I Thought I'd add this

I can't abide homeschool bashing by people who don't know what homeschooling is really about. I found such a thread on the new government site called "MySchool". I had to reply. (Here's the link.)

I'll put my words here though, in case they go missing...
This seems to be a bit of an anti-homeschooling and a school bashing thread.

Firstly, I homeschool my 5 children. I could never imagine sending them to school. Why? Because school has never and doesn't seem to have the ability to address the needs of all students. People forget that homeschooling existed BEFORE school was institutionalised, and it is very natural and a reasonable choice for a parent to make. Yes, orginally I had my daughter and son in school but I regret it. They picked up bad habits, and my daughter was bullied, 6 years on still not fully recovered. But I digress...

Natural learning/unschooling is the term you are looking for Alana. This is a valid path, but one of many paths a parent who homeschols can make. There is also school at home, Charlotte Mason, Steiner, Ready to go Curriculum, Internet based, religious based and eclectic are all choices one can make.

Obviously, you are all uninformed and making assumptions about something you really know nothing about. Alana, two homeschooled children do not represent the homeschooling community as a whole. Marion, sadly you have a picture of homeschooling that is lacking. Yes, the education system is failing, it is doomed to fail as is, or make children into mindless workers who don't think outside the box.

Don't take my word for it read celebrated ex-teacher from New York John Gatto Taylor's criticism of modern schools
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_Gatto

Marion I'd also like to ask why you didn't tap into the huge homeschool communty of Qld? I've lived there and I know there are many homeschool activities and communities of varying styles all around, easy to google, find on Yahoo groups. Sure its lonely if you don't socialise, but the people are there if you want to meet them. When I was up there were two informal play groups meeting in North Brisbane, one of which met in various parks weekly and had a lending library and are so willing to help newcomers, very lovely community. Of course other groups run excersions and science classes and all kinds of interesting activities. Theres a Sunshine group, a christian group, Briby Island group that all meet and support one another, and that's just off the top of my head.

Of homeschooling children I know they are beautiful and individual people, they aren't socially backward, some like to be introvert but that's natural in any setting, school or no. Homeschoolers tend to be more able to associate without barriers of sex and age, they are tolerant. School settings are the ones which I have found to be the unnatural setting, putting children same age together they tend to have some rather nasty interactions (rarely this happens with home educated children). Teenagers don't have the same peer pressure to conform or consume or go through fads.

And Glenn, I'm not bashing the people involved in schooling, its just the system, the teachers themselves have been 'set up' to perform their roles and have been educated to think in one way. Teachers do seem to be critical of homeschooling (it is their means of income). I know a principal very well and he is open minded enough to 'wait and see' how my children turn out.

I think the government/education system could do better by opening their minds. I rather like the model (I can't take credit, but I can't recall it's name) where its an open education system, where the teacher has a more facilitator role, its age open I believe, ie adults and children can learn in the same class. It onus is on the self, you go research and work on individual or group projects and learn what you need as you complete it, the teacher is a sounding board and various discussions are the means of communicating ideas. There is a communal learning space that is rather like a library with computers and there are spaces set aside for various activites cooking, science, technical learning like sewing/metal work/wood work etc. No one is forced to learn anything but encouraged to discover, naturally learn and to interact with others as they learn. I believe some split off and learn a trade (which they presumably have experience with already) at age 12, where they take an apprentiship.) Not unlike how it used to be in the past. The theory is one can base their natural predispositions into become really really good at one thing, something they can have real pleasure in and not worry too much about a shallow attempt to learn everything and come away not really being great at anything.

In Recovery

Nasty tooth extraction! I have a sore mouth - no excuse not to blog really...
Yesterday we met up with a few fellow homeschoolers, who were great. We had a little get together at a bush family style cafe.
A visit today from my sister and her two littlies.
Other than that we have been doing our Animal studies unit.
We watched Spiderwick Chronicles (the kids absolutely loved it, particularly Labyrinth who is soo into that sort of thing and now has the attention span to enjoy it).
Considering a puppy for christmas, and lots of other decisions weighing in on my poor bewildered brain.
Not spent much time near my computer, unfortunately, as we've been so flat out.
Some nice people from freecycle gave us a bed :) made entirely from wood. It's beautiful.
We have brought some plants so we will be doing gardening soon as this weather settles itself down a bit. Wind - rain - wind and more wind.
Other than that wishing we had more money and looking forward to hopefully working next year...
Monika prefers to walk now, and Dante had an ear infection, looks like Raven is ill. Not to mention Raven has grown 3 cm in 6 weeks, one cm in one week! He's catching up!
That's all for now, I'll do a better job next time when my poor mouth isn't so sore and I'm not so tired.
Q.

Old Fashioned H/Edder Picnic, 14 Ravens and 6 Magpies

Young Master Raven, above, using a baton in a rather cute but unconventional way!

Below is Dante with his new friend, A.

Raven is looking cuties, this is inside the Ross Town Hall.
Outside, Dante poses for his shot. That there t-shirt is now well-known amongst home edders in Tasmania.



This young lady was stealing hearts, as usual... and below her big sister is playing and experimenting!

Caught unawares, Labyrinth looks like she's having fun! Below are examples of the creativity of homeschoolers amongst us:

Children playing and having fun at the picnic (Ross Town Hall in background):



Another of pretty princess above, and Kai inside the hall below in amongst the girls:

What a wonderful day we had with such a diverse mix of homeschoolers. What lovely people they all are. NO bickering or nastiness, just relaxed, healthy good fun! I got the word out there about the little forum, but it is quiet! No one new has joined yet. Apparently, twas tried a few times, but no one supports it because Tasmanian Home Edders are factioned and isolated, and seem to prefer to stay that way, unfortunately. The community is wonderful, but almost seem fearful of extending beyond their own groups, for some reason.

On the upside, the children made new friends. Dante met a girl and they spent a long time playing. Labyrinth was more accepted and more socially happy with the older girls, and she made some new friends too. Kai took much longer to settle in, but then he was having a ball with a bunch of girls inside the hall and didn't want to leave! Raven, though shy by nature, got in there and had a go with batons and juggling stuff - that really sparked his attention!

To think that this is the first home edders event state wide! I am hopeful it will happen more often! It was wonderful! Turn out was 150+, but they only expected 100, but it doesn't matter anyway, everyone pretty much catered for themselves. Met some wonderful people, and hopefully some will join the forum, and some were people we knew from before. Thank you to all who attended, it was a wonderful day and it is great you showed support to our wonderful community!

On the way there and the way back we noticed some interesting and wonderful things. For instance, bush sculptures of animals, iron sculptures of bushrangers and surveyors and animals etc and we counted 14 ravens and 6 magpies (although the magpies were all in one area). We also got to see a hawk. Not to mention the farm animals...!

I hope you and yours are safe and well,

Q.

I'm Goin' Outside to Eat Some Worms!

Wonderful Worms at the Botanical Gardens

We had a wonderful time at a homeschool gathering today at the Botanical Gardens, Hobart.
Thanks to our lovely host, Miriam (who's blog is in my faves list). It was one of the educational experiences that the Botanical Gardens host, and we get to do it as a homeschool group!

Below: peeking into the children's world of wonder under the canopy of a wonderful tree. Who doesn't hug trees? I'm a proud tree hugger, and feel quite reverent around them.

Below: our very own resident tree hugging elves.
Exploring the gardens the children were introduced to how trees reproduce, what a worm's role in the garden is, how to respect mother nature, and appreciating the world around them. Labyrinth as always, collected enthusiatically, as did the boys, and now we have a lot of leaves, seed pods, cones to work with in craft over the next week or so.

Below: Raven was quite taken by the Chinese Lion statues. If only he could remember in ChinaTown, in Brisbane Valley, where we watched the Lion Dancers (like the dragons) how the danced and hopped up on stilts. Then there was the fireworks. Tasmania is way too slow, unfortunately, but I love it for other reasons.

Above the woman who led the learning experience talks to uninterested children. I mean come on, there were worms on the table to play with! What beats that? Hands on experience.

Here is Labyrinth looking so pretty, holding out a small portion of what we have brought home.Young Monika. Isn't she just so beautiful? Her enthusiasm about being around other children was lovely.
One of the delights of being around nature: as soon as the children cleared out of this area the Rosella pair came in because the children had stirred it all up, in search of food I have no doubt.
Below, drawings of their experience of worms today:

1. Raven 2. Dante 3. Labyrinth 4. Kai




Random art from today: Kai's army, Rabbit lose in the carrot patch by Labyrinth, A School of Fish by Dante, and last but by no means least is Labyrinth's impression of "Whispers of the Heart" by Studio Ghibli. We recently acquired a copy, and it's all she wants to watch. I appreciate she has good taste, but I'll be soon stir crazy about the song "Country Roads". Stand out moment from the movie for myself is the line in reference as to why the fat cat is called Moon, "just look at him" and its a shot of his bum! I laughed at that so hard!




Nighty Night, Sweet Heart, Q.

Something Amiss....

In the homeschool community and support services in Tassie?

Today I went into Birchalls, a place that gives "discounts" to homeschoolers, but they don't. They don't really have homeschoolers go in there at all. OK. Fine. Whatever. So, I ask will you do "homeschool discounts" at all. She said they would give me the same discounts they give to schools: on selected text books and that was all. mmmm. Disappointing.

Last fortnight I went into a bookshop that in the THEAC newsletter also "offered discounts to homeschoolers", nah, not any more they don't.

They do in Windmill still, I think its 5%. Whoopee! But I guess it's better than nothing, and if it were an expensive purchase, then yes, it probably would be.

The problems arise from several things. Homeschoolers down here lack community spirit. They don't flash a THEAC card around when they do their shopping. Therefore we don't exist. There a pockets here and there, but I've only found small isolated pockets. Thats why I'm trying to get the forum up and running, so I can get a unity in vision and voice for our community.

I know there are non religious homeschoolers down here, but where the heck are they??? They keep so far under the radar its impossible to find them. I'm trying to get the word out there to them, so if you think you can help direct them to T.H.E Forum please?

Besides that disappointment, we had a lovely shopping spree (OK picking up laybys for Easter). Easter is another excuse for buying presents for the children isn't it? That's our excuse anyway. We also got a very decent vacuum cleaner Werthiem (one of the best and costly). Very happy (and eventually we'll have good credit rating from them). We'd love to buy this house, it has exquisite views. I'd build in a pool and I would extend up and out if I had the money.

I would also dearly love to communally build, but Andrew doesn't see my vision, he doesn't see the vision of the gypsy lifestyle either... oh, so sad!

We brought a science reader today on Sharks! Will be a good resource for getting Dante up and cruising with reason (or incentive).

We were too busy for lessons today, but we played "I went to the shop and brougt a..." game. We love that and Eye-Spy. They don't like singing with me in the car anymore. I still sing to the younger two, but the older 3 don't like it anymore!

Even if it is Good Friday tommorrow, I will be giving the darlings lessons!

Well, high dee ho everybody, Q :)