Welcome to the March 10, 2010 edition of a homeschooling carnival.

Photo by sanja gjenero, sxc.hu

family

Belle presents Happy Tree Tapping and Sap Collecting! posted at Homesteaderbelle’s Blog.

Becca Glouzstein presents Why aren’t I a better Mum? posted at Inspiration for Mothers . Com.

home education

Cindy @ Fenced in Family presents Homeschooling All the Time posted at Fenced in Family Blog.

Ben Dinsmore presents Tips on Teaching Kids About Money posted at Trees Full of Money, saying, “For the most part, public school systems do an incredibly poor job of teaching children even the most basic principles of personal finance!”

Amanda Rosen presents 7 Easy Ways to Secure Your Own Personal Computer posted at Best forensic science schools.

Alicia Robinson presents How to Research Any Disease Online Like a Nurse Does posted at Online RN to BSN.

Katie Glennon presents The Value of Drama and Plays in Your Homeschool posted at Katie’s Homeschool Cottage, saying, “We had such a phenomenal experience with our local community theatre!”

Katie Glennon presents What are Learning Styles? posted at Katie’s Homeschool Cottage, saying, “Helpful descriptions and tips in identifying and teaching visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.”

Katie Glennon presents Uses and Benefits of Audio Books posted at Katie’s Homeschool Cottage, saying, “How are family has benefitted with the use of audio books in our homeschool.”

Esteban Morin presents 10 Tips to Memorize More Bible Passages posted at online christian college.

Akinyi Acton presents Everything You Need to Know About Learning Photography posted at Online Photography Colleges.

Ted Moran presents How to ? Study the Bible Online Like a Pro posted at Christian Colleges.

Megan Wong presents How to teach preschoolers and toddlers to speak well posted at Games for Fun Kids.

Rachel Lynette presents Generating Pentominoes | Minds in Bloom posted at Minds in Bloom.

Megan Wong presents Stages of artistic development in preschoolers and toddlers posted at Games for Fun Kids.

Megan Wong presents How to use preschool worksheets to identify their playfulness posted at Funny for Kids.

Fred Lee presents 7 Simple Tips To Encourage Writing In Young Children posted at Parenting Squad.

Mariana Ashley presents 100 Amazing Videos for Teaching and Studying Physics posted at Online Colleges.net.

NerdMom presents Book It Time!!! posted at Making Money, Keeping Money.

technology & higher learning

Lisa Taylor presents 10 Youngest College Graduates in U.S. History (and Where They Are Today) posted at Online Degree.

Katie Freeman presents 25 Helpful Government Resources to Find Legit Online College Programs posted at Online University Data, saying, “If you want a reputable online education, then you need reputable sources to learn more about the programs you choose. The following list contains twenty-five helpful government resources to find legitimate online college programs.”

Anthony Stewart presents Top 50 College Rankings Blogs posted at online university rankings 2010, saying, “If you are looking to learn more about what different colleges have to offer, you can check with these top 50 college rankings blogs that can give you an idea of what is available.”

Jasmine Smith presents The Ultimate Guide to ACT Test Statistics posted at College Stats.org, saying, “This article may prove to be your ultimate guide to ACT test statistics, with information about the test, the test scores and how those scores are interpreted.”

Jennifer Meyer presents Top 50 College Admission & Administration Blogs posted at online university rankings 2010, saying, “If you plan to apply to college, it is important that you have a little inside information. Learn about the admissions process, and get a little help from insiders.”

Florine Church presents 100 Free Foreign Language Classes Online posted at AccreditedOnlineColleges.org.

Elisha Knackwood presents Top 50 Free Open Courseware VIDEO Collections posted at The .Edu Toolbox, saying, “Video collections can offer hours of entertainment, but they also can provide users with hours of education. You Tube offers a venue for many college videos.”

Jeannine Meza presents Everything You Need to Know about Learning Web Design posted at Web Design Colleges.

Maureen Fitzsimmons presents 10 Tips to Help You Get a College Degree for Free posted at Accelerated Online Degrees, saying, “The best things in life are free; the guy who came up with this gem probably never knew a thing about going to college. A college degree is easily one of the best things in life you can get – but it ain’t free.”

Eadwine Walter presents 5 Little Known Ways You Can Find Scholarship Opportunities Online posted at BSN to MSN, saying, “Why do we need to look for little-known scholarships online? Aren’t they less-in-vogue for a reason? To answer the first question, we need to explore all avenues of financial aid available to us because of the competition out there for scholarships and grants and the high cost of education.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of a homeschooling carnival using our carnival submission form. The next edition of a homeschooling carnival will be available on March 24, 2010.

Technorati tags:

a homeschooling carnival, blog carnival.

To grade or not to grade…that is the question.  This is one of those topics where homeschoolers may have strong opinions one way or the other.  Some don’t like the hassle of taking grades.  Some work toward mastery of subjects, so they don’t see the point in taking grades.  Others feel that grades are one of the most important aspects of  school work.  If you don’t take grades, how do you know if your children are really learning?  So many opinions…and all of them are right.  It really comes down to personal preference.  So which way do I swing in this debate?  I am glad you asked.

I keep grades.  I didn’t at first, because we were working on a mastery program.  But I quickly changed my ways when I discovered the benefits to ME in keeping grades.

I quickly determined that I had fewer questions from friends and family about our homeschooling, if they knew we were keeping grades.  I was tired of questions about what I was teaching, so to save my sanity, I purchased Homeschool Tracker Plus.  This program allowed me to enter in the lessons I was teaching my son, and keep track of what I might need to for school records.  I liked it.  I felt empowered as an educator.

But I would have to say that the major turning point in our homeschool was when I began to take grades last year.  My son felt responsible for learning the lessons.  This year, I have upped it even more and began to send report cards quarterly through the mail.  I wanted him to take this seriously.  He loves getting that report card and sharing it with his Dad.  I decided that I liked mailing his official report card that the Homeschool Tracker Plus program generates for me, because it helps me to distinguish between my role as a teacher and a parent.  My husband is supportive in this, even though I could just hand it to him.  My son loves getting mail, so he loves getting something so important there as well.

It has been funny how the level of respect from extended family members has increased as well.  They know that I keep grades, and now the questions about homeschooling have stopped.  Even my family member who teaches professionally has been impressed and has commented that we are doing it right and obviously take it seriously.  Which I have to admit, is a teensy weensy bit nice.  It makes me feel better knowing that my capabilities are not being questioned anymore.

The other reason I began keeping grades is that I feel it is great practice for high school.  Transcripts used to scare me.  But now that I am in the habit of keeping grades, I am less worried about everything.  I know we will be just fine.

So what are your feelings on keeping grades?  Do you choose to or choose not to keep them?  Why or why not?

Welcome to the February 24, 2010 edition of a homeschooling carnival.

Photo by sanja gjenero, sxc.hu

I have once again edited out several spam type posts.

home education

Tiana Krenz presents The Whole World In His Hands posted at God Made, Home Grown

NerdMom presents Frugal Homeschooler: Purim posted at Nerd Family Things.

Susan Gaissert presents That’s Not School; That’s Home posted at The Expanding Life.

Peggy Stoppelmoor presents 50 Incredibly Weird Facts About the Human Body posted at BSN Program, saying, “Our bodies truly are amazing. You might be surprised at what your body is capable of after reading these 50 weird facts about the human body.”

family

Rachel Lynette presents 8 Ways Not to Say No posted at Minds in Bloom.

technology and higher learning

Lane Donaldson presents 7 Reasons You Should Consider an Online School posted at Online School.

Herbert Aitken presents 25 Most Famous College Professors Teaching Today posted at College Stats.org, saying, “You might also want to learn more about the professors who teach at the school of your choice. Are they published? Is their work cited in other scholarly publications? Are they famous — perhaps, even infamous?”

Gracyqueen presents 50 Free Career Aptitude Tests That Everyone Should Take posted at AccreditedOnlineColleges.org.

Ally Peterson presents The Ultimate Guide to SAT Test Statistics posted at College Stats.org, saying, “The SAT is owned, published and developed by the College Board, which is a non-profit organization that claims the SAT can determine whether or not a person is ready for college. But, how valid is this test, and how well do you need to score to enter the college of your choice. Even further — do you really need to take the SAT?”

Diana Diego presents Which College Scholarships Are Easy to Get? We Have the Data posted at College Stats.org, saying, “There are loads of scholarships available to students who need a little extra cash to pay for their expenses, some of those scholarships are actually pretty easy to get.”

Rowena Hebert presents 100 Video Sites Every Educator Should Bookmark posted at AccreditedOnlineColleges.org.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of a homeschooling carnival using our carnival submission form. The next edition of a homeschooling carnival will be available on March 10, 2010.

Technorati tags:

a homeschooling carnival, blog carnival.