But there is this great scientific mind I have that says if you understand what the items in the recipe are intended for, then anything that does the same job can be used. Its is called adapting PEOPLE and I do it very well! But, alas, schooling requires planning and following some format and I believe its too late for me to switch to unschooling.
So onto my lesson plans for this school year. This year is going to be different. I am going to have a plan. A list of items to use. A schedule to follow. Order.
I just know Kelly and Heidi are making snide remarks right now.
No matter, here is what I am going to use with Jesse in school and the reasons I am going to use them.
MATH:
I love Teaching Textbooks. Jesse has three years left so we can take our time. I learned to spread out the math so my sons were fresh on basic math just before their testing for police applications.
History: Yes! Our own product. He LOVES our notebooking pages and there was never one complaint last year when we used the Notebooking for Arguing With Idiots. Well, there was one- that I wasn't printing them off fast enough. This year I am sending my file up to Office Depot and printing 5 chapters at a time, all spiral bound together. He will love it. I will love it.
And also this wonderful product from Critical Thinking. The concept of "Question Everything" is so prevalent in this study. Because my sons are so strong in their deductive reasoning skills (hence, 3 out of 4 policemen in process), this appeals to them and helps them build their case. We have always taught them to question everything (another post coming soon!). This Cd or ebook teaches how to make statements concerning historical issues that are sound and based on fact. It teaches how to rule out hearsay and opinions from fact, and how to identify general statements and exact statements that can be proven. I love the court room feel of having to support/defend both sides of the issue, then tell me which side you believe. Great skills in this series. We will finish this CD and then purchase the next one.
For English/Grammar/Writing and all that:
I don't have a pretty picture. This is all downloadable- a mixture of audio and .pdfs.
I have thrown money at a lot of writing programs. My sons are natural narrative writers- which NOW makes total sense as to why the creative writing was pure torture, to them and to me.
Science:
Here is where I have to take some time and put effort and invest some money. Jesse is an avid hunter and fisherman. He has the top Facebook Page for BowHunters and has sponsorship deals with big, big names. He corresponds with the TV show guys. It's a big deal to me. He just turned 15. Oh, the potential! We don't know where this will lead, but we are sure his future includes animals/nature. He is very interested in becoming a Conservation Officer which would satisfy his inherent nature for cop things and his brother could use him on the force. OR he would ditch that dream for the bigger dream of his own TV show one day. yeah.....SO....I am thinking I really need to strengthen the Creation vs. Evolution debating skills. He believes in Creation- but is he equipped to deal with the belligerence and debate that he will meet? Not yet he isn't. And I must give him that. So I am headed to the Answers in Genesis site to consider my options.
Option #2 Answers Academy Curriculum- this looks like a winner to me.
I will supplement anything I get in the science department with Jesse's favorite hunting/fishing magazines, and biology related readers. I need to pull out the plant identification books and give a redo lesson on poison ivy. Seems he can't identify it just yet. sigh.
What does that leave me?
Latin (he is showing resistance), Vocabulary, Art....honestly I use Iphone apps for those things. And we do them in the car on the heavy running days.
Last year I took everything off the schedule that I could. It was very hard for me. It felt like a diet. Last year was his best school year ever. He took off and excelled in every subject I gave him and pursued his own interests in the afternoon and evening.
I am ever learning.
Resources I will be going to and gathering as needed:
Currclick- favorite site for instant access (currently checking out this product and thinking it will help Jesse with any business plans and decisions he needs to make this year:
RUSH- We have the subscription that lets me download to itunes and put on his shuffle. I pick the hours I want him to listen to. I consider this a class in economics, logic, debate, geography, civics, history and vocabulary. I make this work for me, with guidance, and discard anything that is not useful.
LATIN- Visual Latin caught my eye. Spanish, Farci (really? what was I thinking?)...the older sons got through the classes and that was it. Maybe my bad leadership, maybe their lack of maturity to understand how knowing another language would only make them more valuable in their work- either way....I feel like we foolishly wasted time and money. But Latin.....oh, sweet Latin. It is used daily in some way! I am a slow learner, but by golly, the 4th son is going to learn something practical in foreign language. Here is the program I am courting:
I will be adding more to this list as we approach our coming start- mid September. We vacation late in the summer so we do not start school until we get back. I have plenty of time to tweak and make final decisions.
1 comments:
I did not snicker...~Kelly :o) I scoffed. heeheheh
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