Principled DiscoveryPrincipled DiscoveryHomeschooling mother of four takes a break from third grade to reflect on issues of faith, family and education. 
Articles
School official enters home without parental knowledge
2007-09-12 05:25:00 This is one of the more interesting routes to homeschooling I have read.Friday, September 22, 2006 , a knife somehow gets from Tyler D'Allesandro's father's workshop into his school bag. He noticed it at school and showed his friend. A third boy "grabbed it and brandished it toward other students 'in a menacing manner.'" Tyler's friend took the knife back, put it back in the bag and the incident was over.Or so he thought.But on the following Monday morning, a parent complained to the school's dean, Michael Brumbaugh. According to the lawsuit, Brumbaugh drove Tyler home and told Tyler to let him in. Tyler's mother, Kelly D'Allesandro, was inside taking a shower, and Brumbaugh knew that, the suit said.Without conferring with Kelly D'Allesandro, Brumbaugh found the knife, then took the knife and Tyler back to school, the suit said. Chicago Sun-TimesFor some odd reason, the parents were not happy to find out about all this afterwards. So what starts out as a case where z... More About: Education , Homeschooling , Home , School , Knowledge
Carnival of Homeschooling hits the field
2007-09-12 05:21:00 Join the Cates for a bit of soccer and homeschooling!Also, God's World Publications is starting a discussion over at How Kids Think to help them develop materials. With a $50 gift card to be given away each week just for participating, why not join the discussion? More About: Carnival , Homeschooling , Hits , Field , E field
Revealing the secrets of homeschooling, how I get it all done
2007-09-11 07:01:00 The most frequently asked question I receive from polite strangers has nothing to do with socialization and everything to do with latent fears regarding parenting. "How do you do it all?" They ask as my daughter bags groceries and I pay. I revel in the praise which comes as a welcome distraction from the questioning glances I receive shopping at one o'clock on a school day with kids in tow. Because I believe that these concerns about parenting ability actually underly most people's misgivings of homeschooling, I have decided to reveal my secrets.Principle I: DelegateThere is no way one person can humanly get everything done that needs to be done in the care and education of four children on a daily basis. It is therefore imperative to learn to delegate. Teaching children to do simple chores is a necessity, not only for your own sanity but for their development. Here is my two year old sampling some cookie dough she and her sister made.The eight year old may occasionally con... More About: Education , Parenting , Homeschooling , Secrets , Done
13th Carnival of Principled Government, The Roots of Liberty
2007-09-10 22:34:00 At the root of liberty is responsibility. For our lives, and for the wrongs we see in our vicinity.Luke Houghton takes a look at this basic necessity for liberty in his entry, Does it Pay to do the right thing?Perhaps going overboard in worrying about other people are some spectators of politics. Jon Swift takes his usual wit and humor to the Senator Craig incident.I usually try to stay neutral on entries to carnivals I host, but once in awhile, I cannot. In Privates, Publics and Politics, TrustedAdvisor argues for a new ethic regarding personal and public responsibility. I think there is a mischaracterization of the conservative and libertarian in the argument. We do not shy away from governmental programs because we think that those people who benefit from these services should "get a life" and take responsibility for themselves. It is that we believe that we should be responsible for ourselves, and those in our communities. Government al involvement necessarily decreases p... More About: Carnival , Liberty , Roots , The Roots
There is supposed to be a carnival here
2007-09-10 16:16:00 But, as you can see, there is not. My Internet service provider conveniently went on hiatus last night while I had a stack of things to do. All is working again, and the carnival should be up this afternoon. If you have an entry you would like to submit to the Carnival of Principled Government, go ahead and slip it in. My email is in the sidebar. I'll accept whatever come in before I publish, and everything else will be used next time.I am also working an a bit of a project for my site's upcoming redesign. Initially, I was just going to bury them in my archives. Then I realized that I do have a lot of new readers to this blog, so you might appreciate the tour through my archives. They should start going up next week. More About: Pose
The challenges of gifted education
2007-09-08 16:02:00 There is a new blog in the edusphere tackling a topic near to my heart: gifted education. Unwrapping the Gifted, published by Teacher Magazine, explores the challenges of reaching these children in the classroom.I had the pleasure of having two gifted children back when I taught, and it was a perpetual challenge to keep them engaged and motivated. After years of gifted education myself, I knew how it felt to be the child who was never called on, pulled aside to discuss how it made other children feel that I got such consistently high grades and just sitting through class after class reviewing material I already knew. It is little wonder that 20% of high school dropouts actually test in the gifted range.Don't get me wrong. I actually loved school. And that instance about my grades and other children was actually with one of my favorite teachers. In German no less. It involved another student snatching my test and reporting the grade to the class. I had already learned long ... More About: Education , Duca , Halle
Carnival up and seeking submissions
2007-09-08 05:42:00 The Godly Family Carnival is up over at Weekend Kindness. Get dive-bombed by a red-tailed hawk, muse about children playing Sunday School, discuss giving to the poor when they refuse to work and more!Also, with everything else going on I almost forgot that my own Carnival of Principled Government goes up Monday. Ahem. So I know that here at the last minute you are going to come up with a stellar post and send it in, right? Otherwise, we are looking at three posts, I think. Here is the vision for the Carnival of Principled Government. And here is the carnival submit form.If any of you receive Homeschool Enrichment, I know you want to turn to page 38 and read A Vision for the Family, Homeschoolers advancing the cause of Christ in South Korea. I think this has been one of my favorite articles to work on so far. Talking to the people involved in the ministry was so inspiring to me, and it really left me reflecting on the concept of family and developing a purpose for the family. More About: Seeking , Missi
Dispelling common myths about the so-called developing world
2007-09-07 07:39:00 Hans Rosling, professor of global health at Sweden's Karolinska University made a rather dramatic presentation at TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) in February 2006. I always appreciate good speakers (and writers), and his ability to make these kinds of statistics both entertaining and relevant is truly amazing. This video is a little long (20 minutes) but worth every minute. He quickly shows you why everything you thought you knew about the third world, health and poverty are wrong. There are a few things I could possibly take issue with, but think about the following while you watch and I think you will see why I enjoyed this presentation beyond his wonderful humor.While he is talking about global health, it becomes increasingly clear that the problems are local. There may well be a number of things that "we" in the Western World can do to help, but global initiatives which look at the Third World as a whole likely will not be useful. Even regional data is not detaile... More About: Myths , Common , Developing World , Develop
Religion vs. Spirituality
2007-09-06 16:01:00 On a recent post, Shawna from The Homeschooling Experiment left a comment about the term religion that gave me pause for reflection.As for science and religion (the word altogether bothers me, I prefer faith or spirituality, myself) can co-exist and does.I have similar feelings about the word "religion" but seeing it pitted so directly against the term "spirituality" made me ask why for the first time. I believe that we are all spiritual. It is how we were created.And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7Spirit, even in Hebrew, means breath. And in this verse, the word used also means soul. We cannot escape being spiritual, and even some noted atheists will talk about a certain spiritual aspect of the human existence. Clearly, however, we are not all religious. And even many within Christianity strive against the term. "Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship... More About: Religion , Spirituality , Ality
Carnival of Homeschooling up at Consent of the Governed
2007-09-05 15:29:00 Consent of the Governed serves up a delicious Carnival of Homeschooling ! More About: The Go , The G
Neubronner case to come before court
2007-09-05 04:51:00 The Neubronner case in Germany is an interesting one. At the moment, they are being required to pay 6,000 Euro or face imprisonment due to their decision to homeschool. Unlike other cases which have gained international attention, the Neubronners are not homeschooling for religious reasons. In fact, they have been homeschooling under the authority of two school teachers with regular monitoring. This makes them much more easily to identify with from a German standpoint. They pose an interesting question.We are ready to endure this because it could be a strong signal for the public discussion if well-educated, well-integrated, intellectual [Is it possible that intellectual doesn't fit here? More along the lines of "rational" or "rationally thinking"?] parents (no trace of a "parallel society") get imprisoned because of compulsory schooling. Learning Freely NetworkThey are right that this would be a case more likely to attract the sympathies of the average German. Something e... More About: Case , Court , Fore
Results of the balloon race
2007-09-04 18:57:00 Back in July, I took part in an internet balloon race. Entering Eternity released the balloons into the internet and all who were interested picked them up. September first, she gathered them all up to see whose balloons had traveled the furthest. And I won! Here are the results:Third place: 1,524.08 km, from Tribuswinkel, Austria to Rasta/Lørenskog, NorwaySecond place: 7,423.52 km, from Dortmund, Germany to Lincoln, NebraskaFirst place: 12,437.16 km, from Lincoln, Nebraska to Auckland, New ZealandThank you for picking up my balloon, Embejo!That was more fun than your average blog meme, and with a geography lesson packed in as well! Und ich möchte mich besonders bei Suriel bedanken. Ohne solche niedliche Fellnasen, hätte ich von dem Wettbewerb nie gewus?t! More About: Results , Race , Balloon , Result , Allo
The danger of upholding "the good, the true and the beautiful" in education
2007-09-04 04:57:00 In How it Should be Done, Rod Dreher (the Crunchy Con) shares his family's path to education, from homeschooling, to disappointing private schools to the Providence Christian School. It isn't just the academic rigor that attracted the Drehers, but its prohibition against...dare I call it socialization? A small but telling example: Providence doesn't allow students to discuss TV, movies or popular culture on campus. When I tell parents this, half respond as if I'd disclosed that my child studied at Heinrich Himmler Elementary, and the other half can't believe our good fortune. Providence doesn't require abstinence from these things, but if you're training your child to love the good, the true and the beautiful instead of trash culture, this school is a powerful ally. Dallas Morning NewsThe main point I got from the editorial, however, has less to do with education and more to do with how conservative Christians should be handling the cultural decline we so often lament.Socia... More About: Education , Beautiful , Danger , True , Good
A couple of carnivals and beware of Quetchup
2007-09-04 04:24:00 Given recent travel and computer issues, this is a bit late, but the Carnival of the Insanities is up. Actually, so is the next one. Things have been a bit insane around here. I don't think I ever linked to the Carnival of Homeschooling, either, and the next one is going up tomorrow!Also, don't join Quetchup. Whatever you do. Don't even go to their site. I don't care if it turns out to be the greatest thing since the invention of the Internet. But I doubt that will happen. I have received two invites so far without anyone actually inviting me. Quetchup has gotten into their email accounts and sent out the invites for them. It seems to be mining information. This is enough of a description without actually visiting their site. More About: Carnivals , Couple , Beware , Etch
Feed issues
2007-09-03 17:56:00 Since most of you read the feed that is autodetected, most of you probably won't read this since it stopped working. Or maybe it went on vacation and is enjoying the fresh mountain air of Colorado. At any rate, I have no clue what is wrong. The only thing I know to do is unsubscribe and resubscribe to this feed which is working:http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogs pot/zgvVIf anyone else knows why the feed would have neglected to update for several days, please let me know. I wonder if it effects other blogger blogs or if it is just me?If you do not know what I am talking about, a "feed" or "rss feed" (real simple syndication) is a convenient means of reading many blogs quickly. Using a reader such as Bloglines or Google Reader, you can subscribe to multiple blogs and have their content delivered to one central location. Most will detect the feed by entering the url or clicking on the subscriber button found on many blogs (autodetect). I need to change my settings so that this wi... More About: Issues , Feed , Issue
Educating preschoolers
2007-09-02 22:09:00 Maybe it is because I used to be a preschool teacher, but preschool is just not something I have ever stressed over. Read to your children, play with them and talk to them. That is all the "kindergarten readiness" they need. After all, isn't kindergarten supposed to be about "school readiness?" Early childhood education programs are designed to be a sort of surrogate parent, teaching skills which are not being taught at home. Basic skills like rhyming, how to hold a book and following instructions. "Socialization" is a big deal, not because it occurs better in the school environment but because there is such a lack of it occurring in so many of the families served by early childhood programs.The increasing focus on "quality" preschools and making them available to all parents is distracting us from the fact that most children are better off with their parents. If the family is not dysfunctional, a three year old is better off learning from mom and dad. I know this is not al... More About: Duca
Popularity for later school starts gaining
2007-09-02 01:30:00 I am not sure if this is a case of bad writing, or school board members who just don't "get it:"Pressure from parents and the tourism industry has pushed 11 states to limit how early school may begin, rankling school boards that want local control and more time to prepare students for state-mandated tests. USA TodayHow much more "local" can the control get than parents pressuring districts to start school later? But since the districts would not listen, they took their political pressure to the state. A little underhanded, I guess. At least the school boards do not seem to appreciate it."You need to allow local school boards discretion on local matters," says Tom Gentzel, executive director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. "We don't think the state should dictate, especially on a matter like this." Ibid.In theory, I am inclined to agree with that sentiment. Except that even the local school board should not have the authority to change start dates if the majority of ... More About: Gaining , Popularity , Pula
Rebuilding after Katrina
2007-09-01 14:54:00 USA Today's lead story for Wednesday naturally had to do with the two year anniversary of Katrina . The basic conclusion of the story is really no surprise: those who took responsibility and began rebuilding on their own have their homes and even their jobs and neighborhoods back. Those who chose to wait for the promised federal assistance are still waiting. Denise Thornton used her savings to rebuild. But she did a bit more than that:Soon after the storm, Thornton sensed the government response would be slow. As workers rebuilt her home, she opened her door to neighbors. She persuaded the local cable company to run a single Internet line down the oak tree in her front yard and into her house. neighbors gathered at her home to acces free wireless Internet.She kept a three-ring binder in her living room filled with tips on navigating the complex maze of contractors and insurance claims. She brewed coffee. USA Today, 2A, Aug 29, 2007And her efforts became a registered non-profit calle...
Offline for...?
2007-08-30 20:05:00 Update: The computer's ailment seems to have been more closely related to appendicitis. After a modemectomy, it is working just fine. Since we use an external modem rather than the internal modem, all should be well.While we were gone, our computer appears to have gone into complete cardiac arrest. Normal resuscitation efforts have failed and it is completely comatose. I will be trasporting it to medical experts in Kansas shortly for it to undergo open heart surgery.We are still hoping for a full recovery, but the prognosis is not good. We are hoping a simple battery transplant will do the trick.I will be back online when it recovers (a couple of days) or is replaced (a couple of weeks).In the meantime, I will answer all of your kind emails, comments, etc. from the waiting room in Kansas after our arrival. More About: Offline
The joys of interstate travel
2007-08-29 07:13:00 Interstate travel provides its own unique glimpses into the culture of the local population. The entire state of Texas, for example, is obviously insane. The Texans' rugged individualism results in a stressful experience for those unfamiliar with their roadway custom (or lack thereof). The trouble is not so much with common highway courtesy, and the high speeds at which they travel is to be expected in a state with so much of nothing between its borders. It is the fact that they are completely unpredictable. The highway is only a suggestion at where automobile travel might take place. But there are a number of impromptu, private exits connecting highways across Texas. They are made recognizable by the worn grass where numerous cars have left one road for another, despite the conspicuous lack of connecting roadway.It is incredibly disconcerting to have a car suddenly join you on the highway from a nonexistent road. As it is a little unnerving to have cars flying past you at ... More About: Travel , Interstate
Earn money through freelance writing, Part II
2007-08-22 06:50:00 Types of Writing That You Can DoThe types of freelance writing that you can do from home vary widely. Many freelancer writers do several types of freelance writing. Here is a list of just a few types of freelance writing that you can pursue:Web content. These writers create short content articles for websites. Pluses. There is a great deal of demand for this type of writing. Often the articles are published quickly and you receive pay quickly.Minuses. The pay tends to be lower than for some other types of writing.Technical writing. These writers create technical manuals, training manuals, instructional material, and online help systems.Pluses. These projects tend to pay more. The projects tend to be larger, meaning that you need fewer of them to earn your goal.Minuses. The project may require that you have specialized training, a degree, or experience as a technical writer.Articles for print magazines. These writers query popular and niche print publications to see if the magazine i... More About: Money , Earn Money , Freelance , Earn
Earn money through freelance writing, Part I
2007-08-22 06:42:00 Earning Money Through Freelance Writing , Part IBy Laura SpencerSince I am a freelance writer and people know that I work from home I am often approached with the question, ?how can I earn money as a writer by working from my house?? The answer to that question depends on who is asking it.A Good Honest Look at YourselfThe first step in deciding whether or not to pursue freelance writing is to take a good, hard look at yourself. Some good, honest, self-examination is critical. Are you kind of person who loves words and everything about them? Do you already write regularly in a journal? Is writing easy for you? Are your spelling and grammar skills above average? Do you have the self-discipline to stick with something once you?ve started it? If you answered, ?yes? to the questions above, chances are that you have the skill set needed to succeed as a freelance writer.On the other hand, if you dread writing even something as simple as a letter to your Mom, or if you are always starting pr... More About: Earn Money , Earn
Freelance author Laura Spencer to share experience here at Principled Disco
2007-08-22 06:30:00 I am excited to announce that Laura Spencer of Writing Thoughts will be sharing some of her years of experience here at Principled Discovery while we are in Denver. From her blog:Laura Spencer is a freelance writer with over 17 years of writing experience. Laura has managed her own writing business since 2002. Laura?s current writing specialties include: business writing, copywriting, and web content. Laura has created study guides and final examinations for a continuing professional education company, provided writing and editing services for a book production facility, and created original web content for several sites.If you are interested in learning more about earning money through writing, be sure to stop by and check out her entries!writing, freelance, sahm, wahm More About: Experience , Freelance , Author , Share
Britney Spears on parenting and dental hygiene
2007-08-22 05:52:00 I never would have thought Britney Spears would make it onto my blog, but I cannot help but wonder what is wrong with our society when I glance at the headlines of the tabloids in the grocery store. That America has a voyeuristic fascination with the off-stage drama of our stars is not so interesting. But the headlines Spears made in Star Magazine is rather disturbing (from memory, emphasis added):Britney Spears tells boys, "You were a mistake!" Makes out with guys in front of them, refuses to change their diapers, uses whitening strips on her teeth & more!That Spears appears to be an unfit mother has been made painfully clear for all the world to see. But OH MY GOSH! She uses whitening strips? The horror! I wonder what that will be worth on eBay?Britney Spears, Spears, stars, culture More About: Stars , Parenting , Culture , Dental
Enjoy the magic of homeschooling
2007-08-21 20:25:00 The carnival is up over at HomeschoolBuzz! More About: Magic , Homeschooling , Enjoy
Bringing intergenerational experiences to the schools
2007-08-21 05:55:00 Ian Lewis, UK minister for older people, has an interesting proposition for the public schools in Britain, something I think would be worthy to pursue here in the states.'I would like to see older people having their lunch at a local school, acting as role models and mentors for the kids, and then perhaps local families "adopting" older people to tackle the scourge of loneliness and isolation,' he said. 'At lunchtime in every school in the country, why couldn't older people be sitting down with pupils and sharing lunch instead of doing it at an older person's lunch club or at home?' The GuardianRather than sitting in the institutionalized setting of the nursing home, separated from family, friends and community, they could eat lunch with the kids at school. After all, they a lot in common with children in the institutionalized setting of the public school, separated from family, friends and community. The potential benefits to both are obvious.The elderly have the opportuni... More About: Education , Schools , Homeschooling , Experiences , Elderly
The Education Competency Wheel, key attributes to becoming a successful edu
2007-08-20 08:06:00 Wow! Microsoft has outlined six success factors for educators and divided them up into thirty seven key attributes as part of their Education Competency Wheel . The really neat thing is that you don't have to actually know anything. Being competent does not even come into play!In my quest for precision of language, I looked up the word "competency" and found that it was not included in Webster's 1812 Dictionary of American English. The best, and most applicable definition for competency I could find was this from the Australian National Training Board:A competency comprises the specification of the knowledge and skill and the application of that knowledge and skill across industries or within an industry, to the standard of performance required in employment.That is not so bad, except that Microsoft seems to have left off the first half. To be successful in education, you need only know how to manage information and people, not actually have any real expertise in your subject a... More About: Gates , Tribute
12th Carnival of Principled Government, in honor of spam
2007-08-20 06:10:00 Thank you for visiting the 12th Carnival of Principled Government , where we strive to uphold the founding vision of our founding fathers. This week's edition is dedicated to that unfortunate byproduct of the internet we all know and love: spam. Why? Mostly because the state of Nebraska keeps sending me the same survey to fill out which they say is completely optional. I actually was planning to until I got it for the third time. I am not sure the government can spam you, but it certainly seems to.The definition of spam is:To indiscriminately send unsolicited, unwanted, irrelevant, or inappropriate messages, especially commercial advertising in mass quantities. Noun: electronic "junk mail."I don't know what this spammer was trying to sell me, because I don't click on links and attachments from unknown sources. But the string of quotes was interesting, so they shall string together this week's entries for the Carnival of Principled Government. With a few interjected comm... More About: Spam , Honor
Welcome to Principled Discovery's Blogger's Award Banquet
2007-08-19 06:02:00 Now that our homeschool has a name, a tagline and perhaps even a school song, it is only fitting to accept the various awards and accolades Principled Disc over y has accumulated in recent months.And because it is highly unlikely that you are surfing the internet in formal attire, and pajamas just would not be appropriate in this type of highbrow event, you may picture you and your beloved in this as you applaud the efforts of these fine bloggers.It is with great honor that Principled Discovery accepts the following awards and with the strictest of blogging standards that I pass them along. You can trust that these are the very best blogs that happened to come to mind at midnight as I began typing this.From For the Generation to Come and Diary of 1, comes the prestigious Thinking Blogger Award .Earning the honor of displaying this badge in their sidebar and passing it along to five blogs of their choice are:1. Classical School Blog. Thoughtful, inspirational...and in need of prayer....
And the winner is...(announcing our new homeschool tagline)
More articles from this author:2007-08-18 06:53:00 Thank you to all who voted for Principled Discovery Academy's tagline. How would this look painted on our homeschool wall?The security guards are a nice touch. After all, someone has to keep these hooligans under control. Ironically, the stereotype fits in its own way. After all, if I wanted my children socialized, I'd have to send them to school. Right?You can read the other choices here. Don't miss the comments. There were a few worthy write-in candidates, as well!homeschool, homeschooling, socialization, humor More About: Humor , Homeschooling , Winner , Anno 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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