Homeschool on the Run!

I just came back to my blog after a long hiatus.  I have 433 spam.  How depressing.

Tomorrow is Destination Imagination Instant Challenge day and I am packing our snack bag.  It’s been so long since I blogged and so much has happened. Rather than recounting what we have done I thought I would just start again.

Instant Challenge day is held at Masuk Highschool, a large highschool in Monroe, CT.  I helped organize the challenges last year and I remember the classroom I was assigned to.  It was an advanced calculus classroom.  Very bland, stuffed with steel desks and chairs with the occasional mass produced poster on the wall.  Math is fun…trust me.  I felt like I was in jail.

I prepared our little Rising Stars team of 5-7 year olds.  I explained to them what they would see in a school designed for teenagers.  Most of these kids have never seen a school.  This little team is going to go from room to room doing little building assignments and skits where they have to solve a problem.

Chuckles and her 3 team mates are in the Middle School category.  Their challenges are more technical.  They will be making launchers, sorting machines and bridges. Chuckles can’t wait.

I need to get a good sleep too.

January 16th, 2010 | Category: Family | Comments (1)

We spent the day at our weekend house as we were getting some new curtains installed.  Taking the children out of their usual learning environment  and into the weekend house was very difficult.  Speed was jumping up and down twice as much as usual and decided that it was the weekend.

My curtain lady couldn’t believe it.  Every second sentence was…his energy is amazing.  If only I could bottle it up.  Of course I was thinking the opposite!  He was jumping all over the place.  He couldn’t walk 5 steps in a row without giant leap/swivel turn/donkey kick combinations.  Then she told me that children never calm down as they grow older.  Once they have a temperament they are set.  She wanted me to know that I shouldn’t hope to have a calm child.  I wanted to say that my child is calm (sometimes…when he plays with his Lego and watches TV), but the evidence wasn’t in my favor.

All I can say is that I am glad he is a bright little kid and that he takes a lot in while he is jumping all over the place.  I have set work that we usually finish over the day.  He has plenty of time to leap and bounce and do what his body dictates and I’m fine with it.

More or less.

September 17th, 2009 | Category: Family | Comments (1)

I just took a long blogvac (blog + vacation).  Not really by choice.  I was just so overwhelmed getting organized for school, family visits and a Disney vacation that I just couldn’t blog as well.

Anyway I am back now!

We started school August 31st.  I decided to try using the box system with 12 boxes aka Sue Patrick which I heard good things about.  I thought it would be great for Speed who needs some structure to keep on task.  Chuckles immediately wanted the same thing for her as she loves a plan, compartments and to be in control of her time.  I decided I needed it also to make sure the children had a variety of lessons and to keep me on my toes, as far as preparing thoroughly enough.

…sometimes I get sucked into watching a favorite TV show and have to wing it in the morning.

Not any more!  I am organized.

Also this year I decided to observe my children and try to teach them effectively in a style that works for them, not what is written in my Montessori curriculum exactly.  Speed is not satisfied with just doing Montessori science (geography and biology), he wants to do physics and chemistry experiments every day. I have also been using Susan Wise Bauer’s writing and grammar books (Classical) with him with great success and making century books (Charlotte Mason style), but starting at the beginning of the Earth and then doing  the Montessori history and the timeline of life. Basically I am doing whatever works, that results in instilling a love of learning.

Anyway, so far so good.

We have started Lego League.  I will post about this in more detail after our next meeting.  Right now the kids are designing highly maneuverable robots that can run a course without knocking things down.  We have to also research transportation options in our community and produce a presentation suggesting solutions to transportation issues.

Also we just spent a week in Disney world, participating in Carolina Homeschoolers yearly Disney trip.  It was fabulous.  The children attended classes at the parks.  There were very few people and the weather was beautiful. The only problem was that it was too short and we couldn’t fit everything in…but there is always next year!

We spent this beautiful fall day in Massachusetts at Old Sturbridge Village, a town set in the 1830’s.  It was our best experience there to date.  The children spent 30 minutes in the school house rote learning! and then attended home school classes on farming and cooking.  Afterwards they made tin candle holders and candles.  They enjoyed most the “hands on house” (Fitch House) where the exhibit invites the children to dress up and touch and play with everything in the house.  It’s a wonderful place for children.

So now you are all caught up. 

And I will blog tomorrow now that my life has quieted down somewhat.

September 15th, 2009 | Category: Family | Comments (3)

---

This year we are getting a team together to do Destination Imagination (DI).  We loved doing it last year and are excited to do a challenge including robots. 

Robotics is shaping up to be a theme this year.  We are also participating in the First Lego League where the children design and program a robot and undertake a research project and presentation. 

Quite a few people have asked me what the challenges are like.    They are all fun and it is hard to choose. We chose this one.

 

Challenge B: DI®-Bot

Educational Focus: Structural Engineering, Robotic Technology, Research, Technical Design and Construction, Science, Theater Arts, Teamwork

The Destination:
Where This Challenge Will Take You!
Robots – doing our chores and serving our every need! What could be better? Robotic Technology has changed our lives and made our dreams a reality. Gaming systems, cell phones, cars and factories all use Robotic Technology. What will Robotic Technology accomplish next? How will our lives change because of it? You get to decide and use your knowledge of Robotic Technology to show us what may happen

Points of Interest! Your team will:

• Learn about Robotic Technology and the changes it creates.
• Create an original Story which envisions and shows how at least one character’s life may be changed by Robotic Technology.
• Design, create, and integrate a device called DI-BOT, which completes a motion or task, into the Story.
• Create a method to change at least one prop or set piece, or part(s) of the prop or set piece, into DI-BOT, or a part of DI-BOT.
• Create a scene change that enhances the Presentation by providing an effective transitional link from one scene to another.
• Create two Side Trips and integrate them into the Presentation

---

August 28th, 2009 | Category: Family | Leave a comment