It's Memorial Day weekend. Tomorrow is the day put aside in the United States of America to remember those who died for our country. It is also a time to remember those who are still fighting.
It is easy, with all of the freedom we have, to criticize the government and the military. We forget that freedom was bought for us by the blood of a million service men and women over the last two centuries. It is easy to forget that we are Americans because of the vision and sacrifice of those who came to this country three and four centuries ago.
My husband has traced the genealogies of our family back to those who immigrated from other lands. Some came here before the Revolutionary War, when America was still a British colony. Some came as recently as three generations ago - my great grandparents. Some of your families may have come more recently. Some of you may be immigrants yourself.
America is not perfect. Americans are not perfect. We are all trying to get through the day. However, we must remember why we are Americans. It doesn't matter how we got here. We now enjoy freedoms that our ancestors only dreamed of. We enjoy freedoms that many other countries do not have, even today. So, while you're enjoying your barbecue or camping trip this weekend, take time to remember those who gave it all so that we could have "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
My First Homeschool Conference
Two weekends ago, I attended the CHAP conference with some friends. This was the first homeschool conference I had ever attended, and it was HUGE! Apparently it's the biggest in the area. It was held at the Farm Show Complex, in Harrisburg, PA. The main speakers were staged in a horse arena! Alas, no horses to be seen. They would have really added some excitement, especially with Ken Ham's (Answers in Genesis) presentations.
Aside from the curious lack of farm animals, I had a great time! It was good just to get away with "the girls" for a few days, something I haven't done since Rory was a baby. It was also good to see so many homeschooling families congregating in one place. I was amazed at the variety of people represented there. Groups of women (like ours) mingled with whole families who attended together. There were far more men in attendance than I expected, as most fathers I know are not as involved in their children's schooling as the mothers are. Probably because Harrisburg is located near Lancaster, there were quite a few Mennonite attendees. Many of the men seemed to come from this group. It was amazing to see whole families, down to nursing babies, attending the workshops together. It was also amazing that the children were so quiet during these 45-minute talks!
The vendor section was also huge, taking up two gymnasium-sized (at least) halls. Just browsing to see what was offered took hours. I was happy to be able to see a lot of curriculum first hand, as I usually end up ordering things on the internet. I also spent quite a while in the used curriculum section, and walked away with a large canvas bag filled with books for only $32. I actually walked around with about twice as many things as I bought, but ended up putting some back when I realized how many books I had (and that I would have to carry them around all day!)
The workshops were informative, entertaining, challenging, and sometimes depressing. The first workshop I attended recommended "sending your TV out for a walk," something that would never fly in our house. This was a workshop about keeping your children's hearts. There were some specifically geared to electronic media, which I sort of avoided after the whole "walking TV" episode.
I really enjoyed Todd Wilson from Familyman Ministries. For one thing, he is really funny! And for another, he was really encouraging. His ministry is really geared toward Dads, but his presentations were directed towards parents in general. His message, in fact the general gist of most of the messages I heard, was that you must have a relationship with your kids. If you don't have that relationship built, you are not going to be able to teach them anything else. While this may seem like common sense, it is so easy as a homeschooler to focus on the curriculum, or the regulations, or the "three R's" in general (which obviously don't include spelling - think about it!), and forget that your children are, first and foremost, your children. This is probably exasperated in my case because I spent several years in college learning how to teach in a classroom. I've found, however, that classroom methods don't always translate well to home education. Since I've been trying to form a Philosophy of Education for our family, this was a timely message.
I also learned that the prevailing educational system is built on a Greek, rather than a Hebrew system. This includes the public school system and many homeschool curricula. This never really bothered me, before, especially since many homeschoolers use Classical education methods. However, I've realized that the Greek method was built on Pagan beliefs, rather than Biblical beliefs. I have been researching, and have found something called "Discipleship Homeschooling," which seems to be more in line with the scriptures. One proponent of this is Clay Clarkson of Whole Heart Ministries. It is based on the section of scripture in Deuteronomy 6, which instructs parents to teach their children God's laws while their walking, and when they get up, and when they go to bed, and during the day, and night, and really, all the time. It involves families working, playing, and learning together. It contradicts the "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy many of us hold, but really seems to make sense.
So, I am beginning to get an idea of what God wants me to do with my children. It will take much work and prayer, but I am grateful for the guidance of those who have gone before! Please keep me in your prayers!
Aside from the curious lack of farm animals, I had a great time! It was good just to get away with "the girls" for a few days, something I haven't done since Rory was a baby. It was also good to see so many homeschooling families congregating in one place. I was amazed at the variety of people represented there. Groups of women (like ours) mingled with whole families who attended together. There were far more men in attendance than I expected, as most fathers I know are not as involved in their children's schooling as the mothers are. Probably because Harrisburg is located near Lancaster, there were quite a few Mennonite attendees. Many of the men seemed to come from this group. It was amazing to see whole families, down to nursing babies, attending the workshops together. It was also amazing that the children were so quiet during these 45-minute talks!
The vendor section was also huge, taking up two gymnasium-sized (at least) halls. Just browsing to see what was offered took hours. I was happy to be able to see a lot of curriculum first hand, as I usually end up ordering things on the internet. I also spent quite a while in the used curriculum section, and walked away with a large canvas bag filled with books for only $32. I actually walked around with about twice as many things as I bought, but ended up putting some back when I realized how many books I had (and that I would have to carry them around all day!)
The workshops were informative, entertaining, challenging, and sometimes depressing. The first workshop I attended recommended "sending your TV out for a walk," something that would never fly in our house. This was a workshop about keeping your children's hearts. There were some specifically geared to electronic media, which I sort of avoided after the whole "walking TV" episode.
I really enjoyed Todd Wilson from Familyman Ministries. For one thing, he is really funny! And for another, he was really encouraging. His ministry is really geared toward Dads, but his presentations were directed towards parents in general. His message, in fact the general gist of most of the messages I heard, was that you must have a relationship with your kids. If you don't have that relationship built, you are not going to be able to teach them anything else. While this may seem like common sense, it is so easy as a homeschooler to focus on the curriculum, or the regulations, or the "three R's" in general (which obviously don't include spelling - think about it!), and forget that your children are, first and foremost, your children. This is probably exasperated in my case because I spent several years in college learning how to teach in a classroom. I've found, however, that classroom methods don't always translate well to home education. Since I've been trying to form a Philosophy of Education for our family, this was a timely message.
I also learned that the prevailing educational system is built on a Greek, rather than a Hebrew system. This includes the public school system and many homeschool curricula. This never really bothered me, before, especially since many homeschoolers use Classical education methods. However, I've realized that the Greek method was built on Pagan beliefs, rather than Biblical beliefs. I have been researching, and have found something called "Discipleship Homeschooling," which seems to be more in line with the scriptures. One proponent of this is Clay Clarkson of Whole Heart Ministries. It is based on the section of scripture in Deuteronomy 6, which instructs parents to teach their children God's laws while their walking, and when they get up, and when they go to bed, and during the day, and night, and really, all the time. It involves families working, playing, and learning together. It contradicts the "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy many of us hold, but really seems to make sense.
So, I am beginning to get an idea of what God wants me to do with my children. It will take much work and prayer, but I am grateful for the guidance of those who have gone before! Please keep me in your prayers!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Philosophy of Education
One of my college classes was "History and Philosophy of Education." It was a night class, and the only thing I actually remember is "Every pizza has a porpoise" ...er..."Every teacher has a purpose." (The professor had a rather difficult accent.) So, because the class was so obviously useful, I am now trying to sift through all of the possible philosophies to arrive at the correct one to use with my children in our homeschool. This has been an ongoing thing for the past two years, and I am still working on it.
I had settled rather comfortably into the "Charlotte Mason" approach. Learning through literature seems to suit both my son and I, and the idea of learning to focus hard for a short time has been helpful to his attention span, when I remember to do it. However, I was reading one of the books from her Homeschooling Series last night, and realized that she was promoting Humanism. Huh. Now, you have to know that until recently, I would have agreed with a humanistic philosophy. I attended public schools, and a state university, and was quite comfortable with the idea. The problem is, that it is not meshing with what I have been learning about God. So, I put down the book, and started wondering, again, where to start.
I've determined that I need to be following a Biblical approach. The question is, how, and which one? A quick look at homeschool curricula reveals a plethora of possibilities. Because the homeschooling movement is pretty heavily populated with Christian parents, there are plenty of "Christian" and "Bible-based" methods out there. You can choose workbooks, textbooks, unit studies, classical, etc., etc., etc. There are the proponents of early education, and the later-is-better enthusiasts.
So, I am on my knees. Not right now, but before, literally. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, and have decided the only thing to do at this point is to pray. Isn't it funny how that is usually the last resort? Yep. Another thing I need to work on! Maybe this is the natural consequence of starting our Family Bible Time. Well, whatever it is, I'm thinking I might need knee pads after a while!
I had settled rather comfortably into the "Charlotte Mason" approach. Learning through literature seems to suit both my son and I, and the idea of learning to focus hard for a short time has been helpful to his attention span, when I remember to do it. However, I was reading one of the books from her Homeschooling Series last night, and realized that she was promoting Humanism. Huh. Now, you have to know that until recently, I would have agreed with a humanistic philosophy. I attended public schools, and a state university, and was quite comfortable with the idea. The problem is, that it is not meshing with what I have been learning about God. So, I put down the book, and started wondering, again, where to start.
I've determined that I need to be following a Biblical approach. The question is, how, and which one? A quick look at homeschool curricula reveals a plethora of possibilities. Because the homeschooling movement is pretty heavily populated with Christian parents, there are plenty of "Christian" and "Bible-based" methods out there. You can choose workbooks, textbooks, unit studies, classical, etc., etc., etc. There are the proponents of early education, and the later-is-better enthusiasts.
So, I am on my knees. Not right now, but before, literally. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, and have decided the only thing to do at this point is to pray. Isn't it funny how that is usually the last resort? Yep. Another thing I need to work on! Maybe this is the natural consequence of starting our Family Bible Time. Well, whatever it is, I'm thinking I might need knee pads after a while!
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