Year-end assessments
[email protected]
Hi all,
First, thanks for your thoughts on my leaving-the-pool difficulty. Ollie and I seem to still be pals. ; )
I'm wondering if someone could point me to any resources about putting together an end-of-year portfolio kind of thing for an unschooling family. I'm now embracing that unschooling is the right way to go for us, especially given the debacle of cramming idiotic work product activities in at the end of last year so we'd have something to show the person doing our evaluation. (I'm not sure there has ever been a more pointless endeavor in the history of the world than making George and Theo put together a "lapbook" of colonial life. I cringe thinking about it.)
The woman we did this with last year is pretty laid back, but it's still at the back of my mind as we live day-to-day: "What am I going to show her to show progress commensurate with age and ability in the six categories?" Oy.
Anyway, I'd love to see or hear about examples of what folks do at the end of the year, or how to fit regular life into these categories (health, phys ed, math, literature, natural sciences, fine arts), maybe in ways that aren't so straightforward. (I'm sure there are those of you who don't even deal with it, but we did choose to register).
All I know is that this is my responsibility to pull something together, and I want to keep the pressure off the boys to produce things just to show.
Michelle
Wife to Bob
Momma to George (12), Theo (9), Eli (6), and Oliver (17 mo)
If my life wasn't funny, it would just be true, and that's unacceptable.
-- Carrie Fisher
First, thanks for your thoughts on my leaving-the-pool difficulty. Ollie and I seem to still be pals. ; )
I'm wondering if someone could point me to any resources about putting together an end-of-year portfolio kind of thing for an unschooling family. I'm now embracing that unschooling is the right way to go for us, especially given the debacle of cramming idiotic work product activities in at the end of last year so we'd have something to show the person doing our evaluation. (I'm not sure there has ever been a more pointless endeavor in the history of the world than making George and Theo put together a "lapbook" of colonial life. I cringe thinking about it.)
The woman we did this with last year is pretty laid back, but it's still at the back of my mind as we live day-to-day: "What am I going to show her to show progress commensurate with age and ability in the six categories?" Oy.
Anyway, I'd love to see or hear about examples of what folks do at the end of the year, or how to fit regular life into these categories (health, phys ed, math, literature, natural sciences, fine arts), maybe in ways that aren't so straightforward. (I'm sure there are those of you who don't even deal with it, but we did choose to register).
All I know is that this is my responsibility to pull something together, and I want to keep the pressure off the boys to produce things just to show.
Michelle
Wife to Bob
Momma to George (12), Theo (9), Eli (6), and Oliver (17 mo)
If my life wasn't funny, it would just be true, and that's unacceptable.
-- Carrie Fisher
Robin Bentley
> I'm wondering if someone could point me to any resources aboutIt depends on where you live. Every state and country have different
> putting together an end-of-year portfolio kind of thing for an
> unschooling family.
regulations. My state, for instance, doesn't require a portfolio.
Check here for support groups whose members can help:
http://sandradodd.com/world#us
or here:
http://www.organiclearning.org/localgroups.html
And if you need help determining what laws and regs apply to you (in
case evaluation is not your only avenue), go here and check down the
left side for your location:
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/directory/Legalities.htm
Robin B.
Sandra Dodd
> I'm wondering if someone could point me to any resources abouthttp://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum
> putting together an end-of-year portfolio kind of thing for an
> unschooling family.
People sent those specifically for the purpose of letting other families mine them for the good parts.
Also, Shannon Burton has been putting things on her blog as she documents things for the state of New York:
http://memismommy.blogspot.com/
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
sheeboo2
Pauline Harding has an amazing collection of sample portfolios, some by unschooling families, and lots of other helpful advice for end of year assessment stuff on her website:
Sample portfolios:
http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/hs/portsummaries/homeschoolportsummaries.htm
Record keeping for the State: http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/hs/homeschoolforms.html#porthelps
Ideas/suggestions for portfolio fodder: http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/hs/homeschoolportfolios.html#samplesofwork
Note that is is state-specific for Pennsylvania, but you may find it useful nonetheless.
Brie
Sample portfolios:
http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/hs/portsummaries/homeschoolportsummaries.htm
Record keeping for the State: http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/hs/homeschoolforms.html#porthelps
Ideas/suggestions for portfolio fodder: http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/hs/homeschoolportfolios.html#samplesofwork
Note that is is state-specific for Pennsylvania, but you may find it useful nonetheless.
Brie
k
Look up unschoolers in your own state (if you're in the U.S.):
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/
Plug in your own state plus the word "unschool" and browse through the
results some of which go by county, some by city, and others by an acronym
or other moniker.
When I looked up unschoolers out of curiosity for my sister in law who
expressed an interest in unschooling, she learned of additional options
available to her which freed her up from doing portfolios. It turns out that
portfolios are not a requirement of the state at all. For her, this also
means less cost to go with the umbrella group in her area (run by an
unschooler) because testing is not required by the state either but if you
DO test there's a fee for each child.
That might be the case in lots of states. Umbrella organizations make
various requirements of their own.
Look up unschoolers nearest to you.
~Katherine
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/
Plug in your own state plus the word "unschool" and browse through the
results some of which go by county, some by city, and others by an acronym
or other moniker.
When I looked up unschoolers out of curiosity for my sister in law who
expressed an interest in unschooling, she learned of additional options
available to her which freed her up from doing portfolios. It turns out that
portfolios are not a requirement of the state at all. For her, this also
means less cost to go with the umbrella group in her area (run by an
unschooler) because testing is not required by the state either but if you
DO test there's a fee for each child.
That might be the case in lots of states. Umbrella organizations make
various requirements of their own.
Look up unschoolers nearest to you.
~Katherine
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
Thanks for those. I've added them linked from here:
http://sandradodd.com/curriculum (so it can be searched on my site)
Sandra
http://sandradodd.com/curriculum (so it can be searched on my site)
Sandra
Marcia
> I'm wondering if someone could point me to any resources about puttingI make a simple family newsletter throughout the year that I use for a
> together an end-of-year portfolio kind of thing for an unschooling
> family.
year-end portfolio.
http://marcialmiller.com/family-newsletters/
Marcia