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Five Good Reasons to Get a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction
A master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction offers you the chance to learn the latest techniques to improve and enhance student learning. Learning is a lifelong process and for individuals working in traditional as well as non-traditional education and learning fields that want to build up their teaching skills. A master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction will provide you with the opportunity to discover stimulating new research, techniques, and methods to educate and also greatly enhance individual learning.
Conventional class room educators, corporate and business trainers, recruiting professionals, as well as program coordinators must be able to educate students, colleagues, and staff efficiently. A degree in Curriculum and Instruction will give you the skills you need to apply these techniques in both the educational field and corporate context.
You don't need to have a teaching certificate to enroll in these programs. Most Curriculum and Instruction programs will teach you the latest theories and methods to engage listeners and increase your personal value as an instructor.
Other areas of study in these kinds of programs include educational design & development, strategies for learning evaluation, as well as integrating technology which can all be applied to an extensive variety of settings.
Here are 5 additional good reasons to get a masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction:
1. It will provide you with the background to create curricula that enables good teachers and their students to flourish.
2. A Masters in C & I is designed for seasoned teachers who would like to enhance their careers. It will bring educators up to date in the most up-to-date concepts of knowledge acquisition in addition to the latest teaching techniques. Educators who pursue this degree frequently continue on to different professions within the educational field, like instructional coordinators and educational administrators.
3. An MA will help you take your career to the next level making you a stellar teaching professional. Standard training for this type of degree may consist of classes such as the Theory of Curriculum, Mechanics of Curricular Changes, Concepts of Curriculum Enhancement, Study of Academic Linguistics, Latest Topics regarding Instructional Computing just to name a few.
4. It will improve your understanding of curricula and exactly how they are produced. You are going to examine the thought behind development along with the history of how the theories evolved. In addition, you will learn to improve upon the curricula that you are accustomed to.
5. Most individuals who go after a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction are currently educators that are interested in furthering their career or considering pursuing a career in other fields of education. This is a way they separate themselves from their peers.
A master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction will go a long way towards improving your knowledge of curricula and how they are formulated. They are designed for those special teaching professionals who don't want to stagnate and choose to enhance their teaching abilities in order to better educate their students and of course themselves.
You should never stop learning. The world is evolving everyday, unemployment is high, so education is key. We should all be constantly learning to improve ourselves and offer more to the world.
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A Guide to Choosing a Math Curriculum
Deciding on a math curriculum can be one of the most challenging things facing those new to homeschooling. It's no secret that teaching math is one of the big fears for people thinking about homeschooling. In fact, if you research homeschool terms on the web, you will find that "homeschool math curriculum" is perhaps the most regularly employed search terms on the web! Obviously there's a demand for folks looking for the proper math curriculum. So, what are the things you'll want to consider when evaluating the various math curriculum available?
What's Your Child's Learning Style?
One of the initial things I would suggest is to Know Your Child. Now this probably seems pretty elementary since as a general rule we're homeschooling our very own children. But what I really mean is having a genuine grasp of what your student's learning style is. You will find several different math curriculum out there that employ varying educational philosophies. So recognizing your student's natural learning style is essential in determining the very best math curriculum for them. What are the main learning styles? Well, you will discover three. Visual Learners, Auditory Learners and Kinesthetic (or Tactile) Learners.
Visual Learners learn through seeing. Such things as pictures, diagrams, whiteboard drawings, etc. will be far more successful for those who process information visually.
Auditory learners learn via listening. Auditory learners find learning environments most successful when they involve lecture, dialogue, listening along with the opportunity to verbalize while they digest facts.
Do you have a child or student that is always fiddling with something when you try to teach them? Likelihood is they are a Kinesthetic or Tactile learner. This way of learning finds a learning environment most successful when it allows for hand's on activity and exploring the physical world. Kinesthetic learners find it very stressful if they can't do something active for a lengthy time and will need activity incorporated into their studies.
So what does that have to do with a homeschool math curriculum? Well you will discover a variety of homeschool math curriculum resources out there to suit every learning style. Begin by evaluating what math curriculum has the features that meet the needs of your student's style, for instance manipulatives, books with pictures and diagrams, instructional videos, CDs, flash cards, etc. Just what are the workbooks, notebooks and textbooks like and will they be suitable to your student in line with their style?
Curriculum Teaching Method
Your 2nd primary factor in choosing a math curriculum is the teaching philosophy. The way in which math was taught up until recently was by utilizing a method referred to as mastery and there's a good chance this is how you studied math. The mastery method is basically an approach of teaching where students master 1 concept just before moving on to another level. A more modern educational philosophy is the spiral approach, sometimes known as "fuzzy math" in which new concepts are introduced simultaneously and students eventually grasp concepts as they go. The concept behind the spiral approach is that the activity of learning is what's important as opposed to memorization and concept mastery. A lot of homeschool curriculum will use a combination of the two with an emphasis on mastering concepts, while at the same time introducing new concepts into lessons whilst incorporating many review questions that reiterate previously learned concepts. Whilst the spiral math technique appears to dominate today's public education, there's a compelling body of study out there that argues that the mastery technique is far more successful in producing children which are confident and proficient in mathematics.
The Teacher's Style
Thirdly, you also need to think through your teaching style in addition to your knowledge of the subject. Is math challenging for you or have you got a strong background in math concepts and are you comfortable teaching the subject? If you're 1 of those for which math has constantly been a challenge, you can find lots of math curriculum available which will assist you, either with a compressive teachers manual or, even better, with instructional DVDs. DVD and video based curriculum are excellent tools to help you provide instructor based learning in cases where the subject is not your strong suit. Maybe you're one who likes math and who is really comfortable teaching math. 1 of the great benefits of homeschooling is that you might have the ability to use various curriculum to fit your student and you can customize curriculum. Up to here, I've focused much more on those that actually require a curriculum to help with math education. But if you're one who is comfortable teaching math, bear in mind that a curriculum is simply a guide and not something you need to rigidly adhere to. Your child or student's education will be much more determined by you than by the curriculum you make use of. A teacher who understands their student's learning styles and aptitudes can take even a mediocre curriculum and make a great encounter out of it. If math's not your factor, then yes your curriculum selection will probably be much more critical, but here's a word of advice. Even if math is tough for you, do not assume it will be tough for your youngsters. A lot of homeschool parents have created self-fulfilling prophecies by talking about how hard math is and how they are not great at it.
Keep in mind, as a homeschool parent one of our roles is to encourage our youngsters and students. An encouraging word and an attitude of "we're in this together" can make all of the difference between a student who gives up and 1 who learns and uses mathematics throughout their lives.
Successful Home Education - 5 Suggestions
When people first think about homeschooling their kids, the task can appear overwhelming. Numerous moms question if they truly can homeschool. Frequently, the prevailing mind-set in today's world tends to be that education is most appropriately provided by the "experts" inside the government and private schools, but this is absolutely incorrect. Parents can supply an outstanding education with academically excellent standards and are normally the best suited to teach their own children since they know them far better than just about anyone else.
For anybody contemplating home education, there are various steps that you need to take to get ready. Some of the benefits of homeschooling are it's overall flexibility, adaptability and tailored approach to education. Nonetheless that doesn't suggest that you ought to jump into homeschooling without careful planning and thought about what's involved in home educating your kids.
Commit to Homeschool
The initial thing inside the journey of home education would be to make a commitment to homeschooling. I know this seems basic, but homeschooling isn't some thing that is just an add-on to raising youngsters. It is genuinely a life-changing decision. If you are unsure about it, then there's nothing wrong with holding out and learning more prior to beginning. You should talk to others that are homeschooling and get feedback from both those that are just starting out as well as experienced homeschoolers. You will find their guidance and wisdom will be useful in making your decision. Attend local support groups or cover school group meetings to understand necessary requirements and the numerous activities and resources offered. Make certain you and your spouse are both committed to homeschooling. Whilst homeschooling might be one of the most fulfilling experiences of your life, it also comes with challenges and difficulties, and both partners must support one another. Like a wise planner, count the cost and be sure that you believe in home education prior to jumping in.
Be aware of the Regulations
Second, know the rules about home schooling in your state and municipality. Yes, homeschooling is legal in each state, nevertheless laws about home education differ from state to state and in some cases between localities. Your own state could have particular homeschool statutes or home education may possibly be addressed in compulsory education regulations. Be familiar with what the educational requirements are. For instance there may possibly be regulations about attendance required, regulations that affect curriculum, certain requirements of teachers, grading and attendance reports and oversight by a cover school or umbrella school. Your local homeschool support group will have data on laws and regulations. Additionally, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a fantastic source of regulatory info, including totally free state by state summaries of the relevant laws and regulations.
What's Your Educational Style?
You will need to pick a method to homeschooling. One of the greatest rewards of home education is the ability to pick your own philosophy of education and pick a style as well as a homeschool curriculum that uniquely fits your youngsters. Those new to home education may well not be aware of the a variety of strategies or approaches to education, nonetheless there are lots of resources available online to get familiar with the a variety of approaches. Examples include the conventional approach, the classical education approach, the Charlotte Mason method, the eclectic approach and what's called "unschooling."
Choose a Homeschool Curriculum
Pick the homeschool curriculum that's suitable for you. Homeschooling nowadays isn't what it was in the past. You will find quite a few wonderful, high quality curriculum resources on the market now that no matter what your school of thought or approach to schooling is, there will likely be something suitable for you. Homeschool curriculum runs from complete, pre-packaged kits that include all the resources that you need for both students and instructors to very specific resources for specific subjects that may be custom tailored to suite the unique requirements of your student. The growth of web based and interactive curriculum delivers even more wonderful resources to homeschoolers. The wealth of high quality curriculum,along with the availability of successful teacher resources, means that you'll be able to find the resources you'll want to effectively home school your kids even through high school.
Find A Support Group
Finally, get involved with a local support group. You've heard it said that, "it takes a village to raise a child." Well, it takes a community of support to successfully home educate. Whether or not you're required to be in a cover school, make sure you've got a support group. Along with basic issues like organizing field trips and providing details about local events and homeschool resources, you will find the relationships and encouragement to be helpful in your homeschool journey. It's frequently by means of local support groups that it is possible to learn about the different curriculum people are making use of and gain useful ideas about what's working for diverse individuals in different circumstances. Whatever the challenge or difficulty you come upon, you will find other people who have already been through it before you and can help support you along the way.
Yes, We Can Do It!
Home education is a whole family commitment and isn't something that ought to be taken lightly. It is a journey that will be filled with struggles in your own home and could be misinterpreted by people outside your household. Even so it is a pathway that can be one of probably the most worthwhile activities of your life and can have a powerful impact on your family members for generations. Yes, homeschooling can seem overwhelming early on, but with numerous resources available today, committed parents can indeed offer an excellent education for their children.
Diversity in Education and Curriculum Concepts - Book Review
Are you interested in a future in teaching, education administration, or becoming a social worker, or school psychologist, then there is a book, which I'd like to recommend that your read, and then I'd like to give you a more than fair assessment of this work.
"Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society," by Donna M. Gollnick and Philip C. Chinn, Pearson Merrill a Prentice Hall Company, Upper Saddle River, NJ, (2006), pp. 404, ISBN: 0-13-119719-3.
This book was quite interesting to me, and its first publishing was in 1983 and it has been upgraded and republished every few years since. I felt as if the book was very hard to use because it has the Preface prior to the table of contents, which makes navigating very tough. The preface is quite good and explains how the book is formatted.
Once into the book it is very easy to follow along, even the most blithering idiot could use this book and understand it, perhaps, that is their target reader; at least this is the impression I got, and speaking of impression, I believe this book is trying to brainwash the "education student" who has an impressionable mind, this is my opinion based on reading it.
Indeed, as a coordinator for a think tank online I was really worried that such books are indeed being used to train and teach new teachers and college professionals, and students who will go into the educational profession as administrators, professors, psychologists, etc. There are chapters on social classes, race, homosexuality, diversity, gender, religion, and age. There are sub-chapters such as; Hate Groups
Racial Identification
Bullying
Self Esteem
Sexual Harassment
Anyway, you get the idea of what this wonderful book is all about, unfortunately after reading through it all, I decided I really didn't have room on my many book shelves for it. And I chose not to donate it to a Thrift Store, and I failed to put it into the recycle bin - it has gone straight into the trash. But, I think this is a great book for a neo-liberal-socialist. And I recommend that you read this book so you can understand how all this political correctness has permeated in our society and how it started in academia.
This book also had everything reiterated and duplicated on a CD ROM with videos, and roll-playing on each chapter. I suppose this is for those in academia who cannot read well, and yet, might still be teaching our children and kids. Look, anyone who is serious about teaching needs to understand how it all works, and what it's all about, even if you disagree with every single aspect of it. This is why I read the book, and duly discharged to where I believe it belongs. Please consider this.
"Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society," by Donna M. Gollnick and Philip C. Chinn, Pearson Merrill a Prentice Hall Company, Upper Saddle River, NJ, (2006), pp. 404, ISBN: 0-13-119719-3.
This book was quite interesting to me, and its first publishing was in 1983 and it has been upgraded and republished every few years since. I felt as if the book was very hard to use because it has the Preface prior to the table of contents, which makes navigating very tough. The preface is quite good and explains how the book is formatted.
Once into the book it is very easy to follow along, even the most blithering idiot could use this book and understand it, perhaps, that is their target reader; at least this is the impression I got, and speaking of impression, I believe this book is trying to brainwash the "education student" who has an impressionable mind, this is my opinion based on reading it.
Indeed, as a coordinator for a think tank online I was really worried that such books are indeed being used to train and teach new teachers and college professionals, and students who will go into the educational profession as administrators, professors, psychologists, etc. There are chapters on social classes, race, homosexuality, diversity, gender, religion, and age. There are sub-chapters such as; Hate Groups
Racial Identification
Bullying
Self Esteem
Sexual Harassment
Anyway, you get the idea of what this wonderful book is all about, unfortunately after reading through it all, I decided I really didn't have room on my many book shelves for it. And I chose not to donate it to a Thrift Store, and I failed to put it into the recycle bin - it has gone straight into the trash. But, I think this is a great book for a neo-liberal-socialist. And I recommend that you read this book so you can understand how all this political correctness has permeated in our society and how it started in academia.
This book also had everything reiterated and duplicated on a CD ROM with videos, and roll-playing on each chapter. I suppose this is for those in academia who cannot read well, and yet, might still be teaching our children and kids. Look, anyone who is serious about teaching needs to understand how it all works, and what it's all about, even if you disagree with every single aspect of it. This is why I read the book, and duly discharged to where I believe it belongs. Please consider this.
The Ever Changing Curriculum of School Education
School reforms are always a hot topic when it comes to government proposals and even PTA meetings. Obviously the majority of parents have their children's education as one of their top priorities as they want the best for their children in and after school. As a result government proposals are often being made to change the education system in Britain in an effort to make it better. This results in a lot of proposals being thrown into the mix as education from early primary to graduation undergo alterations. As they say, "the times, they are a changin".
The key factor in changing childhood education is society. As society changes so do the ways we educate our children in order to integrate them into it successfully as adults. At the moment one of the biggest topics relates to British Citizenship. With the growth of the EU and an influx of immigrants from countries such as Poland and Romania the shape of British culture is changing.
As a result Citizenship classes are springing up in schools to provide even very young children with education on being British and assist in the integration of foreign nationals. Another change that this shift in culture is causing is the change of languages taught in school. While French and German remain, other languages such as Polish and Urdu are becoming more prominent.
Schools are now more than ever being geared toward providing children with life skills that will assist them after school. Money Management classes (like those seen in the Bank of Scotland adverts) are becoming more popular as they seek to teach children to learn how to budget and handle money when they reach employment. These classes are backed up by the introduction of career advice and advice on gaining employment. These career advice classes are being touted to even primary schoolchildren. In addition to this there are proposals to expand IT classes.
While not everyone agrees with these changes it is important to remember that schools have been reforming and changing for decades to fit with the changing society. The only constant seem to be that there will always be a need for essential equipment such as classroom furniture as educational supplies. They are, after all, the staple diet of any educational establishment.
Either way, it will be interesting to see how educational reforms affect the way society progresses in the years to come.
Sam Qam has seen school change a great deal since his time from the classroom furniture to the educational supplies.
The key factor in changing childhood education is society. As society changes so do the ways we educate our children in order to integrate them into it successfully as adults. At the moment one of the biggest topics relates to British Citizenship. With the growth of the EU and an influx of immigrants from countries such as Poland and Romania the shape of British culture is changing.
As a result Citizenship classes are springing up in schools to provide even very young children with education on being British and assist in the integration of foreign nationals. Another change that this shift in culture is causing is the change of languages taught in school. While French and German remain, other languages such as Polish and Urdu are becoming more prominent.
Schools are now more than ever being geared toward providing children with life skills that will assist them after school. Money Management classes (like those seen in the Bank of Scotland adverts) are becoming more popular as they seek to teach children to learn how to budget and handle money when they reach employment. These classes are backed up by the introduction of career advice and advice on gaining employment. These career advice classes are being touted to even primary schoolchildren. In addition to this there are proposals to expand IT classes.
While not everyone agrees with these changes it is important to remember that schools have been reforming and changing for decades to fit with the changing society. The only constant seem to be that there will always be a need for essential equipment such as classroom furniture as educational supplies. They are, after all, the staple diet of any educational establishment.
Either way, it will be interesting to see how educational reforms affect the way society progresses in the years to come.
Sam Qam has seen school change a great deal since his time from the classroom furniture to the educational supplies.
Education For The 24th And A Half Century
"To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge." - Socrates
To know nothing...while it is true that learning to question what knowledge you take for granted and admitting that there things you still need to learn are essential to intellectual growth, it also calls into question what our young minds are currently filling their heads with when they attend school. Not only that, but based on our current growth in the information age, it makes me wonder if we should change our educational curriculums to match the current needs of our society...and no, I don't mean adding video games to every class room.
When I was in high school back in the late 90's, I recall taking courses like Chemistry, Biology, Trigonometry, Geometry, Literature, Gym, Health, History, Computers (optional)...looking back, if I had to estimate, I use maybe ten percent of that knowledge today. I bet some, if not most of you, have thought the same thing from time to time. Why are we learning all of this crap when we never use it?
I've always been of the belief that knowledge is power. I still hold true to that belief. I also believe however that schools should reform their curriculum to include the basic things you would need after finishing school. Like what? Glad you asked.
Computers: Most schools offer this already, though not all schools make it mandatory. Most of us use computers every day...why not make it mandatory and throw in courses for Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and other popular software we would probably use either at home or in the workplace? How about throwing in a chapter about scanners, faxes, and other machines commonly used in today's world and how to operate them? The options are endless.
Managing Finances: One thing some kids lack after high school is the ability to balance a checkbook. Some don't even know the value of a dollar. I really think kids would benefit from a class that teaches them about banking 101 and how banks operate. When kids are of age to move out on their own, chances are they are not going to have the well-paying job an older adult would have. The adult will have pay raises to reflect their years of experience in their field...the child will not. To someone just starting out, every penny will count, especially in today's society. A chapter or two on 401ks and IRAs wouldn't hurt either. Oh, and for crying out loud...INCLUDE A CHAPTER ON THE DANGERS OF USING CREDIT CARDS!!!
Workplace Etiquette & Basic Career Tips: As adults, you'd think we'd all behave like adults when in a place of business. Turns out no. I can't count how many times I've sighed loudly because someone around me did something office inappropriate. Also, how many students graduating high school know how to conduct themselves in a job interview? How many of them know how to put together a résumé? How many know how to dress for an interview? Why not develop a course to help students prepare for their future? Isn't that what school is all about?
Renting / Owning a Home & Other Bills: This might fall into the category above regarding managing finances, though there is a large difference between knowing how a bank operates and balancing a checkbook as opposed to knowing how to read lease terms and what is expected from you when you rent or own a home. How many students know that they are expected to pay local taxes to their municipality when they start working? Some places of employment automatically deduct that tax and others don't. How many students know what a security deposit is and how it works? How about utilities? How about common safety tips that all renters and homeowners should know?
Driving: I did have a nine week high school course regarding this topic to help prepare for the fun of sharing the road with complete lunatics. However, not all schools do this nor do they cover how insurance works. Most accidents are caused by young, inexperienced drivers that sometimes think that there are no consequences to having a lead foot. Every school nationwide should have a mandated course that MUST be passed in order to graduate high school and to get your license.
I'll be honest, it is really the parents' responsibility to teach their children these things. With that said, I do believe schools could reform their curriculum to include things like the above at the expense of classes most students won't ever need. Unless my son plans to be an engineer, I would rather he take a course on MS Office as opposed to Geometry. I have not once needed Pythagorean's Theorem despite knowing it off by heart. The Quadratic Formula? -b +/- the square root of 4ac all over 2a? Never used it. Move these advanced concepts into college classes to where those wishing to become an engineer or teacher can learn about these things. Move the advanced science courses like chemistry and physics into college course best suited for their respective majors.
Most, if not all kids, go to grade / middle / high school. The law demands it. Not all kids will go to college. Why not design the curriculums to include classes that ALL kids would benefit from? Out of all of the classes I've ever taken, reading, writing, and basic math are the ones I've really benefited from. Ironically, SATs are setup to include only these subjects, at least, they were back in my day. That's like saying, "Yes, we know those other subjects may not benefit you, but we're making you learn about them anyway." Not very efficient in my book.
Maybe some schools actually incorporate my suggested classes above, but definitely not the schools around here. Some Pittsburgh City Schools are a joke...show up and you pass. When I attended college at a school I will not name to protect its privacy, no one in my English class knew how to write a three paragraph essay...and these are people who graduated high school. I had my essay done in ten minutes. I got bored with the class so I tested out of it. Needless to say, I made a bit of money from my time there.
All of that aside, I think colleges could stand to lower their tuition rates so that more skilled people can populate our workforce. I don't think putting a price tag on education is right, especially if it's for the improvement of oneself and ultimately mankind. How many potential Beethovens or Einsteins lie in wait for a chance that will never come because they can't afford to go to college? It makes me sad that in order to improve yourself, you have to open your wallet. Luckily there are some free courses out there for low-income citizens...and of course, Wikipedia and YouTube. However, I don't believe that to be enough. Neither do major corporations that seek job applicants, apparently. Most companies won't hire you unless you have that piece of paper, no matter which school you got it from.
As I previously maintained, knowledge is power, but why not mold the distribution of that knowledge so that the most important things are taught to our kids early on while their minds are fresh and bad habits nonexistent? Who knows...it might mean the difference between a life of success and a life of crime.
Oh yeah, and if you liked what you read and wouldn't mind, share this article. You'd be as sweet as C6 H12 O6. To drive my above points home, I wasted an entire year in chemistry class just to make that joke...fifteen years later. Yeahhh.
A Brief Introduction To The Abeka Curriculum
The Abeka Curriculum is one of the most widely used and high quality curricula developed for learning. It is basically a Christian based homeschooling curriculum that incorporates all the teaching methodologies of a traditional classroom. Therefore, it is used by most parents who choose to home school their children. It was developed in 1954 but remains one of the favourites to this day. Over the time, the curriculum has been developed and refined to suit the changing learning needs of children.
The Abeka curriculum is made up of five main subjects: Mathematics, Science, History, English and the Bible. All the subjects are taught from a Christian perspective. The curriculum starts from the nursery grade and goes up to the twelfth grade.
The Abeka Curriculum has many advantages over similar reading materials of its type. The Abeka books are easy to use with a defined set of instruction, so it is perfect for parents who are new at homeschooling. It includes workbooks for children and teacher guides to be used by parents. There are also flash cards and different learning games that you can purchase which make learning more fun for your children.
It is a high quality curriculum so if you are using Abeka you can rest assured that your children are at par with other public or Christian based schools. Moreover, if you are a follower of the Christian faith and want to instil Christian values in your children, then these books would be perfect for you. Moreover, Abeka books have a good resale value and can easily be resold once you are done with the curriculum.
Despite its popularity, the Abeka curriculum does have its cons. Firstly; most of its curriculum sends a Christian message to the children so some parents might not deem it suitable for their home. Also, the Abeka curriculum is quite strict and follows a fast pace and some parents might feel that it puts too much burden on their children. If you feel that your child has a slower learning pace and needs more time to grasp concepts, then Abeka may not be a good choice. It is also more expensive than most homeschooling curricula.
Before you decide to go for the Abeka curriculum, it is important to see if it would be a good option for your child. If your child is a fast learner, loves reading and is quick to catch on to new concepts then you should definitely opt for the Abeka curriculum.
Abeka has its own website from where you can get complete information about the books and courses. If you need some particular information, you can contact the key persons who will guide you through the process.
You can also purchase books online through this website which will save you a lot of hassle. There are also many websites from where you can buy second hand Abeka books at cheaper rates, if you think that the new books are too expensive for you.
Points to Know When Selecting a Homeschool Curriculum
The idea of homeschool curriculum usually sounds very tempting to parents because it is designed to suit the individual strengths and weaknesses of the children. It is an approach specifically designed to cater to one the educational program of a single child, so that he or she may benefit the most from it. But, there are numerous facts that you should take into consideration before making any selection in this regard.
Before opting to select any particular homeschool curriculum, analyze the learning style of your child. After all, you are going through this whole process for your child; but if, for some reason, your kid does not benefit from it, you will be left nowhere. What does your child like? Do pictorial illustrations interest him? Or his preference is reading and getting a lot of information from his textbooks? Is simple reading what he likes or he likes to listen to the lectures? Can you let your child study according to his own pace or a hands-on approach is better suited to him?
Budget is a very significant part and parcel of this homeschool curriculum business. More often than not, parents end up purchasing things which are not necessarily needed or liked by their children. If you keep on purchasing stuff just because you feel your child may use it, the need to use it may not materialize at all. And, at the end of it, you will start hating yourself for being spendthrift. Go budget wise; you have to look after other needs of your child and spouse as well and also have to deal with other major expenses.
Prior to making selection of any homeschool curriculum, first you should scrutinize yourself. Job, household chores and other such obligations do not exactly give you a lot of free time to have at your dispense. How much time can you give to this teaching purpose a day? Do you have hours and hours of free time or hardly one hour in the whole day? Choose a homeschool curriculum that is not arduous and can be dealt with in the span of time that you can allocate to the purpose of teaching.
Bear in mind your own preferences before choosing any specific homeschool curriculum for your child. Do you feel burdened if a plethora of exercises and activities are given at the end of every concept and chapter? Consider the following: Do you like a simple approach towards teaching or this whole complicated way of teaching? What is your preference? What style of teaching is compatible with your choice and style? Opt for the option which is in par with your own style of teaching.
These are all the majorly important factors one should be mindful of before making a particular decision. Another notable facet of choosing a homeschool curriculum is contemplating which homeschool curriculum will meet your requirements and the needs of your child flawlessly. Learning style, teaching style, individual interest and preference, and the cost of it; all are of consequential importance if you want to make a choice that is suitable for you and your child.
Importance of Getting a Homeschool Curriculum That Suits Your Child's Learning Style
Children grow up to be the adults who mould and shape both our societies and our Countries. That being said, it is the job of the parents to mould the child in to being an educated and responsible adult. Children are little individuals, with strong personalities, strengths and weaknesses. If you are planning on home schooling your children, the first step one should take is to find or design a program that best fits your child learning ability.
There are three main learning styles, which are sight, smell and touch. Traditionally, in more scientific terms, they are known as visual auditory and kinesthetic learning modalities. By creating a program that best suits your child/children, you not only help out your children but yourself as well. How? - By reducing your own frustration, when you see your children grasping concepts quickly and increase your chance of success at laying great foundation for them.
Keep in mind that home schooling is nothing like a traditional classroom education. There are handful of different home school methods, theories and philosophies. After you have recognized the ability of your child to absorb knowledge and learn, start thinking about how you want to start with the teaching process.
Before anything else, keep in mind your family lifestyle. See how many kids you plan on teaching, the availability of time, If your schedule a structured one or is it fairly flexible, what do your children prefer, working independently or working alone? When looking at different home schooling methods, keep in mind what your family desires.
When deciding a curriculum, it should be designed for the entire year. This way, it would not be a hassle for you to keep restructuring and redesigning the curriculum time. A whole year is more than enough to calculate the educational goal of your child. You should always include academic goals, for example reading, writing and arithmetic and non-academic goals like life skills and character building.
Jot down all the subjects that you want to teach your children in separate lists (depending on the children). Each child should have its own list and yearly planner. Always keep in mind that, along with a bookish education, your children need to enhance their natural learning abilities as well.
If your child or children have the opportunity to be homeschooled and get more attention from their teacher (you) then they would normally get in a proper classroom, making their learning experience fun and out of the box instead of boring and tedious.
Never be scared to give your curriculum a tweak here and there to make it work just for you. The flow of the curriculum should suit you and your child the best; speed it up or slow it down if necessary. Always take out pointless activities that are just a waste of time instead of a valuable lesson for your child. As said before, if you are using a textbook curriculum, add textbooks, activities and projects that make the lesson more fun.
Do not let the curriculum enslave you. If after all the tweaking and changing the program is still not good enough, you can always ditch it and try something new and better.
Weighing the Differences Between Classical Education and Calvert Grade-In-A-Box Curriculum
Since 1905 Calvert School has been offering homeschoolers a complete package- one year of curriculum covering all subjects. Previously I hadn't even considered their company for two reasons: cost (one time fee of over $600) and my control over materials: a parent has no control over the choices for subjects.
This year Calvert began offering a payment plan which would cause its cost to be similar to what we budget for now, when we deliberate and choose our texts. So with the cost objection out the window, I looked more carefully at the course descriptions.
Calvert is really impressive for a few reasons. First, teachers are available on-line or by telephone if your kid(and you) are stumped by some topic. They have initial placement tests and unit testing in subject material online. Each enrolled student has resources available to them in their Calvert account. These include math and spelling games, an "i-Library," tutorials, and e-textbooks. There is a lot of parent support available, through the phone, email, or the parent's online resource which include answer keys.
The coursework is thorough, and includes art history, geography and computer literacy from elementary years on. However, the approach of the curriculum in general is scatter-gun in organization similar to public schools. For instance, putting life cycles and physics together in the same year of science instruction. Biographies not laid in the timeline of history, but as a focus of the history course? I much prefer the classical organization of science with history in a chronological flow.
I am a staunch believer in the classical methodology of running the sciences along with the story of history:
1st/5th/9th grades: biology with ancient history
2nd/6th/10th grades: astronomy & earth science with medieval history
3rd/7th/11th grades: chemistry with the age of exploration
4th/8th/12th grades: physics and computer science with modern history
During each period of history, vast improvements in the corresponding sciences occurred. I think studying things within their natural framework leads to a cohesion mentally as to when things and why things happened the way they did in history.
In addition, another beneficial aspect of classical curriculum is using whole books instead of readers. Textbooks for literature are edited for ease of reading. The most exciting and pivotal scenes are chosen so that the reader is always entertained and engaged without effort. Each selection is provided with a character and plot summary bringing the student reader 'up-to-speed' on the passage. Carefully phrased questions pertaining to the portions provided are at the end of each passage. Definitions of unknown words are available in bold in the margin. How does a child learn to analyze for content with such material? Reading literature from a textbook is akin to watching educational television: you are passively fed information, and are asked to regurgitate someone else's assessment of the information. Classical education requires the reader to do investigative work to discover under their own mental powers what the text has for you.
Perhaps you took your child out of public or private school because of social or safety reasons, and you know that homeschooling is best for this child. Maybe you found homeschooling to be a solution to your problem, but you aren't one of those people who always knew this was the road for you. If this describes you, I would wholeheartedly recommend this company and their curriculum as a solution. It ensures that if your child does the work, no gaps will be left in your his education.
However, for our purposes, I will invest the time and energy to lay out a curriculum based on The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. I think the benefits of a classical education far outweigh the ease and convenience available through Calvert School, however excellent it may be for others.
GAS Up The Education Curriculum For Your Middle School Students & High School Students
Is your school district or corporation reviewing your education curriculum to meet local, state and national benchmarks? Has your school struggled and struggled to meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates? Possibly, you have failed to include these three basic elements when developing curriculum.
Goals
The goal of writing curriculum is to secure specific measurable results. Have you considered including a proven goal setting process as part of the curriculum when developing curriculum?
Goals are something that is present within the school classrooms across America. Yet, goal setting and goal achievement are not actively taught. Does it not make sense to have a proven goal setting process for your middle school students, high school students and even post secondary students?
These young people's future performance will be based upon their ability to set and achieve goals in the workforce. Yet, if they never have the opportunity to learn how to set and achieve goals in a protected environment, how will they learn in the real world?
Attitude Redevelopment
This is a quick question for any educator and possibly curriculum developer who is reading this article. How much time did you spend in your educational process to learn how to redevelop attitudes? Unless you are an instructional designer or have an advanced degree, the answer is usually less than 15 minutes in some educational psychology course.
If attitudes, the desire, to want to do something are so critical to learning, does it not make sense to include this element in developing curriculum? Would this not put learning within the responsibility of the students and remove it from the teachers? Remember, learning is about change and accepting change must come from inside each individual.
Self Leadership Skills
Look at any curriculum for middle school and high school students and you will discover the emphasis on reading and writing. These are two essential skill sets for being a good communicator, but communication is mostly non-verbal. Except for the speech and debate students, most students are not taught how to be truly effective communicators.
Or how about time management? With the demands of classes and extra curricular activities, many young people (not to mention adults) find great difficulty in managing their time. Yet, where is time management in most education curriculums? It is not present. So, once again, young people are set up to fail.
Communication and time management are just two of the strong interpersonal skills necessary for success in today's highly competitive global marketplace. These soft skills are really self leadership skills. The ability to lead yourself must come before you can lead others.
When you are developing curriculum, consider infusing goals, attitude redevelopment and self leadership skills for your middle school students, high school students and post secondary students. Taking such action is truly about working smarter and not harder in your ongoing efforts to meet academic benchmarks.
Using Abeka Curriculum As Your Preferred Homeschooling Curriculum
Homeschooling is considered as a useful technique to improve the educational efficiency of your child. It is very important to keep the student connected with the books, even after the school. Homeschooling not only helps to lay a sound foundation but also helps to strengthen the concepts of the student for the rest of his academic life. Among the various homeschooling curriculums, Abeka has its own distinct position. The curriculum supports the Christian homeschooling method and has been developed by the real classroom experience for about 50 years, at the Pensacola Christian Academy.
Abeka curriculum, from kindergarten to the higher grades, focuses on accelerated and advanced learning. The Abeka homeschooling curriculum helps you to teach many things in advance. It is quite useful for intelligent students with high picking pace, but at the same time, this feature can be overwhelming for some other students and parents.
Abeka curriculum offers different choices including DVDs, parent directed education and textbook materials. The different teaching choices help to keep the education lively and interesting through games, charts and videos. It covers different subjects including math, phonics, literature, science and history.
Abeka curriculum, from preschool to twelfth standard, presents a well-organized and systematic learning program. The textbooks contain lesson plan in the start of every chapter. It is a user-friendly curriculum as each textbook contains a teacher manual. The manual helps to teach the correct thing in the correct style and direction.
Moreover, the textbooks also contain some Christian material including biblical verses and principles. Especially, the math and the science curriculums are taught with the biblical point of view. Thus, you can instil the noble values right from the childhood. It is best for those parents who want to enlighten their children with Christianity teachings and truths.
Phonics in the Abeka homeschooling program emphasizes on the reading skill of your child. It concentrates on the pronunciation of the words and helps to make them good readers. Additionally, different workbooks are also included in the Abeka curriculum. The workbook exercises give much writing practice to the child. The separate handwriting curriculum at the fifth standard tends to teach cursive handwriting. It also offers other writing options such as ball and stick including the pre-cursive print.
Using the Abeka curriculum, you can help your children in memorizing different things easily. The workbooks repeat the concepts so often that children really benefit from these reviews. You do not need to force them to learn everything. By its repeating exercises, the child learns almost everything at the end of the curriculum. Moreover, the editions are subjected to revision so that you can benefit from the latest knowledge and concepts.
The complete Abeka curriculum contains all the materials required for the entire year. It also includes items for arts and crafts. The books attract the attention of children through attractive patterns and colours. The curriculum keeps the children occupied till the last page. Using Abeka curriculum, you can also assess their progress, time to time. Thus, Abeka is a comprehensive curriculum that provides both balance as well as enlightenment.
Preschool Curriculum - Educational Programs For Kids
A preschool curriculum represents a great chance for all kids. Children's instruction is extremely important today and for this reason it should not be restricted to text books or other conventional learning methods. A preschool curriculum deserves to go far beyond the conventional system. An ideal preschool curriculum would be the one that would include the beauty of the world and the real life bonds into it.
The main objective of a preschool curriculum is to generate a good studying atmosphere for all the kids involved in the studying process. Instead of laden and grinding syllabi, the curriculum at this level level should be practical and focused. An incredibly good and helpful preschool curriculum is the one that develops kids skills throughout fun activities such as: games, rhymes, puzzles and many more. Other activities like singing, performing or gardening are extremely helpful because are developing children 's skills in a very practical manner.
The objective of any good curriculum is to provide activities which are going to develop kid 's abilities. The perfect curriculum must imply game playing and other fun activities that are going to improve their skills in a natural way. The best way to develop kids abilities is absolutely by playing games. Consequently, they must not be quizzed but made to experience and understand. Different kinds of experiences need to be felt by them rather than just teaching them verbally or theoretically.
If you are attracted in finding more info about a preschool curriculum, verify the following list:
* the curriculum should assist all the kids in the process of improving their life experience;
* anticipation and conclusion deduction are two key abilities that must be acquired during the curriculum;
* there should be right methods to train expression of thoughts; the right attitude; self-managing abilities, interest development and determination;
From time to time, parents themselves stay concerned about the category of preschool curriculum their child would be subjected to. The preschool training is extremely important for all the children and parents don 't like the idea of pressure. The studying process should be effortless and also natural.
Challenges in Introducing Value Education at Higher Education in India
Value Education is the much debated and discussed subject in the plethora of education in India. Of course it is true that the main purpose of any education will go with Value orientation. More concentration on Value education has been given at the primary and secondary level of school education than in higher education in India. Values could be effectively imparted to the young minds rather than to the matured ones. It may be the important reason for this prime importance given at the school level. There are so many modules designed with the help of agencies like NCERT and others for effectively imparting the value education to the school students. In this context, many innovative educational practices are being identified by the experts. Good number of experiments and studies are being conducted in the recent days on the effectiveness of teaching value education at school level. Some schools have very innovative and radical course designs to impart the values.
Effective teaching practices in imparting value education ranges from story telling, exhibitions, skits, one act play and group discussions to various other formats. New methods have been evolved by educationists to create an effective learning sphere. The usage of electronic gadgets also gains importance in the teaching-learning practices of value education. But at the higher education level, due to various reasons, the importance given to value education is not as much as it is given at the school level. The curriculum and the teaching methods also could be subjected to scrutiny. It is true that colleges are meant for a kind of specialization in some field of education. But in the Indian social context, the youth require direction and counseling at this stage. They have been exposed to various challenges at this stage which demands the intervention of educationists for his/her betterment. His/her character building also strengthens at this juncture. Students' perception on various life factors and events are getting shaped at this stage. On the whole they evolve their own philosophy of life. Their sensitivity and knowledge are getting direction at this stage. Hence, an effective value orientation becomes inevitable to the students of colleges. Keeping this requirement in mind, States like Tamilnadu introduced a compulsory paper/course on value education to undergraduate students of all colleges in the State under the choice based credit system. Though this kind of effort is made with the good intention of imparting values to the youth, many limitations in bringing out the expected outcome could be identified.
The problem mainly begins with the definition of values. Defining the term 'value' poses a challenge to all scholars. The term value is loaded with varieties of meaning. Each meaning reflects its own philosophical position. Generally the term value is spontaneously associated with religious values. It is believed by many Indians that values are nothing but the religious and spiritual guiding principles of life. Hence, it is supposed that the path is already been laid for the life journey. But in the context of modernity and modernism there rises a fundamental question of whether value education is required at all in a modern state. There are those who argue that modern life is based on science and technology, and both are value neutral. They view that the values are bugbear held out by people living in the past, glued to outdated religious principles that have no relevance to the 21st century. At this point, there is also another group of modernist who propagate the necessity of value education at learning centres in order to safe guard the democratic state and its values. The values they wish to cultivate are modern secular values such as honesty, respect to other, equality, collectivity, democracy, respecting the human rights, sharing equal space in the public sphere and so on. These values are considered as the products of enlightenment period. Hence, four positions could be arrived at on the basis of the above understanding. The are:
1. There are religious values which are very much essential for every one and must be included in the curriculum.
2. The religious values should not find place in the educational system. They may operate at the private sphere.
3. There are non-religious secular values and they must find space in the education.
4. There is no need for teaching value education in the academics because they cannot be cultivated through formal learning and such value cultivation will make the individual biased.
In consequence to these positions, following questions arouse.
1. Whether value education should find place in the educational system?
2. If it is required, then what sort of values should be given preference in the curriculum?
3. What is the importance to be given to the religious values which are primarily developed on the basis of scriptures?
4. Can modern values alone are sufficient enough or is there any possibility of blending the values of modernity with religious values?
5. If religious values are to be given importance in the curriculum, which religion will find prime place? If there are contradictory propagation on a single virtue by two religions, then how are they to be handled?
6. Similarly religions differ on the practices also. Right from eating patterns, dress mode, marriage systems, war tactics, killing, punishments to various other aspects, religions differ on their outlook. In this situation, what sort of perceptions need to be taught?
Besides these questions, another billion dollar question would be raised on the methodology of effectively imparting those values. Then again as it is mentioned earlier, the school education can very well include this education easily because the system itself is advantageous for it to accommodate. But at the college level, the system finds it very difficult to work out. So this study could analyse the theoretical problems relating to the identification of values to be included in the curriculum at the one side and the problem of effective designing of the curriculum and imparting those values on the other side.
II
The necessity for imparting values to the students of all levels has been felt by everyone. The world today is facing unprecedented socio-political and economic challenges. Problems of life are becoming increasingly intense and complex. Traditional values are decentered. 'An environment of strife pervades all countries and broken homes have become common. An insatiable hunger for money and power, leads most of people to tension and absence of peace of mind and all kinds of physical and mental ailments have become common place" 1. In the present day context of frequent and often violent social upheavals, we have to look at the problem of restlessness of the youth, their frustration born out of futility of their search for meaning of life and the purpose for which they are living, often leading to evil and wickedness. This calls for a new approach to, and a new vision of education. It is obviously felt that the present educational system promotes rat race and keep the student community in a sense of insecurity. Educational institutions have become the pressure cookers building pressures in the minds of youth. Also a loft sided educational pattern which insists on instrumental and technical rationality for the successful life in terms of gaining money and power has invaded the educational system of India. The person who is deemed to be unfit for this survival race becomes disqualified and ineligible to live in this market economy based life. The spate of industrialization and economic growth in developed nations has brought about a perceptible change in this scenario. And developing countries including India are feeling the ripple effects of this development. Values earlier considered essential by all societies have been eroded and have given way to unethical practices around the globe. Where honesty and integrity were loved and appreciated, greed, corruption and red tapism have come in, bringing in their wake, unethical responses which have pervaded all walks of life and are thwarting efforts of a few enlightened individuals to promote value based society.2 Hence, implementation of well structured education is the only solution available with all states. With growing divisive forces, narrow parochialism, separatist tendencies on the one hand and considerable fall in moral, social, ethical and national values both in personal and public life on the other, the need for promoting effective programmes of value orientation in education has assumed great urgency. Development of human values through education is now routinely seen as a task of national importance. Value education though supposes to be the part and parcel of the regular education, due to the market influences, it could not be so. Hence, it has become an inevitable need to include an exclusive curriculum for value education at all levels.
Now the next question would be about the nature of value education. What sort of values should be given preference in the curriculum is the prime problem in the introduction of value education. This problem surfaces because we can find varieties of values prescribed on the basis of various scriptures and theories. Sometimes they are contradictory to each other. This issue has been thoroughly discussed earlier. But the solution to the problem of the nature of value education is primarily dependent on the social conditions that prevail in the state. There need not be an imported value educational pattern to be prescribed in India. The burning social issues would demand the required value education. Though India is considered to be the land of divinity and wisdom, the modern value system throws challenges to the ancient value pattern. Right from the Gurkula pattern to the varna ashrama values, all values are under scrutiny by modern rationality. Hence, the relevance of the golden values prescribed by the then society is questionable in the present situation. On the other hand, the so called modern values which have been listed earlier also subjected to criticism by philosophers like post modernists. They question the very nature of the rationality of the enlightenment period. Because critics of modernity strongly declare that the modern rationality is the reason for the deterioration of human concern in the world and they paved the way for inhuman killing and escalation of values. The reason of the modernism is considered as the root of power politics which leads to inhuman behaviour of the power system, according to them. Hence the modern values like democracy, civil rights, environmental ethics, professional ethics, discipline and all such values are found useless in bringing harmony in the society. The values like discipline, tolerance, peace bears the negative connotation in this context. Hence, what sort of modern values are to be included in the curriculum is a challenge thrown towards the educationists. At one side the fanatic and fundamentalist features of religious values and on the other side the modern values based on the market economy and other factors are to be excluded and a well balanced curriculum with genuine worthy values suitable to the society has to be identified and included in the educational system. In this context, it becomes obvious that there cannot be any universal pattern of values to be prescribed in the system. When a suitable blend of religious and modern values is to be done, the designing of such course demands an unbiased, scrupulous, intelligent approach on the part of the academician who designs such course. Thus the spiritual values of sensitizing the youth for happy world and rational values for a just world are very much required. Religious values can be taken but not with the label of any particular religion, democratic values are to be included but not with its dogmatic inhuman approach. Thus there need a perfect blend of both. This is the real challenge thrown to the Indian academicians.
After the identification of these values, they need to be inculcated not to be informed to the students. Mostly listing the values is done very easily, but imparting them effectively requires genuine spirit and innovative educational practices. In the Vedic period, the gurukula system prevailed in which the student has to thoroughly undergo a pattern life with the guru shishya hierarchy. Whatever the guru declares are the values of life. But in the modern context, which is supposed to be the democratic sphere, a sense of equality and freedom has to prevail the learning situation. Also the values identified cannot be preached on the basis of the religious faiths. So the teacher has to find effective working module to internalize the values in the minds of the youth. The teachers' understanding about the values prescribed and his/her commitment in imparting them also play a crucial role here. How to sensitize the teacher before carrying the values to the students is also a challenge to the educationists. The value education class room, if it is dealt with full seriousness and sincerity would be very interesting and challenging sphere for students and teachers. At times they need to sail at the same level with the students. The hierarchy may get disappeared. Value education demands a total responsibility from the teachers. They become more accountable. On the other side, a teacher who is committed to a set of values would always like to preach and impose them on the young minds. That extreme should also to be avoided with a balance of mind. Value education cannot be done by just delivering lectures and screening films. It requires a strong interaction between the students and the society. A lot could be experimented at this sphere. For which the supreme value 'integrity' is expected from the educator.
It is observed that many modules of teaching values have been designed and tested. Some are seemed to be very effective. In Tamilnadu, especially in aided colleges, with all good intention the government has introduced the value education as a compulsory scheme at the undergraduate level. But each university has its own syllabus for the same. The scrutiny of those syllabi also reveals a lot of variations in conceiving the value education. In some universities, some religion based institutions are given the responsibility of designing and even carrying out the course. Similarly the teachers who have not been exposed to any such type of training in value education are given the responsibility of teaching values. The introduction of value education for all under graduate courses is done at the cost of a core paper of that course. The teachers who have been handling their hardcore subject papers had to meet the shortage of workload due to this programme and to solve this problem, they have been entrusted with the job of teaching value education paper. This is done with the aim of avoiding the workload problem of existing teachers. The most valuable and sensitive part of education has been made like a mechanical dogmatic part. At this juncture, the fate of value education at the college level could be imagined. How to solve this issue is again a challenge to the educationists of Tamilnadu. The same fate could be observed in many other states of India. Hence, two important problems surfaces here, one at the syllabus level and the other at the teaching level. As it is discussed earlier the syllabus could be designed by way of paying attention to all aspects but imparting the same requires not only innovative teaching methods, but also innovative training method of the educators. It is as good as training the driver to drive the car; the teacher needs to be trained in imparting the values. The technical education employs teachers with sound knowledge in the subject, similarly it is essential to have teachers with sound mind and creative teaching skill to teach value education. Value education is definitely not to be dealt with compartmentalization but it should be taken as a part of the whole educational system. As Nietzsche puts it, the society requires masters to create and impart values, not the slaves who accept all the values imposed on them without any critical understanding.
If education fails to impart necessary values to its citizens, it will definitely have a telling effect on the society. All efforts to bring just and peace in the world will become futile if proper value education is not imparted.
Notes:
1. Kireet Joshi, Philosophy of Value Oriented Education Theory and Practice, ICPR
Publications, New Delhi,p.217.
2. Ibid., p.218.
Homeschooling Curriculum: The Compassionate Circle
Ask questions from your heart and you will be answered by the heart.
Omaha Proverb
Homeschooling Curriculum: The Questioning Heart
Like me I am sure there have been times when you have held back from asking the question you know you should ask because the answer would not be the one you would want to hear.They are the answers that come from deep within us, the answers we know we ignore at our peril - the answers from the heart.
Within education systems worldwide the question being asked by more and more disaffected teachers is:
"Am I (the system) failing the children in my care?"
Homeschooling Curriculum:Circles Of Compassion
For those committed to homeschooling and the homeschooling curriculum I imagine the temptation is to nod smugly, draw your cloak about yourselves and walk the other way. Please resist the temptation, rather, consider the words of Einstein:
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
If a genuine desire for change exists within our schools then the homeschooling community and the homeschooling curriculum has an opportunity to influence that change. It may at present appear a remote possibility but a possibility it remains, and not as remote as many may think.
Homeschooling Curriculum:Can Schools Be Unschooled?
The Family Unschoolers Network defines the purpose of unschooling and, by association, the homeschooling curriculum, itself as being:
"... to keep alive the spark of curiosity and the natural love of learning with which all children are born."
Isn't it tragic that many children who start school as naturally enthusiastic learners curious about the world around them eventually become 'turned off and disenchanted.
'The Family Unschooling Network's' approach to the homeschooling curriculum is holistic and all-embracing. Learning does not start or end at the school gates. The universe is their classroom where learning is as natural a part of existence as breathing.
They touch upon an issue that will resonate with many teachers constrained by the imposed limits of State education where learning has to be bundled and packaged in neat little segments each with artificial time constraints of their own. Many yearn for the days when they were able to pursue a topic that had gripped the children's interest or imagination to its natural conclusion. Here, for me, lies the starkest contrast between the homeschooling curriculum and that of education systems worldwide.
That said, it does seem to leave schools firmly out of the equation, or does it?
Hands up if anyone has heard of Wales.
Homeschooling Curriculum:The Learning Country
Wales is the smallest and least known of the four countries that comprise the United Kingdom. You are more likely to have heard of Wales because of Catherine Zeta Jones, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir Tom Jones than for any other reason. But here, in this small principality, a bold educational experiment is taking place.
Jane Davidson, the previous Minister for Education, decided to steer a radical course. From 2008 children aged 3 to 5 were no longer compelled to follow a set curriculum instead the guiding principle is 'play based learning'. The initial response from the education community was positive, but once the euphoria had dissipated people began to ask, "What is the curriculum going to look like?"
The minister was clearly determined to implement and extend these changes to embrace all year groups. Enthusiasm is in danger of being replaced by panic.
The question being asked is, "Where can we find a model we can adopt?"
It would be tragic if this initiative failed through lack of knowledge. Perhaps this is one area where the influence of the homeschooling curriculum can be brought to bear.
"Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace."
Albert Schweitzer
Homeschooling Curriculum:Completing The Circle - The Work Of Our Hearts
When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of Creation is completed inside us; the doors of our souls fly open, and love steps forth to heal everything in sight.
Michael Bridge
Homeschooling Curriculum:Lighting A Candle
If you have knowledge let others light their candles by it.
Margaret Fuller
The time will eventually arrive when the homeschooling community will not only gain universal acceptance but also command universal respect. Where else does such a rich and invaluable knowledge base regarding experiential-based learning exist? Regrettably for Welsh teachers faced with the challenge of a radical new approach to helping children learn the homeschooling community in the UK is but a pale shadow of its American counterpart. One mother expressed very eloquently what homeschooling had taught her:
"Unschooling has taught me nothing if not to utilize all available resources and to provide my children with the best available opportunities regardless of their form." (Life Learning Magazine)
Homeschooling Curriculum:Dead Dreams
If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing then the lack of it can prove fatal. Apparently over 90% of internet businesses fail due to lack of knowledge. That's a lot of dead dreams! How sad if the Welsh initiative failed for the same reason. The question is - if American schools also decided to adopt an experiential play-based learning model, would the homeschooling community be prepared to get alongside and help?
Before answering perhaps we need to step back and consider the bigger picture for there is a battle taking place.
Homeschooling Curriculum:The Secret War
On one side stand the forces committed to a centralized education system defined by standardized curricula and driven by a regime of testing and examination that assigns children their specific rank in life. Opposing them are those who believe the child should be central to the process of learning, not merely a passive commuter following pre-planned routes over which he has limited control and little choice.
Events in the UK suggest this analogy is not overly dramatic. Disregarding the resentment and outrage it will inevitably provoke, the government has just announced that all schools in England must teach reading using synergetic phonics. This stands in stark contrast to the Welsh model that encourages innovation and diversity. But the battle lines are rarely that clearly defined, and anyway why get drawn into somebody else's war?
Homeschooling Curriculum:Shades Of Achilles
At their hour of direst need the Greeks were denied the presence of their greatest warrior. Achilles remained in his tent and the consequence was the death of his beloved friend Patrocolus. If you believe children are suffering within a system that does not nurture and support the growth of the whole child don't you have a responsibility to try to influence or change that system for the better?
Not every child is ever going to be in the privileged position of being homeschooled and prisons worldwide are full of disaffected casualties and those impacts upon us all. Troy had stood for generations secure behind her mighty walls. The institutionalized bastions of state education probably feel as impregnable and untouchable as did the citizens of Troy. Well, Troy got it wrong.
Homeschooling Curriculum:The Heart of the Matter
If seeing is believing then doing is a personal affirmation of that belief. The most powerful means of affecting change is getting alongside someone. Let them observe the work of your hands and if you are committed and passionate they will recognize it as the overflow of your heart. If a strong homeschooling community existed in Wales many head teachers would be making contact and asking families to share the experience of the homeschooling curriculum with their teachers for the benefit of the children in their care. This is not the improbable scenario it initially appears. The irony is that the battle that is raging may soon become irrelevant.
Why Television Should Be Part of Your Home School Curriculum
When you are home schooling your children there are many different options and resources that you can use that is inexpensive yet still be a great learning tool. One of the options that is available and should be used is some great educational television programs that are available. Yes, make television part of your home school curriculum.
There are some great learning programs on that can be a learning tool for you. The History Channel for one example is full of programs that your children can learn from. Some of their programs is designed for children with links for additional resource information with tests, more questions and projects. They even have a newsletter that they will send out giving you upcoming shows and schedules to help you plan your lessons.
Public Broadcast Services will also have great learning materials available. There are so many different great programs on there that will be great for lessons. They have programs available for children of all ages and grade levels.
There are many great learning opportunities on television that it would be a shame not to include it in your lesson plans. Many of these stations also have teaching guides on their websites to help you stress the points about the shows and make it easier to teach them. Some of the stations also have the shows online that you children can watch directly from the computer.
With devices such as TIVO you can record the shows and then watch them during your school hours allowing you the chance to stop, pause and rewind important parts of the program.
When home schooling your children don't let this great learning tool pass you by, television along with the station website is a great tool when it comes to teaching your children.
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