A Boy and His Dog

I should have known. It seems almost every time we go to my friend, B's house to help her with her horses, we wind up dragging something home in exchange. Often, that something is alive.

A long time ago (well, a bit over eight years ago), we got our wonderful ball-fetching, frisbee-catching, chicken-herding dog Bella for Tex's fifth-birthday. Then, a few years ago, just after moving here, we drug home a sad little stray kitten we found in the woods by her barn. He had been chucked out alone when the renters in the house next door vacated, and was probably less than six weeks old. We HAD to take him in and give him a safe haven.

Unfortunately, little Jack is no longer with us. One day (I think sometime around when his hormones kicked in), he escaped off of the front porch and decided to find another home. The boys are pretty sure they saw him down the road mooching off of someone else, so I think he's okay. Our search efforts were to no avail, but we tell ourselves that he is fine. I don't think he ever quite got over the few nights he spent in those woods alone being barked at by B's dogs (he was always skittish), but he was nice and we were glad we were a temporary home for him.

A few months ago, we went to check on B. just before she had surgery, and she had kittens she was trying to get rid of before she was out of commission and unable to care for her pets for a time (her daughter helped out during that time). Well, I'm a pushover for helping AND for small animals, especially adorable ones that sat on my daughter's lap quietly all day and let themselves be loved on, so that is when Molly joined our family. She has turned out to be a perfect addition to our family...patient, sweet, and smart enough to run when she sees Boo coming after her! I was informed by one of my kids recently, that the old picture of Molly makes her look mad, so if you look in the sidebar, you may notice that there is an updated picture where she hopefully looks as pretty as she really is.

One good thing about getting animals from B, is that we've never gotten a bad one (well, except for Jack running off, but he technically was not from one of B.'s pets). I don't know if that is due to the quality of her animals, or due to the raising we do on our end, but I am grateful that in choosing an animal from her house, there is a very high chance of it turning out to be a GREAT one. I am particularly grateful about that fact today, because guess where we went yesterday? Yup. B's house. She had surgery again and was laid up and needed a few of her horses' feet tended to. Bubba went over to do the honors, and I went along to hold the horses and visit with her for a bit.

You can figure out what is coming, can't you? B's Australian Shepherd, Chrissy, had a litter of four puppies and BOY were they adorable. Like our Bella, who is half Dalmatian, these puppies are not purebreds either. They are Boxer-Shepherd crosses, and we LOVE Boxers. Bubba's first dog was a Boxer named Gabby, and she was a sweet companion to him through many military transfers, helped him adjust to several new houses, and was his constant friend. Boxers are dogs that are well-known to be family-friendly, and I imagine a cross with a Shepherd, known to be livestock-friendly, would be ideal for a horse-oriented individual who is around people a lot.

You will be proud to know (and my hubby is relieved) that I am not the one who carted a puppy home last night. I resisted the urge (there was a girl one I really liked a lot...;-), but I will admit to you that when Bubba fell in love with the one boy puppy, I didn't exactly discourage him from the decision to take him home to raise as a farrier dog. Bubba said he'd just been commenting to his friend, A., that he needed to get a dog to keep him company on his often long drives in the countryside. Then, voila, he shows up at B's house, and the puppies are part Boxer, and one takes to following him all over the barn, and...the rest is history. I did, however, tell him that he needed to make the decision whether he was willing to commit to the care and costs involved in having a dog. He considered it (for about thirty seconds) and decided he was ready to jump in.

 

I hope my folks aren't too mad...Bubba is living at their house for the time being, and they are not exactly dog people. We never had dogs growing up, though we always had cats. Bubba says that my dad laughed when he called and told him the news.  He and my mom are good sports about things like that. We stayed with them for quite a while after moving from Florida with six kids, three horses, one pony, two potbellied pigs, two cats, and three dogs...Then they just get rid of us and my brother and his wife relocated and moved in with their son, cat, and chihuahua (at least all of our pets were outdoor ones...I tell myself that so I don't feel bad...lol). We are all very grateful that they were so nice about helping out...that is what family is for, right? We are blessed.

My hubby laughed, too, when I showed him a picture, and said, "Well, you can never say that your son doesn't take after you..." I guess there are worse things to pass onto your kids. I wish for Bubba and his new pal many years of happy companionship (he really is a sweet puppy...) and love. I am sure they will grow to be best friends.

By the way, the puppy doesn't have a name yet. We jokingly called him, "Alfred" at the barn because I said he looked like a dignified British butler rather than a barn dog. Perhaps if you have a suggestion, you can post it here. I told Bubba that he needs to let the puppy "try on" names for a week before he decides on one that really fits, so get those suggestions in right away.

Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

Where in the World? Wednesday

Where in the World? Wednesday----New Jersey Edition

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Thank you for joining us again on our trip around the United States via postcards and the internet.

This week's destination is New Jersey.

Here are our postcards for this week:

Here are some facts about New Jersey that you might find interesting:

State Capital: Trenton

State Motto: Liberty and Prosperity

State Nickname: The Garden State

Largest City: Newark

Origin of Name: Named by the Duke of York, brother of Charles II

Folks from New Jersey are called New Jerseyites

In 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution and the first state to sign the Bill of Rights.

State Tree: Red Oak

State Bird: Eastern Goldfinch

State Flower: Purple Violet

State Dinosaur: Hadrosaur

State Dance: Square Dance

State Fruit: Blueberry

State Insect: Honeybee

State Mammal: Horse

State Shell: Knobbed Whelk

Industries: farming, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,

tourism, petroleum-products

Famous historic events: Battle of Trenton, Battle of Monmouth, Battle of Princeton..."New Jersey was known as the "Pathway of the Revolution." Over 100 battles were fought on New Jersey soil."

Famous people from New Jersey: President Grover Cleveland, Aaron Burr, James Fenimore Cooper, Jerry lewis, Frank Sinatra, Meryl Streep, Judy Blume, Count Basise, Buzz Aldrin, Stephen Crane

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Map of New Jersey:

from maps.statemaster.com

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Find another map and more information about New Jersey at Merriam-Webster's atlas HERE.

Find a simple map for filling in major cities and landmarks HERE.

A New Jersey map and quiz printout from Enchanted Learning can be printed up HERE.

A LABEL ME version of a New Jersy map is HERE, also from Enchanted Learning.

See a picture of the New Jersey state quarter HERE and learn about how they selected its theme.
Download a worksheet to go with the lesson abou the state quarter HERE.

The flag of New Jersey:

Color the flag of New Jersey on the worksheet found HERE.

The Seal of New Jersey:

Go HERE to view the state symbols of New Jersey.
Then go HERE to color a picture of them online.

Color a copy of the New Jersey stamp HERE.

A timeline of New Jersey history is available HERE.

Read a brief history of the state of New Jersey HERE.

A cartoon history of the explorers of Jew Jersey is available HERE.

Fun Facts about New Jersey...click HERE to go to a page with an archive of interesting articles about topics from Thomas Edison to Cranberries.

New Jersey is known for the many types of apples it produces. See a listing of the types grown in New Jersey HERE.

Buy a dozen apples of a type from New Jersey next time you go to the store, and try one of these recipes from New Jersey.

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Here are some interesting places you can visit in New Jersey:

Visit New Jersey in the spring HERE

in the summer HERE

in the fall HERE

in the winter HERE.

Videos available on all pages.

Check out the information on Atlantic City HERE and watch many videos about various attractions in the area. We watched the first video which showed the boardwalks, and also how salt water taffy is made at Shriver's Candy.

 

See photos and read information about eleven of New Jersey's historic lighthouses HERE, especially the one in the Cape May community (the 2nd video, the one with the picture of the lighthouse, is a tour of the Cape May Lighthouse).

Washington Crossing Park, just eight miles noth of Trenton, is where the Continental Army landed after their historic river crossing. See a virtual tour and photo album HERE.

The Hermitage, a mid-18th century house visited by General Washington and his staff, has a video tour HERE.

Visit The Wildwoods, tagged as one of the 50 Best Authentic American Experiences by Time Magazine. Enjoy the music and check out the Photo Gallery HERE. Notice the Doo Wop stylin' of many buildings and businesses in the area HERE.

Allaire Village, a well-preserved 19th century historic iron-making town contains the following buildings: a general store, blacksmith shop, carpenter's shop, owner's house, foreman's house, church, and museum. Visit the link HERE to view some videos about what they have to offer. Allaire is supported by donations and volunteers, so if you live nearby, you can train to become a costumed interpreter. What fun!!

Read about Cranberry Bogs and the Cranberry Harvest HERE at Double Trouble State Park. Then make your own Cranberry scoop, and complete a word search.

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Well, folks, that's all I have time for this week.

I hope you enjoyed our virtual tour of New Jersey. It looks like a great place to go on a family vacation.

If you found any more fun facts or interesting places in New Jersey you'd like to share, please feel free to leave a comment. If you posted about New Jersey on your blog, please also leave a comment or connect to us with the Mr. Linky below.

Thanks for joining us on our tour of the fifty states!

 

Blessings,

Heather

Nature Study Tuesday---Geese

Outdoor Hour Challenge #2---Geese

The Outdoor Hour Challenge for the second week of Autumn was to look for geese and observe them flying overhead as they migrate south for the winter. The littler ones and I did this one day, and saw a perfectly formed "V" of them flying over the ready-to-be-harvested field of feed corn next to our house. It was like a song, listening to their honking...a sure promise of cooler fall weather to come. Ladybug eagerly went into the house and drew a picture of the geese as they flew over our barn, and a close-up of one lone goose over our house (this one she imagined).

We looked up Geese (ours were Canadian Geese) in the Handbook of Nature Study and this is what it had to say about the honking of geese in the autumn:

There is a sound, that, to the weather-wise farmer, means cold and snow, even though it is heard through the hazy atmosphere of an Indian Summer day; and that is the honking of wild geese as they pass on their southward journey. And there is not a more interesting sight in the Autumn landscape than the wedge-shaped flock of these long-necked birds with their leader at the front apex...The honking which reveals to us the passing flock, before our eyes can discern the birds against the sky, is the call of the wise old gander who is the leader, to those following him, and their return salute. He knows the way on this long thousand-mile journey, and knows it by instinct and in part by the topography of the country...The northern migration takes place in April and May, and the southern from October to December. The journey is made with stops for rest and refreshment at certain selected places, usually some secluded pond or lake. The food of wild geese consists of water plants, seeds and corn, and of some of the smaller animals living in water. Although the geese come to rest on the water, they go to the shore to feed.

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Tex opted to draw his own two ducks instead (it was stated that you could draw any sort of water fowl, if you prefered), and here is his picture of his two Indian Runner Ducks, Quackers and Quackenstein. She is a fawn runner and he is a blue runner duck.

It was pleasantly fall-like all week here, with perfect days in the seventies, dropping to cooler temperatures at night. We have noticed that the animals are starting to grow in their winter coats, and the leaves are beginning to fall off the trees in sufficient numbers that Ladybug wanted to rake them up into a pile for her, Firefly, and Cowboy to jump in yesterday. We are hoping that these pleasant days last for at least a few weeks before it turns altogether cold, so we can really enjoy the season.

I hope this past week was a lovely one for you, as well.

Blessings,

Heather

Sketch Tuesday---Something Thirsty

Here is Tex's contribution to Sketch Tuesday's challenge to draw something you like when you are thirsty. He had accompanied his dad and his sister recently to the store where they happened to be giving away free sodas, and this is one he brought home after discovering he liked the taste (I am a devoted Pepper, so we don't usually have 7-Up or anything like it around the house, since we don't give soda to the kids as a general rule.) I think he did a great job.

You can visit Harmony Art Mom's blog to see a slideshow of the other entries HERE.

I hope you will join us in participating in this fun and interesting meme. I have seen much improvement in not only Tex's skill, but his confidence level, as well. It is well worth the effort and time.

Blessings,

Heather

Lego Challenge---Archaeology

The most recent Lego Challenge was to make something that represented archaeology. Tex opted to not participate this time as there wasn't much spare time to work on the project, but Cowboy eagerly put together this dinosaur dig so he could have a picture here on our blog. I understand that paleontology is probably more accurate when dealing with dinos, but since we believe that dinos were created by God on the same day as men (we are Young Earth Creation Science believers), we can assume that at OUR dig, they are not only unearthing dinosaur bones, but also finding human artifacts...thus, archaeology.

I am proud of Cowboy for wanting to participate and for working so diligently all by himself to make this display. He had fun demolishing it later, too. Boo was happy to help.

Blessings,

Heather

How I Use Computers in My Homeschool

I have been dabbling with using computers and the internet as an educational tool for some time. If you look on my sidebar, you will see a link to my website, Homeschool-for-Free. Feel free to open it up in a new tab and you will see that I am a firm believer in the benefits of incorporating the internet into our childrens' education...especially when it involves FREE stuff.

A few weeks ago, I asked friends on a forum I frequent if any of them use blogs, websites, or other things like that as part of their curriculum for homeschooling. Of the responses I recieved, not one was a resounding "YES!" Several folks said they had thought about it, but nobody had really committed to it.

Well, I am here to tell you that I have fully committed to using computers and the internet for a HUGE chunk of our homeschooling curriculum this year. Let me list for you the ways we are using them this year, and perhaps you will be inspired.

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I am going to focus on how I am using the computer with my older homeschooling student, Tex (age 13):

1. My oldest homeschooler likes doing his math on the computer. Last year, we used Teaching Textbooks and he LOVED it. This year, we reviewed America's Math Teacher, on online math tutoring program, and he liked that, too. We still have a few weeks left of that math subscription, then we will re-evaluate where he is and decide where to go next. He also uses IXL  or to Cool Math Games to do some daily math practice. IXL allows you to do twenty problems a day on any level without becoming a member, so he can practice whatever he feels he needs to improve. Cool Math Games is geared more towards fun. He also did his writing practice on the computer, as part of a review we wrote about an online writing program called Time 4 Writing (read about it HERE) recently. He discovered that he prefers to type his papers rather than hand write them, and will write more when he can type. I think that is good to know!
2. Last year, I set up two free websites for him to post reviews he writes about books and movies. One is called The Reading Room and the other is called The Screening Room. Because of the Crew reviews, we haven't had much time to add to either this school year, but he has hopes to keep developing them later in the year. He even inspired a public-schooled friend of his to start a book blog! Having his thoughts "out there" inspires him to write a better quality piece, I think. He is learning quickly to write for an audience and to defend his ideas in a rock solid way (because people can check up on you using the internet, too!) I think it's a good way to establish a goal and develop student interests. Why not have fun while practicing our English skills, instead of just doing dry grammar exercises in a workbook?
3. This year, I set up a blog for Tex to help me keep track of his weekly work (it is private, so I cannot share the link). He was doing a lot of our Review Crew stuff online anyway, and I figured being able to access the direct links to his coursework from one place would be a good thing. It also provides a place for me to write what I expect of him, and to post reminders about what is due or happening each week. That doesn't mean that I don't have to talk to him and check on his work...it just means that we are trying to be more organized about it. He still has to write down his accomplishments in our weekly planner (in case I ever have to defend what we did in a week to an official), and he keeps a list of the books he has read in that planner, but he is enjoying setting up a "Shelfari" online (it is a gadget that looks like a bookshelf and shows pictures of books you have read and/or liked) and has a good time finding links to add to the sidebar of his blog.
4. For my own accountability, I have arranged on my blog a list of memes that we are trying to participate in this year with some regularity. We are really enjoying this. It is keeping us focused on accomplishing certain things that previously got set aside in favor of "more important" subjects...things like nature study and art. By having a deadline (each meme is different...some have linkys that stay open for a while, whereas others close within a day or a week of posting the topic), we are motivated to produce the work and get it posted on our blog. Then, we have the payoff of not only seeing it on our own blog, but of seeing it out there in cyberspace on someone else's blog...and sometimes get comments from other folks about it. I guess it fills the one need they were missing out on by homeschooling...having someone other than Mom seeing their work. The kids' current favorites are: Lego Quest, Outdoor Hour, Nature Study Tuesday, Sketch Tuesday, and Walls of Art Wednesday. We also started one of our own, a geography meme, called Where in the World? Wednesday. Having to come up with a post for that is inspiring us all to look up information and find fun links about the states we are learning about. It's a good thing.
5. My son is helping with the photography, editing, and technical management of our blog, site, and computers. This is helping him learn skills that are easily translatable into jobs later on in life. He helps find links for the Homeschool-for-Free site, and is my "review partner" for the Homeschool Crew items I review on my blog. This is helping him to learn about accountability and deadlines. He is learning to proofread (he is actually spotting my typos now!) and is gradually tackling web design. He also already fixed one of our computers this year (it was BAD) and is going to check my laptop out this week (sometimes it sounds like a helicopter getting ready to take off....yikes!)
6. Another current interest of his that uses computers is stop-animation. We looked up (together) some funny Lego animation videos and he was inspired enough to ask for an animation kit for his 13th birthday last week. He has been watching the mail every day, waiting for that thing to arrive...it is late. He is going nuts. He already has plans for his first movie, and has arranged for friends to come over on the weekend to help him film it.
7. We use the computer for typing practice. Tex uses Dance Mat Typing.
8. We LOVE our books, but we also enjoy using the computer to access news articles, magazines, and other print materials. You can see a nice selection of sites that offer free books on my Reading Links Page. Tex likes taking quizzes about books he reads on Book Adventure and my little ones LOVE playing on Starfall (helps develop reading skills).
9. We LOVE audio books (sites such as Librivox and BooksShouldBeFree and My Audio School are awesome!). Listening to a more difficult selection can make digesting it easier, and it offers a nice alternative to TV...you can listen while you do housework, crafts, or put together a puzzle. You will find more links on my Audio Links Page. Many of these can be downloaded onto an iPod or similar device, to be listened to while a child is playing, doing chores, or on long car rides. HomeschoolRadioShows is nice for a change of pace, and of course, Adventures in Odyssey and other Christian audio shows (find out more links on my site's audio links page). You can listen to the Bible online, too.
10. Gotta love Netflix, especially the Instant Streaming feature. This month, they added a bunch of National Geographic and Imax-type specials that I can't wait to see. Already, we have watched The Amish, A People of Preservation to go with our study of Pennsylvania. We have a dozen more lined up for the next few weeks. We also use Netflix as an occasional diversion for the little ones when I need concentrated time with my oldest student. Currently, Liberty's Kids is on Instant Streaming (it's about the Revolutionary War), and they have been watching those in order. There is a fee for this service, though. If you want to watch something educational, but free, you can try The Homeschool Channel for a variety of quality educational programming.
11. We have used LessonPathways for finding some interesting links in specific topic areas...and it is now FREE!! It offers pre-screened lesson plans (with links to information and activities) for many levels of students in many subjects. LP does require registration.
12. We also love sites like DonnaYoung for printables (like scheduling, chore, and handwriting sheets), CurrClick for freebies, and Lapbook Lessons for lapbooks (mostly used with the younger kids). You can find more links to internet options on my site, homeschool-for-free.
13. The internet is an almost limitless resource for homeschooling materials, many of them free. We also visit Homeschool Freebie of the Day regularly for an endless variety of fun free stuff. Blue Behemoth also offers daily freebies. Registration is required.
14. We use our computer to learn languages. Currently, we have Rosetta Stone, which the children enjoy. Recently, I have been having fun "grading" assignments (as a native speaker of English) on LiveMocha, a free online language learning program, to earn points towards free stuff. You can hear others speak their language, type in your responses, and even hear their spoken comments about your recorded answers.
15. There are lots of fun and educational games online that I allow my kids to play when their regular work is done, or if we need a break from our usual routine. The educational games also come in handy when someone is not feeling well and needs a break, or if we have inclement weather and are trapped inside for long periods of time. Some of our favorites are listed under Our Curriculum Links on our website, or on individual subject pages.
16. We like Mark Kistler's Mini-Marshmallow lessons and online video classes for art. We bought a three-year membership for the family for under forty dollars through the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op. All of the kids (who are old enough to draw) have enjoyed this purchase. Mark makes art lots of fun. Other art links (all free), are available on my site, homeschool-for-free.
17. Of course, the internet is invaluable when researching topics of almost any nature (as long as the research is supervised). A recent review I did of LanSchool offered a viable option for monitoring his research from a remote location (check out my review HERE). All the kids enjoy checking out links. It's like a treasure hunt online. You can find almost anything online with Google (but we are always monitoring online activity)...from art lessons, to math, to how to play the guitar, or how to blow up a roll of toilet paper...it's on there.
18. Access to the library stacks using the internet is great. The bookmobile comes to our house, so all we have to do to get the books we want is to go online, find them at our library, order them using our card number, and wait for them to arrive!
19. Email is a nice tool for keeping in tough and for practicing letter-writing skills. Tex hasn't done a ton with email, but it is there as an option, and along with typing, he will be learning how to write business letters (an email to complain about why his animation program did not show up in 3-5 days, asking for a refund of the priority shipping fee!), thank you notes (to his grandparents who babysat his siblings so I could take him to lunch on his birthday), and friendly-letters (to his friends).
20. Word Processing programs help teach English grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I love the feature that autocorrects...incorrectly, if you are not careful! He has already experienced the fact that you can't just choose the first thing that comes up. You have to pay attention to what you are doing and what you are trying to say (or spell). You can also learn desktop publishing using your computer as you write papers for classes, or produce a family newsletter, or make a photo collage, etc. The possibilites are endless.
21. Of course, I have to admit the use of non-online computer games, if I am being completely honest. I do try to keep the games in the justifiably "educational" range...sort of. Tex likes Civilization IV at the moment, and other games like that that remind me of the board game Risk. I used to make him tell me something about each of the time periods he entered or personalities he encountered, but he's gone through them now, and has learned something from the game. It is interesting to talk to him about strategy, too. The little ones like Reader Rabbit, Putt-Putt, and Freddie Fish. These educational and problem solving games serve to occupy them if I need focused time with my older student.
22. Speaking of strategy, we do have a computer chess teaching program that is good for learning critical thinking skills. I think that counts as school. We do other thinking skills sorts of things online by visiting our site, HERE.
23. How about programs like Paint and Photoshop, that help you alter photos or make your own designs? That's useful and counts as school, too. You can find many "how-to" tutorials for these things for free online, if you look.
24. Tex's dad has been teaching him to use Outlook to keep track of his schedule. He emails what he is doing to his dad, who can participate in his school day from work via email. That's kind of neat, and I think organizational skills and accountability are two of the most important things we teach.
25. We do NOT currently have a textbook or curriculum we are using from online, BUT there are many available. You can find many listed at my site, homeschool-for-free, especially in the science and spelling sections.
26. We use the internet to stream audio and video sermons for our family Bible studies. I do a series of posts called Sermon Sunday at my blog that I sometimes have Tex use during his Bible time.
27. We LOVE using YouTube to look up demos of experiments we'd like to do, songs done with ASL, hymns, and educational clips on artists, musicians, and more. You can even take entire classes using YouTube, from places such as MIT. As far as YouTube goes, I recommend, creating an account, then making playlists of the various things you find, such as "Music," "Art," "Science," and "How to Play the Guitar." It will make accessing what you like a whole lot easier, and help you avoid looing at junk you don't want your kids to see during school time.

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I could probably think of more, but this list is getting kind of long, so I will stop here. As you can see, your computer can be a really useful tool in your homeschool...when used judiciously and safely. As with anything, too much of a good thing can lead to trouble, so reading print books, playing outside, and doing some honest hard work can balance out computer use and ensure it remains a positive learning experience.

I am looking forward to seeing how others use computers in their classrooms.

Blessings,

Heather

Sermon Sunday---Lessons from Proverbs

picture from http://www.verseoftheday.com/

Click HERE to hear all of Proverbs Chapter 19 read to you

 by Max McLean.

Hillsong singing "Show Me Your Way" on YouTube.

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Here's a good written devotional called "Follow the Blueprint" by James MacDonald. I had to register to access their extensive archive, but I like his preaching, so I figured it was worth it. It was free.

A written sermon called "How to Become Wise" from Desiring God Community Church in Charlotte, NC. There is no registration necessary to access this one. 

Here is a sermon, in both written and audio form, from John Piper called "Get Wisdom." I read it, and it was very good. It goes over the five ways the Bible tells us to become wise, so if you have a student (and we should all really be students all of our lives) this would be a good one to try. The audio version is good, too, but I read much faster than I can listen, so I only heard about a fourth of the sermon (and I was reading while I listened, so I guess what I am saying is that John Piper is a good spaker).

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Here's a bonus talk you might want to try:

For those of you who are joining me here on Sunday, click on THIS LINK to go to Blue Behemoth and check out today's freebie track. I have heard How to Think Like a Christian many times and it is definitely worth listening to (I think that learning to think like a Christian is part of getting wise). You will have to set up a quick FREE account, but you will then be able to download 1-2 new audio tracks daily for FREE!!

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I also found a series of sermons called "Wisdom Works" from Houston's First Baptist Church that I started listening to tonight (I listened to the first sermon), and I would like to share it with you. However, I could not find a way to get a link to each sermon directly. You have to go to the general download page, and then scroll down to find the four-sermon series on Proverbs. It is interesting that with all of the wisdom that is available in the book of Proverbs, that there are not more sermons available focusing on that particular book. I do think this series will be interesting and will challenge me to focus more on Proverbs this week.

I have heard many times, and done it myself from time to time, that a good way to start your day is to read out of the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds with each particular day of the month. I know of some who do this over and over again throughout their lives. I have read through the book more than once, and many of the verses are thoughtfully underlined in my Bible, but it is not currently something I do daily.

Can you imagine the impact of years of absorbing the same verses in Proverbs over and over again? All the wisdom Solomon asked for (and was given) available for us in easy to understand format...do you tap this incredible resource regularly? I am thinking that we all should. What would the world be like if we all lived according to this wise advice? It's something to consider as you walk through this next week.

Blessings to you and yours for a wonderful (and wise) week,

Heather

Where in the World? Wednesday

Welcome to our new meme, Where in the World? Wednesday! We are participating in several postcard exchanges this year and thought it might be nice to regularly share the cards we receive, as well as to have a place to keep all of the information we discover about each place we "visit."

If you would like to "travel" with us, feel free to check here every Wednesday for our latest virtual field trip. If you would like to link up and share your virtual travels, please be patient as I figure out how to make a button and do a linky so you can join us.

In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment with a link, so we can check out your fun learning adventures, too!!

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This week's destination: The wonderful state of Pennsylvania!

 
Here is the postcard we received this week:

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Here is what we found out about Pennsylvania (mostly from Enchanted Learning):

Pennsylvania was the second state in the United States of America. It ratified the Constitution on December 12, 1787.

Capital: Harrisburg
Abbreviation: PA
Origin of name: This state was named to honor Admiral William Penn and his son, William Penn, Pennsylvania's founder.
Nickname: Keystone State


Land Area: 46,058 square miles
Motto: Virtue, Liberty, and Independence
Song: Pennsylvania by E. Khoury
Residents: Pennsylvanians

Animal: White-tailed deer
Bird: Ruffled Grouse
Dog: Great Dane
Tree: Eastern Hemlock

Flower: Mountain Laurel
Insect: ladybug and firefly
Fossil: Trilobite
Fish: Brook Trout

Industries: Steel, farming, mining, electronics, cars
Famous Pennsylvanians: James Buchanan (15th President), Lousia May Alcott, Daniel Boone, Gene Kelly, Andrew Wyeth, Betsy Ross, Robert Fulton, Mary Cassatt, Jimmy Stewart
Famous facts about Pennsylvania: Atreipus dinosaur fossils were found there, Amish population
Interesting features of Pennsylvania: borders Lake Erie, highest point is Mt. Davis, largest city is Philadelphia which is where the Liberty Bell is located, Appalacian Mountains.

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There is a LOT to do in Pennsylvania. After putting together this post, the kids and I want to go to PA for our next family trip!

Start your virtual visit to PA with this fun video starring Abe Lincoln, a Hershey Kiss, and an Amish farmer. Really, it's cute and will introduce you to the variety that is Pennsylvania.

Visit The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and learn about: the automaton that inspired Brian Selznik's book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret HERE (scroll down to watch a demo), Ben Franklin's Glass Armonica HERE and and scroll down HERE to give playing one a try, and visit HERE to learn more about Edison's lightbulb (scroll down to find an experiment to make your own lightbulb).

Would a trip to PA be complete without stopping at historic Gettysburg?

Make a virtual visit to Cherry Crest, a fun farm adventure in Ronks, PA HERE. It would be perfect to visit this time of year. I'd love to make some of these fun activities a reality on our own farm.

What would a visit to PA be without stopping by HERSHEY for a virtual tour of the factory on the official site, and this excellent video tour found on youtube from CoolStuffBeingMade? Then stop by and have some fun at Hershey Park. Did you know that in 1900, Hershey Bars were introduced and sold for five cents each? Wow!

Let's not leave out a visit to the Amish in Lancaster Co. Enjoy learning about the differences between their culture and your own, and about the similarities, too.

Find Fun Facts and Activities about  Pennsylvania at Enchanted Learning: Pennsylvania map and quiz , Liberty Bell printout, PA Dot-to-Dot Outline Coloring Page

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Here's the State Flag of Pennsylvania:

Here's a map of Pennsylvania:

Here are some pictures of Pennsylvania:

Pittsburgh, PA



Here are some handouts you can print up for a state notebook: Pennsylvania Label-Me Printout from Enchanted Learning. PA Outline Map Printout.

Here's a printable map of the fifty states with lines for writing the names of the states on, if you want to start filling in each state as you recieve the card. HERE is one from Enchanted Learning with no lines, but it has questions to answer about your home state. There are also some other great prinables for individual state reports (a one-page notebooking page for older students and a mini-book for younger ones), but you have to be a member (it's a low cost of $20 a year...I think it's worth it).

HERE'S a good online fill-in game for the entire US. You have to know where the states are placed on a blank map (no outlines), but it gives you a clue after the first try and even tells you by how many miles you are in error. It was good practice. I think that one of my goals for the year is for my kids to be able to draw a reasonably accurate map of the US on a blank sheet of paper and label all the states, capitals, and major landmarks/geographic features. What are your geography goals?

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Here are some pictures of our notebook pages about Pennsylvania:

Tex also read Chapter 13: Trusting God's Character about William Penn in the book Character for Life by Don Hawkinson. We got the hardcover book on sale at a homeschooling convention, and it is a wonderful book, full of excellent character building stories.

We also just received For You They Signed, by Marilyn Boyer, to review, and he will be reading the stories of Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush today and tomorrow. They were both signers of the Declaration of Independence for the state of Pennsylvania. I will let you know how we like the book.

The movie, The Amish, a People of Preservation, just went on instant play at Netflix, and I am thinking we will watch that over the weekend. I love Netflix!

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I hope you enjoyed our trip to the Keystone State. We sure did.

See you next week when we visit New Jersey!


Blessings,

Heather

Where in the World? Wednesday

Product Review---Lanschool Technology

Last month we were asked to try out a computer program called LanSchool. It has been called the "one essential tool teachers need in computer-based classrooms." Since as a homeschool, our house is our classroom, we thought we'd give it a go, and see how it helped (or hindered) our family's ability to school effectively. Here is what we discovered:

From the LanSchool Information Sheet:

 

"Teachers today are faced with the challenge and opportunity of using technology to teach. Computers are amazing educational tools, but they can also be a huge distraction to learning. The Internet, instant messaging, email and games are a constant temptation for students.

 

Lanschool removes these distractions so you can teach more effectively. No classroom solution is easier to install, easier to use, or better suited for teaching in a computer-based classroom."

 

Lanschool helps:

• Facilitate learning by allowing the teacher to show their screen to students.
• Remove distractions, such as the Internet, applications, USB drives, and printing.
• Keep students on task through real-time thumbnail monitoring.
• Get student's attention by blanking out their screens.
• Assist students through remote control and chat.
• Assess student understanding through student testing.

 

 

Features of LanSchool:

• You can manage all of your students' computers from the teacher monitor. Thumbnail images of their screens show on your monitor so you can see what they are up to.
• You can control student monitors and blank student screens for demonstration or control purposes.
• You can limit access to certain applications, such as printing, the Internet, speakers, keyboard, mouse, etc.
• You can enable all screens to simultaneously view the same material, and you can show all or selected students your screen for demonstration purposes.
• 
  
  You can allow individual students to temporarily take control for demonstration purposes.
• You can send individual students or groups of students messages or even have them take quizzes you have made (which are automatically graded). You can set up polls and show the results to all on screen. You can set up a chat session with students, as needed.
• You can view which applications are being run on student computers and block unwanted ones.
• You can view Internet browsing history.
• You can send and collect files from student computers.
• You can take screen shots of student computers.
• You can remotely shut down, log off, or restart student computers. This includes logging onto Internet sites for students remotely.
• Works with Windows 98 and up, and most Macs.
• And much more, too complicated for me to understand...

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Now, for what we thought about the product:

 

My husband (the IT guy for his high-security military job) said:

• It allows remote control of other machines, limits their access (web, applications, printing, USB, and mutes speakers).  These functions work for both Google Chrome and Internet Explorer browsers.
• The program allows a lot of interaction with your students (you can send messages to your students, give them exams that you develop within the program, or poll the group with a multiple choice or True/False question (like, "Do you want to go to Chik-fil-a?). 
• You can also look at histories (application, internet, keystroke) and block applications or sites based on what you find. Keystroke monitoring is not permitted in the government or private sector.
• However, the keystroke and application monitoring is fairly complex and requires some experience to interpret what a student has been up to. LanSchool also prevents a student deleting their browser history (prevents a comptuer savvy young man from hiding what he looks at). LanSchool does not allow looking Google Chrome history.
• Installation requires the authorization of registry changes by your security program.  A knowlegable student can remove it if they know where to find the installation package.  However, if you delete the package, they would be stuck with the program.  Of course, then if you wanted to remove the program later, you would have to download the installation package. I would recommend saving it on a CD (I assume this is allowed, but did not check). 
• Cannot transition from showing student to controlling a student, but you can do the opposite and return to student control again. 
• Could not get a student message to the teacher to work, but the teacher to student messaging worked fine. I did not try to get technical support because of time constraints, though I am sure they would have helped with this glitch as it is supposed to work both ways.
• It seems safe - the only unlikely risk appears to be potential access to a student machine in an uncontrolled (public or unsecured personal) network by an intruder with LanSchool on the correct student channel (unlikely, if you set an onusual channel).

 

I (not techie at all, computer clueless) said:

• The thing that was most useful to me, was the remote monitoring of other computers. We have desktops in two locations in our home, plus two laptops. This means that computer-based schooling or activities can be happening in several rooms at once. LanSchool enabled me to keep an eye on my children's activities while I was working on my own computer, or from a room with my laptop. In cases where certain students might get distracted easily (and you know who you are!), this was a blessing, and helped us keep on task.
• It was fun to send messages to Tex. I was sorry we couldn't get his return messaging capability to work, but I will be honest and say that not being techie, I was not too inclined to try to get it to work. I am sure if we had emailed, they would have resolved this issue.
• I can see how this would really benefit families with several, or many, children simultaneously working on computers. It would allow the homeschooling parent to help them each from one computer, without running all over the house. It would also allow that parent to closely monitor Internet activity, even outside of school time, and that is a good thing.
• Since we USUALLY work at the dining room table on laptops together (Tex and me) and my other children are too young to be affected by it (their computer use is limited to an OLD desktop and OLD educational cd roms), this program wasn't essential for us and we didn't give it a real work out. However, it was definitely COOL and I can certainly see how it would be very useful to the right individual.

Tex (enthusiastically techie, just like his dad) says:

• It was neat when Dad or Mom would send me a message or do a poll. I would like having that be a regular thing. I would like to message them back. Maybe I will figure that part out, if we still get to use this program for the rest of the year.
• It was funny when I snuck in and used my Mom's computer (the teacher-designated one) to blank my Dad's screen. He didn't think it was so funny, but Mom did.
• I liked that if I found a neat video or website about our school work, I could tell my mom and show it to her without her having to leave what she was doing in the other room. (Mom says, "However, his enthusiasm for this feature was endless, and it was,'You gotta see this one, Mom!' over and over again! I guess that means it is pretty cool.")
• We had fun showing all the kids an exploding volcano video on all of the computers at the same time. When they get older, this would be a good way to do some lessons.
• I had my friends over and showed them one of my games on all the computers at the same time. Awesome!

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As you can see from the comments of my family and myself, we thought this program was pretty neat. It was a bit tough for me, the non-technical savvy parent to wrap my mind around (but I admit, since I am into blogging and website design, I am sure I could have picked it up if I had REALLY tried...it's just so easy to let the techie kids do the work!), but it had some very useful features that made it worth the effort to learn. For a parent who is not on the computer often and has only one child, it might not be useful. For a parent who uses their computer regularly, especially one who works on a computer from home in a room away from her/his students, this program could be an invaluable, time-saving, homeschool-experience altering tool. Also, it would be VERY good for a larger family, especially one that uses a computer-based curriculum or is spread out widely in a large space. Of course, mom might have to take up jogging to make up for all of the running around she will save herself, but then again, she will probably have the time to take up a new hobby...

 

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If you are interested in learning more about LanSchool, check out their web site HERE.

To take a guided tour of Lanschool, click HERE.

To see what other Crew members thought about this program, check HERE.

A subscription to Lanschool for home use costs $99.  The home use product is a perpetual license, and includes 3 years of updates and support.  There is another option for those homes that need up to 10 computers.  It costs $299 and includes the same feature set.

 

I received a free trial of Lanschool for the purposes of giving this product an honest review. I have attempted to be as objective as possible in my review, based on our experiences. If you have questions about anything I said, please feel free to comment or contact me.

 

Blessings to you,

 

Heather