Martial Arts: Topeka

click on image to view it larger

Master Overbey is holding an organization meeting on February 18th at 10am to discuss the formation of martial arts classes for homeschooling families.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance by phone 273-9988 or e-mail: admin@usmartialarts.kscoxmail.com

Annenberg Media Learner.org

This link came via Shelley, who says:

The website is sponsored by the Annenberg Foundation and provides free online viewing of instructional videos in a number of high school subjects, along with some supplemental online text material (some of the videos are intended for professional development of high school teachers, but they say many of the videos are also suitable for viewing by students).

Learner.org

Thanks, Shelley!

For Those New to Homeschooling

I’ve recently come across a number of families new to homeschooling, both online and in person. Unfortunately, many have arrived at homeschooling as sort of a last-defense. Things, for one reason or other, were really not working out for their kids in the traditional school setting.

I say “unfortunately” because I think this must be the toughest route to homeschooling. I think it’s easier for those who begin exploring from the standpoint of wanting to live a more family-centered life. When you’ve been forced to make a choice (which often involves some major lifestyle changes) because your child is suffering, there’s a whole lot of pressure, adjustment, and anxiety to deal with all at the same time.

So I’ve been thinking about the sharing some of the advice I hear from seasoned homeschooling and unschooling mothers that I know and they ways (I hope) we have been helping to ease the transition for some of the new members to our playgroups.

I think the thing most of them need to hear is that it is okay to step back, bring your kid home and focus on getting to know each other again, and take time to figure out what works best for your family. Especially when kids are pulled from a school setting in the middle of the school year, there seems to be a lot of pressure on the homeschooling parent involved to jump right in and recreate school at home. Sometimes this pressure may come from a spouse or other family members, but sometimes it is just fear driving us to “do things right” and “fix” something that has gone terribly wrong for our children.


Successful Homeschoolers Don’t Necessarily Recreate the Classroom at Home

I think one of the biggest misconceptions of homeschooling is that it should look like a classroom at home. There is a stereotype of kids sitting around a kitchen table with noses in textbooks, a mother busy giving lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic in the mornings, and maybe covering geography and biology in the afternoon before a quick “field trip” to the zoo.

Maybe this happens in some families – but it is completely foreign to my experience. I’ve met homeschoolers who follow a prepared curriculum and others who have never cracked a textbook (though they’ve often devoured hundreds of regular old books). I’ve met those who do spend significant time doing something school-like at the kitchen table and those who wouldn’t recognize their kitchen tables for the variety of places they go and the multitude of tasks they do (and don’t even both to categorize as educational or not).

There are those who are going places all the time, exploring their neighborhoods by car and bike and various other modes of travel. There are those who spend a majority of their time enjoying the comforts of home, rising when the moment feels right, eating when hungry, engaging in this or that when they get to it.

If your first efforts to homeschool leave you feeling stressed and frazzled and you or your child in a mess of tears and hair pulling, don’t think you are not capable.

Just stop what you’re doing. Start exploring new ways of doing it. And know that it’s okay that you haven’t found what works for you and your family right at the start.


A Break from School is a Good Thing

If you haven’t run across the term, deschooling, now is the time to Google it. Or you can go read this article, Deschooling for Parents, by Sandra Dodd and then follow her links at the bottom of the article. I couldn’t put together a better collection than Sandra has here.

I think there is great value in deschooling whether you plan to follow a more traditional homeschool approach or a completely radical unschooling approach. Giving yourself permission to take a vacation from school, as well as schoolish ideas, will help you get back in touch with your child and figure out where you want to go from here.


Focus on Healing Yourself First

So much of what happens to our kids goes beyond our role as a parent and caregiver. I listen to people start talking about why they’ve pulled their kids out of school and inevitably stories of their own school experiences are brought into the mix. Our own experiences with schooling, those of our spouses, family, friends—stories both good and bad—have a huge impact on how we cope when our kids encounter some of those same (or different) hardships. Some people who felt they did fine in school will find themselves re-evaluating their own experiences and realizing they weren’t so great after all… or that the parts they fondly remember really had nothing to do with their education.

Sometimes we need to stop and think about how we got to the place we are at, better understand our own experiences and backgrounds in order to begin to formulate our own ideas and gain the confidence we need to be successful homeschooling parents with happy, homeschooling kids. I’ll write more about this in the future, taking from my own experiences and maybe interviewing others to get some different perspectives.

In the meantime, here are some more links to get you started on your journey.


Mind the Gap, by Diane Flynn Keith

A recovering Type-A Mom, by Lisa Heston

What Is Unschooling? by Pat Farenga

What is Unschooling? at Unschooling.com

There are a number of blogs and websites linked in the right hand column. Many provide great glimpses of daily life of homeschoolers and through them you will find tons of links worth exploring.

Thinkfinity

Thinkfinity is described on the website as having "free educational resources for everyone." It is sponsored by the Verizon Foundation.

There are lots of links to online "educational" games here, as well as topics in history. Might a good resource or a place to find inspiration when you need it.

Video Game Content

This site was of special interest to me because it was created by a Lenexa mom, Darla Liebl. I like her concept.

Videogamemom.org is an easy, reliable video game review site for parents who want the facts, not opinions, on today's popular video games. I simply watch kids play videogames and look for anything a parent would want to know. No more searching the web for details, no more trusting the videogame rating system, no more depending on other people's opinions on what's appropriate for your child.

What this site is: A video game review site for parents who need a quick, easy way to get the facts about popular video games based on an evaluation of SLARV:

Sexual Content

Language

Additional Comments

Racial Insensitivity

Violence

What this site is NOT: My video game opinion. You're the parent, you can form your own opinions on what's appropriate or not appropriate for your child.

You can read the article from Kansas City Sun Publications, or view the site here.

Thanks for the tip, Shelley.

White House Farmer

There are two Kansans on the list for White House Farmer. I don't know how serious the site is, but voting closes on January 31st. So if you hurry on over, you can vote!

WhiteHouseFarmer.com was conceived by the Brockmans, a farm family in central Illinois. The idea came on an endless blue sky day, after reading the Pollan article in the New York Times magazine, and while strolling the country roads with our father to help him regain his strength after Whipple surgery.

Homeschool Buyers Co-op

The thing I have to remind myself each time a Homeschool Buyers Co-op newsletter arrives is that I don't really need all the cool things they have to offer. Membership is free, however, and they really do have a little something for everyone. If you are shopping, you certainly can't afford to pass up some of the deals you can receive through the Co-op.

The Homeschool Buyers Co-op is the nation's largest purchasing cooperative for homeschooling families.

They have more than 36,000 members at the time of this entry.

As well as the many great deals (on-going and limited time offers) through Homeschool Buyers Co-op, they have an extensive list of freebies including curriculum, field trip links, and a growing collection of product reviews and FAQs.

Kansas Day: January 29th

From the Library of Congress:

Kansas entered the Union as a free state on January 29, 1861. About two hundred years earlier the French Jesuit priests, Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, were among the region's earliest European explorers. A map drawn by Marquette in 1673 indicated that the Kanza, Ouchage (Osage), and Paneassa (Pawnee) tribes dominated the area that would become Kansas.

The United States acquired Kansas in 1803 from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase. During its early years as a U.S. possession, the area was part of Indian Territory and was used by the federal government to relocate tribal peoples. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed the residents to decide if theirs would be a free or slave state.

Some activities for Kansas Day...

Kansas Day at the Museum
Kansas Museum of History, Topeka
9 a.m. — 3 p.m. Thursday, January 29, 2009
Free Admission


Kansas Day at the Museum
Smokey Hill Museum, Salina
Saturday, January 31, 2009


Sunset Zoo, Manhattan
Kids visit for free the entire month of January!


Kansas Day Celebration
Santa Fe Trail Center, Larned
Sunday, January 25, 2009


Lecompton's Bleeding Kansas Program Series
Sundays, January 25 - March 1, 2009
Free Admission
Constitution Hall State Historic Site


Celebrate Kansas Day!
Kauffman Museum, Newton
Sunday, January 31, 2009
1:30-4:30 p.m.

Kansas Day Celebration
Butler County History Center & Kansas Oil Museum, El Dorado
Sunday, January 31, 2009

If you know of more, please send them!

On TV: The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies

From Jim Lovett, MonarchWatch.org

From time to time the monarch migration and associated conservation issues are covered in the national media, via articles in newspapers, magazines, and short clips on TV news programs. Overall, the coverage of the monarch story has been spotty bits and pieces, and Americans have not been exposed to an in-depth treatment of the amazing monarch migration, nor the people and cultures that encounter monarchs on their yearly north and south passage across the continent. This is about to change.

NOVA's "The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies" will be aired on PBS at 8PM (check local listings) Tuesday, 27 January 2009.

Read Chip's complete blog posting online.

Union Station: January 27-30

From Sherri Woodward, Union Station Kansas City

We hope you are planning to visit Union Station next week during Home School Days, January 27-30.

I wanted to notify you in advance, that due to operational issues related to a portion of the exhibition, Dialog in the Dark is temporarily closed. We hope to have information on when the exhibition will re-open on Wednesday, January 28

However, our other attractions will be open and available to the Home School families at the discounted rates below.

Science City: $6 per person

Regnier Extreme Screen: $4 per person

The Tsar & The President: $6 per person

KC Rail Experience: $4 per person

Additional information regarding shows and exhibits can be found on our web site at www.unionstation.org.

Also during Home School Days….
• $10 off Family Membership (for 4 or more people) purchased January 27-30
• Special science demos each afternoon
• FREE educational materials

Please call (816) 460-2020 if you have additional
questions.

Doing, Doing, Doing

My son loves doing things. He loves making, creating, planning, building, constructing, dreaming, figuring, contemplating… and, although I have moments when I’m not entirely sure how I am going to keep up with him, I love that he is a constant reminder to me that there is no better way to learn than by doing.

The things I see my son do each day are the very reason we opted to homeschool in the first place. I don’t want him to be confined to a seat in a classroom when his nature is to tackle the world in leaps and bounds (sometimes literally).

One of my concerns, however, has always been that one day my kids will get to a place where they will need expert guidance that is beyond me. And the hang up is not that I feel I must be or become an expert in everything that interest them, but that I am not always the personality that is good at going out and asking for help when I need it. I want them to be good at asking for help when they need it, and therefore I’m having to figure out how to do that – how to model that – myself. I’m good at exploring along with them. I enjoy doing a wide variety of things myself. But sometimes I think I take the “figure it out myself” approach a little too far. Sometimes it’s a relief to be shown how to do something. Sometimes you can get places a whole lot quicker if you just ask someone who is really good at something to provide a bit of mentoring.

My son has been taking electronics apart for years, and he’s recently started focusing on putting stuff back together. “I want to make it work again,” he was telling me the other day about a broken CD player that hasn’t worked in years. “If I could just figure out what part of it isn’t working.”

He proceeded to take the thing apart, review all its pieces, and then put it back together again. It was very important to him not to “break” it further. He wasn’t successful, but I so admire his attempt.

I told him I couldn’t help him with this particular problem, but maybe if we looked at opportunities to “do” more with the inner workings of electronics and electricity, he’d get to the point where he could build things himself and successfully repair things down the road.

I pulled out a 4-H book for the electricity project that I thought would give us a good start. We made a trip to radio shack where he spent his own money buying a few supplies (we also scavenged quite a few of the supplies from old flashlights and stuff we already had around the house). He’s making circuits. He’s already built a flashlight and yesterday he put together this switch to turn his light on and off.

Radio Shack has some a great little electronic “project of the month” that he’s looking forward to taking part in. Eventually we will make an opportunity for him to spend some time with his uncle and/or grandfather to get some serious hands-on experience. I’ll be keeping my eye out for other good mentors along the way, as well.

Right now, we’re both having fun with these projects – but I have a feeling his enthusiasm might outlast mine by quite a bit. Or maybe we’ll both gain enough skill that wiring needs in our old house will eventually seem not so intimidating. Better yet, perhaps I’ll have a skilled electrician in-house (or at least willing to come visit and work for cheap) by the time we get around to building a new one!

This is how it works! I think he likes explaining what he's figured out as much as making it work in the first place.

His sisters have been quite interested, as well. Here he's telling them about the switch he put together and how it works.

Mark your Calendar...

Unschoolers need a holiday. When people ask if they homeschool in the summer, they say yes. When people ask when they have a break from learning, they say never.

This has gone on for a long time now.

July 24, 2008 will be the first (and maybe last) annual Learn Nothing Day a vacation for unschoolers, though it may be celebrated by anyone who wishes.

Click on the above logo for the official "Learn Nothing Day" website.

Home is Where the School Is

Home Is Where the School Is
By Gregory J. Millman
Washington Post
Sunday, March 23, 2008

But "home-schooling" is a misnomer, really. Most of it doesn't even take place at home, and the schooling has little in common with what goes on in school. The legal definition varies from state to state, as do registration and other requirements. In New Jersey, the law only requires parents to see that their children get an education "equivalent" to public instruction.

What home-schoolers most readily reflect are the virtues of the old American frontier settlement or the Amish barn-raising -- we co-operate in self-reliance. My wife and I have been teaching our children ourselves for more than 15 years, and we've found that home-schooling opens doors that schools leave closed.

Unschooling Voices

Submissions for Issue #13 of Unschooling Voices are now being accepted.

Silvia at Po Moyemuwill be hosting this edition and has submitted this question:

What do you do, as an unschooling parent, when your child expresses an interest in a particular topic and you don't know how to help them in a way that doesn't involve lesson plans and curriculum?

If you would like to participate and don't have a place to post, Kansas area homeschoolers are invited to post their entries here.

John Holt Quotes

Joanne, at An Unschooling Life, recently posted some great John Holt quotes. If you haven't already read John Holt's books, I highly recommend them.

Show & Tell: Taliesin's Bookmark

Taliesin's artwork was selected by the Friends of the Salina Public Library for a bookmark.

Great Wolf Lodge: Virtual Scrapbook

GWL ~ Year 1

15 members of the Topeka (TAHN) and Lawrence (LAHN)Area Homeschool Networks shared three rooms at the Great Wolf Lodge.

Second Annual Area Homeschoolers GWL Get-Away

TAHN, LAHN and GAHN (Gardner) got together with 41 attending the gathering.

Third Annual Area Homeschoolers GWL Get-Away

KSHomeschool.net organized the gathering with
a total of 140+ attendees from across the state of Kansas.

We met new friends from: Baldwin • Blue Springs
Dodge City • Edwardsville • Emporia • Gardner • Hutchinson • Kansas City KS
Lawrence • Lecompton • Lenexa • Manhattan • Osage City • Shawnee
Smithville MO • Spearville • Tonganoxie • Topeka • Wichita

Are You Going to Join us in 2008?

Kansas Area Homeschool Network in 2008

Where will Kansas Area Homeschool Network go in 2008?

Anywhere we want it to go. What would you like to see?

• Make sure your local support group is listed in our directory (or that the information is current if you are already there).


• Send us a link to your blog if you would like it listed (sidebar, right).


• Feel free to send us announcements and news of interest to Kansas Area Homeschoolers.


• Submit Show & Tell items by the first of each month.


• Send us your thoughts, comments, suggestions, articles and essays... or just leave notes in the comments section of this blog. We love to hear from you.

I have still not succeeded in transferring everything from the old KSHomeschool.net site to here, but I will continue to work on it as I have time. If there is anything specific that you are looking for, drop me a note and I'll put it on the priority list.

Thanks and Have a Great 2008!
Tracy

P.S. Don't forget to get your reservations in for Great Wolf Lodge! The rooms are filling up. If you need the details or have any questions, drop me an email at goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com. This invitation is for homeschoolers. Feel free to share the news with your local groups.

Show & Tell: Graham Cracker Construction Party

What you can do with Graham Crackers, Icing, Candy, and a Little Imagination...

Show and Tell: Toa Mahri

drawing by Isaac, age 10

click on the image to see it in greater detail

Our Non-directed Support Organization

Got this link to a great essay through FutureMom's blog. Thanks, FutureMom!

Our Non-directed Support Organization
by Earl Gary Stevens
Home Education Magazine
May/June 1995 Issue

While it is true that a network is not a community, Eileen Yoder, who co-founded SMHESN with me, points out that within our network we are a community of people at various levels of commitment and caring and willingness to give. Some people give a great deal, and, as time passes, they tend to be seen as leaders. But as long as we claim ownership and responsibility only for what we as individuals offer to others and not for any kind of group authority, then we avoid misunderstandings and debilitating conflicts.

Unschooling Voices #11

The January 2008 edition of Unschooling Voices is up! There is always a lot of good reading at Unschooling Voices and lots of thoughtful blogs you might enjoy adding to your regular reading list.

If you are interested in participating in the next edition, it will be hosted by Relaxed Homeskool and you can check out the guidelines for entries here. Remember that if you don't have your own blog, I am always happy to post any Kansas Area Homeschooler here on this site.

Enjoy!

All Kansas Area Homeschoolers are Invited!

Great Wolf Lodge: February 26 & 27, 2008

The dates are on the calendar!

Send me an email at goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com for reservation requirements. If you can let me know where you heard about the gathering and what part of Kansas (or surrounding areas) you are coming from, I would appreciate it.

At this point, we are the only group with plans at the Great Wolf Lodge for these dates. Feel free to share this information with your local homeschool groups.

FAMILY SUITES (sleeps 6) - RATE
February 26th $129.00 plus tax
February 27th $103.00 plus tax

LOFT SUITES (sleeps 8) - RATE
February 26th $209.00 plus tax
February 27th $169.00 plus tax

Deadline for reservations is January 15.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me!
goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com

I look forward to meeting you all again (or for the first time!) at the Great Wolf Lodge in February.

Tracy

Mind The Gap

Article by Diane Flynn Keith

So, why are you minding the gap? What is it exactly that you are afraid your child will miss? Reading? Writing? Arithmetic? Building missions with sugar cubes? Face your fear. Give it a name. Make a list. Then really look at that list and determine what is most important in order to give your child the educational foundation that will allow him or her to become an autonomous, self-directed learner. If that is your goal, following a curriculum and agenda created by the state (or anyone else) is counter-intuitive.

Thanks, Tracie, for the link.

Expanding the horizon for home-school students

Expanding the horizon for home-school students
The Boston Globe
December 6, 2007

The home is no longer where all the action is in this new wave of home schooling. Although some instruction takes place at home, parents now choose from an increasing number of options that allow their children to interact with and learn alongside other home-schooled peers. The opportunities for socialization are numerous - swim lessons at the YMCA, staging a play with like-minded friends found over the Internet, or any of myriad academic courses offered at cooperative schools in the area.

Thanks, Shelley, for the link.

Show and Tell: Art by Kaisha

submitted by Kaisha, age 17

---

All Kansas Homeschoolers are invited to submit items for Show & Tell. Email goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com.

The Halloween Parade ~ 2007

There is still plenty of time to email your Halloween Photos to Kansas Homeschool Network. Just email a digital image to goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com before the end of November.

Tori, the witch (age 12) and Joshua, the camo boy (age 5)

Evie, the Witch (age 11)

Maddie, the Pet Vet (age 9)

Kaman, Luke Skywalker (age 6)


View the 2006 Halloween Parade.

Interactive Online Periodic Table

I'm going to try to start posting more links to good websites. Thanks to Lettie Thomas for alerting me to this site.

WebElements Periodic Table

She recommends the "scholar" link at left.

Unschooling Voices #10

is up at An Unschooling Life.

Lots of good reading!

If you want to participate in Issue #11, the topic is:

Issue #11 (will be out on December 1)

Unschooling through the ages: How, if at all, does unschooling look different as your child ages and grows. Is it different now than it was a few years back? What role does age play in unschooling?

If you don't have a blog or website, I am more than happy to post your entries here.

A Day in the Life of...

submitted by Kandy Crosby-Hastings

Everyday in our house is different. For instance, yesterday we had a playgroup that I started for the boys where we looked at an "I Spy" book, had snacks, made art out of recycled materials, and played with the other kids. When we came home, my sons had fun with an art project. Then my four-year old surprised me by writing his name. He's never written more than just random letters without tracing. His name is Taliesin. He wrote "Tali," then told me he needed me to write the "e". I wrote "e" and he finished "sin". It really surprised me. I'm excited that he's starting to see that letters go together to make words. Then last night, both of my sons decided they needed to paint. We had just let each of them chose a
color of tempera paint at the hobby store. They had a lot of fun.

I believe that learning takes place all the time, not just during the school year, Monday through Friday, from 8:00-3:00.

I was homeschooled when I was younger. (Still am, I guess. I'm finishing my degree through an online college). I knew before I even planned on having kids that I would homeschool them. My reason for homeschooling was religious - that still is the main reason. Now,however, since I've been reading more John Holt, I have to agree with a lot of his philosophies that, in general, the home and activities out and about in society are the best environments for learning.

The most difficult part of homeschooling for me was learning not to structure things. I tried when we first started to structure everything - 20 minutes for this, 10 minutes for that. My four-year old taught me that this would not work for him. Then I found Home Education magazine at the public library. It talked about "child-directed" learning. I was amazed.

Someone I worked with told me about something called unschooling. I did an internet search, and the rest is history. :^)

Disney Homeschool Days is back in session!

Anybody looking for a vacation destination in January?

Dear Homeschool Educator,

Thank you for dedicating your life to being a Homeschool educator. As a parent, we know that seeking innovative approaches to learning are important for your children. We would like to invite you and your students to experience out-of-this-world learning with Disney Homeschool Days at Epcot® January 14 & 15, 2008. With hands-on interactions and eye-opening experiences around every corner, your students will be inspired to really soar.

Disney Homeschool Days welcomes homeschoolers. Parents and extra guests can also join in activities designed specifically for you.

Disney Youth Education Series (Y.E.S.) Programs are back by popular demand! -- Disney Y.E.S. Programs are interactive educational workshops that use the Walt Disney World Theme Parks as the classroom. Open enrollment in Disney Y.E.S. Programs being offered:

NEW! Disney's Ocean Discoveries - Monday, January 14 & Tuesday, January 15
Dynamics of Technology - Monday, January 14 only
Everyday Chemistry - Tuesday, January 15 only
Synergy in Science - Monday, January 14 & Tuesday, January 15
Disney Speaker Series — We are taking our Speaker Series to a new level! You won't want to miss our line-up of Professionals. Check back for more information!
Specially-priced Disney Homeschool Days packages are available. Book today as space fills up quickly.

Disney Homeschool Days Package includes admission to Epcot®, self-guided materials and the Speaker Series for $43.15

Add-on a Disney Y.E.S. program for $24.00. Programs offered: Dynamics of Technology, Everyday Chemistry, Synergy in Science, and Disney's Ocean Discoveries.
Plus, groups receive one complimentary ticket for every 10 Disney Homeschool Days Tickets* purchased!

Book your experience today by visiting www.DisneyHomeSchoolDays.com or by calling toll-free at 1-800-950-0472!

*Complimentary tickets are not valid for Disney Y.E.S. Programs.

Un-School Days

Un-school Days, by Cindy Webb was in the October 2007 issue of Tulsa Kids.

...unlike other traditionally home-schooled children, Matt had no formal schooling at all until he was 16 years old and requested it. He then attended TCC taking algebra and calculus through a concurrent enrollment program offered to high school age students. But just because Matt wasn’t formally schooled doesn’t mean he wasn’t educated. Matt’s parents chose a different educational approach known as “unschooling.” Matt’s mother Leslie, a child development major in college, hadn’t planned on such a non-traditional approach to education for her children. “The first homeschooler I met happened to be an unschooler,” says Leslie. “Her children had such a fire for learning. I wanted my kids to always have a passion for learning.”

October Site Updates & News

Starting in November, the KSHomeschool.net website will no longer be available. Instead, please bookmark this location for current news and updates (including the upcoming Great Wolf Lodge Gathering in February)!

In the coming months, I will be moving all the great articles and resources from the former website to this blog. Please keep visiting. Your contributions continue to be welcomed and appreciated.

Scroll on down for this month's Show & Tell. We have quite an art gallery with contributions from Megan and Jenny. Also check out Nathanael in the newspaper!

Show and Tell ~ Art by Megan

Sketches from Megan, age 14

Show and Tell ~ Art by Jenny

Drawings by Jenny, age 12

Show and Tell ~ Nathanael made the Paper!

Nathanael, age 2, was pictured in the Salina Journal at the Not Back to School day hosted by Salina's A Walk in the Park Unschooling Group.

Science City Home School Days

Home School Days
November 6-9, 2007

All Home School families pay a reduced rate for admission to Science City and Extreme Screen movies during this week. Special facilitated programs are available each day.

Tuesday, Nov 6
10:45 am Planetarium - Sky Tonight
$3.50/per person

Wednesday, Nov. 7
10:45 am Planetarium- Planetary Adventure
$3.50/per person

1:00-2:00 pm Discovery Area Programs
$8.00/per person (includes General Admission)

Micronauts, ages 6 to 9
Design Studio, ages 10 and up
CSI, ages 14 to 18

Thursday, Nov. 8

10:45 am Planetarium – Sky of Day and Night
$3.50/person

Friday, Nov. 9

10:45 am Planetarium - The Big C
$3.50/person

1:00-2:00 pm Discovery Area Programs
$8.00/per person (includes General Admission)

Kinderlab, ages 4 to 7
Gross Science, ages 6 to 9
Dino Hunter, ages 10 and up


Advance reservations are required for planetarium and Discovery Area programs. Space is limited and a minimum number is required. Early reservations are recommended.

Please call (816) 460-2020 to make your reservation
Additional information about the above programs can be found at www.unionstation.org

Kansas City Museum

HOME SCHOOL WEEK
November 6-9, 2007


SCHEDULE:

Tuesday November 6th
10:00- Wonders of the Night Sky
11:00- Little Pioneers
11:30- Lunch
12:15- Soda Fountain Tour (includes free ice cream cone)

Wednesday November 7th
10:00- Stormy Skies and Starry Nights
11:00- Lunch
11:30 Frontier Science
12:30 Soda Fountain Tour (includes free ice cream cone)

Thursday November 8th
10:00 Wheel in the Sky Star Show
11:00 Lunch
11:30 Secrets of the Mansion Tour
12:30 Soda Fountain Tour (includes free ice cream cone)

Friday November 9th
10:00- Planet Patrol
11:00- Settling of Kansas City Tour
12:00- Lunch
12:30- Soda Fountain Tour (includes free ice cream cone)


Prices: $6/child for an entire morning of programs. No reservations necessary. Pay at the Museum on the day of program.

Adults are required to accompany children during all Museum programs. Lunch room space is available.

Please call (816) 483-8300 for specific information about programs
The Kansas City Museum is located at 3218 Gladstone Blvd.

In Defense of Constant Learning

An essay in the Chicago Beacon-News, September 30, 2007

To us, school is about the love of learning. We rarely define any moment of the day as "doing school." Equal importance is given to "formal" teaching and teachable moments. One day, we invited homeschool friends over to just dig in the yard. Our younger kids transplanted bulbs and found worms. Our older children built a "bug house" by laying down rocks, putting up a canopy of twigs, laying out leaves as decorations to entice the creatures, and putting out some spiky-looking branches to deter the birds.

Musing of the Month

____________________
Musing of the Month:
"Everything is beginning to look like cotton candy."
~Caleb, age 11
____________________

Kuddos via email:
We can't wait for the 2008 Great Wolf Lodge Trip!! Thanks for setting this up and doing the site!!! We love both!
~Claudia

Thanks, Claudia.

Details about GWL will be out in a couple of months. I've enjoyed organizing it and getting to know families from across the state.
~ Tracy
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Show and Tell ~ Triplets & Quadruplets!!

Holden and Mackenzie learned a bit about Photoshop from their aunt this summer. Boy was mom surprised when she ended up with quadruplets and triplets!

More choose to educate children at home

An article in the Kansas City Star. September 9, 2007

Food for Thought

Trashing Teens, Psychology Today, Mar/Apr 2007

Psychologist Robert Epstein argues in a provocative book, "The Case Against Adolescence," that teens are far more competent than we assume, and most of their problems stem from restrictions placed on them.

The factory system doesn't work in the modern world, because two years after graduation, whatever you learned is out of date. We need education spread over a lifetime, not jammed into the early years—except for such basics as reading, writing, and perhaps citizenship. Past puberty, education needs to be combined in interesting and creative ways with work. The factory school system no longer makes sense.

The Unschooling Unmanual

From The Natural Child Project:

School is out. Unschool is in!

Our newest booklet, The Unschooling Unmanual, by Nanda Van Gestel, Rue Kream, Mary Van Doren and Jan Hunt, will be published this fall. Through engaging personal stories, examples, and essays, the writers offer inspiration and encouragement for seasoned and prospective unschoolers alike.

The booklet can be pre-ordered at a discounted price of $12.

Read Chapter One of "An Unschooling Adventure"

The Kansas Homeschool Network is planning the
Fourth Annual Area Homeschoolers
Great Wolf Lodge Get-Away

Mark your calendars for February 2008.
Details will be posted here as they become available.

Great Wolf - Kansas City

Quick KS Area Blog Tour:

From Life Is Learning, Learning Is Life, Year-round: Reasons We Homeschool:

The academic individualization is our most publicly known reason. However, my DH and I love to travel around the US on vacation. We were married 10 years before kids and really enjoy vacationing in Sept/Oct and April, when all of the families with school kids AREN'T on vacation, too. So the family flexibility is
a biggie for us. DH likes the idea that every vacation can be "educational". I try to remind him that we don't have to make it like "lessons" when we go somewhere, just going and experiencing the new places and things is educational
in and of itself.And my other reason seems selfish, but I suppose it isn't really: I like my kids and I want to spend time with them. I don't want to miss out on their joy of learning.

Here's a cool resource from Jill at Praiseworthy Things.

I've just returned from a trip to another state for my brother's wedding. On coming home I saw this fun tool on Visited States. This would be fun to do with your kids and a nice lesson on geography as well.

Some comforting words from heymom at Thoze Amazing Crazy Dayz

I want to begin by saying that the fact that she is dreaming and thinking of her life as "her" life, is, in itself, a huge step forward. Only a few short months ago, she was so easily swayed by the opinions and actions of others. She had so little dreams of her own.While she talked to me, she seemed to be so at peace with the life around her and the way that it is going. This again, in
stark contrast to the way she felt...always swimming upstream, always fighting the world and herself...not that long ago.

A brief item in the Kansas City Star

Academically, nothing competes’ with homeschooling, says Grandview family

Show and Tell ~ Earrings

by Evie, age 11

I made some earrings today here are some pics:

Here is a pic of the earrings I made M, they were the 2nd pair I made.

Here is a close up of M's earrings.

This is the pair I made for myself.

Here is a close up of the earrings I made for myself, they were the first pair I made.

This is the pair I made for my mom.

Show and Tell ~ Stepping Stone

Josh, age 5.5, shows off his stepping stone (complete with creepy crawlies!). He is also showing off some Pokémon figurines he bought at a garage sale.

Show and Tell ~ My Chemical Romance Box

Tori, age 12, painted this box. It's about her favorite band, My Chemical Romance.

Contemplation for the day

____________________

Contemplation for the day:

"What does nothing look like?"
~Kaman, age 6

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Salina Area Homeschoolers

A Walk in the Park Unschooling Group will meet bi-weekly, every other Tuesday, beginning August 21. On August 21, we are having a picnic/park/swimming party beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Oakdale Park. Everyone should bring a brown-bag lunch and prepare to have fun! We are celebrating the Not Beginning of School. If anyone has any questions, they can contact coramdeo_intheeyesofGod@yahoo.com or 785-342-9823.

Our group is a no-cost compassionate unschooling group.

Show and Tell ~ Photos for the Fair

These are some of the pictures I might take to the 4-H Fair.

Maddie, age 8

Show and Tell ~ A Visit to Western Kansas

Spearville Wind Farm

Holden and Mackenzie in front of some of the 67 windmills just outside Spearville, Kansas. The wind farm generates enough electricity to power 33,000 homes!

We also visited the Sod House Museum in Kinsley.
This is a picture of the kitchen area in the sod house.

We saw some of the damage from the May 4 tornado. This picture was taken where the tornado crossed Highway 50 near Macksville.

Scary School Nightmare