What About Wednesdays: How do I Homeschool a High Schooler?

In this inaugural edition of  What About Wednesday, we are going to tackle the topic of, "How do I homeschool my High Schooler?" I currently am homeschooling 4 high schoolers. And boy is it fun! (truth and tongue in cheek all in one!) For many homeschoolers, this is the time in their children's education that they approach with great trepidation. 

You really can homeschool your children all the way through high school. There are even ways to teach subjects you do not know!!!

I want to begin with, homeschooling your high schooler can be an exciting and fun experience! Yes, their education is paramount, you are indeed preparing them for life! And you do not want to short change them, you want them to have the ability pursue their God given talent! No matter where that leads them!

With that said, some of the best parts of homeschooling high schoolers, is allowing them to find their passions! My children love music and sports! So guess what we spend our time doing? Watching/playing sports and playing and singing and listening to music.... Teenagers by nature are social creatures! I think it is very important for them to have healthy peer relationships!  I have included a couple of photos of some of my teenagers, simply living their life!  I hope you enjoy a peek into our high school homeschool journey!

Another aspect that is true for homeschooling all ages, but it really does continue through high school, is field trips!  Many times as our children get older, field trips and other real life experiences are put to the wayside, and replaced for books! Our children, even more so our young adults need to see what the world has to offer them!  What better way to do that, but by giving them the rich exposure to all the world has to offer them!!

There are a myriad of resources available to you, that will help you with figuring out what to teach, when to teach it and how to document it!  I thought that I would put some of those resources listed here!  Now this is in addition to the major curriculum publishers that homeschoolers have available to them.

One of my favorite sources is Lee Binz the HomesScholar. She has some wonderful information that she shares both on her blog and in video. Check out her free resources page here. Just about any high school question you have, you will find the answer on the Home Scholar website! (hint: Look for her video on how to teach subjects you do not know!!!)

Another free resource for you is DonnaYoung.org, by clicking on this link you will be taken directly to her High School Resources page. You can find planning tools and Trancripts templates. This is actually the transcript template we are actually using in our homeschool.

Another resource that has become invaluable to our family is Khan Academy. This website has what seems to be thousands of videos that cover, math, history and science! Whether your children are in school or homeschooled they would benefit from the information on this site.. and it's FREE!

If I had to reccomend one book to purchase it would be the High School Handbook by Mary Schofield. This book will actually help you with both Junior High School and High School. However, if your children are already beyond Junior High School, it is not too late to purchase and use this book! It will teach you  how to plan your high school! A real must have!

Now with that said, you need to check what your state requirements are for homeschooling. Here is a great resource to find out yours! Once you know your documentation requirements, you can move onto your choice of home education.

In most locations, you can also enroll your high schooler at the local Junior College and your student can earn dual credits. Both credits for high school, and  for college!  The benefits of this is two fold! Your student will gain experience and exposure to college level courses. You can also use this option to have them take classes you feel ill equipped to teach, while giving your child the option of earning college credits!

There are also some colleges like Liberty that offer programs for high school students where they can take classes online.  You will also find some online schools that you can use as well. Like American School.  Many people choose these options if they are feeling overwhelmed and unable to teach high school.

And while I am thankful that parents have options, I would like to stress, that these options are costly and not necessary! You can homeschool on your own, all the way through high school. Visit the links listed above, connect with homeschoolers in your area, and enjoy your high schooler!

Now with all of that said, I would like to say, the most important part of homeschooling your high schooler, is keeping their heart! Continue to build that relationship, as you are laying those final foundations before they are off and on their own. Before you know it you will have a high school graduate, and your 'job' (the homeschooling part) will be done!  Take advantage of having them in your home, and having the time to spend with them. And purpose to make it a rich environment!

Happy Homeschooling my Friends!

 

 

 

 

Graphics Toolbox Tuesdays!

Today we are going to look at some fun things that can be done with Graphics Toolbox. From these projects I hope that you can see, that not only can Graphics Toolbox be used for education, but, also for family creative use!

This first project shows a photo of my daughter performing in a Fine Arts competition.



 

As you can see, not exactly an exciting or fun photo. What can we do to jazz it up a bit??



Now that is exciting! She is playing the piano in front of a massive crowd! How neat! How did we do this?

We used an irregular frame and pulled both my daughter and the piano out of the photo. We then laid it over a photo of a crowd that we found on google images.  We used the resizing tool to make both photos the correct size.

Once placed we framed out the photo by drawing a solid black frame, and then we chose the stitched line frame and matched the color of my daughters shirt for the stitched line. And Voila! A fun picture!

Here are the birthday cards I made for my kids last year!  They really enjoyed them, and I enjoyed making them!





 

In addition to these projects, we have created thank you notes... I have made them and the children have made them. I have used Graphics Toolbox to dress up the graphics that I use on my blog... I have created a homeschool schedule for a our homeschool, and mini posters that we post around our home.

 

Over the next few weeks, we will continue to look at Special Needs Projects, and general homeschool projects and blog projects and much, much more!

For more information on Graphics Toolbox, please visit Great Software Tools today!!!  You can also click here to view a video that will show you even more wonderful projects that can be achieved with Graphics Toolbox!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B55CPCcumVM&feature=related[/youtube]

So, what is it worth, anyway?

Most of you know that I was recently interviewed by Terri Camp and 12 other amazing homeschool mom's who are making money at home!  I cannot stress enough how much I have learned, and have already benefited from since listening to these amazing interviews!

These women share what they do, and how they do it! Why? To help other Homeschool Mom's out there, Mom's just like you!

But, there is a problem a brewing! In the homeschool community, we are so accustomed to getting everything for FREE!  Or REALLY cheap, say for a buck or $2, that when we hear about something that is eegads, full price, we cannot fathom 'splurging' on such an item.

I am here to tell you that I believe we are doing ourselves a huge disservice! We are undercutting ourselves and each other. We are under valuing what we have to offer, and what others are rightfully worth!

This would never happen in the business world! I decided to search and see what it would cost to attend a business conference, where I could attend workshops, and hear speakers and find tools that would help my business. Oh my what the cost is!!!

I found a conference in Los Angeles were I live. Yes, this conference has a few high profile speakers.  However, none of these speakers speak to or for the Homeschool Mom with a business. Their tools would not fit our needs. And with Terri Camp's Homeschool Mom's Making Money at Home series, you have a who's who of Homeschoolers! Such as Sarah Cook and Heidi St. John and Mary Jo Tate, just to name a few!!!!  Back to the other conference... what would it cost to attend their conference?  $495!  They also have a women's conference with 3 women speakers, if you are a registered attendee, you may attend this event for $50, however, if you would like to simply attend the women's conference, it would cost $125.

After looking at their agenda, it appears that they have approximately the same number of speakers as Terri Camp had interviews! So if you attended the general conference and the women's conference it would cost you $545.

However, if you would like to download and listen to 13 interviews, with homeschool mom's just like you, who are balancing work and family and homeschool, you can do so for $77.  Did you hear that????  ONLY $77!!!!

That is less than $6 an interview!

 

Do you think it would be worth $6 to hear a speaker and learn tips and tools that will streamline your family and home, and give you tools to maximize output and even increase the bottomline of your business?

It's easy!!! When you buy the interview series, you will receive all the interviews, and a one month membership to Terri's site, Homeschool Mom's Making Money at Home! Where you will recieve on going support, a newsletter, and  a question and answer call with Terri Camp!

Is your business worth it? Are you worth investing in? The answer is YES!!! On both counts!

Take a moment today, and learn more about this innovative series, and then buy your copies today!

 

 

 




 

 

My Southern Young Living Mondays!!! Science of Essential Oils!

Today starts the beginning of my weekly schedule of events! Mondays will forever more be known as My Southern Young Living Mondays!

My goal each Monday will be to share something with you that will teach you more about how to use Young Living Essential Oils in your daily life, to achieve abundant health and wellness!

Today we are going to talk about WHY Young Living Essential Oils work!

***Please take note! I am NOT a doctor! Any of the information shared on this page, is for education purposes only. Please consult a medical practitioner of your choice, before you begin any therapy. ****

So first let's talk about WHAT are Essential Oils???

•Life force of a plant

Aromatic liquids distilled from plants.

•Extremely potent

1.   One drop of peppermint oil is equal to 28 cups of peppermint tea.

2.  It takes 5,000 pounds of rose petals to make one pound of rose essential oil.

•Very beneficial to the human body

•Do not contain proteins, polypeptides or amino acids resulting in no potential allergens.

The volatile oil distilled from the plant contains none of the plant proteins or amino acids that are the source of allergic reactions to the plant.

• 
  

  Can be applied topically, inhaled or ingested.

  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Makes a Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil?

A therapeutic grade essential oils is defined here as one that is specifically distilled from plants that are cultivated organically or grown wild in a clean environment. (Not along a highway) The plants should be from proper genus, species, and cultivar. No chemical fertilizers are added to the soil, and crop cultivation is free of herbicides and pesticides.  Essential oils should be extracted by steam distillation at minimum temperatures and pressures, as was done in ancient times.. No chemical solvents are to be used in extraction process.

There is nothing wrong with producing food or perfume grade oils. The problem comes when such oils are bottled and labeled as therapeutic. As common practice, a decent grade oil is taken and diluted with 90%-95%  odorless, colorless solvent ( usually an inexpensive petrochemical) so that what was a pound of good oil, becomes 10 or 20 pounds of diluted oil.  These oils still carry labels that say Genuine or 100% pure which is indeed allowed by the FDA.

Example- You can be sure that if you see a bottle of Frankincense for $10-$20 for a full fluid ounce, it has been diluted. You simply cannot gather the resins from the Arabian and Somalian Deserts, transport them to France or England to be distilled and then import them to the US for that price and maintain quality and purity.

For every pound of Frankincense distilled, there are dozens of pounds eventually sold.  A pure, unadulterated frankincense should cost around $140 per ounce.

Currently, there are no standards for therapeutic grade essential oils labeling in North America, so labeling fraud is rampant. Therefore, you need to be sure that you know your grower, distiller, packager, and your distributor..any where along this chain of delivery, oils can be compromised.

 

Young Living Pure Therapeutic

Grade Essential Oils: God’s Medicine

 

Gary Young, Founder and President of Young Living, reintroduced essential oils to millions worldwide. He is on a mission to educated the world about the benefits of essential oils.

 

Young Living is the world leader in essential oils. All of the essential oils sold by Young Living are based on oils that have been graded according to AFNOR standards; a set of standards that have been established in Europe that outlines the chemical profile and principal constituents that a quality oil should have. We either meet or exceed AFNOR standards.

 

Young Living cultivates, distills, and markets the highest-quality essential oils in the world.



What God created for us; pure therapeutic grade essential oils, will never lose its potency and effectiveness for as long as humans exist on this planet as long as the plants exist and someone has the knowledge of how to harvest them…

 

 

 

Young Living follows their product from Seed to Seal....

The key to producing a therapeutic grade essential oil is to preserve as many of the delicate aromatic compounds within the essential oil as possible.

 

Fragile aromatic chemicals are easily destroyed by high temperature and pressure, as well as contact with chemically reactive metals such as copper or aluminum. All therapeutic essential oils should be distilled in stainless steel cooking chambers at low pressure and low temperature.

 

The plant material should also be free of herbicides and other agrichemicals. These can react with the essential oil during distillation to produce toxic compounds. Many pesticides are oil soluble and can mix into the essential oil. It is necessary to obtain the purest essential oil possible for the power of essential oils in the realm of personal and holistic healing. No matter how much the cost, the essential oil must not be compromised or diluted.

 

Because of the complex nature of the hundred of chemical compounds contained in the essential oil, many of the molecules and isomers are impossible to successfully recreate in the chemistry laboratory. Many fragrances have been synthetically made, but they lack therapeutic benefits and may even carry risks.

 

Therapeutic grade means 100% of all chemical constituents are present in the essential oil; they are not fractionated, adulterated, or cut with other oils. Young Living owns technologically advanced distilleries for the production of pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils. They conduct stringent testing for purity and excellence.

How are Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils Used?

•First Aid

•Stress management

•Pain management

•Diffused into the air

•Improving the quality of life

It is possible to use therapeutic-grade oils as natural medicines because essential oils and human blood share several common properties.

•They fight infection. Many of the oils possess potent antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. While antibiotics kill the good and bad bacteria, essential oils only attack the bad bacteria.

•They contain hormone-like compounds. Oils like clary sage and sage that contain sclerol, have a strong estrogenic action. Working like hormones helps bring the body back into balance.

•They also initiate regeneration. Some essential oils like clove have the ability to decrease the viscosity or thickness of the blood and can also enhance circulation and immune function.

•Research has shown that when essential oils are diffused, they can increase atmospheric oxygen and provide negative ions, which in turn inhibits bacterial growth. This suggest that EO’s could play an important part in air purification and neutralizing odors. Because of their ionizing action, EO’s have the ability to break down potentially harmful chemicals and render them nontoxic.

•

Essential oils have a chemical structure that is similar to that found in human cells and tissues. This makes essential oils compatible with human protein and enables them to be readily identified and accepted by the body.

 

Aromatic science is a new field of research that is rediscovering the many health benefits of aromatherapy once lost in antiquity but are now being verified and refined by modern science and improving the quality of human life.

This Thursday June 16th, at 7pm (pacific) I will be hosting a webinar titled The ABC's of Young Living Essential Oils

Click Here to learn more!   And click Here to register for this FREE event!

Keep coming back here, every Monday, and learn how to use Young Living Essential Oils in your everyday life!

 

 

DISCLAIMER: The content of this article is solely for educational purposes.  It is not meant to diagnose, treat or mitigate any health condition.  As always you should consult the health professional of your choice for specific health information. The author, products mentioned or Young Living is not responsible for its mis-use.

Announcing the NEW Line Up on Creative Learners!

I am very excited to announce the 'starting' line up for Creative Learners.  I have developed a schedule for Creative Learners, to help you find the posts you are looking for.  Now, in addition to the topics you find on our 'Starting Line- Up' there will also be periodic posts on miscellaneous topics!  I am serving on the TOS Crew for my 4th year. And those reviews will post on their pre- prescribed days, so keep your eyes out for those bonuses!

With out further adieu..

My Southern Young Living Mondays

On Monday's you will find posts that will teach you all about Young Living Essential Oils. You will learn things like, how to use specific oils, or why Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils work.. etc..  If you leave comments or questions in the comments sections on oils you would like to learn more about, I will do a post about it! So post your questions!

 

Graphics Toolbox Tuesdays

On Tuesdays you will find different project ideas for Graphics Toolbox. You will also learn how to enhance your child's education, helping them retain what you are already teaching, as well as, teaching them technology skills they will be able to take with them far into their adult life!

What About .......... Wednesdays?

My hope for Wednesdays are to answer questions that are either from readers, or some that I have run into through out my week. These questions really could be about anything.. homeschooling, cleaning, parenting, business... anything....

Are you Creating Thirst Thursdays?

At church I just heard a quote that has truly inspired me!  It is...

It is said that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.....You can, if you salt the oats! ~ Dr. John Goetsch

Thursdays will be devoted to creating thirst in our children. How can we  create a thirst for God in our children? Or a thirst for doing what is right?   I am truly hoping that Thursday will be a give and take. I would love to glean from all of you awesome parents out there, and learn how you create thirst in your families!

Freebie Fridays!

Freebie Fridays will be FUN! Yes, this will be partially exactly what you think, I link of some sort to something FREE! However, it will also include FREE or almost FREE things to do with your family! This will be fun!

 

I hope that this new line up will be 'programming' that you can count on, and look forward to! I am also hoping that each of these days will be inner active. I want your ideas and input! I might even have guest bloggers from time to time! If you would like to be a guest blogger, let me know! Contact me if you are interested in being a guest blogger!

See you on Monday with our first My Southern Young Living Mondays!!

Family Movie Night : Field of Vision

It is increasingly difficult to find family entertainment that is indeed suitable for the entire family to watch. Many of the programs that are labeled for the family, will often contain undertones of  immorality that my family does not need to bare witness to. 

I was given the opportunity to view the film "Field of Vision"  starring Faith Ford, which will be airing Saturday, Jun 11th on NBC. My 11 year old daughter and I snuggled in and sat down to watch this 'family' movie!

Before I share my thoughts... here is what the creators of Field of Vision have to say about the movie...

Through mysterious footage captured on an old malfunctioning video camera, Sinclair High School's star quarterback, Tyler McFarland, learns that some of his teammates have been bullying Cory Kimble, a troubled new transfer student. Aware that sharing this information with the coach might get his friends kicked off the team and ultimately cost the school the state championship, Tyler must choose what's more important: winning or doing what's right.

As these events unfold, the camera also reveals more surprising footage to Tyler's kid sister Lucy. She learns that Cory has a secret past, unknown even to him. Now Lucy must convince her mom (Faith Ford, Murphy Brown) and family that the camera's revealing insight is not a product of her imagination as she enlists their help to find the answers Cory so desperately needs. It's a compelling and intriguing story that shows both the challenges and rewards of doing the right thing even when it's tough to do.

 

So what is my take? I loved it! My daughter and I really enjoyed the movie! Not once, did I need to shield my daughters eye, nor did I need to fast forward or mute! What a blessing!  As a parent, you will be thankful to find no sex, no nudity, no drugs, and no inappropriate language. You do find some mild violence with pushing and shoving during the bullying scenes. However, all in all, this movie fits the bill for family friendly!

Aside from the bullying, which was clear and plainly conveyed as to be unacceptable, the children in this movie were dressed appropriately, they spoke to the adults with respect and in general were well mannered and respectful. This is so far from what we normally see on programming aimed at children.

 

I also appreciated the fact that they showed the perspective of Tyler, who was struggling to do the right thing, even when it was difficult. This is such clear depiction on how we each struggle. As a Christian, this opened up a dialog with my daughter regarding living for Christ, even when it is not the popular choice. 

The creators of Field of Vision did a wonderful job with the characters. Each of the main characters were relate-able and we genuinely cared about what was happening to them. You will find yourself cheering for these awesome teenagers!

I would suggest visiting Mom's for Family TV and The Dove Foundation Review.  Be sure to check out Family Movie Night on Facebook.

And don't forget to tell you friends and family, and then gather round the tv on Saturday June 11th, at 8pm on NBC for a great evening of family entertainment!

 

 

 

 

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

New and Used Curriculum Sale - June 8, 2011

Our homeschool group is hosting a LARGE New and Used Curriculum Sale!

This Wednesday, June 8th

Palmdale Hotel

300 West Palmdale Blvd,

Palmdale, CA 93551

Sale is from 10am - 4pm

This just in!!!

Growing Healthy Homes and Great Software Tools both will be at the sale!

Both have discounts!!!

What kind of stuff will be available?? Here is just some of the curriculum available on my table...

Apologia, McGuffey Readers Set, Rays Arithmetic Set, homeschool support books, by Cathy Duffy, Chris Klicka and more... Landmark History Books, Write Source books, science encyclopedias, readers... all levels... and ABEKA! Usborne Books... and the list goes on and on and on....

I have also unearthed Saxon Algebra 1/2 with Teaching tape videos... someone with a VHS can walk away with this set for about 1/3rd of the retail price... don't miss the sale!!! Includes 12 VHS teaching tapes and the Algebra 1/2 homeschool packet!

Creation Science DVD's... Sonlight Readers Christian Liberty Press readers, Math U See Algebra 2...

My dining room table is filled with books!  And I am just one of the sellers! You are not going to want to miss this opportunity to build your homeschool library and resources!

Hope to see you there!