HEM's Online News - July 2003
HEM by way of Home Education Magazine
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HOME EDUCATION MAGAZINE'S ONLINE NEWS
July 2003
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Welcome to HEM'S ONLINE NEWS! For more information on Home Education
Magazine, see the end of this newsletter or visit our web site at
http://home-ed-magazine.com Send your comments and questions to
editor Shay Seaborne at HEM-Newsletter@....
In the July issue:
~ OREGON TRAIL EDUCATION RESOURCE GUIDE ~
~ SAVE THE BILL OF RIGHTS! ~
~ HOMESCHOOLING AND THE TYPE A DAD ~
~ LEMONADE STAND ECONOMICS ~
~ QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ~
~ unschooling.com's NEW DISCUSSION LISTS~
~ NHEN CLEARINGHOUSE ~
~ AMERICAN HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATION E-MAIL LISTS ~
~ SMARTer KIDS FOUNDATION GRANTS EXTENDED TO HOMESCHOOLERS ~
~ SUMMER ISSUE OF SELF-UNIVERSITY NEWSLETTER ~
~ The Final Word ~
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OREGON TRAIL EDUCATION RESOURCE GUIDE
http://www.or.blm.gov/NHOTIC/Education/teacher%20packets.htm
The Oregon Trail Education Resource Guide was developed by BLM staff,
Trail Tender Volunteers, and Eastern Oregon University. The 158-page
Resource Guide is designed for use by teachers and other educators
who are teaching Oregon Trail history. Some activities are designed
for the classroom while others are specific to the Interpretive
Center and would necessitate a field trip to the site. The guide is
designed for use by fourth grade teachers who traditionally teach
Oregon history, but many activities can be adapted to younger or
older students. Copies are available at no charge to educators.
Copies may be downloaded, or a hard copy can be mailed upon request.
Teachers may make copies of any portion of the guide for classroom use.
Special notice: hard copies of the Education Resource Guide are
currently out of print. The Guide may be downloaded using the link
below. The Education Resource Guide will be reprinted and available
again in the near future.
A CD of the Education Resource Guide is now available. Contact us if
you would like a CD mailed to you or if you wish to be put on a
waiting list for a hard copy. Please e-mail us at
NHOTIC_mail@... or telephone 541-523-1845 or contact the
Education Coordinator at National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive
Center, PO Box 987, Baker City, OR 97814.
The Oregon Trail Education Resource Guide can be downloaded here:
http://www.or.blm.gov/NHOTIC/Education/TBKS.pdf
Please note that this is a 4.75MB PDF File.
You will have to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader
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SAVE THE BILL OF RIGHTS!
http://www.constitutioncenter.org/
The National Constitution Center opens this month in Philadelphia,
PA. The Center's Web site includes a "Save the Bill of Rights" game
in which "your mission" is to "rebuild the document by finding the
missing rights and freedoms." Once the job is done, you can print out
and sign a copy of the Bill of Rights.
The site also offers lesson plans, and visitors can search by
subject, grade level or keyword.
<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**
HOMESCHOOLING AND THE TYPE A DAD
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/HEM/204/jadad.html
Whether we came to homeschooling as a refuge from the barking dogs of
formal education or to the conclusion of a long study of all the
options, we all want many of the same things-the opportunity to grow
together as a family and the opportunity to remain primary movers and
shakers in our children's lives, rather than merely providing respite
from their real world. The freedom to wander, explore, create, and
rest on our own timetables. Unschooling, like no other approach,
sells these opportunities in spades.
The picture of unschooling, as drawn by any number of authors and
online purveyors of the practice, is surely a pretty one. After no
small amount of study, I was left with a vision of the
picture-perfect family. My own. In perfect harmony. Learning without
trying, succeeding without sweat. If I were to pursue marketing as a
vocation, and homeschoolers as my target population, I would be
peddling unschooling. Everyone loves a product that sells itself.
The way I've come to see it, if homeschooling is like jumping off a
cliff into the great unknown, then a structured approach can be
likened to diligently getting that net up to break the fall.
Unschooling is more like enjoying the ride down.
The thing is, I don't want to die.
The tethers of unschooling can be too long for comfort, although I am
certainly not in it for the comfort. I have thought more about this,
now that my kids are getting older, and my commitment to
homeschooling has grown from an attractive idea to a lifestyle. I've
had to look at who I am, and how close I really am to this perfect
unschooling guy I've had dancing around my imagination since the idea
first took hold.
I don't think when Holt formulated the unschooling approach, he ever
really planned on it appealing to individuals with type A
personalities. I am sure it was assumed that those who have trust and
control issues, and are prone to nervous disorders, would be
attracted to school-in-a-box approaches. With a multitude of self
assessment tests available, and, if you pay for it, education
"professionals" available for consultation via phone, email or fax
anytime, it doesn't make sense that these people would even consider
the unschooling approach.
And yet, here I am.
~~ Brad Beckerman in the July/August issue of Home Education Magazine ~~
You can read the rest of this article, as well as some other articles
and columns from the current HEM at the address above, but you'll
have to get the magazine--the one you hold in your hands--to read
them all! See subscription information in this newsletter, or visit
your local bookseller to get your copy today.
<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**
LEMONADE STAND ECONOMICS
I still have the first dime I ever made. It's a mercury head
coin that I received as payment for a cup of lemonade I sold from my
sidewalk stand. Our elderly neighbor, Mr. Landry, was my first
customer on that hot summer day about 35 years ago. I was proud that
my lemonade was made with real lemon juice and was refreshingly cold,
and my neighbor's response to it told me I had made the right choice.
Entrepreneurship is a fantastic way for children to learn
broad lessons. Becoming a successful young businessperson includes
not just understanding money and budgeting, it also consists of
developing concern for quality, creating a market, learning to sell
yourself and your product, communication skills, and the ability to
stick to the task. It may even involve creating a partnership or
hiring others, and the wider issues that come with those.
"Young Entrepreneurs" were featured at Virginia Home Education
Association's Conference and Curriculum Fair, and it was wonderful to
see the children's ideas and products. Some of the offerings were
hand painted items, herb plants started from seed, pet treats, and,
most imaginatively, a board game that teaches the legislative process
in our state. So impressed was I by these children and their
entrepreneurial spirit that I invited young businesspeople in my area
to present their wares at our local Not Back to School Picnic and
Curriculum Swap/Sale last fall.
Maybe some of the products weren't the highest quality, but the kids
were still learning, and their selling methods endearing, so I
couldn't stop myself from buying from them with some of the cash I'd
made from selling my unneeded supplies. The transparent glycerin
soaps with bugs inside were too fun to pass up, and I was sure my
friend's dog would enjoy a pack of those handmade peanutbutter dog
biscuits.
I clearly remember selling my first cup of lemonade-an event that
occurred over 3 decades ago-which means that interaction was
significant in my life. As an adult, I vowed to never pass up a
child's lemonade stand. Indeed, my children were startled when,
passing a stand on a lonely country road two summers ago, I turned
the car around and bought 3 glasses from the two little children
behind the table. Their product was...well, made with one of those
insipid mixes I can't stand. So, while I still do not pass up a
lemonade stand, I ask about ingredients before I buy more than one
glass. And if the answer isn't "lemon juice, sugar and water," I will
give them my tip for success.
-Shay
There are surprisingly few resources for kid-run businesses on the
Web, but here are the best I found:
Tips on Preparing Your Lemonade Stand Business
http://www.teachingkidsbusiness.com/lemonade-stand-tips.htm
Complete ABCs on lemonade stand businesses.
What Can Elementary School Age Kids Do to Earn Money & Learn Business
in Summer?
http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=205225
Scroll down about 1/3 of the way to "WORK FOR MONEY (10-14 yr olds)"
for some ideas on kid-run businesses. There are also ideas for
"working for stuff" (suggested for younger children) and working for
"the greater good" (volunteering) with links.
Junior Achievement
http://www.ja.org/default.asp
"Junior Achievement is passionate people inspiring kids to learn the
economics of life through free enterprise education. JA enables
caring business professionals to share their experience with students
to show them what it takes to be successful."
Frontyard Fortunes
http://www.fleetkids.com/ff/stories.b.html
Fleet Financial's "Fleet Kids" site offers young businesspeople the
opportunity to post stories of their business successes. These may
inspire your budding entrepreneur.
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Do you have questions that Dear Abby just can't answer? Questions
about homeschooling and other issues that affect your family? Help is
as close as your keyboard. HEM offers advice from a seasoned
homeschool mom in every issue. Just send your questions to
AskCarol@.... Of course, Carol can't answer every
question in the magazine, but she will try to respond even if your
question isn't published. Why wonder and worry? Send your questions
today!
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UNSCHOOLING.COM
http://www.unschooling.com
New Unschooling Lists:
The staff of Unschooling.com has created several new discussion
lists for unschoolers and anyone interested in exploring the
unschooling philosophy. For a description of each list see the list
websites:
Unschooling-Discussion
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/Unschooling-Discussion
Unschooling-Cafe
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unschooling-Cafe
Unschooling-101
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/Unschooling-101
Unschooling Resources
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/Unschooling-Resources
Unschooling-Creatively
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unschooling-Creatively
Unschooling-Days
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unschooling-Days
You can join any of these lists via email by sending a message to
[email protected]
Be sure to change LISTNAME to the name of the list you're interested
in joining.
For information about the Unschooling.com site visit:
http://www.unschooling.com
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NHEN CLEARINGHOUSE
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NHEN
NHEN has created a new service, the NHEN Clearinghouse, to replace
our NHEN-SpeakOut, NHEN-Announce and NHEN-Welcome lists. The NHEN
Clearinghouse distributes news, announcements, questions, as well as
media and research requests of interest to NHEN members and the
greater homeschooling community. Pertinent information provided to
the NHEN Clearinghouse by homeschoolers, or others, will be
distributed to the subscribers on this list.
To subscribe to the NHEN Clearinghouse, simply send a blank email to
[email protected].
To submit information, email: [email protected]
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Nationwide Homeschool Attorney Listings
http://www.ahsa-usa.org
The Association of HomeSchool Attorneys is "an informal network of
attorneys and legal experts in the United States supporting
homeschooling and homeschoolers by providing legal information about
homeschooling issues, empowering homeschoolers to have the legal
tools they need to meet homeschooling challenges, and providing a
network of attorneys for legal representation."
The mission of AHSA is "to support homeschooling by promoting
knowledge of homeschooling laws." The Association will act as "a
clearinghouse for dissemination of legal information to the
homeschooling community," create "a network of attorneys interested
in homeschooling who share legal information among themselves," and
will work to "educate the legal community and government agencies in
contact with homeschooling families, such as District Attorneys,
Child Protective Services, Family Court Services, Child Custody
Attorneys and Mediators, and Family and Juvenile Law Judges."
AHSA's e-mail list offers homeschoolers the opportunity "to contact
homeschooling attorneys and experts about homeschooling legal and
litigation issues." The Association has started a nationwide listing
of attorneys and is seeking additional lawyers interested in helping
homeschoolers. Founder Linda Conrad-Jansen asks homeschoolers to "ask
your local support groups for names attorneys who have particularly
helpful" and e-mail the contact information to her at
LConrad@....
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HEM'S CURRENT ISSUE
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/HEM/204.html
In the July/August issue of Home Education Magazine, you'll enjoy
articles on Circumventing the Hubrisious Hypoglotamous, sudden
homeschooling, the college dress rehearsal, detours and more.
Column topics include: Linda Dobson explores the national baseball
curriculum, Laura Weldon answers questions about minority
homeschoolers and ADHD at home, Ann Zeise gives tips on Internet
safety for children, and Elizabeth McCullough reviews 3 new books.
Other columnists include Larry and Susan Kaseman, Sandra Dodd, Becky
Rupp, Carol Narigon and David Albert. HEM also offers publisher Helen
Hegener's essay on the future of homeschooling, as well as classified
ads, letters and discussion, pen pals and networking, and more.
To mark our 20th year, Home Education Magazine is offering a one year
introductory subscription for $20.00! (reg $32.00)
To take advantage of this price mention HEM Online News when
contacting us. To order write: Home Education Magazine, PO Box 1083,
Tonasket WA 98855; call toll-free 1-800-236-3278; email <A
HREF="mailto:orders@...">orders@...</A>.
Or use our secure online form at:
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/ORD/_hemonline.html.
MC/Visa/Disc cards accepted.
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AMERICAN HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATION E-MAIL LISTS
The American Homeschool Association sponsors several discussion lists
for homeschoolers, including AHA-Discussion for general topics of
interest to homeschoolers, AHA-Libraries for discussions between
homeschoolers and public library contacts, AHA-PoliticalAction for
discussion of issues that impact homeschool freedoms, and the newest
list: AHA-Laws-Regs, which is a compilation of laws and regulations
from around the country. As of this writing the list includes laws
for Washington state, Texas, and Pennsylvania, with more state laws
and regulations being added every day. If you're familiar with the
laws or regulations governing homeschooling families in your state
(or another state) please feel free to post the information to this
important reference list.
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/groups/AHA-Laws-Regs
http://www.americanhomeschoolassociation.org
To join any of the AHA lists via email send a message to
[email protected]
Replace the word LISTNAME with the name of the list you want to join.
<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**
SMARTer KIDS FOUNDATION GRANTS EXTENDED TO HOMESCHOOLERS
www.smarterkids.org
The SMARTer Kids Foundation of Canada announces the eligibility of
home schools to receive SMARTer Kids Grants for SMART Products and
SMARTer Kids Grants for NEC Visual Presentation Products. SMARTer
Kids Grants for SMART Products are worth 20 to 70 percent of the
suggested list price of SMART Board(TM) interactive whiteboards,
whiteboard cameras, multimedia furniture and software. SMARTer Kids
Grants for NEC Visual Presentation Products are worth 11 percent to
53 percent of the suggested list price of qualifying NEC visual
presentation products.
"Home schooling is an increasingly popular mode of educating young people in
North America, and the SMARTer Kids Foundation is expanding the grant
criteria to reflect this shift," says Nancy Knowlton, executive
director of the SMARTer Kids Foundation. "We've already helped make
technology products affordable for thousands of educational
institutions. With grants for home schools, we hope to benefit an
even larger student population."
Visit the site for more information and to apply for SMARTer Kids
Foundation grants.
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SUMMER ISSUE OF SELF-UNIVERSITY NEWSLETTER
http://www.autodidactic.com/selfnews.htm
The summer issue of "Self-University Newsletter is now available
online. The subject of this issue is: Thinking Our Way To World Peace
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HEM ONLINE NEWS UNCLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
For information on purchasing unclassified advertising space in this
newsletter, please contact the editor at
HEM-Newsletter@....
________
USBORNE
UsborneAmerica.com
New young reader science books -- including Bears, Frogs and
Tadpoles, and Airplanes. Instill the joy of learning science and
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one bill from your budget next month? Flexible, rewarding business
allows income at whatever level you desire. Email sharonve@...
or call 888-474-8499. Sharon Vander Ende, Independent supervisor,
UsborneAmerica.com.
________
GNARLY MATH
gnarlymath.com
"A MASTERPIECE OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED MATH EDUCATION."
Read this and other praise from some of the hundreds of folks who have
discovered the magical value of our CD-ROM Solid Gold Gnarly Math. It makes
algebra, geometry, trig, and probability easy, natural, and fun. Try it.
You can't lose -- It's guaranteed to please, or your money back. Learn
about it at http://www.gnarlymath.com , where you'll also find the "Isaac
Newton" issue of our free humorous math newsletter, the Gnarly Gnews.
_________
THE RESOURCEFUL HOMESCHOOLER
resourcefulhomeschooler.com
Looking for something to do? Why not: ** Stage a Costume Ball from
the Middle Ages ** Fly Through Human Anatomy ** Take a Virtual Walk
through the Rainforest ** Program a Robot ** Build a Computer Game **
The Resourceful Homeschooler carries great books, science materials
and kits, learning games, and the most interesting software. Visit
http://www.resourcefulhomeschooler.com . Materials to involve,
inspire and support independent learners of all ages!
_________
HOMESCHOOLERS LOVE HEADSPROUT'S ONLINE EARLY READING PROGRAM!
Headsprout.com
Listen to Homeschooling Mom, Ann Shelton: "I need to send a thank you
to Home Education Magazine's Online Newsletter. Headsprout has made a
potentially stressful learning situation into a fun experience. This
has set the whole tone for his schooling attitude. That learning CAN
be fun. Headsprout really does work. Thank you."
JUNE SPECIAL!! Try Headsprout for FREE -- decide to purchase and
you'll receive 30% off! Just enter code HEMJUNE03.
http://www.headsprout.com
________
POWER-GLIDE
IT'S EASY TO TEACH LANGUAGE with Power-Glide! Fully accredited
foreign language courses made with the "non-speaking" instructor in
mind. Whether you're a teacher, homeschooling parent, or just want to
learn on your own; NO previous language knowledge is required. Just
read what our customers say about our courses!
"With Power-Glide you won't be intimidated to teach a foreign
language, and people will wonder where your child prepped." - Kathy
von Duyke, Editor: KONOS Helps!
READ MORE testimonials here:
http://www.power-glide.com/testimonials.asp?from=HEM_eNewsletter_March
ORDER NOW at: http://www.power-glide.com/?from=HEM_eNewsletter_March
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FINAL WORD
"Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.
What parents do to help their children learn is more important to
academic success than how well off the family is."
~~ U.S. Department of Education, What Works: Research About Teaching
and Learning ~~
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Thanks for reading HEM's Online News! Pass it on to your friends! To
subscribe, visit our web site at
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/wlcm_hemnewsltr.html or send an email
to majordomo@... with the words subscribe
hem-online-newsletter followed by your name@your address.com in the
body of the email. (e.g. subscribe hem-online-newsletter
youremailaddress). To unsubscribe, send an email to
majordomo@... with the words unsubscribe
hem-online-newsletter followed by your name@your address.com in the
body of the email. (e.g. unsubscribe hem-online-newsletter
youremailaddress). To change the address at which you receive the
newsletter, unsubscribe your old address and then subscribe to your
new one.
See you next month!
Shay Seaborne, Newsletter Editor
HEM-Newsletter@...
Mark and Helen Hegener, Publishers of Home Education Magazine
HOME EDUCATION MAGAZINE'S ONLINE NEWS
July 2003
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Welcome to HEM'S ONLINE NEWS! For more information on Home Education
Magazine, see the end of this newsletter or visit our web site at
http://home-ed-magazine.com Send your comments and questions to
editor Shay Seaborne at HEM-Newsletter@....
In the July issue:
~ OREGON TRAIL EDUCATION RESOURCE GUIDE ~
~ SAVE THE BILL OF RIGHTS! ~
~ HOMESCHOOLING AND THE TYPE A DAD ~
~ LEMONADE STAND ECONOMICS ~
~ QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ~
~ unschooling.com's NEW DISCUSSION LISTS~
~ NHEN CLEARINGHOUSE ~
~ AMERICAN HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATION E-MAIL LISTS ~
~ SMARTer KIDS FOUNDATION GRANTS EXTENDED TO HOMESCHOOLERS ~
~ SUMMER ISSUE OF SELF-UNIVERSITY NEWSLETTER ~
~ The Final Word ~
<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**
OREGON TRAIL EDUCATION RESOURCE GUIDE
http://www.or.blm.gov/NHOTIC/Education/teacher%20packets.htm
The Oregon Trail Education Resource Guide was developed by BLM staff,
Trail Tender Volunteers, and Eastern Oregon University. The 158-page
Resource Guide is designed for use by teachers and other educators
who are teaching Oregon Trail history. Some activities are designed
for the classroom while others are specific to the Interpretive
Center and would necessitate a field trip to the site. The guide is
designed for use by fourth grade teachers who traditionally teach
Oregon history, but many activities can be adapted to younger or
older students. Copies are available at no charge to educators.
Copies may be downloaded, or a hard copy can be mailed upon request.
Teachers may make copies of any portion of the guide for classroom use.
Special notice: hard copies of the Education Resource Guide are
currently out of print. The Guide may be downloaded using the link
below. The Education Resource Guide will be reprinted and available
again in the near future.
A CD of the Education Resource Guide is now available. Contact us if
you would like a CD mailed to you or if you wish to be put on a
waiting list for a hard copy. Please e-mail us at
NHOTIC_mail@... or telephone 541-523-1845 or contact the
Education Coordinator at National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive
Center, PO Box 987, Baker City, OR 97814.
The Oregon Trail Education Resource Guide can be downloaded here:
http://www.or.blm.gov/NHOTIC/Education/TBKS.pdf
Please note that this is a 4.75MB PDF File.
You will have to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader
<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**
SAVE THE BILL OF RIGHTS!
http://www.constitutioncenter.org/
The National Constitution Center opens this month in Philadelphia,
PA. The Center's Web site includes a "Save the Bill of Rights" game
in which "your mission" is to "rebuild the document by finding the
missing rights and freedoms." Once the job is done, you can print out
and sign a copy of the Bill of Rights.
The site also offers lesson plans, and visitors can search by
subject, grade level or keyword.
<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**
HOMESCHOOLING AND THE TYPE A DAD
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/HEM/204/jadad.html
Whether we came to homeschooling as a refuge from the barking dogs of
formal education or to the conclusion of a long study of all the
options, we all want many of the same things-the opportunity to grow
together as a family and the opportunity to remain primary movers and
shakers in our children's lives, rather than merely providing respite
from their real world. The freedom to wander, explore, create, and
rest on our own timetables. Unschooling, like no other approach,
sells these opportunities in spades.
The picture of unschooling, as drawn by any number of authors and
online purveyors of the practice, is surely a pretty one. After no
small amount of study, I was left with a vision of the
picture-perfect family. My own. In perfect harmony. Learning without
trying, succeeding without sweat. If I were to pursue marketing as a
vocation, and homeschoolers as my target population, I would be
peddling unschooling. Everyone loves a product that sells itself.
The way I've come to see it, if homeschooling is like jumping off a
cliff into the great unknown, then a structured approach can be
likened to diligently getting that net up to break the fall.
Unschooling is more like enjoying the ride down.
The thing is, I don't want to die.
The tethers of unschooling can be too long for comfort, although I am
certainly not in it for the comfort. I have thought more about this,
now that my kids are getting older, and my commitment to
homeschooling has grown from an attractive idea to a lifestyle. I've
had to look at who I am, and how close I really am to this perfect
unschooling guy I've had dancing around my imagination since the idea
first took hold.
I don't think when Holt formulated the unschooling approach, he ever
really planned on it appealing to individuals with type A
personalities. I am sure it was assumed that those who have trust and
control issues, and are prone to nervous disorders, would be
attracted to school-in-a-box approaches. With a multitude of self
assessment tests available, and, if you pay for it, education
"professionals" available for consultation via phone, email or fax
anytime, it doesn't make sense that these people would even consider
the unschooling approach.
And yet, here I am.
~~ Brad Beckerman in the July/August issue of Home Education Magazine ~~
You can read the rest of this article, as well as some other articles
and columns from the current HEM at the address above, but you'll
have to get the magazine--the one you hold in your hands--to read
them all! See subscription information in this newsletter, or visit
your local bookseller to get your copy today.
<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**<<**
LEMONADE STAND ECONOMICS
I still have the first dime I ever made. It's a mercury head
coin that I received as payment for a cup of lemonade I sold from my
sidewalk stand. Our elderly neighbor, Mr. Landry, was my first
customer on that hot summer day about 35 years ago. I was proud that
my lemonade was made with real lemon juice and was refreshingly cold,
and my neighbor's response to it told me I had made the right choice.
Entrepreneurship is a fantastic way for children to learn
broad lessons. Becoming a successful young businessperson includes
not just understanding money and budgeting, it also consists of
developing concern for quality, creating a market, learning to sell
yourself and your product, communication skills, and the ability to
stick to the task. It may even involve creating a partnership or
hiring others, and the wider issues that come with those.
"Young Entrepreneurs" were featured at Virginia Home Education
Association's Conference and Curriculum Fair, and it was wonderful to
see the children's ideas and products. Some of the offerings were
hand painted items, herb plants started from seed, pet treats, and,
most imaginatively, a board game that teaches the legislative process
in our state. So impressed was I by these children and their
entrepreneurial spirit that I invited young businesspeople in my area
to present their wares at our local Not Back to School Picnic and
Curriculum Swap/Sale last fall.
Maybe some of the products weren't the highest quality, but the kids
were still learning, and their selling methods endearing, so I
couldn't stop myself from buying from them with some of the cash I'd
made from selling my unneeded supplies. The transparent glycerin
soaps with bugs inside were too fun to pass up, and I was sure my
friend's dog would enjoy a pack of those handmade peanutbutter dog
biscuits.
I clearly remember selling my first cup of lemonade-an event that
occurred over 3 decades ago-which means that interaction was
significant in my life. As an adult, I vowed to never pass up a
child's lemonade stand. Indeed, my children were startled when,
passing a stand on a lonely country road two summers ago, I turned
the car around and bought 3 glasses from the two little children
behind the table. Their product was...well, made with one of those
insipid mixes I can't stand. So, while I still do not pass up a
lemonade stand, I ask about ingredients before I buy more than one
glass. And if the answer isn't "lemon juice, sugar and water," I will
give them my tip for success.
-Shay
There are surprisingly few resources for kid-run businesses on the
Web, but here are the best I found:
Tips on Preparing Your Lemonade Stand Business
http://www.teachingkidsbusiness.com/lemonade-stand-tips.htm
Complete ABCs on lemonade stand businesses.
What Can Elementary School Age Kids Do to Earn Money & Learn Business
in Summer?
http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=205225
Scroll down about 1/3 of the way to "WORK FOR MONEY (10-14 yr olds)"
for some ideas on kid-run businesses. There are also ideas for
"working for stuff" (suggested for younger children) and working for
"the greater good" (volunteering) with links.
Junior Achievement
http://www.ja.org/default.asp
"Junior Achievement is passionate people inspiring kids to learn the
economics of life through free enterprise education. JA enables
caring business professionals to share their experience with students
to show them what it takes to be successful."
Frontyard Fortunes
http://www.fleetkids.com/ff/stories.b.html
Fleet Financial's "Fleet Kids" site offers young businesspeople the
opportunity to post stories of their business successes. These may
inspire your budding entrepreneur.
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Do you have questions that Dear Abby just can't answer? Questions
about homeschooling and other issues that affect your family? Help is
as close as your keyboard. HEM offers advice from a seasoned
homeschool mom in every issue. Just send your questions to
AskCarol@.... Of course, Carol can't answer every
question in the magazine, but she will try to respond even if your
question isn't published. Why wonder and worry? Send your questions
today!
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UNSCHOOLING.COM
http://www.unschooling.com
New Unschooling Lists:
The staff of Unschooling.com has created several new discussion
lists for unschoolers and anyone interested in exploring the
unschooling philosophy. For a description of each list see the list
websites:
Unschooling-Discussion
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/Unschooling-Discussion
Unschooling-Cafe
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unschooling-Cafe
Unschooling-101
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/Unschooling-101
Unschooling Resources
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/Unschooling-Resources
Unschooling-Creatively
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unschooling-Creatively
Unschooling-Days
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unschooling-Days
You can join any of these lists via email by sending a message to
[email protected]
Be sure to change LISTNAME to the name of the list you're interested
in joining.
For information about the Unschooling.com site visit:
http://www.unschooling.com
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NHEN CLEARINGHOUSE
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NHEN
NHEN has created a new service, the NHEN Clearinghouse, to replace
our NHEN-SpeakOut, NHEN-Announce and NHEN-Welcome lists. The NHEN
Clearinghouse distributes news, announcements, questions, as well as
media and research requests of interest to NHEN members and the
greater homeschooling community. Pertinent information provided to
the NHEN Clearinghouse by homeschoolers, or others, will be
distributed to the subscribers on this list.
To subscribe to the NHEN Clearinghouse, simply send a blank email to
[email protected].
To submit information, email: [email protected]
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Nationwide Homeschool Attorney Listings
http://www.ahsa-usa.org
The Association of HomeSchool Attorneys is "an informal network of
attorneys and legal experts in the United States supporting
homeschooling and homeschoolers by providing legal information about
homeschooling issues, empowering homeschoolers to have the legal
tools they need to meet homeschooling challenges, and providing a
network of attorneys for legal representation."
The mission of AHSA is "to support homeschooling by promoting
knowledge of homeschooling laws." The Association will act as "a
clearinghouse for dissemination of legal information to the
homeschooling community," create "a network of attorneys interested
in homeschooling who share legal information among themselves," and
will work to "educate the legal community and government agencies in
contact with homeschooling families, such as District Attorneys,
Child Protective Services, Family Court Services, Child Custody
Attorneys and Mediators, and Family and Juvenile Law Judges."
AHSA's e-mail list offers homeschoolers the opportunity "to contact
homeschooling attorneys and experts about homeschooling legal and
litigation issues." The Association has started a nationwide listing
of attorneys and is seeking additional lawyers interested in helping
homeschoolers. Founder Linda Conrad-Jansen asks homeschoolers to "ask
your local support groups for names attorneys who have particularly
helpful" and e-mail the contact information to her at
LConrad@....
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HEM'S CURRENT ISSUE
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/HEM/204.html
In the July/August issue of Home Education Magazine, you'll enjoy
articles on Circumventing the Hubrisious Hypoglotamous, sudden
homeschooling, the college dress rehearsal, detours and more.
Column topics include: Linda Dobson explores the national baseball
curriculum, Laura Weldon answers questions about minority
homeschoolers and ADHD at home, Ann Zeise gives tips on Internet
safety for children, and Elizabeth McCullough reviews 3 new books.
Other columnists include Larry and Susan Kaseman, Sandra Dodd, Becky
Rupp, Carol Narigon and David Albert. HEM also offers publisher Helen
Hegener's essay on the future of homeschooling, as well as classified
ads, letters and discussion, pen pals and networking, and more.
To mark our 20th year, Home Education Magazine is offering a one year
introductory subscription for $20.00! (reg $32.00)
To take advantage of this price mention HEM Online News when
contacting us. To order write: Home Education Magazine, PO Box 1083,
Tonasket WA 98855; call toll-free 1-800-236-3278; email <A
HREF="mailto:orders@...">orders@...</A>.
Or use our secure online form at:
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/ORD/_hemonline.html.
MC/Visa/Disc cards accepted.
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AMERICAN HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATION E-MAIL LISTS
The American Homeschool Association sponsors several discussion lists
for homeschoolers, including AHA-Discussion for general topics of
interest to homeschoolers, AHA-Libraries for discussions between
homeschoolers and public library contacts, AHA-PoliticalAction for
discussion of issues that impact homeschool freedoms, and the newest
list: AHA-Laws-Regs, which is a compilation of laws and regulations
from around the country. As of this writing the list includes laws
for Washington state, Texas, and Pennsylvania, with more state laws
and regulations being added every day. If you're familiar with the
laws or regulations governing homeschooling families in your state
(or another state) please feel free to post the information to this
important reference list.
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/groups/AHA-Laws-Regs
http://www.americanhomeschoolassociation.org
To join any of the AHA lists via email send a message to
[email protected]
Replace the word LISTNAME with the name of the list you want to join.
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SMARTer KIDS FOUNDATION GRANTS EXTENDED TO HOMESCHOOLERS
www.smarterkids.org
The SMARTer Kids Foundation of Canada announces the eligibility of
home schools to receive SMARTer Kids Grants for SMART Products and
SMARTer Kids Grants for NEC Visual Presentation Products. SMARTer
Kids Grants for SMART Products are worth 20 to 70 percent of the
suggested list price of SMART Board(TM) interactive whiteboards,
whiteboard cameras, multimedia furniture and software. SMARTer Kids
Grants for NEC Visual Presentation Products are worth 11 percent to
53 percent of the suggested list price of qualifying NEC visual
presentation products.
"Home schooling is an increasingly popular mode of educating young people in
North America, and the SMARTer Kids Foundation is expanding the grant
criteria to reflect this shift," says Nancy Knowlton, executive
director of the SMARTer Kids Foundation. "We've already helped make
technology products affordable for thousands of educational
institutions. With grants for home schools, we hope to benefit an
even larger student population."
Visit the site for more information and to apply for SMARTer Kids
Foundation grants.
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SUMMER ISSUE OF SELF-UNIVERSITY NEWSLETTER
http://www.autodidactic.com/selfnews.htm
The summer issue of "Self-University Newsletter is now available
online. The subject of this issue is: Thinking Our Way To World Peace
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HEM ONLINE NEWS UNCLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
For information on purchasing unclassified advertising space in this
newsletter, please contact the editor at
HEM-Newsletter@....
________
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UsborneAmerica.com
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Read this and other praise from some of the hundreds of folks who have
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You can't lose -- It's guaranteed to please, or your money back. Learn
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_________
THE RESOURCEFUL HOMESCHOOLER
resourcefulhomeschooler.com
Looking for something to do? Why not: ** Stage a Costume Ball from
the Middle Ages ** Fly Through Human Anatomy ** Take a Virtual Walk
through the Rainforest ** Program a Robot ** Build a Computer Game **
The Resourceful Homeschooler carries great books, science materials
and kits, learning games, and the most interesting software. Visit
http://www.resourcefulhomeschooler.com . Materials to involve,
inspire and support independent learners of all ages!
_________
HOMESCHOOLERS LOVE HEADSPROUT'S ONLINE EARLY READING PROGRAM!
Headsprout.com
Listen to Homeschooling Mom, Ann Shelton: "I need to send a thank you
to Home Education Magazine's Online Newsletter. Headsprout has made a
potentially stressful learning situation into a fun experience. This
has set the whole tone for his schooling attitude. That learning CAN
be fun. Headsprout really does work. Thank you."
JUNE SPECIAL!! Try Headsprout for FREE -- decide to purchase and
you'll receive 30% off! Just enter code HEMJUNE03.
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"With Power-Glide you won't be intimidated to teach a foreign
language, and people will wonder where your child prepped." - Kathy
von Duyke, Editor: KONOS Helps!
READ MORE testimonials here:
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FINAL WORD
"Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers.
What parents do to help their children learn is more important to
academic success than how well off the family is."
~~ U.S. Department of Education, What Works: Research About Teaching
and Learning ~~
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Thanks for reading HEM's Online News! Pass it on to your friends! To
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See you next month!
Shay Seaborne, Newsletter Editor
HEM-Newsletter@...
Mark and Helen Hegener, Publishers of Home Education Magazine