On September 22, 2012 my husband called me and asked whether I wanted an IPAD 3 or a Galaxy Note for my birthday. I knew that Apple had made a huge effort to get education apps on ITunes so I went for the IPAD. In the past year I have found wonderful educational apps and a lot of fun ones too. I have also found an awesome site which has free and discounted apps listed every day. For anyone with an Apple product looking for apps you need to check out www.smartappsforkids.com.
Many of the apps are for younger kids, but it is always worth looking to see if there is anything you can use. They also have a site dealing with special needs kids at www.smartappsforspecialneeds.com
I have thought about seeing if I can get my husband to offer me a Galaxy Note or if we can get an inexpensive android tablet for the kids because I have found that there are a lot of great apps coming out for android recently and I would like to take advantage of them. We have a Kindle Fire (the older version) and I don't know how to get a lot of the apps I have seen to run on it. On top of that my 13 year old daughter has "borrowed" it and I haven't seen it for a while :). If you have an android tablet check out www.smartappsforandroid.com . Again they have a lot for younger kids, but there is often apps for older kids too.
In the future I will be reviewing apps that I have enjoyed using and maybe some to avoid. The tablets are here to stay and can be a real asset to your homeschooling if you get the right apps.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Preserving the past by Saving Memories Forever
My Grandfather on my mother's side was born in 1900. In the 90 years he was alive he went from living without electricity and having ice delivered by horse drawn wagon (which he also drove when he was in his early 20's) to watching a man walk on the moon in real time. He lived through 2 World Wars, Prohibition,The Great Depression, Korea, Vietnam, the 60's and the 80's. He had such wonderful stories that I try to tell my children now, but I don't always remember everything, making it hard for them to understand. If I had recorded his stories I could have played them for the kids and they would have heard it just like I did.
There is a website now that can do just that. Saving Memories Forever www.savingmemoriesforever.com, was created by Harvey and Jane Baker after they created a wonderful family tree chart and realized that they knew their relatives' names, but not who they really were.
Saving Memories Forever is available in an app for both Apple and Android. It can also be used on the website. Start by going to the website and linking to the apps. I put the app on my IPad and used the webpage. The first thing you need to do is register. It is very easy to do, free and secure. After you have registered you can start recording. There are 6 life categories to choose from, divided by age, along with the more general categories of jokes, religion, philosophy and other stories and songs. When you click on a category it takes you to a list of prompts to help direct your stories. These are open ended questions like: "What was your first "real" job?", "What kind of technology did you use?" and "What do you wish you could change?". You click on the question you want to answer and you are taken to the recording screen. This is a simple push to record set up so it is easily used by even the least technosavy person. The suggested length of a recording is 5 minutes, but the program can accommodate up to 10 minutes of recording. You can play back your recording to make sure you are happy with it and rerecord it if you want to before uploading it to the site for permanent storage. You can also upload MP3 files that weren't recorded through the app or on the site. For example, if we had recorded my son making his speech at his Eagle Court of Honor last year we could have uploaded it under his storyteller profile.
There are two options for membership in the site, free and fee paid. The biggest differences are in the number of storytellers available per account and the ease of organization of the files. If you are looking to do a lot of stories or have more than a couple of people you would like to include, the paid subscription, $3.99 per month or $40 a year, is well worth it.
Historians look to primary sources when they are studying a time period in history. Many of those sources are stories told and written by ordinary people living in those times. We as a society don't write in diaries or in letters like we used to, but we still love to tell stories. I would definitely recommend Saving Memories Forever to help your family save those treasured stories.
There is a website now that can do just that. Saving Memories Forever www.savingmemoriesforever.com, was created by Harvey and Jane Baker after they created a wonderful family tree chart and realized that they knew their relatives' names, but not who they really were.
Saving Memories Forever is available in an app for both Apple and Android. It can also be used on the website. Start by going to the website and linking to the apps. I put the app on my IPad and used the webpage. The first thing you need to do is register. It is very easy to do, free and secure. After you have registered you can start recording. There are 6 life categories to choose from, divided by age, along with the more general categories of jokes, religion, philosophy and other stories and songs. When you click on a category it takes you to a list of prompts to help direct your stories. These are open ended questions like: "What was your first "real" job?", "What kind of technology did you use?" and "What do you wish you could change?". You click on the question you want to answer and you are taken to the recording screen. This is a simple push to record set up so it is easily used by even the least technosavy person. The suggested length of a recording is 5 minutes, but the program can accommodate up to 10 minutes of recording. You can play back your recording to make sure you are happy with it and rerecord it if you want to before uploading it to the site for permanent storage. You can also upload MP3 files that weren't recorded through the app or on the site. For example, if we had recorded my son making his speech at his Eagle Court of Honor last year we could have uploaded it under his storyteller profile.
There are two options for membership in the site, free and fee paid. The biggest differences are in the number of storytellers available per account and the ease of organization of the files. If you are looking to do a lot of stories or have more than a couple of people you would like to include, the paid subscription, $3.99 per month or $40 a year, is well worth it.
Historians look to primary sources when they are studying a time period in history. Many of those sources are stories told and written by ordinary people living in those times. We as a society don't write in diaries or in letters like we used to, but we still love to tell stories. I would definitely recommend Saving Memories Forever to help your family save those treasured stories.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Hurray for Les Miserable
I know what you are thinking...if this is an educational blog why am I reviewing movies? Well done movies are a great way to get kids who don't like to read exposed to great literature, and bring history to life. The 2012 version of Les Miserable, staring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathoway, is one of these movies.
In 1862, Victor Hugo published Les Miserable in French. The book, set between 1815 and 1832, follows the life of Jean Valjean, a man arrested and jailed after stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew. Though his original sentence is 5 years, Valjean ends up spending 19 years in prison because he continuously tries to escape. The prison that he was held in is nothing like what we know as prison The opening scene shows the prisoners pulling a huge ship into dry dock by pulling on ropes. It is hard to watch, but what prisoners treated like during the first French Republic. This opening scene also introduces us to Javert, a guard who is committed to the law.
The story then follows Valjean's life after he is "released". While he is no longer in prison, he is considered a dangerous man. He needs to carry papers with him that show that he is a convict. He is rejected everywhere he goes and ends up desolate on the streets. He is hungry, angry and hates everyone. He ends up in a monastery and his life is changed by a man who showed Christ to Valjean by his deeds. This is a story of forgiveness, redemption, salvation, compassion and self sacrifice, but it is also a story of lust, evil, persecution, rebellion, violence, greed and death. It shows human beings at their best and their worst.
So not to give away the story, I will not go any further into the plot. Know that the movie is rated PG-13 for multiple reasons. The movie itself is almost 3 hours long. The story is for older children and adults. It could easily scare younger children and they would probably not understand most of what was going on. There are a couple of curse words, which are used appropriately for the plot. There are scenes where a woman is a prostitute, but prostitution is shown for the evil it is. There are scenes with a lot of drinking, sexual innuendoes, stealing and people being shot. In fact even a child is shot down. While this is hard to watch, it is really what happened in France at this time in history and if we are to learn the lessons of history, we need to see the good and the bad.
The 2012 movie is a musical based on the long running Broadway show, but this is like no other musical movie ever made. Until this movie the singing was done in a studio and lip synced by the actors during filming. That's why Julie Andrews could run through the mountains and still sing so fantastically. This film records the singing and acting at the same time. That makes a huge difference and allows the actors to really concentrate on the emotions of scenes as opposed to making the acting fit the prerecorded music.
If you want to see a movie of Les Miserable but don't want the musical version, I recommend the 1998 version with Liam Neeson. For a full study of the story I suggest reading the book (you can get it in ebook for free from amazon or project Gutenberg), seeing the non musical version of the movie and then the musical version. Comparing the parts that are left out or changed between the versions can be the basis for lively discussion.
Regardless of what version or versions you choose, Les Miserable is a story worth knowing.
The 2012 movie is a musical based on the long running Broadway show, but this is like no other musical movie ever made. Until this movie the singing was done in a studio and lip synced by the actors during filming. That's why Julie Andrews could run through the mountains and still sing so fantastically. This film records the singing and acting at the same time. That makes a huge difference and allows the actors to really concentrate on the emotions of scenes as opposed to making the acting fit the prerecorded music.
If you want to see a movie of Les Miserable but don't want the musical version, I recommend the 1998 version with Liam Neeson. For a full study of the story I suggest reading the book (you can get it in ebook for free from amazon or project Gutenberg), seeing the non musical version of the movie and then the musical version. Comparing the parts that are left out or changed between the versions can be the basis for lively discussion.
Regardless of what version or versions you choose, Les Miserable is a story worth knowing.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Teaching Virtue
If you are looking for a curriculum for most subjects there is a huge number to choose from, with the exception of teaching virtues. What good is our children getting great SAT scores if they don't have good character? That's where "We Choose Virtues" by Heather McMillian http://we-choose-virtues.myshopify.com/ can help.
We Choose Virtues is designed for early childhood through elementary students, but can be modified for older students. The twelve virtues that the curriculum covers are grouped into three categories: obey, be kind and be a helper. These are the three rules of the course which are reinforced throughout the lessons. The virtues under obey are obedience, attentiveness, self-control and honesty. The be kind virtues are: kindness, forgiveness, patience and gentleness. The be a helper virtues are: helpfulness, perseverance, diligence, and being content.
The teacher's guide is laid out into two sections: how to teach the virtues and the tools to do it. It needs to be read through before starting the course. It is written as if it was being used by a classroom teacher but is easily adaptable to the homeschool setting. The guide is very easy to read through, well laid out and includes stories, examples and activities to use with the virtues.
Some of the tools that you can use to teach the virtues are Teacher Virtue Cards, Kids Virtue Poster, flashcards and a coloring story book. These tools are extra but you can buy the curriculum in bundles to meet your particular needs. I would suggest getting the tools if you are dealing with young children, but not if you are adapting it for tweens and teens. The exception to this are the family assessment, the memory verses and the home improvement report. I started by doing the family assessment to see what virtues were lacking in our family so I could concentrate on those first.
So if you want an engaging curriculum that isn't going to take up a huge part of your day, especially if you have young children, I would suggest checking out We Choose Virtues.
We Choose Virtues is designed for early childhood through elementary students, but can be modified for older students. The twelve virtues that the curriculum covers are grouped into three categories: obey, be kind and be a helper. These are the three rules of the course which are reinforced throughout the lessons. The virtues under obey are obedience, attentiveness, self-control and honesty. The be kind virtues are: kindness, forgiveness, patience and gentleness. The be a helper virtues are: helpfulness, perseverance, diligence, and being content.
The teacher's guide is laid out into two sections: how to teach the virtues and the tools to do it. It needs to be read through before starting the course. It is written as if it was being used by a classroom teacher but is easily adaptable to the homeschool setting. The guide is very easy to read through, well laid out and includes stories, examples and activities to use with the virtues.
Some of the tools that you can use to teach the virtues are Teacher Virtue Cards, Kids Virtue Poster, flashcards and a coloring story book. These tools are extra but you can buy the curriculum in bundles to meet your particular needs. I would suggest getting the tools if you are dealing with young children, but not if you are adapting it for tweens and teens. The exception to this are the family assessment, the memory verses and the home improvement report. I started by doing the family assessment to see what virtues were lacking in our family so I could concentrate on those first.
So if you want an engaging curriculum that isn't going to take up a huge part of your day, especially if you have young children, I would suggest checking out We Choose Virtues.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Finally! Math for Everybody
Review of Life of Fred www.lifeoffredmath.com
People are either math folks or they aren't...and two of my kids aren't. Trying to find a math curriculum for those kids has been an ongoing struggle at best. That was until I met Fred.
I admit that when a friend told me that her math curriculum was called "Life of Fred", I was very skeptical How could a series of stories teach my kids math through High School?
Life of Fred is a collection of books written by Stan Schmidt that spans from beginning math concepts through calculus and statistics and so much more. The books are set up in story form with the main character being Fred Gauss, a 5 1/2 year old college math professor at KITTENS University. Fred uses math concepts in real life so you don't get the "when am I ever going to use this" question. Along with math, Fred books include music, history, literature, science, art and many other topics. The books are divided into four groups: Elementary books before fractions, Before High School, High School and University Mathematics.
The ten elementary books begin with basic addition and goes through long division. The books are titled alphabetically from Apples to Jelly Beans. In these books Fred has multiple pets, we meet Fred's doll Kingie, travel to Edgewood, Kentucky, and meet a lot of interesting characters who come into Fred's life. The stories are engaging and the kids can't wait to find out what happens next.
The Before High School book set covers fractions, decimals, percents, pre-algebra (with biography and economics) and physics. Not only does Fred tell you how to work with these often tough concepts, but he explains why you do what you do with the numbers. For non-math people this is really gives them the depth of understanding that many curricula lack. My oldest daughter said that with Fred she finally understand the why of math, not just the what of math.
The High School books are beginning algebra, geometry, advanced algebra and trigonometry. These books have extra practice and fully explained answers. This set of books makes it easy for parents who may not be math whizzes to teach these higher math courses with confidence.
For students who want to move on past High School math can delve into Calculus, Statistics and Linear Algebra. These books allow students to move on in math by themselves. The books will take you through second year college math and give you the skills you need to tackle these classes at the university level.
The books have a small number of examples to complete called, Your Turn to Play. This isn't the typical present the concept and then do a large number of problems. The younger grade books have 19 chapters and no tests. When you reach the before High School books you add "bridges". These are review quizzes that the student needs to pass before moving on in the book. There are five different tries to get nine out of ten questions right. When you look over the bridge questions you will know exactly what areas are problems so you can go over them again. At the end of the books is a final bridge that reviews the whole book. Again there are five bridges that the students can choose from to show mastery of the topics. The High School books have companion books that can be bought with extra practice and detailed answers.
Life of Fred books are fun, informative and inexpensive. The books range from $17 for the Elementary books to $40 for the University books. All the books are hard cover so they can be used for multiple students. The books are subtly Christian. Fred budgets for the tithe, goes to Sunday School and prays, but the books are not preachy. These books are not just for folks who aren't math oriented. They are fun for everybody and don't be surprised if you enjoy reading the books as much as the kids do.
Review of Life of Fred www.lifeoffredmath.com
People are either math folks or they aren't...and two of my kids aren't. Trying to find a math curriculum for those kids has been an ongoing struggle at best. That was until I met Fred.
I admit that when a friend told me that her math curriculum was called "Life of Fred", I was very skeptical How could a series of stories teach my kids math through High School?
Life of Fred is a collection of books written by Stan Schmidt that spans from beginning math concepts through calculus and statistics and so much more. The books are set up in story form with the main character being Fred Gauss, a 5 1/2 year old college math professor at KITTENS University. Fred uses math concepts in real life so you don't get the "when am I ever going to use this" question. Along with math, Fred books include music, history, literature, science, art and many other topics. The books are divided into four groups: Elementary books before fractions, Before High School, High School and University Mathematics.
The ten elementary books begin with basic addition and goes through long division. The books are titled alphabetically from Apples to Jelly Beans. In these books Fred has multiple pets, we meet Fred's doll Kingie, travel to Edgewood, Kentucky, and meet a lot of interesting characters who come into Fred's life. The stories are engaging and the kids can't wait to find out what happens next.
The Before High School book set covers fractions, decimals, percents, pre-algebra (with biography and economics) and physics. Not only does Fred tell you how to work with these often tough concepts, but he explains why you do what you do with the numbers. For non-math people this is really gives them the depth of understanding that many curricula lack. My oldest daughter said that with Fred she finally understand the why of math, not just the what of math.
The High School books are beginning algebra, geometry, advanced algebra and trigonometry. These books have extra practice and fully explained answers. This set of books makes it easy for parents who may not be math whizzes to teach these higher math courses with confidence.
For students who want to move on past High School math can delve into Calculus, Statistics and Linear Algebra. These books allow students to move on in math by themselves. The books will take you through second year college math and give you the skills you need to tackle these classes at the university level.
The books have a small number of examples to complete called, Your Turn to Play. This isn't the typical present the concept and then do a large number of problems. The younger grade books have 19 chapters and no tests. When you reach the before High School books you add "bridges". These are review quizzes that the student needs to pass before moving on in the book. There are five different tries to get nine out of ten questions right. When you look over the bridge questions you will know exactly what areas are problems so you can go over them again. At the end of the books is a final bridge that reviews the whole book. Again there are five bridges that the students can choose from to show mastery of the topics. The High School books have companion books that can be bought with extra practice and detailed answers.
Life of Fred books are fun, informative and inexpensive. The books range from $17 for the Elementary books to $40 for the University books. All the books are hard cover so they can be used for multiple students. The books are subtly Christian. Fred budgets for the tithe, goes to Sunday School and prays, but the books are not preachy. These books are not just for folks who aren't math oriented. They are fun for everybody and don't be surprised if you enjoy reading the books as much as the kids do.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Welcome Homeschoolers
Welcome to the opening of Covenant Acres Educational Consulting. I am a certified teacher in Special Education and Elementary Education who lives in rural New Hampshire. I have been homeschooling my own four children for 13 years and have had the pleasure of working with many homeschoolers all over the country. I have done evaluations for many different types of homeschoolers and have gotten to see a wide variety of techniques and curriculum. I hope to share what I have learned both through working with others and my own trial and error. I will be concentrating on homeschooling kids with different challenges. Most folks call them special needs kids, but I believe that everyone has special needs and we have to figure out how best to work with those needs.
I will also be reviewing products that I have used. I look at things from a busy homeschooler of multiple kids with different learning styles point of view. I am an eclectic homeschooler and work with whatever curriculum works best. I have also taught in both public school and our local co-op.
I want to help parents, whether brand new homeschoolers or seasoned veterans, to make their homeschooling situation best for their family. I hope to hear from folks to help this blog meet your needs.
So welcome to Covenant Acres!
I will also be reviewing products that I have used. I look at things from a busy homeschooler of multiple kids with different learning styles point of view. I am an eclectic homeschooler and work with whatever curriculum works best. I have also taught in both public school and our local co-op.
I want to help parents, whether brand new homeschoolers or seasoned veterans, to make their homeschooling situation best for their family. I hope to hear from folks to help this blog meet your needs.
So welcome to Covenant Acres!
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