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StephanieA
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 9:21am | IP Logged
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<getting AP credit, didn't duel enroll. Her science background is deplorable. She will be re-taking a math course this summer (we did Pre-calc at home and she did fine in it but it was a high school course so she still has to fulfill her math requirement for college - so she is taking the same course - college version.>
My sons didn't take any AP courses, per se in high school, but they did study some college texts and CLEPed. You can take CLEPS anytime. APs are only offered in May. Taking APs for homeschoolers is hassle in our school district- very anti-homeschooling. Check with your college to see if they take CLEPs.
< Why didn't we think to duel enroll? Why do we seem to feel like we have to be in such a hurry.>
I choose to have my boys CLEP, not to hurry them along in college, but to avoid certain secular courses that I perferred they not take at this college. I know this university well and the professors. (My father-in-law taught there for 30 years and my sister-in-law teaches in another dept. Homeschooling friends teach in another dept.) I wanted to avoid the PC history, literature classes, government, etc.
I saw this more of a spiritual protection than a rushing through college. Math wouldn't pose a spiritual threat :)
but the lit courses at this college certainly are pathetic. If my sons were going to a solid, orthodox Catholic college, I wouldn't have gone this route. These colleges don't take CLEPS anyway and I would WANT them to emerse themselves in Catholic political thought and literature. But CLEPs are useful for those kids attending state colleges.
Blessings,
Stephanie
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StephanieA
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 10:29am | IP Logged
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I wanted to post a disclaimer (from one of my previous posts) and a plug for Willa's Catholic Classical Education site. I found this group of women insightful and helpful for many years. I would say many of them use a mix of classical, CM, and traditional (ie. Seton).
My boys needed more direction and structure than the CM that I provided for them in grade school, and too, I was schooling 5-6 kids with little ones. I had less time for lots of rabbit trails with everyone which we LOVE. So I thought...do more classical. What I really needed was to be in tune with my family's dynamics. We love history too much to not make it a spine of ours.
Take the "Thomas Jefferson Education"....there is a large emphasis on reading. I thought after I read this (and I really liked the book)..."Heck, this was what I was doing several years ago with CM." Then I took a look at the Classical Writing curriculum. In the earlier grades, they have the kids narrate. Again, this is what I had been doing all along anyway, typing their narrations and correcting sentence structure and grammar as we went.
Now the Latin-Centered Curriculum. I think it is good to concentrate on a few subjects and do them well, and Latin is a wonderful base if it fits your family dynamics.
It is better to know something well than to skim so much. That said, depending on the child, high schoolers may need to include 3 years of science. I want a Catholic knowledge of history. A solid understanding of the Catholic Church's teachings. Language for at least 2 years. Literature, writing....well, you get the picture. It isn't as easy as saying get your Latin and math done and throw in the literature. It just wouldn't work for us in high school. The Latin-Centered curriculum's emphasis is on ancient civilization. It IS important as a beginning, but so much of our Catholic heritage begins after the fall of Rome. How to fit that all in when the emphasis is on Greece and Rome? How well do we Catholics know our Old Testament? Shouldn't this be emphasized too in high school rather than reading so many Greek tragedies?
These are questions I have pondered over the last few years. What really should be my family's center? I am slowly answering this question, and I'm back to an emphasis on religion, literature, history, music, and math with Latin, science, logic, etc. playing a lesser role.
Blessings,
Stephanie
Blessings,
Stephanie
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Anne Marie M
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Stephanie,
Do you have a link to go with the plug for Willa's site  ?
Anne Marie
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StephanieA
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 7:48pm | IP Logged
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[QUOTE=Anne Marie M] Stephanie,
Do you have a link to go with the plug for Willa's site ?
It's www.yahoogroups/cce
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Leonie
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 8:25pm | IP Logged
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Cay Gibson wrote:
Yesterday and last night I hauled DYOCC book around with me...discerning, pondering, etc. Then this morning I saw a book by David Albert recommended at the Unschooling Catholics eloop.
Now I'm rethinking our unschooling successes and how much I love unschooling. Really a year of book reading, Spanish, online math tutor, and Real Learning-CM-unschooling would be perfect! Wouldn't it!?
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Cay - I find that what works for me, in solving the hs planning dilemma, is to not look at planning a year. Instead, I think about a term - a quarter. So, we can "try" the ideas in the book DYOCC for a term - and then change to a unit study for the next term
( quarter/three months). All with an unschooling theme.
I found years ago that my life never went according to plans so short term planning works best. Do we still cover the important things? I believe so - and I can check this off on my state's curriculum outcome statements ( scope and sequence).
If we don't finish using a resource do I consider it wasted money? No - we used what we wanted and it is still there for another term or another year.
This way we can have a bit of every thing - just one term at a time! 
__________________
Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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SuzanneT
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I highly recommend CHC's Lesson Planner for those of us who like to plan quarterly. I used it for the first time this past year & loved it. At the beginning of each 9 weeks there is a quarter planning page for goals, materials, field trips,etc. I have to admit I did get ahead of myself in the beginning and I wrote in the whole year's worth of dates (which had us finishing BEFORE Easter  ) I was erasing for awhile...
Like Cay, I love the IDEA of of the MODG/Latin. And every year, I faithfully write Latina Christiana I in my planner and we make it through a few lessons (after extensive reviewing, of course ) We are in going into our 11th year of homeshooling, so I expect to be moving on to LCII in the next year or so 
Ora et Labora,
Suzanne 
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 9:35pm | IP Logged
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Leonie wrote:
Cay - I find that what works for me, in solving the hs planning dilemma, is to not look at planning a year. Instead, I think about a term - a quarter. |
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You hit on something else I find happens every year within this hs-household, Leonie. We seem to change directions after Christmas. Every single year, in fact.
Pre-Christmas---We are definitely more structured before Christmas...doing lots of literature study, lapbooks, notebooking, FIAR, etc.
Post Christmas---Try to catch up on finishing up the workbooks but including real learning so we don't feel like we're glued to the workbooks. 
Summertime---unschooling, relaxed-learning
I'm still trying to figure out what appeal classical ed holds for me. The literature is a given but literature is included with any curriculum. Someone mentioned the Thomas Jefferson book. I have that one and love it. I need to fish it out again and see if that's what I'm wanting to direct my focus on again this year.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 9:56pm | IP Logged
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Cay Gibson wrote:
I have Words on the Vine that a friend gave me. They ended up not using it. We've never used it. I was going to have my 8th grader use it this year and see how it works.
Have you used Words on a Vine? Did you all like it? It's more of a workbook but we'll see how it goes. |
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No, I don't have it and haven't used it, but saw the sample lessonss at Amazon and thought we might try it. Maybe I'll wait for your and Theresa's reviews.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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Leonie
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| Posted: June 25 2006 at 6:33pm | IP Logged
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Cay Gibson wrote:
| You hit on something else I find happens every year within this hs-household, Leonie. We seem to change directions after Christmas. Every single year, in fact. |
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We are the same. Post Christmas is summer so we are very unschooly. Mid year, like now, it is winter and we seem to do more formal unit studies.
Is it possible to have a classical focus for a term?
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Leonie in Sydney
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: June 25 2006 at 9:26pm | IP Logged
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Leonie wrote:
| Is it possible to have a classical focus for a term? |
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I would hope so.
I've also been conversing with Stephanie A. and realized a couple of things.
I believe I'm confusing Classical Ed. with a demand for Latin and Classical Ed. lacking Latin but infused with another language. Either one gears back to literature as the primary source of instruction. I love literature but...
...could my wanderings have come from a need to venture away from literature???
I love Thomas Jefferson and think possibly I'm attracted to that more than anything.
I use CHC because I love it and it works perfectly with any vehicle I choose to drive.
I wrote to Stephanie:
"My most guarded effort in pondering whether classical education is right for my family is because I don't think it is. I think it's perfect for "me". Not for them. Ironic, huh?
I'd like to weave a little bit into our studies. I see (with my 8 yr old)
that I might have a soul-mate in the mix who I can share my interest with.
But I'm ever vigilant that I focus on what works for each child and not just
what I like or what I'm interested in.
I'm really not interested in Latin. ...
...I guess that's my biggest question. Does a classical education HAVE to
include a course in Latin?!?!?!?
Perhaps I'm confusing the two. Hmmmm."
I realized that I want the classical without the Latin. And I know the classical doesn't work with some of my children. I've tried it. 
This year I am only teaching 3 dc. When did THAT happen!?!?
I think I can use some classical (perhaps lots---void the Latin) with my girls and with CHC. Garrett will continue with Seton and I'm ordering High School of Dreams from CHC for an unschooling approach. He'll continue with Spanish. There's a need for that language.
Still washing, wringing and hanging out my curricula laundry.
__________________
Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Willa
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| Posted: June 25 2006 at 11:45pm | IP Logged
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I haven't had time to really post on this thread, but...
I was looking back at old threads though and found this next year one from last year -- that sounds paradoxical, like back to the future Anyway, it might be interesting to read alongside this one.
__________________
AMDG
Willa
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Take Up and Read
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: July 01 2006 at 5:50pm | IP Logged
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Thank you everyone for your support and advice.
I've followed this thread and the LCC one and found the thing that helped me the most was purging my curriculum shelves, decluttering, and re-organizing.
If someone had been inside my home this past Monday they would have seen me sitting on the hallway floor surrounded by books and workbooks and curricula...still in my pajamas at 4 PM. My oldest ds was horrified when he came home and saw me still in pjs.
But, golly, I got so much done . 
I've got various curriculum opportunities right here at home without having to buy anything else. Not that I won't buy anything else but at least now I know what I have, what I don't, what I want, and what I don't.
I know what plan I'm following.
I know what path we're following.
I feel so much better.
__________________
Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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lapazfarm
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Cay Gibson wrote:
I know what plan I'm following.
I know what path we're following.
I feel so much better.
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That is awesome, Cay! You must feel as if a huge load has been lifted from your shoulders!
So...are you ready to share yet?
__________________
Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Willa
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| Posted: July 01 2006 at 9:21pm | IP Logged
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Cay Gibson wrote:
I love literature but...
...could my wanderings have come from a need to venture away from literature??? |
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Oh Cay, say it isn't so! 
__________________
AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Discerning the 2006-2007 Year
