High School Math

A while back someone asked me a question about a follow up to JUMP Math for older grades. If you go back to the comments on that post you'll find my response there.

Scripture Memorization System

As you may well be aware of, Simply Charlotte Mason has a wonderful system for memorizing scripture. Scroll down on the link provided for a pdf of templates. These cards make the system very user friendly. I hope it is an encouragement to put the system to use!

Charlotte Mason Education Symposium

Wednesday, October 06, 2010 starting at 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

The Department of Education at Redeemer University College will be welcoming leading international Charlotte Mason scholars to a panel discussion. The focus of this discussion will be to introduce and explore the educational theories of this 19th century educator and consider how her ideas are influencing 21st century K-12 education.

At the symposium, Redeemer University College Library will be launching the Charlotte Mason Digital Collection (CMDC) which has previously never been accessible without physically visiting the Armitt Museum in the north of England. The discussions will be led by leading Charlotte Mason experts: Dr. John Thorley, UK, Dr. Jack Beckman, USA, Ms. Lisa Cadora, USA, Dr. J Carroll Smith, USA and Ms. Marlene Power of Redeemer's Library with Dr. Deani Van Pelt moderating.

The following presentations will be made:

1. Who is Charlotte Mason and what did she offer 19th century British
education?
Presented by John Thorley, Retired Principal Dean, Charlotte Mason
College, Ambleside, England.

2. What did Charlotte Mason offer 20th century British education?
Presented by Dr Jack Beckman, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, Covenant College, Georgia

3. What did Charlotte Mason offer 20th century education in North America?
Presented by Ms. Lisa Cadora, Instructor, Cincinnati College, Cincinnati, Ohio

4. What does Charlotte Mason offer 21st century education?
Presented by Dr. J. Carroll Smith, Director of Graduate School of
Education, Gardner-Webb University, North Carolina

5. What does Redeemer University College offer 21st century Charlotte
Mason education?
Presented by Ms. Marlene Power, Archivist Librarian, Redeemer University College

The CMDC has been made possible through several grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and through the support of Redeemer University College, Covenant College, GA, Gardner-Webb University, NC, University of Cumbria, UK, and The Armitt Library and Museum, UK.

REGISTRATION COMING SOON!

Have a look at the ChildLight USA blog today: http://childlightusa.wordpress.com/

Deani has written a lovely post about the process of digitizing Charlotte Mason's papers.

Hope to see many of you at the launch,
Sandy Rusby Bell


Visit the Ambleside Online Curriculum website at http://www.amblesideonline.org .
Check out our Canada page too: http://www.amblesideonline.org/Canada.shtml .

FREE Anna Comstock download

At our last meeting, we looked at nature study and science. The Handbook of Nature Study is a tremendous resource. This book is in our WHHE library and recommended in most CM books.

Here ia a free download of the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock.

http://www.archive.org/details/handbookofnature002506mbp

Thank you, Hilda!!

Take School Outside

Spring is a beautiful time: everything seems fresh and new, the greens appear more vibrant than at other times, and there is so much to observe.

At the same time, spring is a difficult time to concentrate on school: the outdoors are calling, the mind has already shifted to next year's books, and fatigue after a long year (and winter) of school has set in.

Why not take these two situations and combine them into one beautiful solution: 

Take school outside

Now, I'm not talking about bringing your books and doing Math at the picnic table, or Dictation under the budding maple tree. No. What I'm suggesting is to take advantage of this fabulous season and spend time on Nature Study.  

In my home, this is one area that gets sadly neglected during the winter months. But come spring, even my reclusive, hibernating self is antsy to get outdoors! So now is when I turn to the Handbook of Nature Study blog and get some fresh ideas for incorporating Nature Study and Anna Botsford Comstock's fantastic book Handbook of Nature Study(which is also available free online) into our days.

Barb has redesigned her blog to make it more user friendly, and has recently begun a series of spring Outdoor Hour Challenges. Why not take a look and see if there's something there that piques your interest?

WHHE Highschool CM Discussion

Hello friends:

This is just a warm invitation to join us this Tuesday April 13th for those of you interested in continuing to discuss CM Methods as pertaining to high school aged teens. This week our topic of discussion will centre around the application of CM's idea that Education is an atmosphere, a discipline and a life and how that might pertain to the influence of culture on our home schooled teens.

How do we nurture our teens to fulfill God's purpose for them in their own generation?
How do raise up Godly young people who are in the world, influencing and engaging their culture without becoming negatively influenced by the world?
Are there ways we can create an atmosphere, nurture the discipline and offer life-giving opportunities to facilitate the development of our teens into who God is calling them to be?

Some areas to think about include:
Influence of Media, Social Networking Sites, TV, Movies, etc...
Music, Peer-Influence, Free time choices, leadership opportunities etc..

We look forward to encouraging one another as we seek to raise Godly teens who can be salt and light!

Sandy M.

New Items available on Tuesday!!

These three are from AO's lists (House of Education - high school):
-Georges Vanier: Soldier by Deborah Cowley
-The Awakening of Europe by M.B. Synge
-Finding God by Dr. Larry Crabb

This one was highly recommended at the last high school discussion.
-The Drama of Scripture by Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen

View Updated Library List

Hooray, all! Please find the 2010 library list under
"View Our Library Listings"in the upper right of this blog.
By clicking, it will/should send you to a Google site where you can save the pdf by clicking on "Feb 2010 library list.cwk (SS).pdf". There are 36 pages of 1175 items that can be 'searched'. Although we don't accept requests for holds, if you aren't seeing an item that is listed, please feel free to inquire.

Happy browsing!

New Library Items

Greetings All,

It's been my joy to serve, for a short time, as your librarian at the Whole Hearted Home Educators meetings.

I just wanted to give you a preview of the new items. A complete library list in a 36 page searchable pdf will be added when my steep learning curve peaks! Thank you, Jennifer for having confidence in my abilities!

These are the new items that will be available at the March 2nd meeting. They will be set apart so you can find them efficiently.

Be Blessed,
Helen

New WHHE Library books available at the March 2nd meeting.

-Desiring God by John Piper

-The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carlson

-Who in the World Was the Acrobatic Empress: The Story of Theodora by Robin Phillips

-Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics explained by its most brilliant teacher by Richard P. Feynman

-Mathematicians are People, Too (Vol. 1) by Luetta Reimer

-The Once and Future King by T.H. White

-Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity by Robert Cwiklik

-Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill by Stephen Mansfield

-Microbe Hunters: The Classic Book on the Mafor Discoveries of the Microscopic World by Paul De Kruif

-3 DVDs of Eve Anderson (teaching at Perimeter School, which is a private school today using the CM methods, in the states)
There are 3 separate DVDs. One on Nature Study (found in the Nature Study bin); one on Narration (found in the CM Resources bin); and one on Picture Study (found in the Art bin).

-True Heroism recommended in the first chapter of “When Children Love to Learn”

-The Pilgrim’s at Plymouth by Landmark Books

-TruthQuest History: Age of Revolution III (1865-2000) by Michelle Miller

-How Should We Then Live?, DVD by Francis A. Schaeffer

-Shanghaied To China, Trailblazer Series #9 (Hudson Taylor) by Dave Jackson, Neta Jackson
I think this completes the series.

-Elementary Greek, Year One Kit by Christine Gatchell
Lots of talk about this one on the CM Canada group

-Already Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church and What You Can Do To Stop It by Ken Ham & Britt Beemer with Todd Hillard

-Revolutionary Parenting by George Barna
This book was first introduced to me by our hostess Karen at a CM meeting. It encouraged many and even more so now in remembering David. A Spiritual Champion who has run the race and is now among the cloud of witnesses cheering us on.

-My Book House series (8 of the 12); Olive Beaupre Miller, editor
On 2 of Lori Lawings talks at the ChildLight USA Conferences, she mentions this series. Wonderful resource. The series is geared for elementary(ish) grades. Volume 5 is geared for early, progressing to upper elementary. Here’s a link to her very worthwhile talks.
http://www.childlightusa.org/conference_resources.php
* Volume 5, Over The Hills
* Volume 6, Though Fairy Halls
* Volume 7, The Magic Garden
* Volume 8, Flying Sails
* Volume 9, The Treasure Chest
* Volume 10, From the Tower Window
* Volume 11, In Shining Armor
* Volume 12, Halls of Fame

-A Child’s Day Through the Ages by Dorothy Margaret Stuart
Also recommended by Lori Lawing.

-Modern Rhymes About Ancient Times: Ancient Rome by Susan Altman
This one is just too much fun!

Advancing the Movement

Nicole Hutchinson, a Charlotte Mason educator in the United States, and connected closely with ChildLight USA directed our attention to this article in the February 1 New York Times.  


It is fascinating to see how Charlotte Mason's ideas of education are being spoken by people who, it is likely, have never read her material.  Current educational theory is moving in a very exciting direction!


To quote another CM advocate after reading this article, 

"We are on the cusp!  We can even add more to what the author is suggesting."

Please take a look at the article (it isn't long).

JUMP Math

Many of us have looked high and low to find a Math Curriculum that fits well with a Charlotte Mason education, and after lots of research, reading, and checking things out, I've come to love JUMP Math.  

I was a Mathematics major in University when I got my Bachelor of Education (with an English minor), and have lots of experience with Math both theoretically and practically.  Math is one of the subjects that I love (although in a much different way than History and Literature...) and I've loved teaching it since I was in high school and taught my friends algebra during our lunch hours!

JUMP is a very well laid out program.  It takes an incremental approach to teaching math, taking very small steps and offering suggestions to the teacher of how to present the concepts in a real way.  I've read John Mighton's books and find his theory and approach to fit very well with a CM education.

Last week I received this email from JUMP and wanted to pass the info along to you.  The TVO program mentioned has already aired, and I don't know if the program is available in their archives.


(Sorry for the goofy colours of the text below.  I had some trouble making the formatting work and didn't have the hour or more it would have taken to make it beautiful.)

Read the Recent Globe and Mail Profile on JUMP Math

The Globe and Mail recently published an in-depth article on JUMP Math, which includes new research results from a 2009 study done in London, England. Here is a link to the article:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/program-could-help-kids-get-jump-start-in-math/article1433199/
Please send this link to anyone you think might be interested or post it on Facebook.

Watch John Mighton as a Guest on TVO’s Your Voice

John Mighton makes a guest appearance on TVO’s weekly program Your Voice on Sunday, January 24, at 6 pm, to discuss “Discovering Dyscalculia: The Math Learning Disability.” You can watch the show at  http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/tvoparents/index.cfm?page_id=483&event_id=2925 after January 22.

Attend the First JUMP Math Conference Coming in March

Save March 5 on your calendar for attending a JUMP Math conference in Toronto, Ontario, featuring workshops, speakers, and research news. Visit http://www.jumpmath.org starting on January 28 for conference and registration information.

Check Out Our New 2009 Edition Workbooks

Interested in seeing the results of our comprehensive revisions to our workbooks for Grades 1, 2, 7, and 8? You can get sample sections of all the workbooks for Grades 1 to 8 at http://www.jumpmath.org/new-2009-workbooks. To purchase the new workbooks from our distributor, University of Toronto Press, visit http://www.jumpmath.org/publications/order.

Donate Today!

Start 2010 by supporting a student to succeed with JUMP Math, for only $50 per student per  year. As a charity JUMP Math provides free resources for students who could not otherwise afford to be part of the program. Visit https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/donate.aspx?EventID=7940 to donate.

Pass It On!

We sent this email message to you because you have expressed interest in JUMP Math. Please share this message with friends and colleagues who may also be interested.

© Copyright 2010 JUMP Math. All rights reserved.

JUMP Math, Multiplying Potential, the jump math wordmark, and the reagent logo are registered trademarks and/or service marks of JUMP Math in Canada and other countries.

Mailing address:
JUMP Math, One Yonge Street, Suite 1006, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5E 1E5

Winter Nature Study

It's not too late to ramp up your winter nature study time!

Barb (Harmony Art Mom) has a series of winter outdoor hour challenges that are easy to use, easy to do. Don't let the snow and cold keep you from nature study (say I while I'm tucked nicely inside a cozy home)! It only takes a few minutes a week to open your eyes and heart to the Creator's wonderful details. Barb makes it easy to incorporate Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study, and to make these times more than simple observation.

Check out her winter series! Barb only started this series in early January, so you won't even feel behind if you start now. The first one is Cattails in Winter. Then comes Winter Tree Study. And the last one to date is today's: Winter Sky and Stars. (I think my family will start with the trees, then we'll do the sky and stars. I'd enjoy talking to you at the next meeting if you tried one of them, too.)

ChildLight USA Charlotte Mason Conference - 2010

If you've thought of attending the annual Charlotte Mason conference hosted in North Carolina but have never managed to get things together in time, let this year be different.

ChildlightUSA has just announced the dates and theme for the 2010 conference:

2010 Conference Information

The 6th Annual Charlotte Mason Education Conference

June 9, 10, 11, 12, 2010.

Theme for this year’s conference:

A 21st Century Education: Applying a Charlotte Mason Curriculum

Mark the dates on your calendar today, then visit ChildlightUSA in a few weeks to get all the details as they become available.

New Library Holdings File Available

We are expecting some new books to arrive in the library any day now, and the Library Holdings file has been updated to reflect that. You can access the listing by clicking the link to the right, which will open Keep and Share, an Internet file sharing service. There you can choose "download" and peruse the holdings at your leisure.

Let the Child Choose the Material

Barb at Handbook of Nature Study has a new post with a thought provoking quotation from Liberty H. Bailey's book The Nature-Study Idea.

I hope you'll give some thought to how this looks in your CM home school, and would love to see your comments either here or at Barb's blog.

E-mail update

I have just forwarded an email reminder from Karen about the upcoming meeting. If you didn't receive it, that means that you aren't on my email list. If you'd like to be added to the list, please email me (talsma at cyg dot net) and I'll make sure you're included.

New WHHE Facebook Group

If you are on Facebook, you can now find a WHHE group there. It's a great venue for questions and answers, connecting with other WHHE members, etc. Simply follow this link to join.

And if you're not yet on Facebook, you can use the same link to sign up.

Thanks Karen, for getting this started.

Using the Handbook of Nature Study

Barb at the Handbook of Nature Study blog, has just posted an excellent piece on Nature Study in Home Education and making use of Anna Botsford Comstock's wonderful resource, Handbook of Nature Study.

Fall is a great time of year to give nature study a try if you haven't already been doing it, and a wonderful season to explore more deeply if nature study is part of your family's identity already.

Comstock's book is full of narrative descriptions of plants, animals, and insects, but did you know that she even has chapters on soil, minerals, and climate?

You can find Handbook of Nature Study through most home education retailers, on Amazon, and, for those of you who want to take a look but aren't ready to buy, you can get a free download of entire book from Internet Archive, including the diagrams and illustrations!

I want so much to reflect on our first meeting of the year, but my children need me! One is down with a fever and sore throat, the others are floundering...

Thoughts and reflections will come, but until then: thanks Karen, for opening your home to us again, and for starting us up so beautifully; thanks Liz for your thoughtful questions and input about the relevance of CM today; thank you Christine, for sharing your experiences and knowledge of scheduling, and for offering the freedom for each to find what works in their own family; thanks to each woman who attended, participated in the discussion, and made the meeting worth having; thanks Helen, for getting the library started smoothly and putting together the bookmark-schedules; thank you to all who brought desserts to share.

Here we go! Another year!

2009-2010 Library Listings now linked on the blog

After spending a day in late August with three other women going through the entire WHHE library collection, there were bins of books stacked in my living room, front porch and hallway! Now all 30 bins of books have all made it to Karen's home and have been subjected to the first sign-out time of the school year.

Thanks to those who worked on inventory with me: Sandra, Laurel, and Sandy. And thanks to Helen for stepping in to fill some of the void in library management.

If any of you, as members of the group, are willing to volunteer for library tasks (one time or ongoing), please leave a comment or email me (talsma at cyg dot net). We need help with set-up, check-out, clean-up, ordering missing parts for games, book repair, etc. Please indicate what kind of involvement you'd like to have, and we'll match you up with the right position.

There is now an up to date listing of WHHE books available for you to look at. It is organized by genre or subject and I hope you will find it easy to locate what you are looking for. Sign out of books will continue to be first come first served after the meeting - no holds will be permitted. Please look through the list, and if you are interested in a particular item that you don't see listed, put it in a comment on the blog and we'll do what we can to order it if it is suitable for a Charlotte Mason library. (Please note that we do not have books which are easy to find in the public library system - Dickens, for example.)

This morning I managed to get the current listing of library books uploaded to Keep and Share. This is a file sharing website that allows anyone to view a file, but not edit the shared version. To access the Library Holdings file, click the link in the right side-bar and Keep and Share will open, asking you if you want to download the file. It isn't a big file, and on my non-high speed Internet connection it took less than 30 seconds to download, so it shouldn't be onerous for most of your computers to handle.