Lynda.com Online Training Library

 Electives, High School, Middle School, Online, Science & Technology, Technology  No Responses »
Apr 302012
 

As part of our 10 Days of Lasagna Learning: Teaching Multiple Ages at Hodgepodge, I shared a post called Technology for All Ages. A few readers were particularly interested in a resource I mentioned called Lynda.com, so I thought I would share a little more here. Lynda.com is a subscription online training library. For $25.00 monthly, over one thousand courses can be viewed online.

This introductory video explains how Lynda.com works.

There are classes from beginners to experts. You can pause, rewind, view one tutorial at a time or view an entire course in one area.

Lynda.com training covers a variety of topics, including:

  • Photography
  • Photoshop
  • Home Computing
  • Web + Interactive
  • 3D + Animation
  • Developer                                                     
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Business
  • Microsoft
  • Apple
  • Avid
  • Adobe
  • Dreamweaver
  • ActionScript
  • Final Cut Pro

Learn C on the Mac supplementing Lynda.com Objective C course

Our eldest son is using the Lynda.com library to learn computer programming.  The courses are engaging, and the lecturers really know their topics. One of the best things about Lynda.com is that 10% of the training catalog is available free.  You can truly “try before you buy”. There is no long-term commitment, you may cancel the subscription at any time.

You might want to check out:

Thanks to our friends at Crowe’s Nest Media for pointing us to this great resource. We look forward to many hours of online training and instruction from Lynda.com.

~Steve keeps busy with five children and a job in information security. He has a second job as principal of the Hodgepodge homeschool and also writes for Habits for a Happy Home and Passionate Purposeful Parenting. You can find more of his technology reviews here at Curriculum Choice.

Kids 1st Shape Puzzle App Review

 Apps, Preschool, Technology  No Responses »
Apr 112012
 

Don’t miss the giveaway at the end of this review!

I am going to start with letting you know that I love this app! I appreciate the opportunity to review it.

Kids 1st Shape Puzzle offers eight different puzzles to choose from. There are animals, numbers, transportation, letters, and more! As the child manipulates each item into place, a little burst of stars shows that it is correct. When the entire puzzle is complete, the player is rewarded with applause (or other happy sound).

My first little reviewer, my two-year-old grandson, struggled to maneuver each piece into its place. That did not stop him from enjoying the puzzle. With a little help, he was able to play with it. He especially enjoyed the sound effects on the animal and transportation puzzles.

My granddaughter, also two years old, had more time to play with the puzzle, and after a little instruction was able to get each puzzle piece in its place with no trouble at all. If your child is experienced at using an iPad screen, moving the puzzle pieces should not be an issue.

Both of my reviewers gave this app a serious thumb up.  In fact, when I took my iPad to leave, my granddaughter started to cry. Sadly, not because I was leaving, but because she wanted to play some more!

I give it a thumbs up as for its colorful, interactive format! When moving a puzzle piece into place, its name is heard. The puzzles with transportation and animals also have sounds that accompany each piece. My favorite is the music puzzle- when a piece is dropped in place, the child is rewarded with the sound the instrument makes.

This app could be a lifesaver while waiting for dinner, doctor appointments, or on a long car drive!

Another bonus is that it includes the Hebrew alphabet and offers an option to play with Hebrew responses.

Now for the giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

-Laurie Duquette is mom to 7 children and a grandma of 3. Her family is beginning their 19th year of homeschooling. You can read more about their homeschooling adventures at Keeping It Simple.

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Sonlight Ultra Microscope -Investing in High School Science

 High School, Middle School, Nature Study, Science  1 Response »
Apr 042012
 

Microscope work inside

Most homeschoolers are very frugal and must make their homeschool budget stretch as far as possible. My family is no exception and I think long and hard about investing in curriculum and tools for our learning experiences. My two youngest boys are very science oriented and are naturally inquisitive about the world around them so purchasing a quality microscope made sense as we entered the middle school science years.

Our family aims to get the most value for the dollar. So which microscope would we buy?

The decision was not easy but after much research and thought, we decided to purchase the Sonlight Ultra Microscope. With a price tag of $240 this was a decision not made lightly! We wanted to provide the best equipment for our sons even as homeschoolers. Taking into account the useful life (six years in our case), our cost per year would be $40. Our high school science plans would be greatly enhanced with this investment and could provide college-prep level lab work throughout the high school years.

Quartz Study 2

Actual image we took through the eyepiece of river sand.

Now after using this microscope for many years, I can with confidence say that it was an investment that paid off in a growing knowledge of the world right under our noses.  Our eyes were opened to a complete new dimension of study, fascinating and wonderful.

Features Our Family Have Found Valuable:

  • Sturdy, durable construction. This is not a toy microscope and from the moment you pull it out of the box you know it is built to last.
  • The ease of aligning the slides. The mechanics of the slide platform are easy to adjust with the up-down and side-to-side knobs positioned for easy use. Going from coarse to fine adjustment is easy and the object stays in your field of vision. This feature cuts down on frustration. View Sonlight’s YouTube.com video showing Features and Benefits.
  • The light does not get hot and we can use this microscope for a long time without the slides getting hot or drying out too fast. This is especially important when working with wet objects like those you find in a pond.
  • The eyepiece swivels around so we can show each other what we see in the microscope as we gather around the table.
  • The magnification has been plenty high enough that we can see amazing details of our subject (40x, 100x, and 400x lenses).
  • We used this microscope in our biology, marine biology, chemistry, and human anatomy studies during high school.

Check the Sonlight website for their complete description and warranty.

Our family highly recommends this product for your homeschool science courses.

Written by Barb-Harmony Art Mom.  I blog at Harmony Art Mom and am the creator of  Harmony Fine Arts. I would love for you to join us for the Outdoor Hour Challenges at the Handbook of Nature Study.

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Time Engineers: Experience Math

 High School, Mathematics, Middle School, Science & Technology  1 Response »
Mar 302012
 

Why Time Engineers?

Time Engineers is a CD Rom designed to teach math skills to middle school through high school students.  Not only does it teach math skills such as algebra it also concentrates on engineering skills. By taking students through history, this interactive computer game, takes math to a new level and one many young people will appreciate. Please visit the site for system requirements.

The Breakdown:

Product:  Time Engineers
Cost:  $19.95 Individual, $49.95
Use:  Homeschool, Classroom, Home
Grades:  Middle School-High School (5th-9th)
Lessons Taught:  Math, Science, History, Physics
Skills:  Problem Solving, Reasoning, Critical Thinking

Game Play

The CD-Rom quickly loads and gives you the option of playing it from the disc or installing it on your computer.  The first screen  gives you options to learn about the game, how to play the game, etc. I love a screen that introduces you to the game rather than going directly to the game.  The game is first person and easy to navigate.

When you hit play you are in a library searching through books.  As the story goes you are at a university library doing research on career interests. You become overwhelmed studying about engineering and know there must be an easier way.  This is when you find a document called Time Engineers. Reading it you realize you have stumbled upon confidential information on a time travel machine.  It contains three chapters concerning three different time periods and the location of the time machine.  So you do the only logical thing:  find the time machine, go on the adventures and solve common engineering problems of each time period.

To enter the factory where the time machine is being kept you must enter a binary code which you have to determine.  That marks lesson #1.  The next lesson involves using the power switch.  Once you solve both lessons you are on your way to the different time periods.

The different time periods and lessons are:

Ancient Egypt

  • Pyramid Building
  • Crop Irrigation

Middle Ages

  • Drawbridge Design
  • Catapult Operation

World War II

  • Submarine Simulation
  • Radar Detection

Why I Recommend Time Engineers

  • If you go the Time Engineers website and click on Teachers and you will find not only a laid out curriculum of what each time period teaches but PDF files for Lessons associated with each activity.
  • Ability to play in  interactive mode. The interactive mode is the adventure fun one where the student walks through the game.
  • Ability to play in activity mode. The activity mode takes you directly to the individual activities in each time period.

As a history lover, math hater, and a mom who seeks to make her children love and excel in both this game is a perfect fit.  In fact, I learned a bit about math myself and began to see math as fun!  To connect the concept of math and physics to both visually and hands on use is powerful and reveals the mystery behind it.  Your student will learn engineering principles while developing problem solving, reasoning and critical thinking skills.  Yeah, it’s that good.

 

Apologia Biology Flashcards App by iHomeEducator

 Apps, High School, Science & Technology  26 Responses »
Mar 292012
 

Don’t miss the giveaway at the end of this review. We’re giving away five App Store redemption codes for the Apologia Biology flashcards app!
With a variety of educational titles available, both the iPhone and the iPad are great teaching tools. An amazing variety of subjects are available. This month, we look at the science category, with Apologia Biology flashcards iPad app by iHomeEducator.

Apologia Biology Flashcards is another engaging title; a complimentary app to the high school level Apologia Biology text.

There is a section for each chapter in the Biology text. There are four drill modes included. Your student can choose from four different review types:

  • Word – When given a word, select the proper definition;
  • Definition – When given a definition, select the proper word;
  • Spell – When given the definition, spell the word;
  • Random – A randomized selection of the drill modes.

If your student needs repetition and drilling on biology definitions, Apologia Biology flashcards definitely fills that need. The student can also review his or her quiz and even email a copy to the teacher.

Some things I noticed: (1) The app is case sensitive (this is disclosed on their website). Not capitalizing an answer causes it to be wrong (e.g., thorax was counted wrong when Thorax was the correct answer). (2) a couple of typos

In summary, Apologia Biology flashcards is an app that relies on repetition as its teaching method. It is as its name says: flashcards. It is a high tech flash card deck.

Our seventh and eighth graders love using it. Seventh grader says, “it helps me remember what I’ve learned from the Biology book.”

Enjoy this demo video from the iHomeEducator site:

Now for the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*View the rest of my app reviews here.

~Steve keeps busy with five children and a job in information security. He has a second job as principal of the Hodgepodge homeschool and also writes for Habits for a Happy Home and Passionate Purposeful Parenting.

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Evan-Moor Science Series – All About Plants

 Elementary, Nature Study, Preschool, Science  1 Response »
Mar 192012
 

When it came time to start our veggie garden, my six-year-old daughter couldn’t wait to help.  She was filled with questions about how things grew. I wanted a little book that would explain simple botany concepts, one step at a time. I found All About Plants, from Evan-Moor’s science series. It covers very simple botany principles on a K/1st grade level through hands on learning. It was lots of fun for my daughter.

All About Plants covers the following concepts:

  • types of plants
  • the parts of flowers
  • parts of a tree
  • seeds
  • plants that we eat

Many of the concepts are taught through coloring! When we finished in the garden, my six-year-old ran inside and did a page in All About Plants. She especially liked the cut and paste activities. I loved it when she showed me what she had learned in the garden the next day. Can’t get better hands on learning than that!

Benefits:

  • This workbook is written to the child.
  • The language is developmentally appropriate, clear and simply written.
  • It teaches through coloring, cut and paste, read alouds, and a simple experiment.

One day we planted corn seeds together. We planted the seeds inside to protect them from the cold weather in the early spring.  Waiting for the stems to appear was almost impossible for my daughter. But she kept busy studying the parts of the plant in All About Plants! Soon the early leaves appeared in our corn plant.

“That’s just like my book!” she exclaimed.

And as our seedlings grew in our garden, she could identify the parts of each plant. There is nothing like gardening with children! And All About Plants made it even better for my family. It helped my six-year-old to understand the true miracle of the growing and appreciate it all the more.

If you are looking for a fun, simple approach to science for your young child, check out All About Plants. For more info on this series, go to Evan-Moor. This title is also available in ebook format. Watch for more titles in this Science Series by Evan-Moor, for young learners,  in future reviews by this author.

~Betsy lives with her husband, daughter and two cats near Puget Sound in the northwest.  A waldorf-inspired and unit study-loving homeschooler, she offers Homeschool Consulting to new families at Jane Sproger. 

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Playful Learning-Develop Your Child’s Sense of Joy and Wonder

 Art, Elementary, Hands On, Mathematics, Science, Writing  No Responses »
Mar 052012
 

What a treat for the eyes and a delight to the heart! I LOVE this book and any mom who is looking for ways to build on play-based learning, this book is a gem. The book, Playful Learning by Mariah Bruehl, will help you create an atmosphere of learning by building spaces and providing activities that spark creativity and fun. Looking back over my years as a homeschooling mom, I realize the best learning takes place when I could build on my child’s interest in a relaxed and enjoyable way. The trick was to be prepared for those moments.

Sometimes it is as easy as creating a learning environment, introducing your child to the space, and then letting them explore.

Playful Learning is the kind of book that can be referred to again and again and you will always find some new idea to spark a creative activity. It is a visually appealing book that outlines areas of your home where you can set the stage for playing and natural learning.  The author stresses the importance of free and unstructured time for children to explore their interests and Playful Learning gives specific ideas for building on your child’s natural inclinations to play and learn by organizing play spaces and materials to nurture the interest alongside your child.

“Playful Learning gives us as parents an opportunity to play again! It is wonderful to teach the way we wish we had been taught. I have rediscovered my own awe and wonder of the world.”

 

  • Do you want to nurture your child’s love of writing? Young writers will be encouraged to keep lists and notebooks, write stories and letters, and have a try at bookmaking.
  • Do you want to build an art area, a child’s science “lab”, or a cozy reading library? Images and resource lists are included in this book.
  • Has your child shown an interest in learning geography?  Create maps together and learn more about the world we live in using suggestions in this section of the book.
  • Is your child a nature lover? Activities illustrated will help your child better connect the the natural world in your own backyard.

Mariah Bruehl will give ideas in pictures and words, making it easier to provide a richer learning experience at home by showing you activities to plan on and offer as you play through your day.

She explains that the key for parents is to stay “one step ahead”.  I appreciate that this book assumes you want to identify an interest and then build on it, preparing yourself to offer up the space and ingredients for playful learning at home. She outlines in each main section the stages of learning, how to stay “one step ahead”, the process of building on interests, and then more ways to explore with your child. She suggests skimming the book with your child and then refer back to it when they become interested in a particular subject.

The book includes lots of printables in the back of the book as well as from the Playful Learning website. What a great way to get started with your Playful Learning experiences! You may also want to follow Playful Learning on Pinterest where there are many, many wonderful additional ideas for you to implement in your home.

Excellent resource for families with children from ages 4-8 (even older if you extend the ideas). This book will be a perfect supplement to any homeschooling curriculum and can be used with any style of learning. Big thumbs up for this sparkling gem of a book!

Written by Barb-Harmony Art Mom.  I blog at Harmony Art Mom and am the creator of  Harmony Fine Arts. I would love for you to join us for the Outdoor Hour Challenges at the Handbook of Nature Study.

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A World of Adventure

 Bible, Elementary, Fine Arts, Hands On, History & Geography, Language Arts, Living books, Middle School, Science, Unit study resources  No Responses »
Mar 022012
 

I am so excited to introduce you to a fabulous, award winning unit study, A World of Adventure.

Written for grades 4-8 by Dorian Holt, a mom who successfully homeschooled her own son, A World of Adventure is the first volume in the Learning Adventures series.

If you enjoy using unit studies, or have been curious about trying them, I hope you will find this review helpful and informative.

What A World of Adventure is:

A World of Adventure is a complete curriculum, covering every subject except math, with detailed, guided lesson plans for 180 school days. Dorian designed this curriculum to use books most of us can borrow from our local library, to help lesson our financial burdens while homeschooling.

When you visit the Learning Adventure site, you will be pleased to find lots of samples, encouragement and information. I was very struck however, at one thing I did not find, up-selling. There are a few things you can add, which I will discuss in a moment, but this company does not lure you in with a lower price point and then give you a mile long list of extras you can’t live without.

That was a breath of fresh air to me.

A World of Adventure is also very Christian. You begin your journey in Egypt, with the Bible. The story of Joseph and his brothers is a favorite in my home, and this section of the Bible leans well to soaking up the culture and story.

The lessons are written from a Christian perspective. Bible reading and Scripture memorization are a huge part of our family, and this curriculum has both.

What A World of Adventure covers:

  • Ancient Egypt
  • Ancient Greece
  • Ancient Rome
  • Middle Ages
  • Renaissance and Reformation
  • Age of Exploration

What the lessons look like:

I have tried to do this on my own before. Even after spending hours searching and combing the internet, library, and our homeschool library, I don’t come up with even a fraction of what this curriculum offers – and am left in tears.

The lessons are history based, but thread all of the other subjects into what you are reading. For example, in the story of Joseph and his brothers, you will be reading history from the Bible, but you will also learn from the guide-vocabulary, Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes and root words. You will travel in books learning Ancient Egypt, discuss what a civilization is, learn about the culture of Egypt, and study life in the desert. You will also discuss elements of literature, memorize scripture and sing hymns.

The lessons are there for you so that you can teach confidently. You can make them flexible to fit your current needs. Just think of Dorian as your homeschooling friend, who has been where you are and is helping you on your journey.

You won’t be stranded at your school table, you will find this curriculum takes you to hands on projects, and you will spend time together in the kitchen as well.

This curriculum is packed with more to learn than I have ever seen. Everything is guided for you. There is even a game you can purchase that acts as a review.

The price:

  • You can get all 790 pages of detailed lesson plans for $90.00 That’s right, $90.00. What a blessing!  The curriculum comes to you shrink wrapped, ready to go in a binder.
  • Other than the game ($39.00) the other useful extras offered are printed student pages ($20.00) and the customer requested Supplement for Little Adventurers ($15.00 each time period) which gives you lesson plans for children K-3. (Supplement does not stand alone.)
  • You can see a sample of lesson plans here.

This curriculum has it all, I really have enjoyed reviewing it. We will be using A World of Adventure in our homeschool in the future, and I can’t wait. I hope you’ll check it out and find it as fascinating as I do.

**I received this curriculum at no cost to me, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

 

 

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Letter Writer Oceans App Review

 Apps, Elementary, Handwriting, Phonics, Science & Technology  No Responses »
Feb 272012
 

Both the iPhone and the iPad have become teaching tools. Educational apps abound, with an amazing variety of subjects available. This month, we look at the Language Arts category, with Letter Writer Ocean by Barking Dog Interactive.

Letter Writer Ocean is another engaging title; a game that uses the iOS technology to teach writing. It is geared toward preschoolers who are just beginning to write.  It teaches the correct method of writing the letters of the alphabet. You dive beneath the ocean surface to find the letters floating below.

The object of the game is to “draw” the letters correctly.  The letters float beneath the ocean’s surface, and tapping on a letter causes it to float alone on the screen.  A friendly fish guides your finger to the correct starting point.  As you drag your finger along the letter’s lines, the friendly fish follows your finger–as long as you correctly follow the lines of the letter.

 

After successfully completing a letter, you earn a starfish.  After earning four starfish, a poem about the letter is unlocked.  Tapping an open book on the screen, the app reads the poem about the letter.

There are different animated backgrounds for each letter, with undersea adventures occurring behind every practice letter.

Letter Writer Ocean is a simple app that teaches an important skill.  Our preschoolers love using it.

Enjoy this video of the game.

  • Available from the iTunes store for .99
  • iPhone app which can also be enjoyed on the iPad. “Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.2 or later.”
  • View screen shots at Barking Dog Interactive.
  • You might also like Letter Writer Space, which “does for astronomy and the space program what Oceans does for oceanography.“

~Steve keeps busy with five children and a job in information security. He has a second job as principal of the Hodgepodge homeschool and also writes for Habits for a Happy Home and Passionate Purposeful Parenting.

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Adventures with Atoms and Molecules

 Elementary, Science  No Responses »
Feb 202012
 

Formal science is always a bit iffy around our place.  Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t.  It’s the experiments that get me–we read lots of science-related books–but science experiments can be troublesome.  There are all of those ingredients to gather; there is all of that mess to clean up.

This year, thanks to Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise and their well-trained minds, I have a solution:  Adventures with Atoms and Molecules by Robert C. Mebane and Thomas R. Rybolt.

We have two volumes of this series.  There are thirty experiments in each, which are titled with a question.

For example, Volume 1 asks . . .

  • Do hot molecules move faster than cold molecules?
  • Are gas molecules farther apart than liquid molecules?
  • Can molecules be broken into smaller molecules?

And Volume 2 asks . . .

  • Do like charges attract or repel?
  • Can salt remove water from the air?
  • Can molecules move through a membrane?

The title question is followed by:

  • a list of materials, most of which are easy to gather in your home (yes, really, they are easy to gather in your home)
  • a procedure to follow
  • questions for observation
  • an explanation, which they call the discussion.
  • There are also variations of the experiment to try for further study.

When we asked the question “Do molecules move?” we used a glass of water and food coloring to reveal that, yes, molecules do move, as evidenced by “the collection of food coloring molecules spread(ing) throughout the glass of water” (7).  We also got to play with food coloring.

When we asked the question “Are rubber molecules less bouncy when cold?” we used two identical rubber balls and the freezer.  It was easy to see that the answer was yes, since the flexible polymers in the rubber “changed from being flexible and stretchy to being stiff and rigid” (38) due to the cold.  We also got to play with bouncy balls.

There are many questions and many answers to be found in these wonderful little books.

We are studying chemistry in our home school using a method of experimentation and discussion.  It has been a treat to ask a science question, prompted by Mr. Mebane and Mr. Rybolt, and to follow their simple instructions to find the answer.  The ingredients have been easy to find–lots of vinegar and baking soda and fruit–and the clean up has been a breeze.  Best of all, the kids and I have learned about the properties of atoms and molecules!

There are five volumes in the series, each named Adventures with Atoms and Molecules followed by a volume number.  We are using volumes I and II, completing simple home-made experiment pages, reading science-y books, and having fun!

Susan is a homeschooling mom of three—a preschooler, a first grader, and a third grader.  They spend their days reading on the couch, playing with numbers, and making big, fun messes in a Spirit-led, Well-Trained Mind-inspired classical-Charlotte Mason-traditional model of home education.

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