R.I.P. Steve Jobs

Found this shared on Google + today. I'm going to play this for Z today. A reminder to live YOUR life.

Week One: All Said and Done!

We made it through week one, and we started on time everyday. That in itself is an accomplishment. We had a huge storm last night; big enough water was leaking around some windows. There were high winds, branches down, almost hurricane force winds. All of it started about eleven p.m., right after we had all tried to go to bed.

I also have a really sore throat, and spent part of the school day in bed. Thankfully Z has elevated himself to be able to work independently. In fact he's pretty awesome so far this year. We had grand plans for academics over the summer (insert vile, evil laughter here). None of it got done. We had a family illness that took most of our focus and time. The only academic thing Z was required to do was read every day for thirty minutes. Since he is engulfed in the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix, getting him to read is not an issue. His reading level has increased over the summer. His reading aloud has greatly improved. We accomplished a lot of reading this week, much of it aloud. He did so well.

Our schedule has been a hit. Doing less subjects per day has been wonderful. We have time to chat, discover, not worry about the clock, and still finish well. The real test will be next week with math.

Our biggest joy this week has been delving into the Tolkien biography. We're only on chapter five, but I can already see Z's appreciation for the author increasing. We start into Lord of the Rings on Monday. I myself have never read the books (insert audible gasp!) and I can't wait to start our journey together.

We've also implemented rising interests into our ways to build skills. The other night we watched a show called Legend Quest. The episode was about the quest for the location of the Holy Grail. We stayed up long after the show discussing our knowledge of the grail (minimal), our own speculations (wildly so), and how he wanted to research this issue further. The next day at school we used this as a opportunity to learn how to research online. I could not have planned the task better. The chapter we read in Rulebook for Arguments that same day discussed how to find and use sources. We did not find too much on the grail, but we stoked our imaginations and built skills at the same time.

I'm thrilled with my student this year. His growth through a trying summer has been remarkable. I can't wait for next week when we start back into algebra; math always garners a few interesting conversations, mostly nothing to do with math.

Stop the Press!! A Last Minute Change in the Lineup!!

Nothing like changing your mind in the last few weeks before school starts. On top of the schedule change I'm implementing some other changes. I've been reading about right-brained learning in the above book, Right Brained Children in a Left Brained World. We've always known Z is more of a creative, right-brained learner, but the above book gave some specific tips on how to teach a child of this sort. So it has left me re evaluating the curricula we use. After much angst I have decided to give Cambridge Latin a try. It's a whole-to-parts course instead of a parts-to-whole course like we have been using.

 We have used the Latin for Children series from Classical Academic Press. We used half of Latin Alive I also from CAP last year. I love CAP's Latin products. Latin for Children was fun, made Z interested in Latin, and allowed us to really put the Latin-Centered in a Latin-Centered Curriculum. Latin Alive took the knowledge to a new level with a program that is full and rich. Latin Alive touches on grammar, vocabulary, and readings. With the state mottos being discussed at the beginning of each chapter, you can see how America has a Latin heritage as well. Z started to get bogged down in Latin Alive after a few chapters. We had a chaotic year and that didn't help. 

However, after reading more about right-brained individuals I've come to believe it's not just the chaos bogging him down. Last night Z and I watched Sorcerer's Apprentice. 

There is a scene in the movie where they drive through a mirror and everything is backward. It was easy to tell where you where but the navigation and reading anything was hard, because it was backward. Imagine trying to learn that way. So I'm Nic Cage, I have the curly hair and would love a black sorcerer's jacket and the car...,anyway. Z is my apprentice and in trying to teach him I may need to look at a few things backward. I think Latin is one of them. I have some right-brained, creative tendencies myself and it's easier to tweak a subject I know well. Well, I'm learning Latin just a smidge ahead of Z. I learn well in a linear fashion. It's the way I was indocrin taught in school. But to learn in, ingest it, and twist in a short time frame is too much for this aging wizard's brain.

So we're switching gears. This was a hard decision. I ordered part of the Cambridge components today. Once I have a chance to preview them, then I'll know better if we'll being combining it with Latin Alive in some manner, or using Cambridge exclusively. No matter the decision my plan is to finish Latin Alive I and continue with Latin Alive II and III as part of my self-education. I love the DVD component and how Karen Moore presents the information.

Maybe it's a good thing we don't homeschool year round. I need the summers to plan, obsess, research, and change my mind. All of those at least twice.

Planning 201: Retreat and Regroup

The planning is driving me crazy!!!

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I opened my mouth. I found a link that discusses the one college class at a time. Oh my! Z would love this, I thought. I mentioned it to him. He was excited, about an academic thing. "That would be a cool way to learn," says he. 

What did I get myself into? 

 This is either a bright idea stirring in my head or my subconscious telling me to keep my mouth shut in the future. 

Anyway, I look at our schedule. I know Z is not yet old enough, focused enough to handle one class at a time, not for four to five hours a day. So..... (hear my brain whirring?)

I decide we COULD do some classes in that manner. In fact, that sounds like a cool idea! Less subjects per day, same information covered in a year. Yes, I start to like this idea. So....

I spent the last two days figuring out how to make it work. I was almost out of printer ink already, I thought my binders/planners were complete. OF COURSE NOT!!!

This is how our new schedule is going to look:

These classes will be done all year, but we will rotate weeks:

• Latin (odd weeks)
• Math (even weeks)
• English writing & Mechanics (odd weeks)
• Literature (even weeks)

We may cover less Latin in this manner, we'll spend more time each day in math, yet it will work with what I have planned. 

 Our yearly schedule is approximately six weeks on, one week off. We'll have six total sessions of school. These subject will be done in pairs, five times per week, allowing two sessions each for completion.

Session 1 & 2: 

• Art History
• Formal Logic 

Session 3 & 4

• Japanese
• History

Session 5 & 6

• ICT (Information, Communication, & Technology)
• Philosophy

We'll continue with read-alouds and assigned reading throughout the year. Z will also be pursuing computer programming studies throughout the year. 

This allows me to pull out philosophy and art history, which I had integrated in logic and history, and allow more emphasis on them. I've also tried to pair an easier subject with a harder one. Philosophy and ICT were purposely put at the end, in case this whole thing crashes and burns. It won't be the end of the world if we miss a little bit of those subjects. 

I also think this is a more realistic plan as far as how Z and I operate in the classroom. We'll still have time for rabbit holes. In fact my cover for my teacher's folder in a folder from movie Alice in Wonderland. I also added this quote from the book as it reflects how I feel some..okay, most of the time. 

"Do you think I've gone round the bend?"

"I'm afraid so. You're mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I'll you a secret. All the best people are." 

Our Travels with Michael Palin

As part of our Asian Studies I had put the first disc from Michael Palin's Himalaya into our Netflix queue. When it arrived I had no clue what a wonderful door it would be opening for Z and me. We hastily watched episodes 1 and 2. Then Z asked if there were more. Much to my delight they are currently on Netflix streaming. So we watched 3 more episodes that day. I asked Z what part he liked best and he said he liked all of it. Good thing I was sitting down.

Eons ago, when cable television first entered my world, my mother and sister and I were flipping channels and discovered this silly show that made us laugh out loud. Monty Python's Flying Circus. We learned about wink-wink-nudge-nudge, silly walks, and to this day I still laugh when I hear Michael Palin sing the Lumberjack song.

So exposing my son to a more educational passion of Mr. Palin's has been a joy. Michael Palin is a wonderful travel host. He is friendly, kind, and really works to meld into the culture, not just be a travel tourist.

The series itself is stunning. The scenery is gorgeous, the people beautiful, and most important for me, my son is interested. We've had many discussion about the program and we've moved into watching Michael Palin's Sahara this week.

I'm not exactly what it that makes this so interesting to Z. Perhaps it's that genetic need to wander and wonder that I'm sure I passed down to him. I once longed to travel the globe. I still do, but I am realistic about the restrictions placed on me by time, health, and money. Z once asked if we could go to Mt. Everest. I laughed and told him he was was welcome but I would sit out that trip. I don't think my exercise induced asthma would enjoy that, plus it's too cold there.

Whatever his interest we're continuing down this rabbit hole for a while. We'll be watching Sahara this week. We started Bill Bryon's African Diary yesterday, and after that we will read Three Cups of Tea. If you're interested in reading more about Michael Palin's travels you can visit his website Palin's Travels.

This is Your Brain...

This is your brain on algebra. I'm no mathematician, but I find he study of numbers fascinating. I find the observations of where my son's brain travel during algebra even more fascinating. Last week it was an odd reference recalled hip replacements, this week we started with Back to the Future, ended up on flux capacitors, found our way to thinkgeek.com to look at the flux capacitor replica, Minecraft t-shirts, Star Trek t-shirts, and somehow that traveled back to dragons, and ended up at the Irish Civil War. Tired? Me too. All because there was the number 88 in his equation. I love this kid and, yes, he got the algebra problem correct as well.

Of Dragons and Boys

From The Lion's Den

We've had a great January in school. It is making up for the false starts and detours of earlier this year (school year). We've been reading from the bookA cavalcade of dragons which is a collection of dragons stories put together by Roger Lancelyn Green. They've been wonderful! Some familiar, some not. We've discovered dragons good and kind and those of a lesser good, those as toxic of the poison and fire that spews from their mouth. We even watched the movie Outlander, which is a cross between a sci-fi and a Viking movie. It was a decent movie, not great, but certainly tied into our study for the week, all by happenstance.

We've also talked a lot in the last few weeks, about everything from algebra to philosophy and a few things in between. Talking seems to be an essential part of our schooling and it's not just me. In fact I feel like a guide as the conversations meander down the road. Z has always been a good listener. Not that he has always obeyed, but he has good comprehension of whatever ideas I present. But Z has always liked to talk. He was in private school for prek and Kindergarten, he got in trouble for talking, a lot. In fact it was one of the points the teacher brought up in our parent teacher conferences. "Z prefers to talk instead of doing his work." You might not know the first time you meet him. He's quiet, he's an observer, or as noted in the Mark Twain biography we started this week, he's a noticer. I'm not surprised he likes to talk, it's partially genetic. Tigger likes to talk, my mother likes to talk. Put the three of them together and my dad and I, the quiet ones, just sit and watch.

Fast forward to now and talking in class is required. He's never at a loss for words. Sometimes I reign it in, like the comment the other day during algebra class "What would you do if your hip was recalled?" Obviously an offshoot from a commercial. Amazing since he rarely watches TV. But I almost laughed wondering how in the world that thought popped into his head while conquering an equation with a variable. Are the wealth of algebra memories stored in the same place as commercials? (probably not, I hope not!)

January was a good month. We accomplished a lot, except getting a pet dragon. Z asked, I suggested we settle with the one we own, the one in the above picture. It eats less and besides he is one of those good and kind dragons, unless he is eating a Hot Wheel.

Monday has Never Looked So Good

*Irony: As soon as I hit submit I found the local schools have closed due to the snow. We used to have a rule that if public school had snow days, we took a snow day. Now since we lived in the south for the last few years that has only been a issue once, especially since it hadn't snowed that much in over a decade or two. Well, now...I'm inclined to do school anyway. Yes, I am a meanie today.

Maybe that's overstating a little since I just woke up. Maybe I'm not sure I like the more than one inch accumulation (that would be snow) outside the door. But it's Monday and I have hope.

Last week we were back to a full schedule. We made it through all but the completion of two subjects. It was good because we don't even have all of our stuff. We have most of the school stuff but I'm missing my books and bookcases. Yes, I've actually needed to reference something several times and realized, with some angst, that they are not here.

But we completed a full week, with my desk in the corner of the new classroom, with a "new" desk for Z in the middle of the room and three plastic crates holding our needed books. Oh and two office chairs. Z asked when he was getting back his exercise ball he normally uses. Um, when we go get the rest of our stuff, babe.

This was our first full complete, solid week of school since the first week of November. I hesitate to admit that, we had a few weeks in between that resembled school, but barely. So now I feel like we're on pace to learn again. We're back to bed times and waking up earlier. We're back to "Can I have a break now" to "Did you brush your teeth?" to wonderful discussions delving into the mind of a thirteen year old.

We're testing a new schedule too. A weekly schedule instead of a daily schedule. It looks something like this:

Weekly Plan

Daily	MOnday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Memory
Read-aloud
Quiet RT
WWE (4x)
Weather Journal

After completion of daily assignments you should work 4-5 hours per day towards weekly assignements.

*working time does not include breaks or dawdling

Weekly	Input	Output	Notes
Latin	1 chapter	exercises, chapter review	4 hours
Math	5 lessons	written work	4-5 hours
English	Megawords, 5 pages	written work	2 hours
Literature	Follow syllabus*	discussion, written work	3 hours
Asian	Follow syllabus*	outlining, written questions, other	3 hours
Science	Archaeology, 6 pages	outling 3 separate	2 hours
	Other * variable	activities and experiments	2-3 hours
Logic	follow syllabus	discussion	1 hour
Philosophy	Aristotle for Everybody 1 chapter	read and discuss	1-2 hours
	Philosophy for Kids 1 chapter	read and discuss	1 hour
Japanese	1 lesson	workbook, video, oral practice	2-3 hours
Art	1 project from syllabus*		1-1.5 hours
PE	2-3x per week		1- 1.5 hours
	*syllabi are in binder	* will vary	Approx 27 hours

Z is required to complete the daily tasks daily and then we pick and choose from the weekly schedule. I give him some guidance. Okay, by Thursday of last week I told him what subjects we needed to get done to have a full week. It was a great last Monday though. We spent an hour in a philosophical discussion that rambled from topic to topic. I learned more about Z in the discussion that I think he learned from the book, but that's kind of the point. On Monday we bonded. Then Tuesday we started with the harder stuff, like algebra and Latin. It was a good Monday and I rarely have uttered those words.

So we're trying the weekly schedule again this week. There might come a day when I can give him a schedule like this and he'll manage his subjects well. ...*pause* Insert dream sequence where student lovingly, gracefully completes his studies. I hear Apollo in the background playing on the harp. I see smiles when it's math time...*scratch*end dream* back to reality. Okay, someday.

The Hero's Journey and a Rabbit Hole or Two

Last week for school we watched Prince of Persia and Clash of the Titans (2010). Both Z and I were pretty opinionated about which movie we liked best. So today I decided to do a Venn Diagram to compare the two movies. It turned into an hour long discussion of the movies, other hero type movies, and technology.

The similarities between the two movies include:
- Heroes' Journey (Z said he is sick of watching movies of this nature, had a discussion of LotR)
- swords as weaponry (which led to a discussion about Star Wars and light sabers, how swords and such make for a more passionate battle of good vs. evil)
- strangers' help him in the quest (more discussion of LotR)
- both raised by an adopted family
- a woman helps them in their spiritual journey (ironically played by the same actress in both movies, which led to a discussion of Odysseus)
- both lost everything they loved
- stood up to evil
- saved the world (which led to a discussion of Percy Jackson)

The differences for Clash of the Titans include:
Based upon Greek Mythology (which led to a discussion on if there is a geek mythology)
takes place in Ancient Greece
His quest is to kill the Kraken
Hades is the mastermind
lost family at the beginning of movie

Prince of Persia differences:
based upon a video game (which led to a discussion about Lara Croft Tomb raider and the graphics on video games based on movies)
set in Ancient Persia
his quest was to prove he didn't kill father, which morphed into stopping his uncle
Nizam is the mastermind
lost family throughout movie

Z decided he thought Clash of the Titans was more realistic. I asked why, playing devil's advocate. He is more used to the mythology. When I brought up Pegasus and giant crabs and Medusa he laughed. We both decided we get a flying horse if they were real.

I liked Prince of Persia more. I think there were more redeeming morals point in it vs. the movie Clash of the Titans. Loyalty, family, standing up to what is wrong, etc.

Somehow we ended up discussing Pokemon and the need for there to be a Star Wars 7,8, & 9. What I planned to be a short twenty minute exercise turned into a great discussion. All that from a Venn Diagram, what a great day.

Educational Planning and a Caution about Boxes

People often try to put homeschooling in a box. It doesn't work. Homeschooling is a lot like parenting, each family has a different take. Even the same actions can look different from family to family. I imagine anyone that sat in our schooling for the day expecting to fully understand what homeschooling is about would be sorely disappointed. We don't fit into boxes very well.

However, a recent (and continuing) conversation with other homeschooling parents has shown me how precariously close I have come to placing my son's education into my own version of a box. We have followed a Latin-Centered Curriculum for the last two years. It has made classical doable for this non-classically educated teacher. Recently I've found myself thinking more about high school, college admissions standards, and how in the world I am going to put this unique child into a mold for the "perfect" student resume. Wait! Stop the presses!! Our intent with homeschooling has never been to mold my child to anything! It has been about developing his education, his person to fulfill his own potential, not have him fit into a mold.

I love what The Latin-Centered Curriculum has allowed me to do. I love the multum non multa approach and it is my hope (perhaps my requirement) that Latin be at the center of our curriculum for the few remaining years of homeschooling. I absolutely see the benefits in keeping Latin at our core, with writing and math not far behind. But as for the rest, there has been a haze around each subject because I am not a fortune teller. I do not know who my son will be as he grows. His interests and passions are circling, but there is not a clear picture yet and that is okay.

I feel blessed because I don't know many soon to be teens (I think teenager is Latin for hungry) that have the opportunity in a traditional school setting to study Latin, Japanese, and Asian History all in the same year. The last two were his request, the first my requirement. I don't know how his education will all turn out. In the end it might look a little bit like this year, some of his requests, some of my requirements.

Someone very wise compared our unique children to a cloud during the course of conversation. "These cloud children are like clouds - hard to pin down, hard to define, growing all over at the same time, or shrinking, but never staying the same." I let out a resounding yes and a sigh of relief when I read that. They are fluid, beautiful, sometimes clear, sometimes grey (as the storm clouds literally roll by outside at the present time), and always changing. That is the beauty I see in my child, that is the goodness in him that would never work well in a box.

As a planner by nature I have notebooks filled with ideas of what his future years of schooling might look like. In the past I created a binder and filled with ideas by grade levels. *snort* That is so not going to work anymore, that is where I have a tendency to want to create the box...we must X during grade Y, because that's what "they" said. So I have created a new way to organize my "educational planning" binder. I was thrilled because it also gave me a use for the A-Z set of dividers that have been sitting around unused for two years. They were a freebie and who passes up free school/office supplies? Not me.

This new system of organization will allow me to keep an eye on requirements for high school and college AND provide the fluidity to allow my child to be the cloud. We've pushed back our school start date (for several reasons) and this will give me time to stare at the sky, contemplate the clouds, and enjoy the changes as they take place.

Here's my new table of contents for my binder. The few blank spots are for those areas I may have forgotten:

A. Encouragement
B. On Education (general)
C. On Education (classical)
D. Open
E. Latin
F. Writing/Rhetoric
G. Logic/Philosophy
H. Grammar/Mechanics
I. Great Books
J. Literature (non Great Books)
K. History (non Great Books)
L. Mathematics
M. Science
N. Computer
O. Japanese language
P. Religion
Q. Fine Arts
S. Community opportunities
T. Misc electives
U. Study skills
V. Volunteer
W. Grade level notes
X. College Prep (testing etc)
Y. Transcripts/Graduation
Z. College