Coming to terms with my reaction (Trayvon / Zimmerman)

As I have said before, I have been flabbergasted by my own reaction to the results of the Zimmerman trial.  I never expected to feel so deeply about something that I have pretty much felt relatively unattached to.  Sure, I began purchasing a different style of jacket/sweater for my son just over a year ago, but until the verdict was dropped, I felt pretty much removed from the issue.

Today, I read an article entitled racially profiled in Palm Beach. It made me say "oooooh... that's my problem."  I guess you want me to explain.

I have never felt inferior to anyone because of the color of my skin.  I may have been aware as a child that there were people who would judge me because of it, but it never bothered me.  I always told my self that I could educate and demonstrate my way out of any preconceived notion anyone could have about me.  That presumption was proven true when in college, my while classmates, and even some well meaning teachers would point out that I was "not like the others" (black people).  It was clearly meant as a compliment, and I rarely challenged anyone on that statement, I just filed it in the back of my mind that they were pretty much just ignorant about race, or haven't met nearly enough black people in their lives.

I set about educating myself, quite well, then I set about educating my children... quite well too.  I made a lot of personal sacrifices to make sure that my kids would stand head and shoulders above the crowd, be them white, or black.  I felt pretty confident that any preconceived notions anyone made about my kids would clearly be wisked away with a few words.  After all, they are clearly bright and well spoken.  Their education and brilliance would instantly shine through and they would not be lumped with the crowd... black or white.

Then the verdict was announced and I felt a stabbing pain in my stomach.  I realize now it was the clear message that besides educating my children and making sure they were smart, all of the effort really didn't matter to anyone outside of them.  In fact, when the stuff hit the fan, no one would even give them a chance to articulate their brilliance.. it would just be ON.  That made me really sad.

Case in point, a law professor was stopped in Palm Beach for riding his bike late at night... twice, by police who pretty much harassed him.  His crime. Nothing.  There had been crimes in the area, and he looked suspicious.  It didn't matter than he had about 8 years of college level study under his belt.  They just saw... him and what they felt he stood for, not what he had accomplished.

If only you could wear your achievements on your forehead...

Carnival if homeschool - Instagram mashup

If you like reading the homeschool carnival, and you also enjoy Instagram, the here is a special treat for you.

http://sprittibee.com/2013/07/carnival-of-homeschooling-random-instagram-edition-plus-mobile-photography-tips.html 

Enjoy! 

He's 19 years old

With his little sister on her graduation day

I probably won't blog much about him anymore, seeing that he's pretty grown up.

He really is an amazing person.  I pray for him today and every day of his life for safety and success.  I know he will continue to amaze us.

I am so glad I was able to homeschool him.

A man and his dog. 

Top 10 homeschool resources for 2013-14

I am not actively homeschooling my own children this year because both of them will be in ♫♪COLLEGE♫♪  

 However, I still spend a lot of time researching, talking about, and planning out curriculum with other parents.  My top 10 list still includes many of my old favorites from previous years, but my opinions have also changed about others.  With that said, here is my top 10 list for homeschool resources for 2013-14.  As it is very easy to find online resources for elementary students, most of my picks  are for high school students.  (All but number 1 is free)

10.  Let's face it.  Grammar is boring, boring, boring, so my pick for this subject spices it up a bit. Grammar Bytes! presents grammar in bite-size pieces with an urban flair that will attract teens to pay attention long enough to learn the concept.  You will find handouts, videos, and exercises to test knowledge.

9. Learning languages outside of a classroom or immersion experience is difficult, but if you must learn it at home, I recommend starting with BBC languages website.  They offer beginning foreign language courses in many languages.

8.  Sparknotes is especially valuable for avid readers, which all homeschool students should be.  You are presented with character analysis, plot summary, and provocative questions that make you think.  You can even find quizzes for many novels a homeschool student might read.  Sparknotes will also explain other subjects in a textbook online type of format.  It would be higher on my list, but It is kind of dry reading, no real interactive component.

7.  I love Learner.org or Annenberg Learner website, but teens can be a bit snobbish about it.  The videos are a bit retro, most being filmed at least 10 years ago, but the knowledge imparted is very relevant and information.  The biggest problem I have with it is that more of the videos are for teachers than students.

6 Khan Academy has been much higher on my list in the past, but it has moved down because while there are a lot of great tutorials, it is much more of a review resource, for tests and such, than a curriculum.  It's close, but not quite there.  But for a free resource, you can certainly make it work.  I feel like a workbook is needed for more drills.  This is where I believe it falls short. 5-10 practice problems for a concept is often not enough.

5. MIT Open Courseware is great for kids who are ready for college level work.  There are many courses available for students to use.  If you follow the syllabus and readings, you will have the same material offered to college students, including lectures, but you will not have interaction with the teacher. There are other colleges and resources that also offer open courseware, and some are even offering certificates, but MIT offers the most at this juncture.

4. I am a big fan of Yay Math! videos.  This is especially good for kids who find math videos boring.  This online educator kicks it up a notch making it a bit more entertaining without condescending to the students.  I wish his videos followed a specific textbook so we could follow along, but there are some online worksheets and quizzes for Algebra 1 & 2 and Geometry.

3.  Time4learning has always been, and will probably always be my favorite curriculum delivery system for elementary students...  I am not quite sure yet, but with the addition of the high school program, it may even move up my list.  The only thing I am unhappy about is that it was not available sooner.

2.  Hippocampus remains at the top of my list, but his has fallen from the top spot because there is some confusion inherent in the site. Instead of delivering curriculum via the NROC format, it now also includes Khan Academy, and PhET curriculum.  The NROC information is stellar.  The rest can be more difficult to follow.

1. I wish I had found ALEKS earlier, but I feel like it is a stellar resource for students who want to accelerate through curriculum. For $20 a month or less (for a longer commitment) a student can take complicated subjects as fast or slow as they please.  Subjects include all levels of math, as well as some sciences.  You will find textbook integration, and some colleges will accept some of the earned courses as college credit.