A grammar correction tool, a learning tool.

As a content writer,  I began using Grammarly to perfect my article submissions.  After all, it is very embarrassing to send in an edit request, when you notice a couple weeks after publishing, that you wrote "to" instead of "too".  The site is very effective for perfecting my work.  I find it most useful when I write late at night as that is when I make the most errors.

As a homeschool parent, and somewhat of an advisor, Grammarly helps me to catch spelling and grammar issues that I might not see at a glance.  You can use some features of the site for free, but a subscription will help you find not only spelling issues, but problems with conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs, subject-verb agreement, modal verbs, sentence punctuation, sentence structure, and commonly confused words.

Useful to both content writers and students is the plagiarism checker.  It will help you to prevent inadvertently using another's information in your work, and will also eliminate accusations that you attempted the act of plagiarism.

Another thing about this tool that needs pointing out is that you choose what kind of editing you want.  When I am writing for Yahoo, for instance, I use the "Business" option, and when I am checking a 13 year old's term paper, I use the academic option.  For my daughter, who likes to get creative, there is even a "creative option".

Must remember to use technology

  I can't believe that I have been surrounded by all of this technology in my home, yet, I neglect to use it.  Each person in my home has a computer, and an iPad, and a smartphone, and one also has a Kindle (and is already checking out the new Kindles being released today).   Some computers are newer than others.  Some iPads are bordering on Dinosaur status.  Some smartphones are really paperweights and need replacing, but the point is... this household is chock-full of technological tools. But we are not using them.

We tend to forget that iPads are for much more than Angry Birds and Scrabble. Iphone are for more than chatting and texting. Laptops are for more than word processing and bill paying.  We have to get it through our heads that each and everyone of these tools that we own, love, and use have a bazillion uses that we are

5 iPad Apps for College Freshman Preparation (Guest post)

I thought this guest post was especially relevant because many of our kids are taking college level tests and CLEP exams.  We don't have to wait for college to take advantage of these "college apps".

The iPad is such an amazing, new tool for education. Many homeschooling groups are now using this tool to supplement traditional book lessons. In addition to complementing current class content, the iPad can also help incoming college freshman prepare for their first year of college.
The following five apps are perfect for helping high school seniors prepare for common first-year college courses.

College Algebra
This app has received top ratings from users who say that it helped them get through their college

New "Time Engineers" Educational Game (Giving away 2 copies)

Last week, Happy Elf Mom wrote about Christmas Shopping  and was having a hard time justifying purchasing gifts that would soon end up in the toy bin or some other miscellaneous corner.

Coincidentally, I received a sample of an educational video game, that I know would be perfect for her kids.
Time Engineers is video game/learning tools.  If you remember Math Blasters, Where in the World is Carmen Santiago, and Learning Adventures, you will be glad to know that this game has made learning while

Free Sample Transcript

 I have viewed alot of homeschool transcripts, and a couple of public school transcripts too.  I don't pretend to be an expert on transcripts, but I am a quick study.  I came up with my own one page form that I plan to use.

Update:  This transcript was used to get my son accepted in multiple colleges with scholarship offers.

It is easy to scan, makes room for all the electives homeschoolers participate in.  It also takes into account the possibility of weighted grades due to AP classes and CLEP exams.

I have already customized one for each of my kids even filling in classes that I plan for them to take in the future... it really helped this visual person to see it laid out like that. 

Click here to view the transcript sample with notes:  
Feel free to use it as your own sample.

I've discontinued selling the template for this.  I feel it needs updating.  Thanks for your patronage. 

Planning it out with Google Calendar

I tried out a couple of homeschool planners this summer.  It turns out that I like a sugesstion another blogger made better. Renaissance Mama reports that Google Calendar makes an excellent homeschool planner.  It makes so much sense, especially, since I already use Google Docs for online notebooks so the kids can submit essays to me and I can mark corrections on the page, and we can go back and forth. 

My method of using Google Calendar so far mostly resembles the way Lora from Simple Homeschool uses it. It makes sense to play around with it and find the method that works best for you.

For end of year transcript I have also found that a simple template from microsoft works does the job. 

I sure many of the homeschool planners out there work fine too, but I am such a Google addict, and I am so familiar with the tools, I figure, why bother with learning something new?






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Visit My Education Column at Examiner.com Check out FREE HOME EDUCATION WEBSITE for free homeschool links and resources