Aug 30. 2010

Our 1st somewhat real, full day of Quasi-Unschooling- getting back in a routine.

I slept in till 9:00. I am still recovering from Bronchitis but finally dooing MUCH better.
After breakfast, we had a family talk about the rules for doors and knocking. It was basically a talk about;
Just because you have a RIGHT to do something, doesn't mean you should.
I told them the Bible verse that tells us to "In as much as it is up to us, leave at peace with everyone"

After a few morning chores, I sent them off to work on different tasks. Connor is doing review questions and studying for his Chapter 5 test in Science. Gavin was told to do the next section in his SAT book and then study and review is Physics. His test is Thursday.

Ki read in his animal book (about rabbits, pikas, the platypus, echidna, and a few others). Then he looked up Echindnas online to learn more about them (spiney anteaters). After that, I had him browse around at www.wordlywise300.com He read a few of the lessons and played a few of the games. all while laying in my bed with his drink on a stool next to him- talk about an easy Life!




I asked Ki if we wanted to start back up with Life of Fred today or do some worksheets (math). I told him he needs to get back into Life of Fred this week, but he has a few days to get back into it if he wants.

After lunch I took Gavin to buy some supplies for his college art class.
back home K&C boys worked on their math.

Gavin needs to be at 80% of his ALEKS finished by the end of Sept- so he's working towards that. He'll do his math tonight with Brian and his science tonight, too. We are down a computer- so they have to alternate.

Connor did his ALEKS. I need to check his account soon, see where he is and help him come up with a plan of what he wants to do next so what he needs to do now to get there.
Ki- chose reviewing Times Tables. Using sheets with the times tables written out- saying the problem and filling in the answer- then checking.

Ki Cooks

Ki has been doing a lot of cooking recently. He's volunteered at the Culinary School in SLO a couple times and has made dinner for friends from church. They have 2 kids- so it was dinner for 8. Actually, he made most of last week, they had a scheduling mix up and didn't come, so they cam this week. Since Ki cooked a lot of it last week, I helped him this week. I had Death By Chocolate Cake twice this month!

Some Cold School Thoughts

As I sit here, hacking up lungs, but not tired enough to nap, I decided a good use of mine time would be to listen to Coldplay and make lists of what kinds of things we have planned for schooling this next season of learning.

“YELLOW”

Math- Gavin and Connor are doing www.aleks.com. Brian is less ‘unschool’ than I. Though I do agree the boys should be doing something for math, Brian decided they should be doing www.aleks.com. It just didn’t work for Ki. He tried. I tried to help make it work, it just didn’t. But the older 2 do well with it. They also know they need to keep up on their math and asked us to make sure they get the math. They both want to be Robotic Engineers and are in highschool.

Ki is going through a book series for math. The series is called “ Life of Fred.” http://www.stanleyschmidt.com/FredGauss/index2.html

Cue “TALK”

Ki seems to need information is storytelling format. “The Life of Fred” presents math in a storytelling format. But the review chapters are not in story format. So I rewrite the reviews for Ki and put them into story format.

They will all 3 continue in the math they have been doing.

Not sure if I will give the older boys a date for when their current math course needs to be finished or how to do that. But they want to have 4 years of math on their high school transcript and they are easily distracted and they know it won’t happen with out me giving them deadlines. I’ll ask them how they want to go about making sure they get enough math in for their goals.

Ki- we just read 1 chapter a day. He likes the together time and sometimes even asks to red a 2^nd chapter.

Cue “Viva La Vida”

Social Studies. We are still reading Story of the World. Yep. For 9 yrs of homeschooling. Yep, we are still on book 2. We get side tracked an awful lot. But they like the book so I try to remember to read it. Maybe I should just sit and read it all day to them and get it finished.

Then there is the main Social Studies of just researching current events that interest them or researching past events they ask about; their independent research of wars or weapons or natural disasters that lead to “social studies” learning.

I think I need to finally finish the Jesus Freaks book we started a few years ago, too. Ki likes when I read that book, but it also makes him sad. And it makes me sad, too.

Cue “Clocks”

Reading. They all read on their own for pleasure and have to read for whatever they decide to research. Sometimes I assign Bible Reading. It's a good habit I want to build in them.

Sometime we memorize Bible Verses together, too.

Science:

Connor is finishing a course in General Science. Not sure what he’ll choose next, maybe chemistry. That is what Gavin has chosen. So they could do it together. That’d make labs more fun. Gavin can do his favorite thing while he waits for C to be ready for Chemistry… Independent research.

Gavin finished up Physics over the summer and decided to do Chemistry this year. Both Gavin and Connor chose Apologia CD Roms. They are self-led and on the computer. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Ki has been reading up on Land Animals. Not sure where he’ll go next. He hasn’t expressed any interest in what he wants to do next. I’ll just have to wait until he’s done with this.

Cue “Square One”

OTHERS:

Gavin is taking an art class at the local Community College.

Connor and Ki asked to take theater, so I found a place around here that teaches Theater classed to homeschool kids.

I think I need to write checks for that still.

I want to do a Latin Roots program with the boys. So, is it really Unschool is I have them do this? Maybe not. But if it works for us and we school how we want, then maybe it is. Does it matter? No. If I did everything the ‘correct unschool way’ just because some Unschool authority says to do it that way, then it’s not really unschooling anyway.

Cue “Speed of Sound”

So, I guess that’s it for the ‘schooly looking’ stuff.

We also have AMTGARD. Ki wants to design a quest. I’m encouraging him in this endeavor.

I know I want to make the most of the beaches over the next 9 months or so. We’ll probably be out of here in April or May.

I also want to hit as many Missions as we can. I think I want to plan a Mini-Road trip for this. Maybe drive a few days north- camping between Missions. Come home- them do the same South bound after a small break.

That’s it for now.

Matriculation Monday

ma·tric·u·late

tr. & intr.v. ma·tric·u·lat·ed, ma·tric·u·lat·ing, ma·tric·u·lates

To admit or be admitted into a group, especially a college or university.

Monday (pron. IPA: /ˈmʌndeɪ, ˈmʌndi/) is the day of the week between Sunday and Tuesday. Origins of the name The name of the day's origins revolve mostly around the moon, which in turn gets its name from Mani (Old English Mona), the Germanic moon god. Similarly, the names in Latin-based languages such as the Italianname (Lunedì), the French name (lundi), the Spanish name (lunes), and the Romanian name (Luni) come from the Latin name for moon, luna. The Russian word, eschewing pagan names, is понедельник (poniediélnik), meaning "after Sunday." In most of the Indian Languages, the word for Monday is Somvar, with Soma being the Sanskrit name for the moon. The Japanese word for Monday is getsuyōbi (月曜日) which means day of the moon.

Bright and early Monday Morning, I will accompany Gavin at AHC while he enrolls in an art class. Then I will drive him across the (very small) campus to the Testing Building where he will take his College Placement Test......yes, for a art class.

I had Gavin read up on the START test. Turns out, you can fail, get a Big Fat 0 and they still admit you. The test is just to help them give you placement advise. I'm assuming you don't need a high score in math and English for an art class.

I think math should be capitalized. English is capitalized; math should get the same respect.

I think after G & finish his ACH enrollment & testing, we should all 4 go to the beach with boffer swords. I'll check Gudalupe's weather forecast for tomorrow. If it's too chilly we'll go to Oso Flaco.Maybe the whale carcass will still be there.

Gavin is leaving on a jet plane Tuesday morning. He is visiting grandparents in Omaha, Nebraska. His aunt, uncle, and some of his cousins live there, too.

Tuesday I will drive K up to SLO for one of his Volunteer Cooking Class Helper gigs.

I think by Tuesday or Wednesday I might be ready to start compiling ideas and plans for school.

Looking Ahead, but not very far.

Sometimes, Looking Ahead starts with a little Looking Behind. Like remembering when the kids where younger and I had more to do to herd them daily, but a lot less to do on my calendar. More to Juggle IN THE HOME, but a lot LESS to juggle outside of the home. Neither way i s better or worse. Life is just a series of trade-offs and changes.

Gavin is registered at a student at the local Community College. He's in 11th grade. Here (and many other place) upper High School kids can take college courses that count at college credits (so the are a few steps ahead of the game when they graduate high school) and that count as High School credits. And it's usually tuition free. (but other fees apply, of course. Like books and art supplies)

This new endeavor will have us booked every Monday and Wednesday morning. No more deciding to skip off to the beach on a Monday Morning or fit his dentist appointments in on a Wednesday morning.

Connor and Ki will be taking Wednesday Afternoon Theater Classes. So no afternoon beach trips on Wednesdays.

This concept of having to fit our lives around school is something we are not used to doing. We have done it for a short time a couple times, but it's always a huge hassle. But, then, so are lots of things in life. That's just how it goes.

Gavin is taking an Art Class at Allan Hancock College. I figured it'd be good to start off with something easy; esp since he'll miss the first day of class because he'll be out of state. Though he is a registered student, he has not enrolled in this art class. "College Now" class enrollment starts Aug 9th. This is the day before he leaves on his trip. Nothing like cutting it down to the last minute. I thrive on procrastination. That feeling of having "NO MORE time left, so gotta do it NOW!"

I really should start thinking about their other learning adventures; math, science. history, grammar.... But it's not down to the final hour yet, so I have plenty of time until that Window Of Motivation.

***** Subject Change *****

I have had 4 acupuncture appointments. 2 worked GREAT, one NOT at ALL, and this last one has not had migraines afterwards, but I'm headachey. But then again, I don't think I'm getting enough protein and my water and glucose intake or not optimal.

But I'm also learning some acupressure that I can use with Ki, too.

***** Subject Change *****

Here i a fun little game that has you building a cell and fighting of viruses and looks like maybe splicing DNA in the future- all why teaching what the different parts of the cell do and how.

CELLCRAFT (click to play)

***** Subject Change *****

I knit a couple Coffee Cup Sleeves. I wanted to learn to use DPNs. Double Pointed Needles.. I found that it is easier to use 5 than 4.

***** Subject Change *****

The summer is a time of less structure. Less structure is a time of more Sensory Meltdowns. Ki's meltdowns and outbursts have been getting more frequent and more..intense.

When I plan the upcoming 'more structured than not-schooling', I'll be adding some occupational Therapy for Ki (his brothers will join in).

This will include, but it not limited to, Obstacle Courses, Brain Gym, joint Compression. Yoga, and maybe some massage.