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Showing posts with label DIY Learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY Learning. Show all posts

Four Key Performance Indicators in Praise of Homeschooling


An article recently came out that takes on the National Education Associations anti-homeschooling position revealing 4 performance indicators that demonstrate the value of homeschooling. If you weren't aware, The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. They say, when home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress.

Not only is it disturbing that the NEA supports intruding in the lives of families when it comes to what is best for their children, the facts are that home educated students do better than those in public schools. 


The article points to the following four performance indicators along with links to sources for each one.
  • Key Performance Indicator #1: Academics
  • Key Performance Indicator #2: Socialization
  • Key Performance Indicator #3: Finances
  • Key Performance Indicator #4: Values

You can read about each performance indicator in the original article here.
You have read this article DIY Learning / homeschool / homeschooling / unschool / unschooling with the title DIY Learning. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2012/07/four-key-performance-indicators-in.html. Thanks!

Alternatives for child athletes whose local schools say, "Your kind is not welcome here."

Guest post by Mark Jerome

Editor’s note: Today's New York Times asked, "Should homeschooled kids be allowed to play on school teams?" prompted by a front page story on the topic. My answer? "Hell yes they should." Grown unschooler Kate Fridkis who contributes to this blog agrees. Read her response to the debate here. Parents are paying taxes for schools that in many cases are not providing an adequate learning experience for children or at least one that does not match the quality their children can receive without school. In a free country young people should be given the freedom to learn in ways that work best for them and their family. This means they SHOULD have access to school offerings, even though they may not want everything forced upon them. If schools are so wonderful afterall, shouldn't they optional, rather than compulsory? 


Unfortunately if you live in states like New York, that discriminate against athletes who have rejected the system as a whole for their children, there are options for choosing a sporting program. You don't have to go to school to be a successful athlete. In fact home educated young people may be able to join other famous homeschooling athletes (Venus & Serena Williams, Timothy Tebow, Jason Taylor, Michelle Kwan, Bode Miller...to name a few) who are living examples that homeschooling works for successful atheletes. While several states invite homeschooled students to be participate in their school’s sports team, when that’s not the case, there are many programs available outside of school. This article was written by the director of one of them.

Finding the right youth sports program for your child can be as complicated and challenging as finding the right school.

UGGHHH! HOW DO I SELECT THE RIGHT PROGRAM?

and...

  • Will my child learn?
  • Competitive vs recreational?
  • Costs?
  • Location?
  • Ability to provide exposure?
  • Will s/he feel safe?
  • Will the program be a social match?
and, on and on...

In the end, it would be great to look back and know that your child’s experience was positive. So how does one define a positive program?

As the Executive Director of the Riverside Hawks Organization, I receive calls and emails daily from children, teens and parents. When I do, I explain who we are and offer everyone an opportunity to observe us in some form. After assessing goals and priorities of the parent(s) and child, I advise parents on how to select a program that best fits their needs. Sometimes it is my program. Other times I’ll make recommendations that more closely align to what they are seeking.

Because the youth sports industry is rapidly growing, this is not a difficult task. There is generally a program to suit each family unlike years ago when very few programs existed. Back then you could count the competitive programs on one hand. If you played for one of those teams, you were a rock star. Today, as more and more children and teens are playing sports, these programs aren’t just for the rock stars. Now many parents who expect their children to have a great education, also want their children to have the same experience with sports. Fortunately, there are many more options these days from competitive programs to ones that cater to those who are not quite experienced enough to compete on the top ranks or who may not want to spend the many required hours to play on a highly competitive program.

Along with choice though, comes the need to discern which program is best for your child.  It’s much like when a parent decides which school or learning environment makes the most sense. To do this parents typically seek an environment that will challenge their children, be safe, and be a place where their child can grow mentally and develop appropriate social behavior. Parents put a great deal of trust in the institutions where they send their children and have high expectations. The same should be true for a sports program.

Years ago, programs were discovered via word of mouth or teams would find top players through a connection and ultimately recruit those athletes to their organizations. Today, the Internet has categorically helped shape how we locate programs. If someone were to search youth basketball programs, several would pop up. Just as with finding the right school, however, computers will only take you so far on this journey. The Internet is a start, but research does not end there.

Your next step...

You have to talk to directors and coaches, who will be able to answer your questions on things like:

  • What is the level of competition?
  • Are there tryouts?
  • Is there travel and if so where is the travel?
  • When are games and practices?
  • What are the costs?
  • Location?
Once you have answers to questions like those, the next step is to observe or participate in a practice or two if the program is amenable. After checking out a few practices and speaking to a few coaches, you should be able to gather a sense of the program’s culture and attitude. It is also helpful to try to build a relationship with someone on that particular program’s staff. The program may or may not the fit your child needs at the time, but perhaps it will be a match in the future. Additionally, in the interim, a coach will be offer guidance and suggest an alternative.

From a program director’s perspective the phone calls we appreciate most are from parents who say things like, “My child is not the best...” or “I would like to place my child in a program where he/she can learn,” as opposed to those touting their child’s accolades. Programs have systems in place to assess children’s skill level as necessary. The program staff will let you know if / what they need to display evidence of your child’s abilities. It is best to wait for such requests before providing videos, stats, etc.  

Advice for children
Coaches are always seeking out talent. It is in the coach’s best interest to either discover new talent or boast that they molded someone into a great player. Most competitive programs have open tryouts once or twice a year. Another way they discover new talent is by conducting workouts. If you are seeking a competitive program, which applies to most young people who take the initiative to research a program, I suggest calling and developing relationships with multiple teams and organizations.

Here’s what you’ll want to find out.  
  • When are tryouts?
  • Are there workouts currently taking place?
  • How do they prefer to be contacted?
  • Can
  • you (and a family member or friend) meet with coaches in person during a practice?
While researching and finding the right team, take your time in determining the level of competition you desire, your availability and your level commitment you are able to make. Each child needs to feel comfortable athletically and socially while also having time to balance learning and family time. For those who need it, some programs have a structured educational support system to aid in academic development.

Children are our most valued treasures. We want them to create and develop healthy relationships as well as learn to become independent. Youth sports can be a great path for our children and teens to transition into independent, solid decision makers and team players. As parents we will have a tremendous influence in their development including selecting the proper program with matching criteria. Fortunately there are more and more programs that may fit your family’s needs.  

Whether your child is at the top of his game, or just learning his game...the star of the school team or the king of the court at the local playground, this advice will get you on the road to finding a program that’s just right.

GOOD LUCK!

If you have questions or would like additional information, please email Mark Jerome at mjerome@theriversidehawks.org
You have read this article athletes / DIY Learning / homeschool / homeschooling / sports / unschool / unschooling with the title DIY Learning. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2012/02/alternatives-for-child-athletes-whose.html. Thanks!

Live Tonight! 2/2 - Panel on Personal Learning Profiles

Join me tonight, Thursday, February 2nd, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com panel discussion on "Personal Learning Profiles," also referred to as "personal success plans," "learner profiles," or "personalized learning paths."  The discussion will be hosted by Steven Hargadon. Joining me on the panel are Barbara Bray, Kathleen McClaskey, and Shannon Miller.

We'll discuss be discussing topics, issues and questions such as:

  • With a growing sense of the value of personalized, customized, and student-driven learning, what is the best way to capture and communicate students' learning plans and goals?
  • Who should "own" these profiles/plans, both in terms of responsibility and ultimate control?
  • How can and should personal learning profiles interact with student portfolios?
  • And Steve Hargadon's perennial question...In a vision of teachers as lead-learners, what provisions are being made to bring personal learning profiles to the profession itself?

    Session details:
    Date: Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
    Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 1am (next day) GMT (international times here)
    Duration: 1 hour
    Location: Blackboard Collaborate (formerly Elluminate).
    Log in: Go to http://futureofed.info.
    The Blackboard Collaborate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Blackboard Collaborate, please visit the support and configuration page. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
    Recordings:
    The full Blackboard Collaborate recording and a portable .mp3 recording will be available soon after the show athttp://www.futureofeducation.com.

    Panelists (listed alphabetically):

    Barbara Bray is a Creative Learning Strategist who believes that anyone at any age can learn. She has worked with schools, districts, individuals, businesses, and non-profit agencies around the world. Her dream has been to create an online place that was safe and secure with all the tools and resources all in one place. She did it with My eCoach as early as 1999 — way before there were blogs, wikis, Twitter or Facebook. Barbara is what you call a “Digital Pioneer.”

    Barbara is a teacher, writer, change agent, risk-taker, instructional designer, connector, and visionary. Whenever anyone told Barbara she couldn’t do something, she took it more like a challenge. Barbara knows that teachers need support with the shift to 21st Century Skills. New and veteran teachers are overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks plus being asked to teach and integrate technology. The big question even today is “how do you fit everything in that is expected of you and meet the needs of all students?”

    Barbara writes a regular column on professional development for OnCUE (Computer Using Educators) as well as regularly posts helpful materials and resources on her blog. She works tirelessly to find and research new tools and methods that help educators. Now with multiple opportunities to network using social media and join various online communities, teachers and learners are confused. Barbara makes it her job to determine what is authentic, valid, cost-effective, safe, user-friendly, and relevant for her clients.

    Kathleen H. McClaskey, resident of Ed Tech Associates, is a recognized UDL and Digital Learning Consultant with 28 years experience in using technology in the classroom. Kathleen is a frequent international, national and regional workshop presenter on topics that include Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Technology for Diverse Learners, Math and Technology: Bringing Research to Practice, Built in Moodle: The Universally Designed Digital Learning Environment and most recently, Personalized Learning Toolkit with Barbara Bray. In the last decade, she directed and designed the professional development in technology-based projects in math, science, literacy and autism. She currently curates four topics in Scoop.it:  Personalized Learning, Universal Design for Learning, Leveling the Playing Field with Apps and Math, Technology and UDL:  Closing the Achievement Gap.  Twitter: @khmmc

    Shannon McClintock Miller is the district teacher librarian and technology specialist at Van Meter Community School in Van Meter, Iowa. She encourages her students to have a voice while learning, creating, collaborating, and connecting to others within their school and around the world. Shannon is the author of the award winning Van Meter Library Voice blog and enjoys writing for ISTE's Leading & Learning journal, various blogs, and in other forums. She has had the opportunity to speak in Iowa and around the country about advocacy, technology, social media, and making a difference in education and the lives of others. She is a member of ISTE, SIGMS, ALA, AASL, and ILA (Iowa Library Association). Shannon serves as the advocacy chair on the Iowa Association of School Librarians and on the Iowa Center for the Book Advisory Council as the public school students and libraries representation. Shannon also serves on the School Library Month advisory board. She is a StudyBlue Teacher Advocate and FableVision Learning Ambassador. In 2010, she was also chosen to be part of the Cengage Learning/School Library Journal New Leaders Program. In March 2011, Shannon was awarded the Connecting People Shorty Award. Shannon can be found at @shannonmmiller on Twitter and online atshannonmmiller.com.

    Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen has worked for more than a decade in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech and Learning, ISTE Connects, ASCD Wholechild, MindShift, Leading and Learning, The Unplugged Mom, and is the author the book Teaching Generation Text.
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    10 Reasons Why The Innovative Educator Is In Love with Unschooling



    Why would someone with a career vested in the school system be in love with unschooling? Well, frankly it’s because I know a LOT about learning and from what I’ve seen, read, observed and experienced, unschooling is a terrific way to learn. What’s more, unlike schooling, you grow up more prepared for life and the passion, creativity, and the love of learning doesn’t get sucked right out of you.

    Here are ten reasons why I love how unschoolers learn:
    1. You can be driven by passion, rather than data.
    2. Learning is customized not standardized
    3. You can learn with those you enjoy being with (or no one at all) rather than those who share your birth year
    4. You have the freedom to learn with the tools you choose because they’re not banned like they are for school children.
    5. You have the opportunity to socialize and make global connections with those who share your passions not just your zip code or date of birth.
    6. Getting to achieve real-life success is better than being measured by bubble tests.
    7. You don’t just read about doing stuff. You do stuff!
    8. You get to be more than a number on a report card, transcript, or data report.
    9. You are able to do work you value.
    10. You are given the freedom to know what you are good at without being forced to take tests, do worksheets or reports.
    Parents who unschool realize that the industrial model school’s of today are preparing their children for a world that no longer exists. I love that unschooling parents have escaped from the status quo to provide their children with the best opportunities for satisfaction and success in life and career. Unschooling parents realize that when confined in a traditional school, their children no longer have the freedom to learn.  It is because students are empowered to learn and live in the ways they chose, that I have come to love unschooling.
    You have read this article DIY Learning / homeschooling / unschooling with the title DIY Learning. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2012/02/10-reasons-why-innovative-educator-is.html. Thanks!

    Are schools making our children illiterate to make a profit?

    Professional writer and filmmaker Peter Kowalke didn't start reading until he was 11 which wasn't a problem for him because he didn't go to school.  He explained it to me this way.  
    In school you read about doing things.  I preferred to spend my early childhood doing things rather than reading about doing things. 
    He shared that this wasn't even something he thought about much.  When learning to read independently became more of a priority for him, he began picking up reading and from that point on there was no turning back. Peter is not unusual.  Dr. Peter Gray studies young people who were never schooled because they were unschooled or attended a Democratic school. The age these children learned to read has a wide range from about 4 - 14 years old. He found that when not coerced or forced, EVERY child learns to read well and by age 15 it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a child who began reading at 4 and one who began in later years. (Note: This did not include children with severe cognitive impairment or those who don't speak English.)  For those unfamiliar with unschooling or Democratic schooling, it provides children with a natural learning environment where they have access to plenty of resources and support, but learning is not forced and children are given the freedom to learn what they choose when they choose. 

    Reading proficiency among fourth grade students
    From Students First 

    There is plenty of information, research, and numerous case studies that point to the fact learning to read and write will come as naturally to children as learning to walk and talk if provided a literate and supportive environment where passions are honored. Unfortunately, school was not designed this way.  In school all children are expected to learn at the same rate and in the same way and if they don't, they are labeled, left back, and left out. What's more, in today's accountability climate, the same is happening to many of their teachers.


    Most recently, we've been led to believe the cure to the literacy problem in our country can be solved by testing even more. It is thought that this will enable us to figure out where the problems lie within each student and determine who the "bad teachers" are so we can replace them with others who are good at getting the mandated results. But does obsessively dissecting what a student is doing really help them get better? Imagine if we did this while children were learning to walk or talk? Can't all this lab rat analysis take the joy out of what the child is doing? We also need to ask ourselves, are our best teachers really those who can produce good test takers? Ironically, there is new research coming out that indicates that standardized testing leads to a dramatic decrease in the joy of reading. Perhaps even more importantly, education expert Alfie Kohn explain how teachers are killing students motivation to read by relying on coercion and extrinsic inducements.


    Could this all be on purpose? All this focus on testing and forcing has resulted in a nation where an alarming 67% of 4th grade students are being identified as not being able to read proficiently by the arbitrary time government officials say they should be. Could it be that the government is wrong about when it is that students should be proficient and by forcing a factory model of learning they are actually keeping students behind? Could it be that Americans are being purposely mislead to feed the money-hungry testing and publishing companies that are now literally pulling in billions of dollars? After all, like it or not, this is huge business! These are companies that are backing and supporting politicians. These are the companies who came together and stood arm in arm with the politicians from each state in the creation of the Common Core standards and now stand to make billions in profits . Are American schools actually causing the illiteracy issue because it results in a tremendous amount of money for big business rather than useful resources for children?


    And, come on! Let's face it. Teachers were trained to develop materials for teaching and they are experts at assessment. Why on earth do we need to pay someone else to do the work teachers were hired to do?


    If 2/3rds of children aren't reading on level, isn't it clear that perhaps it is not the children or the teachers that are the issue??? Maybe the developmental level identified is wrong or maybe there is purposely a curriculum in place that makes us want to do more testing, test-prepping, and publishing of materials to meet a "crisis" that is non-existent for those who venture to learn to read and write without the benefit of school.


    Perhaps this chart below explains the impetus to do this to children. With 5.3 billion dollars out there for the taking, there is a significant incentive to perpetuate the problem.


    A little less coercion, force, and mandating that every person achieves by date of manufacture can go a long way in saving our children and saving dollars for our education system. Will this happen? Probably not. There are too many people who stand to profit off our children.


    You can keep the conversation about this going on my Facebook page here or in my learning group here.
    You have read this article common standards / DIY Learning / literacy / standardized tests / unschooling with the title DIY Learning. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2012/01/are-schools-making-our-children.html. Thanks!

    The Innovative Educator’s Guide to Getting Started with Unschooling


    I was introduced to the idea of unschooling by grown unschooler and writer Kate Fridkis who contacted me about submitting a guest post on my blog.  Before that, I had never heard the term. 


    It wasn’t long before my fascination with unschooling became an obsession.  Learning without school? People did this? How’d they turn out? What did they do all day? How did they learn stuff?  Didn’t they need school to learn? If they didn’t learn things in the order and way schools said they should, how would they be prepared for life or college?

    I had to know more! I bought book books, read blogs, joined discussion groups, went to meetings, listened to podcasts, and started writing about what I was learning. To date, I have written more than 70 unschooling articles which you can read at this link. 


    What was most fascinating to me is that learning without school shattered every myth I’d been told was true about school. In fact I learned that you could learn to read without school, write without school, and ultimately pursue any interest imaginable all without school.  As I researched and studied what happened to grown unschoolers I found that these individuals had very desirable characteristics in common that schooled children often did not have the opportunity to gain.  For instance, they seemed to have a more clear sense of their passions and seemed happy and satisfied with their life path.  They also knew if they didn’t know something, it wasn’t a big deal.  They could figure out how to learn anything.  



    If unschooling is something you or someone you know would like to know more about, I share below some of the resources I used on my learning journey.  

    An overview of unschooling
    Idzie Desmarais gives a comprehensive overview of unschooling in her blog http://yes-i-can-write.blogspot.com/p/new-to-this-blog-new-to-unschooling.html

    Grown unschooler’s blog
    Kate Fridkis Berring, the person who got me excited about unschooling and introduced me to the idea that people can learn without school is a grown unschooler and has a terrific blog on the topic called Skipping School which can be found at http://un-schooled.net.

    Teen unschooler’s blog
    Brycen R. R. Couture is an unschooled teen who is a child advocate / activist pursuing his passion of being a heavy metal rock star.You can like his page on Facebook here.  His blog, which you can visit at http://brycenrrcouture.blogspot.com, provides a teen’s insight into life without school.

    Blogs from unschooling parents
    Many unschoolers are blogging about their lives. Reading these blogs is a great way to learn about unschooling.  I have collected a compilation of several blogs here.  Find the ones you relate to and you’ll learn a lot from these families.  Some of my favorites not mentioned in other categories here include the following:
    • Demand Euphoria: This unschooling mom unhappy with the current state of education, shares why that is and how she achieves a mission to provide a life for her family is not just one where there is happiness, but instead is one where she not only expects, but Demands Euphoria.  
    • The Mahogany Way: This is Darcel Harmon’s blog. She is a wife and Stay at Home Mama to three children. She and her husband are a Christian Attachment Parenting Unschooling family.
    • Penelope Trunk Homeschool: Penelope Trunk provides a raw and provocative look into what it is like for a mother new to home education. She’s not afraid to share her vulnerabilities and insecurities. Her blog inspires and enrages those considering, engaging in, and experienced in home educators.
    Books
    Guides
    Articles
    Websites
    Podcasts
    • Unplugged Mom
      The Unplugged Mom podcasts are a great way to get started in getting a deeper insight into the folks behind home ed and unschooling. Laurette Lynn has done interviews with most of the folks mentioned above as well as people like John Taylor Gatto and Peter Gray. Here is a link       to the podcasts.
    • School Sucks
      The public school system sucks off the productive capacity of hard-working people. The system is coercively funded through taxation. In other words, whether public education succeeds or fails (spoiler alert: it fails) at providing real education to the public, the cost goes up every year. There are no refunds. Above all, this is a show about what one might do about the problems of school...
    Unschooling thought leaders
    Click each name for a collection of their works.

    Unschooling conferences
    Keep the conversation going
    If you want to keep the conversation going, I invite you to join my online group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeschoolingunschooling. This is a place where parents, students, teens, and teachers frustrated with traditional schooling can come together to discuss the more effective options they are interested in pursuing. The group is comprised of unschooling experts and authors as well as those new to, considering, or experienced with unschooling, homeschooling, uncollege or any DIY education.  
    You have read this article DIY Learning / homeschooling / unschooling with the title DIY Learning. You can bookmark this page URL https://benncam.blogspot.com/2012/01/the-innovative-educators-guide-to.html. Thanks!
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