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SeaStar
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| Posted: Oct 15 2013 at 6:24pm | IP Logged
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If you've ever taken a vacation or trip that has included educational activities
(museums, national parks, etc), how likely are you to count those activities as school time?
I understand that a trip to Disney World probably does not qualify as school time  . And then there are activities, like visiting a local pumpkin patch with hay rides/corn maize, etc that most schools would call a field trip
and count as school time.
I am just curious how other homeschoolers incorporate this time into their required hours. Do you count travel time and record actual hours... or do you just call a trip that takes most of a day a "school day"?
It seems like most day trips my family takes are educational in some way.
Would you count a Saturday trip to a historic site as school time?
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Oct 15 2013 at 6:48pm | IP Logged
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Yes, I would. And I keep track of school field trips that don't pertain to this year's curriculum and count them when we are actually studying that subject.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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pmeilaen
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| Posted: Oct 15 2013 at 8:27pm | IP Logged
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Of course I would! We spent three months in Europe speaking German and visiting a lot of museums. That was a different way from book learning, but it was learning nevertheless.
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Eva
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Oct 15 2013 at 10:19pm | IP Logged
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Luckily I do not have to "count" anything. But if I did, I most certainly would count travel/trips to educational sites and activities.
Going to places where things actually happened, seeing, touching, interacting,taking it all in...this is authentic learning that sinks in and stays with a person. Travel and interaction make history, science, geography come alive so that these subjects are more than simply a collection of facts or list of names. Travel provides context, much more so than any lecture in a classroom could provide.
It should certainly count, and count double or triple even!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Erica Sanchez
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Absolutely!! We count everything like this as school. We don't necessarily count hours or such, but I would do like you said and call a trip that takes most of the day a 'school day'. Would totally count Saturdays. For us, our trips, field trips, and beach or mountain or dessert days (we have it all here) are the best part of our education!
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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Kathryn
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| Posted: Oct 16 2013 at 10:11am | IP Logged
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SeaStar wrote:
I understand that a trip to Disney World probably does not qualify as school time . |
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Well, maybe not Disney World with all the princesses and such but definitely Epcot and maybe even Animal Kingdom could qualify. 
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Oct 16 2013 at 10:32am | IP Logged
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Hmm... seems as if I have been too conservative as far as counting things like this.
What about sick days? Last year we lost a good 10-15 days scattered over the year to various colds and ailments. Regular schools would have the children make up the work, but not in any way that would add up to extra physical days in school.
How do you handle that? I did not count any of our sick days as school time- we just did extra school days to make up.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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SuzanneG
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I don't have to count either...and even if I did, I would just make it up. When you're a kid, EVERYTHING counts as learning, unless you're sitting around doing absolutely NOTHING! Which is almost impossible unless you have parents who work, don't have siblings, or play mindless video games.
If I "had" to count, I would even count days/times when my kids were doing yard work (home ec, science, PE, time management). Or helping a neighbor with a baby. Running errands "counts" too. Sitting and talking to others at the breakfast bar counts, as does cleaning up the kitchen.
And, yes, def. count sick days. We watch tons of great videos during sick days and my olders devour lots of great books.....DEF. COUNT SICK DAYS! Even if they are just sleeping, I'd count it, because they are learning the practical life skills of "taking care of yourself." It all counts.
I WOULD count going to DISNEY too. The awe of the physics of all the rides, the standing in line (estimating and counting), calculating walking distance, hours, time, scheduling. The cost associated with it (money). Exercise in virtue of everyone involved...being patient, nice, etc. Not to mention, anytime you TRAVEL, is totally educational.....flying or driving.
It all counts!
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Suzanne in ID
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SallyT
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Yes, I count pretty much everything. There's something to be learned from any life situation, no?
And on sick days, even, learning things go on. I read aloud. We might put on a video documentary. People read to themselves. We talk. Etc. (and people play video games, which aren't always mindless! :) )
Sally
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Oct 16 2013 at 2:45pm | IP Logged
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I do have to count hours/days...and I count EVERYTHING! All of it!
Disney
Field Trips - regardless of the day of the week
Gardening
House cleaning
Volunteering at church
Sick Days
Teacher Days
E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!!
About the ONLY day I do not count as a school day is Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation. Except All Saints Day. I count the All Saints Day party!
SallyT wrote:
| There's something to be learned from any life situation, no? |
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Absolutely!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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JennGM
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| Posted: Oct 16 2013 at 2:49pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
I do have to count hours/days...and I count EVERYTHING! All of it!
Disney
Field Trips - regardless of the day of the week
Gardening
House cleaning
Volunteering at church
Sick Days
Teacher Days
E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!!
About the ONLY day I do not count as a school day is Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation. Except All Saints Day. I count the All Saints Day party!
SallyT wrote:
| There's something to be learned from any life situation, no? |
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Absolutely!!! |
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This is me, too. Daddy's days off are days off from school book learning, but I count this still as school. We are always learning in different ways.
Do you know how much time is wasted in schools in doing non-school work?
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Counting trips/vacation as school
