Click this link.  Fill out the form.  Don’t forget to click on your verification Email.  Look for this in your mailbox.)  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

When our Girl Scout Troop bridged from Junior to Cadette Level Teen Girl Scouts, we expected some changes.  Even so, these past few weeks have been an amazing roller coaster ride - and we’re just getting started.

As expected, we lost a few girls, and a leader, but we gained several girls and adult volunteers.  Leaders have been phased out, anyway.  With Teen Level Girl Scouts, the adult volunteers are merely advisors.  Now, it’s a totally girl-led experience!

In just a short time, some - or all of us - have tried: Outdoor Cooking, Kayaking, Cake Decorating, Rock Climbing, and still managed to organize a Mission Possible Read Aloud Event and Book Drive.  They’ve exchanged their first swaps at the Hershey Park Camp-o-ree, and agreed on a group identity and slogan that describes their mission - Team Candy: Making the World a Sweeter Place.

Between the traditional meetings, online planning, and field trips these girls have earned charms, patches, and hugs.   Some have completed one or more Studio 2B Focus Books, the Science Magic program, and the Paddle, Pole, and Roll Interest Project.  Several are well on their way to earning the Sweet Shoppe, Couch Potato, and Be Xtreme Interest Projects Patches.

How did this girl-led initiative come about?

Some of this stems from the progression of opportunities for leadership that the girls have had over the years.  The three girls who chose to stay with the troop are all recipients of the Bronze Award - the highest award earned by Junior Girl Scouts.

A lot of our current success stems from efforts to open up multiple avenues for communication; as well as, a clear message that everything they knew about the Girl Scouts troop experience was history.  Mostly, the girls have accomplished so much in so little time because we’ve created our own virtual pathway.

A New Look - When the girls bridged, they each received the Teen Level khaki vest (paid for from troop funds.)  They were excited about having the cool new color and a new surface for all the stuff they want to earn.  And yes, even with charms & pin options, they still want to earn patches.  They know that they will only rarely wear the vest, but they like to have a place to display their memories.

New Books - I gave them each a hot pink flexible 3-ring binder with a clear pencil case and a couple of plastic pocket folders (all $1-2 at Staples.)  Included in the binder were: a color copy of the Studio 2B Basics (so they could see the Focus Book charms); the Go For It! Silver Award insert (placed in the pencil case with a silver flash card ring); and the two Focus Books needed to earn the Silver Award.

One-on-One Time - There were a few weeks after bridging where we met to work on a Mission Possible service event, but not all the girls could attend.  During this time, I sounded out the girls individually about hopes & dreams, and talked to them about how one of my goals as an advisor is to help them make their dreams a reality. 

New Programs - Since we were working on drafting a press release for the Mission Possible project, I showed them the Public Relations Interest Patch Program and introduced them to the Interest Patch Program book.  Later, I handed out copies of the IPP Book Index & the new online IPPs for the girls to highlight what they like.  I also mentioned the Silver Award (the highest award in Cadette Level Girl Scouts,) and told them that the first step to earn this is earning three related Interest Projects. 

New Communication Tools - I informally asked the girls about how we can keep in touch since they are now so busy & rarely see each other at school.  Some are now in different schools, and even the ones who are in the same school, don’t always share classes.  Some of the girls chat on AOL’s AIM, but that’s just for them - not the advisors.  Instead, we decided to create a Yahoo Group for our troop. 

Our Troop Yahoo Group Virtual Pathway

Safety First -  I handed out copies of the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge, and asked the girls to discuss & sign it with a parent.  I also asked them to return it with their own Email address (I didn’t want “family” Emails because I want them to be comfortable discussing matters in a female-only setting.)

It’s taken some effort to get all the girls to use this forum.  Some of the girls quickly discovered how to use most of the Web Tools, others were more hesitant.  We’re still working on getting everyone on board with personal tutorials, and frequent check-ins.

Messages - The message boards are the most popular feature of this forum.  The girls love to “chat”, easily producing many posts each day, and it’s a great way to cover Girl Scout discussions.  

We started our online discussion by asking the girls to post suggestions for a group name.  After a couple of weeks, the girls had generated a long list, which they then used to create a poll  to determine the most popular name.  (This was not a perfect solution as we had a “winner” with only two votes, but the girls worked out a compromise afterwards.) 

The message boards have also been an excellent way to suggest new activities or outings, and to access the girls’ interest or availability.  We used to waste so much time planning events at meetings, only to discover conflicts when the girls conferred with their family calendars. Now, the girls can consult their calendars before they commit to an activity, and they can also post their requests.

Calendar - We also created a  Yahoo Group Calendar to record upcoming events, and to send out alerts.  For each event on the calendar, there is also a notes section where the girls can RSVP directly, and I can keep track of signed Permission Slips.

Polls -  I started the first poll, asking the girls to declare their favorite activities.  Apparently, polls about their favorite activities is not among their favorite activities.  Only half the girls have responded.  Another poll that one of the girls created about candy preferences elicited a more positive response.  

Database - It was a little more difficult to walk them through using the Yahoo Group Database.  I created one for them to log in their TV consumption for the Couch Potato IPP, but we had to help each girl figure out how to add records to the table. 

Meanwhile, I’ve created several databases.  Some enable me to help the girls keep track of the recognitions and service hours that have been earned or are in progress.   One database lists a Talent Pool of adult mentors that the girls will be able to turn to when enlisting help.  Another provides a list of media contacts for promoting future projects.

Links - I’ve also been building up a treasure trove of links that I’ve organized into a variety of folders including some for: day trips, overnight travel, SWAPs, etc. Then, for some of these, I’ve opened folders within folders.  For example, within the  Interest Project folder, I’ve opened up folders for individual IPPs.  Into these, I’ve been adding links - as I run across them -  that I think might be useful when the girls work on those projects.

Overall, the Yahoo Group Virtual Pathway has been a fabulous addition to our Teen Level Girl Scout experience.  I expect that this creative communication solution will enable the girls to not only keep in touch, but to accomplish so much more than they ever could with just the traditional GS troop.

If you would like to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by email, click this link.  You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.

Lots of people are already Yahoo Group members, but they don’t know that these groups can be used for more than just Email.

Others have never even heard of Yahoo Groups.

If you fall into the second group, you may be thrilled to discover this totally free way to communicate with a large group, and receive support from new friends who share your interests.

And, if you’ve heard of Yahoo Groups, but have only used it as an Email tool, you may be surprised to discover that you can also use Yahoo Groups to share photos, files, links, and much more with a group that can be as public or private as you like. 

Create a Yahoo Group - It’s free!

1. Go to Yahoo Groups and create a Yahoo ID, if you don’t have one already. Then, click on Start your group today.

2. Select a category for your group.  Mine are all in Schools & Education/Student Organizations.

3. Describe your group (Ex. On Living By Learning Group) and fill in  the Email address for your group (Ex. onlivingbylearning@yahoogroups.com.)

4. Verify that you’re human and you’re done. 

5. Actually, you’re not done because you can play with the Group Settings (in the Management section) to select open or restricted membership; member access to web tools; and the group’s description and appearance.

Join a Yahoo Group - It’s free too!

Joining a Yahoo Group is easy.  You can browse through thousands of groups sorted by categories on Yahoo Groups.

Or, you can go directly to the On Living By Learning Group where you can click on the big blue button labeled “Join This Group.”

You will be asked to sign in with a Yahoo ID.  If you don’t have one, it’s still possible to become a group member, but this requires linking your Email address to a Yahoo profile.

What can you do with a Yahoo Group?

Some Yahoo Group members - not you! - never visit the home page of their group.  They receive and reply to messages from their personal Email account, and never discover the many available options.

Take a look at the sidebar on the left side of The On Living By Learning Home Page  (or your own Yahoo Group home page) to find a list of Web Tools including: Messages, Files, Photos, Links, Database, Polls, Members, Calendar.

Keep in mind that the Yahoo Group Moderator decides if these tools will be available, and if members can modify these, or not.

Messages

On the home page of your Yahoo Group, you’ll find a tiny hyperlink at the top labeled “Edit Membership.”  Here you can choose between: Individual Email where you’ll get an Email anytime anyone posts a message; Daily Digest where you’ll get all the messages of the day in one Email; and Web Only where you have to visit the Yahoo Group web site to see the messages.

If you choose to view the messages online, you’ll notice that when you select a message, all the related replies or preceding messages are listed below.  This allows you to follow the complete discussion on a topic.

Files

Many school groups use a binder to store all the documents necessary for running a volunteer committee, but now there is a much better way.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to rewrite letters and forms because I crashed a computer, or because I received a binder with only paper documents.

Instead, you can create a virtual volunteer committee binder.

In this Book Fair Sample found in the Files section of the On Living By Learning Yahoo Group, you’ll find that I used the “Create Folder” link to create a Book Fair Folder.  Then, I used the “Add File” link to upload documents from my computer.

Now, anyone can open those files, and save and edit them to suit their needs.

Photos

Share your photos in a Yahoo Group album, where only group members can view the pictures.

Photo albums can be used to remind volunteers of an event layout or to share the memories.  Group members can copy and save photos to their own computers.

Links

In this Book Fair example, I’ve added a couple of links to companies that provide resources for book fairs. 

On other Yahoo Groups, I’ve added links as project resources or as reference material for a topic.

Database

The Database section can be a simple way to record information.  Yahoo Groups provides templates for creating Contact Lists, Phone Books, an Inventory, FAQ, Recipes, etc. 

However, you can modify the tables to record whatever you need.

For example, on our Girl Scout Troop Yahoo Group, we created a database table to log in TV viewing hours for a Couch Potato Interest Project.

Polls

Polls can be a good way to access interest between different options.  I’ve included one poll sample, but you can imagine many more.

I’ve seen polls asking whether homeschool educators should be certified and another, created by my daughter, that sought to discover the most popular candies.

Calendar

The group calendar is arguably the most useful Web Tool for many Yahoo Groups.  You can record all the events of the year, including detailed notes for program planning.  And, you can set reminders to alert group members of any upcoming events.

My Yahoo Groups

I’ve joined many Yahoo Groups.  Here are some of my favorites:

Local Homeschool Groups -

• CDHE - Capital District Home Educators in NY’s Capital Region.
• capitaldistricthomeschool - Another Yahoo Group for homeschool families in NY’s Capital Region.
• FERNetwork · Family Educators Resource Network in the areas of Columbia, Rensselaer, and Albany counties in New York and in Berkshire county in Massachusetts.
• SaratogoHomeschoolers - Homeschoolers in the Saratoga, NY area.
• NYHEN-Support - This list is hosted by the New York Home Educators’ Network (www.nyhen.org) and provides resources for anyone homeschooling in New York.

Homeschool -

A Homeschool Review - Reviews of homeschooling curriculums.

Clickschooling - Daily links to homeschool resources.

homeschool_form_share - Facilitates sharing homeschool forms.

secular_homeschoolers -  This very active homeschool group promotes interesting and informative discussions, and provides lots of resource files and links.

unschoolingbasics - Support and resources for unschoolers.

WellTrainedMindDscn - Discussion group for homeschoolers implementing a classical education.

Gifted Education -

HSGiftedChildren - Support group for parents who homeschool gifted children.

gifted_EGCSD - East Greenbush Schools Enrichment was set up as an advocacy group and discussion forum for families in this district.

GTAletters - Gifted & Talented Ass’n of Montgomery County, MD.

Girl Scouts

AllGirlScouts - Facilitates resource sharing between Girl Scouts around the world.

Cad-Senleaders - A list for Girl Scout 11-17’s Advisors.

Greenbloodnews - The latest Girl Scout news.

SwapMakers - Sharing ideas about making Girl Scout crafts and swaps.

Education -

Education News - I have this Membership set for Daily Digest so that I receive the world’s education news in my inbox every day.

Singapore Math - A U.S. based forum for anyone using Singapore math.

Writing and Homeschool -

BraveWriterMoms - Supporting Homeschooling Moms who implement the Brave Writer philosophy of language arts and writing.

HEWG - Home Educators Writers Group is a super supportive group of individuals who juggle a passion for writing and homeschooling.

Do you have a favorite Yahoo Group?  Please share in a comment.

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My Friday Find feature is supposed to be a super-fast article with a link to a web site that will inspire you (I hope!) to explore the wired world with your kids. 

When I ran across Waterstone’s. What’s your story?, I figured that I had the perfect candidate.

Waterstone’s is sponsoring a postcard story competition, ending June 19th,  where all you have to do is upload a creative postcard, preferably with your story. 

Or, you can decorate a card, any way you like, using their card generator.

Winners receive book vouchers and/or a writing course.  You may also get to have your story printed with such illustrious company as Margaret Atwood or JK Rowling.

Well, I have a story project in the works, so why not upload it? 

Several hours later,  I figured out a way to fit my story into the card template and upload it into the gallery.

After all that effort, I finally looked at all the cards in the gallery.   Mine didn’t look as pretty as the others, but that’s OK, I managed to fit in all the words.

Next, I read the judging criteria.  Nearly at the end of the list, I found:

Does the story ‘fit’ the page, or did it appear to be a longer story
cut down to fit the space available?

Obviously, I should’ve read the judging criteria before embarking on this project.  Still, at least I got to “publish” my story somewhere.  I was proud of my story.  It even has a great ending. 

It was so good, I just had to read it again, squinting to make out the tiny, cramped type.  That’s when I noticed that the end was cut off.

Ahhck!  I definitely won’t win any prizes.

Tomorrow, I’ll let the kids give the story card generator a whirl.  Maybe they’ll be better at this.  Hey, they could hardly be worse.

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Some educators are attempting to transform the world of education to meet the needs of the 21st Century Student.

At a recent retreat organized by The Charter School Growth Fund, Anastasia Goodstein - author of Totally Wired and Ypulse - noted these emerging trends in Reboot Learning!:

• The educational experience should be more individualized and customized for the student… but …there has to be some structured goals/desired outcomes.
• The role of teachers will and must change.  As knowledge becomes more broadly available through technology, teachers are no longer the all-knowing beings they once were — they instead become more like “guides” or “facilitators” of learning.
• It’s about preparing them to be adaptive vs. having one job or career for the rest of their lives. We talked about the new skills needed for the 21st century like filtering/information literacy, project management, personal branding, thinking globally and the ability to adapt to rapid change. It has to be about more than just mastering subject matter or even learning one specific vocation.

As I read about these emerging trends, I realized that these worthy ideas permeate the thinking behind such disparate groups as Girl Scouts USA and Unschooling groups … and maybe, they aren’t really all that new. 

Girl Scouts USA counsels adult volunteers to ensure that programs are girl-led so that each girl can develop the “courage, confidence, and character” to be a leader.  There is a whole new initiative to create resources and pathways to ensure that Girl Scouts is a girl-driven experience.

And yet, when you talk to adult volunteers who have been in scouting all of their long lives, you’ll hear that this is not a new idea.  What is new are guidelines and materials enabling current leaders to learn to let go as the girls mature.

Successful Girl Scout leaders have been doing this all along.

Meanwhile, on the Unschooling Website, sponsored by Home Education Magazine, you get this unvarnished century-old suggestion from Anne Sullivan:

I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built upon the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must be taught to think. Whereas, if the child is left to himself, he will think more and better, if less showily. Let him go and come freely, let him touch real things and combine his impressions for himself, instead of sitting indoors at a little round table, while a sweet-voiced teacher suggests that he build a stone wall with his wooden blocks, or make a rainbow out of strips of coloured paper, or plant straw trees in bead flower-pots. Such teaching fills the mind with artificial associations that must be got rid of, before the child can develop independent ideas out of actual experience.

I’m reminded of an even older education idea.  If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.  If you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

I think that the best teachers have always known that their goal is to enable independent learners who are are confident, creative problem solvers.

What do you think? Share your opinion in a comment!

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My favorite new online gadget is Animoto, a strangely addictive music video generator. Just plug in a few photos, pick a song, and you’ve got a gorgeous professional-quality show.

My kids are using it to create introductions for their Gifted Kids Network classes, and they couldn’t resist posting their creations on their blogs - Alex & Leperdy and Elferkid.

Just this week, I created two of these Animotos because it’s an entertaining solution when you  have several pictures to share.  A free thirty second production can showcase up to twelve pictures, and you can purchase a $30 annual pass to create longer videos.

So far, I’ve used Animotos to show how we were Lost in the Pine Bush and to share my Girl Scouts’ Mission Possible Read Aloud Event.

Next week, I’ll find out just how much I can cram into a video when I test out the full-length video option.

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