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Leonie
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What message boards or websites do you visit regularly ( apart from this one, of course!).
Any message boards on homeschooling, mothering, that you visit?
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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Mary G
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Leonie -- this is really the only message board I frequent (alot!  ). I've switched to reading blogs as I can glean so much richer info from those.....
It's funny that we don't have more message boards. Maybe the Catholic Unschooling one should be a message board -- it's so much easier to read when the discussions are organized. I am getting so I just glance at email based lists (FCL, Unschooling, MA, etc).
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MaryG
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Elizabeth
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I hit the CHC site every once in a while and the Five in a Row message boards a couple of times a week. I never really feel at home posting there, but there are usually some good ideas to be had. That's about it. This board takes the lion's share of my 'puter time.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Erin
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Mary G wrote:
| I am getting so I just glance at email based lists (FCL, Unschooling, MA, etc). |
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Leonie
What a good question, I've often wondered this. 
I would really agree with Mary, email lists are not as easy to keep up with for me. I just love the format of this forum so I've unsubscribed from everything else and this is it! I may have to check out all those blogs Mary 
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Erin
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Leonie
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Elizabeth, thanks for reminding me about the FIAR boards. I used to visit there on and off but haven't for a long while.
Didn't know CHC had a board - you can see that I am bad at checking in on boards ( apart from this one and a couplke of fitness ones and some blogs about once a month).
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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Elizabeth
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Leonie wrote:
Didn't know CHC had a board - you can see that I am bad at checking in on boards ( apart from this one and a couplke of fitness ones and some blogs about once a month).
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They don't have a board, just a site, but since they updated the site, the have included more and more Q&A and articles and free seasonal downloads. It's worth checking occasionally. And FIAR just spunoff a highschool yahoo group (last week or so). Five in a Row Grads. Those, and reminders from the Large Family Logistics lady are about it as far as my board/loop life goes.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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mumofsix
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Leonie: I visit here and also some yahoo groups. I actually belong to 8 yahoo groups: Family Centred Learning, Catholic Classical Education, Catholic Charlotte Mason, Mater Amabilis, one or two off-shoots of these, CathHomeUK and a yahoo group for adopters from dd9's orphanage. I also visit another message board called AdoptionUK.
I visit the two message boards the most, as I find the message board format much easier to handle, being able to focus just on those conversations that interest me without having to wade through a lot of stuff. The yahoo groups I literally just skim through very occasionally now. I also read one or two blogs, particularly Kathryn's and Lissa's, but I find it really hard to keep up with them. I really like yours and Louise's too: yours has the advantage of only being updated occasionally and Louise's has the advantage of brevity (so far ) with lovely pictures. Oh and I feel sure that Elizabeth's will become addictive as she is such a good writer! Sigh.
I have mixed feelings about the blogs. I can see the attraction, but I think there is a loss of "conversation", though perhaps it does not feel like that if you are a blogger yourself. I cannot bring myself to blog as I dread the idea of being exposed to the whole world via internet. I suppose the same is true of posting here, but daily (or frequent) blogging would be more of an exposure really. I know all you kind ladies would be a lovely audience, but I don't know so much about all the rest of cyberspace ... In that sense I preferred the yahoo groups as at least they were exclusively seen by the membership, unlike these public boards, which is the main reason I have posted much less on here. (Reading is easier, but writing not.)
This past year has been my busiest so far with six children, and I am finder it harder and harder to justify spending any time at all on the internet. Initially those yahoo groups were of such benefit to my homeschooling and I learned so much from them. Nearing the end of my first decade of homeschooling though, I feel I know what I am doing now to such an extent that I cannot really justify the time in that way any more. And yet ... I was so supported here last Christmas when I had a prayer request that I just could not really put anywhere else because of its sensitivity. One member even posted to me on Christmas day .. so very kind. Others would perhaps say that it is now my time to help others with information, and I do occasionally on CathHomeUK, but I am not sure how much I really have to offer.
Ah well, much more than you wanted to know, I am sure!
Jane.
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lapazfarm
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This is pretty much it for me. I do regularly visit Julie Bogart's Bravewriter site, blog, and message board (Scratch Pad)to read and get pointers, but I don't post there. I also recieve her email reminders.
I used to read and post at Ora et Labora Catholic homeschooling board, but it was not a good fit for me, so I came over here and never looked back!
Email lists don't work for me, either. I prefer a board format. The only one I subscribe to is clickschooling and that is not a back-and-forth thing, but you just get a daily email with a website to check out.
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Theresa
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Natalia
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As far as homeschool boards, this is the only one I visit with any regularity. Every once in a while, mainly when I need some specific information, I visit The Well Trained Mind forums.
I am a member of several email groups: Mater Amabilis, FCL, Literature Alive, Flylady, Bravewriter but I am no mail in almost all of them so I just check in every now and then.
I love the exchange of ideas that take place here. Trapdoor if not specifically Catholic, or Christian or homeschooling but a lot of the posters are Catholic, Christians(non Catholic) or homeschoolers. I love the richness of the discussion there and the breadth of the topics.
Blogs have not taken the place of boards for me. I read a great lot of them but miss the conversational aspect of a board. Blogs give me information and, most importantly, a peak into the life and thought of very neat people. But still the conversation is missing. Or maybe not missing entirely but it does feel fragmented.
I hope that the proliferation of so many blogs doesn't result in a weakening of the conversations going on here. I would miss it 
Natalia
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MaryM
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Natalia wrote:
I hope that the proliferation of so many blogs doesn't result in a weakening of the conversations going on here. I would miss it
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Oh Natalia, you have mentioned something that is weighing heavily on my mind the past few months and I have been so tempted to post this on the various threads related to blogs (but haven't). The blogs of all the 4 Real members are so creative and energizing. They are very tempting and I visit some but it is much harder to navigate quickly and I could see it becoming very time consuming. And it is also harder like you said to have the same kind of give and take and sharing of ideas that is present on the fourms even though you can leave comments. And if one is not a blogger, it's easy to feel "outside the group."
I have definitely already noticed that there is a drop in the sharing on the forums as blog popularity increases - there there is still much chatting here, but a lot of the concrete and creative ideas are now being posted elsewhere. I'm kind of
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Mary M. in Denver
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JennGM
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MaryM wrote:
The blogs of all the 4 Real members are so creative and energizing. They are very tempting and I visit some but it is much harder to navigate quickly and to have the same kind of give and take and sharing of ideas that is present on the fourms even though you can leave comments. And if one is not a blogger, it's easy to feel "outside the group."
I have definitely already noticed that there is a drop in the sharing on the forums as blog popularity increases - there there is still much chatting here, but a lot of the concrete and creative ideas are now being posted elsewhere. I'm kind of |
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I tend to agree. But I also thought I was sharing TOO much, and monopolizing the forum, particularly since I'm not knee deep in homeschooling yet. I was feeling like I SHOULD blog, just to get a creative outlet and not hog the boards.
And I think you haven't been sharing enough here lately Mary! I was going to prod you! You are just a wealth of information. I always look forward to your posts.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Dawn
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JennGM wrote:
| I was feeling like I SHOULD blog, just to get a creative outlet and not hog the boards. |
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Jenn, I have never thought that you hog the boards in any way. Quite the contrary, I am always so pleased to see you are posting because I know there will be something wonderful to learn. You are such an asset here, not just for your wisdom but also for your spirit and grace.
But what you say above was part of my own personal reasons that I decided to start a blog. I saw how long my posts had become and I realized I needed another outlet for my wordiness. A blog lets me go on an on as much as I'd like, about any subject I'd like.
I hope that all the blogs only serve to jump start conversations and ideas here, but Mary has a good point. Just this morning I posted about a great book about squirrels. Pre-blog I would have posted it here. I will try to be mindful of this and be sure to post here too or at least link to my blog in a post (is that o.k. to do, I was afraid it was a bit like advertising  )
Sorry I've gone on here and hijacked this thread. 
To answer the original question ... I pretty much stick to this board and the blogs. I do belong to several yahoo groups, mostly those mentioned already. I find I don't read them as much these days.
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Bridget
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Jenn, I thought you had been especially quiet lately and was actually going to PM E. to ask her if you were OK! Your posts are great! Go ahead, hog the boards!
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Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
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lapazfarm
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MaryM wrote:
| The blogs of all the 4 Real members are so creative and energizing. They are very tempting and I visit some but it is much harder to navigate quickly and I could see it becoming very time consuming. |
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I had the same problem with all the blogs I visited. It was taking up so much time, especially on dial up. But once I signed up for bloglines and got them all added there, it speeds up the process SO MUCH! I now go to only one site to see if there are any new posts on my favorite blogs, rather than having to check in with every one. It is a real time saver.
I enjoy this board for the conversational aspect so much, but I wanted to blog so I could share pictures and longer posts and musings. I don't find one taking from the other, but that they compliment each other well.
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Theresa
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LaPaz Home Learning
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Mary G
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Natalia -- that Trapdoor site you mentioned sounds like a fun board! I've just signed up and look forward to enjoyin the folks there!
Thanks for mentioning it.
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MaryG
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Elizabeth
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MaryM wrote:
Natalia wrote:
I hope that the proliferation of so many blogs doesn't result in a weakening of the conversations going on here. I would miss it
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Oh Natalia, you have mentioned something that is weighing heavily on my mind the past few months and I have been so tempted to post this on the various threads related to blogs (but haven't). The blogs of all the 4 Real members are so creative and energizing. They are very tempting and I visit some but it is much harder to navigate quickly and I could see it becoming very time consuming. And it is also harder like you said to have the same kind of give and take and sharing of ideas that is present on the fourms even though you can leave comments. And if one is not a blogger, it's easy to feel "outside the group."
I have definitely already noticed that there is a drop in the sharing on the forums as blog popularity increases - there there is still much chatting here, but a lot of the concrete and creative ideas are now being posted elsewhere. I'm kind of |
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This was my greatest fear when blogs started popping up and it's something I'm committed to avoiding personally. It is easier to post some things in blog format (the CGS pix in my blog come to my mind readily). Conversation, though, is far better in this format. I still haven't figured out how to comment at Blogger . I think two great examples of how this can work are the recent threads on Alice's Lenten teas. They made beautiful blog pages (and thus, witnesses to people who do not necessarily visit here) and they generated pages of conversation here.
So, in the case of the squirrel, Dawn, you can blog it and then you can post briefly with a link to your blog on the Great OUtdoors board. Then everybody needs to remember to come here to talk and to rabbit trail. If the blogs are linked here consistently, conversation won't lose substance here. And people who don't check the blogs regularly can be made aware of specific posts and see those. I think we can have the best of both worlds but I also think it will take commitment to protecting what we have here, particularly since some of our chattiest people with some of the most creative ideas and insights have started blogs. Link, link, link and then return here to discuss!
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Elizabeth
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I just saw that Dawn did post on the Great Outdoors withthe squirrel post. So her you go! Chat away!
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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stefoodie
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heh-heh, i'm the opposite jenn. i LOVE seeing your posts here but i also wish you blogged them, as i'd really like to read them all together in one place, but i know that's being selfish of me.
for me blogging is more of a personal thing, i know it's also a type of conversation, but i'm really more comfortable with conversing in this medium (forum) than i am at my blog. though i appreciate the comments, sometimes it becomes a "you scratch my back i scratch yours" type of thing -- people feel somewhat obligated to comment on someone else's blog when that person comments on theirs. there's really not a lot of room for in-depth, meaningful conversation. if i hadn't been told that it's a bit impolite to do so, i'd turn off comments at my blog, not because i don't want to get people's feedback, but because sometimes the comment section can lead a blogger to lose focus -- do you write for an audience, or for yourself? i'd rather just do the latter, but i'm also aware of the responsibilities of putting my thoughts out there.
of course, it's different when you're doing it professionally, or as an adjunct to your work, e.g., if you're a writer promoting your books, etc. -- as in my other blog where i get paid, you HAVE to cultivate relationships with other bloggers via comments and trackbacks.
elizabeth's idea of posting on our blogs then putting the permalinks here for discussion is great. this is what we do in my other e-lists.
another suggestion i have is to use your bookmarks if you have firefox -- it's really easy to save live bookmarks and by doing this you can easily see if anyone's posted anything new.
if you have a gmail account you can also set it up so that your favorite blogs get a "headline" link at the top of your inbox -- it's only one line, but everytime you check your e-mail it changes as it cycles through the different websites you've got set up, so you don't miss much (downside: gmail also intersperses these with paid ads, though they're tolerable).
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stef
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Natalia
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Elizabeth wrote:
| but I also think it will take commitment to protecting what we have here, particularly since some of our chattiest people with some of the most creative ideas and insights have started blogs. Link, link, link and then return here to discuss! |
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I think commitment is the key. I am not one of the key contributors on this board but I do feel committed to the success of it. Blogs are personal projects and I think it is easier to commit to something that you have "given birth to". I hope that all bloggers feel committed to this board because it is a great place to be.
Natalia
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Meredith
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The 4real forum is one of the reasons I started my blog!! For a while I thought maybe I was over-linking back to here because so much of the discussion that goes on here is relevant to what I'm blogging!! I think it's a win-win, I couldn't be without the discussions here, they are far to rich and valuable to me personally with or without all the great blogs! I'll definately continue linking, so much good to link to! Great discussion, I know I'm committed
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Meredith
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