Thank you.

If you can pass my grammar errors and typos , then , you could enjoy my blog. I am not very good at writing, yet I write from my heart. You will know a little bit of me and the things that I treasure most in my life.
Thank you so much for visiting and for your grace and patience with me.
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts

Monday, October 19, 2009

Lead by example

I always wanted to know how to play the piano. My two boys of course are taking piano lessons because I see how good it would be for them to know how to play it properly and one day "thank me" for making them practice faithfully every day. Well, practice time, is not the most exciting time of the day here at my house.... They practice, because they must (usually one is more interested than the other, but both of them would rather play outside!). I have been trying to help them find a motivation to get excited about it and well...... I asked my well educated kids, to teach their mother to play the piano. They know enough theory and have enough ability, to teach their mother. It will be great to anchor that knowledge in their minds by teaching someone, it will be good to make teachers out of these boys. Now I need to persevere and practice, practice and practice. They are SO excited to teach me, to see me practice, when I ask them questions, being faithful even when I find the homework they give me is not that exciting, like memorizing scales, memorizing where the notes are on the keyboard and the "lines" when you read the music sheet. It is all hard work for me, it is not easy to find the time to practice every day for half an hour besides my daily work of school, house keeping, taxi services, ... it is not exciting some days.... but I hope that in my perseverance and with God's help I will learn from my kids to play the piano.
I'll keep you posted on my progress!...

Monday, September 21, 2009

Turkish tiles

More on Turkey... the boys had to make a tile, but how we did it? we used paint that you can make stickers for the window.. (that by the way we had for a long time!!), they did a very nice work and we decorated our kitchen window with it. I'm liking Turkey more than I thought!, soon we'll try some of their food, like "Turkish delight", "Noah's pudding", and other yummy things, I'll keep you posted!





kilim Turkey





We are studying Turkey and the boys made this "Kilim" as a project. It is a Turkisk carpet and it was an incredible fun job to do, plus the benefits of patience training... I love homeschooling!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

you know you are a home school mom, when...

Here are some of my favorites:

1. When the teacher gets to kiss the principal of the school and no one gossips.
2. Your bank statement reflects that you spend most of the income in books and classes than in a fancy clothing store.
3. You have a book case in every room in your house..... and need to have more!
4. You have more than one answer to the question: what about socialization?
5. Your children never leave the "why" stage.
6. Your husband walks at the end of the day home, and does not need to ask how the science experiment went.....
7. On your kitchen counter you have a couple of experiments growing (on purpose!)
8. You are not sure what to expect they'll say when you take you kids the the "Dinosaur museum"
9. When raking leaves and shoveling snow is part of their exercise routine.
10. When you take you kids from tennis to swimming to hockey to art to science classes and realize that you need to cut down on your social activities to do actual school work.
11. When they ask you if you are not afraid of socialization you answer: yes, that's why I home school!
12. Your librarian knows you by name.
13. When their best friends of your kids are the siblings.
14. When your kids are not embarrassed to play with younger kids.

Monday, June 22, 2009

piano recital

S.... playing alone (he played 3 songs) he wqas so happy and proud of himself... and I was very proud of him too.
They played a duet.. I was very impressed!!.. it cost them lots of practice and learning to work together in something SO difficult! It sounded so pretty!

M... played "Fur Elise"... it was beautiful!!, he lives to perform. Makes me very proud to hear him.


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Is the kitchen table the perfect school? GlobeandMail

Is the kitchen table the perfect school?

By Kathy Dobson

When my daughter was in elementary school, the mother of a classmate decided to home school her daughter. She didn't like the Grade 4 teacher.I don't remember why she had a problem with that particular teacher, but I do remember my surprise that a parent would go to that extreme. Home school your child for a year, just to avoid a specific teacher?This mother was a certified teacher herself, at home on an extended maternity leave. So she not only had the time, she certainly also had the qualifications to teach Grade 4. Even just a classroom of one.But I admit, at the time, I thought the whole concept of home schooling to be a little ... well ... weird.

Why would anyone choose to isolate their child like that? Take them away from their peers? Think they could actually do a better job teaching their child than a school filled with qualified and experienced professionals?I knew one family that decided to make the commitment to home schooling their children after deciding that their local school wasn't offering a "proper Catholic education." Whatever that means.I remember one mother who turned to home schooling out of desperation, after her son became a target of frequent bullying. I did a story about her for the CBC, and remember thinking this was a parent who honestly believed she was out of options. And had to take that home schooling step just to keep her child safe.

However, once you look at the research, or read the report on home schooling by the Fraser Institute, ( http://www.fraserinstitute.org/commerce.web/product_files/Homeschooling2007.pdf ) you might start to wonder if your kitchen table isn't the perfect school after all.Consider this: your child learns one-on-one for the entire day. An entire curriculum is built around your child's strengths and weaknesses, emphasizing what they find interesting, and supporting them through the material they struggle with.And unlike the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) programs, it's completely free and available across Canada.I've never seriously considered home schooling any of my own five children. For one thing, how could home schooling adequately prepare your child for the academic demands of university? And what about the lack of day-to-day interaction with their peers? It seems like it would set my children up for failure.

Both academically and socially.Yet according to the research, I'm dead wrong. Home schooling is on the rise in Canada and the United States. And now I finally get it.It's one of the realities of the public school system: with 20+ children in a classroom, a large part of every school day isn't spent learning.It's spent waiting. Waiting for a computer. Waiting for a teacher's attention. With home schooling, there isn't any waiting in line. It's more efficient.With such concentrated, one-on-one attention, it's no wonder that home schoolers maintain a strong advantage over publicly funded school students.The surprising part: home schoolers are also outperforming private school students. Despite shorter schooling hours, home schoolers have consistently scored at or above average in virtually all subject areas on standardized tests.

As for that assumption some might make about home schoolers being socially inept - thanks to a lack of exposure to their peer group - the evidence suggests just the opposite. The benefits of home schooling ( http://www.fraserinstitute.org/newsandevents/news/4933.aspx ) go above and beyond academics. According to the Fraser report, the average home schooled child consistently participates in eight social activities outside the home.They even watch less television.One researcher claims that home schooled kids actually display fewer social problems when "observed in free play" than publicly funded school children. Okay, I wondered about that, too. Did the home schoolers hand out cookies to the rest of the kids? Organize everyone into a friendly game of tag, including the slower kids on the play ground?But interestingly, according to the Fraser report, parents teaching their children at home don't actually have to be qualified in any special way.

Home schooled kids enjoy no significant advantage if one or even both parents are certified teachers.Some of the reasons given by parents for choosing to home school their children include their commitment to passing on a set of values and beliefs, the potential for higher academic achievement because of the one-on-one instruction, and the opportunity to develop closer and stronger parent-child relationships.

The parents also expressed concerns over what they consider to be a lack of discipline in public schools. Teaching them at home means a physically safer environment for their child in which to learn, and the opportunity for their child to enjoy high-quality interaction with peers and adults.And one more: "The opportunity to escape negative peer pressure (e.g., drugs, alcohol, and premarital sex) through controlled and positive peer social interactions." (Page 10 of the Fraser report)But what about later? Are home schooled children disadvantaged when it comes to pursuing post secondary education?Higher education for home schooled children is available across Canada, as more and more universities are accepting home schooled students ( http://www.ontariohomeschool.org/FAQ.shtml#highered ).

This includes the University of Toronto, York, Dalhousie, the University of Saskatchewan and more.In the U.S., home schoolers are gaining admission and scholarships to some of the most prestigious universities in that country, including Harvard, Yale, Standford, MIT, and the Citadel.If home schooling offers such an ideal - even free - education, then why aren't I now considering it for my own children? In part, the time commitment. I admit I'm not prepared to quit my job and stay home full time to home school my children.Studies have shown that children whose parents are directly involved in their education do much better overall. But that doesn't mean we all have to home school our kids for them to benefit from having their parents actively involved in their education.But one thing is for sure: those home schoolers are on to something.

Monday, June 1, 2009

light hut


This is our new project from Botany. A light hut. We planted seeds from different herbs and veggies. (idea from Exploring Creation with Botany)
Here are all our seeds ready to grow and labeled .


Here is our vegetable garden with some of the seeds , now plants well planted outdoors.

pumpkin!!

cucumbers and spaghetti squash!!
And later on we added more to the garden. I'll post pictures later.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Expo...

This was their Science Expo. they worked really hard with his friends studying "Exploring Creation with Astronomy", it was an amazing book, with super fun projects and kept them interested every chapter. It was a nice reward to finish it with an expo and a chance to explain to others all that they learned. They were very proud!

Part of the fun at the expo, was that the four of them dressed as astronauts with a Canadian flag on the side of their suit.. (proud to be Canadian!!)


This was a field trip to the Cosmo dome (space museum). Where M. tried this robot car where he had to balance and go upside down trying to connect cables, pull out the solar panels in a space station, and head back to his place... it was GREAT!!!


This was their project trying to make the ISS. It was a lot of work.... but THEY DID IT!!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

flood stories around the world

..... just to name a few, more than 270 stories record of a world wide flood are found all over the worrld!

Africa
Southwest Tanzania

Once upon a time the rivers began to flood. The god told two people to get into a ship. He told them to take lots of seed and to take lots of animals. The water of the flood eventually covered the mountains. Finally the flood stopped. Then one of the men, wanting to know if the water had dried up let a dove loose. The dove returned. Later he let loose a hawk which did not return. Then the men left the boat and took the animals and the seeds with them.
Asia
China

The Chinese classic called the Hihking tells about "the family of Fuhi," that was saved from a great flood. This ancient story tells that the entire land was flooded; the mountains and everything, however one family survived in a boat. The Chinese consider this man the father of their civilization. This record indicates that Fuhi, his wife, three sons, and three daughters were the only people that escaped the great flood. It is claimed, that he and his family were the only people alive on earth, and repopulated the world.

Babylon
Gilgamesh met an old man named Utnapishtim, who told him the following story. The gods came to Utnapishtim to warn him about a terrible flood that was coming. They instructed Utnapishtim to destroy his house and build a large ship. The ship was to be 10 dozen cubits high, wide and long. Utnapishtim was to cover the ship with pitch. He was supposed to take male and female animals of all kinds, his wife and family, provisions, etc. into the ship. Once ship was completed the rain began falling intensely. The rain fell for six days and nights. Finally things calmed and the ship settled on the top of Mount Nisir. After the ship had rested for seven days Utnapishtim let loose a dove. Since the land had not dried the dove returned. Next he sent a swallow which also returned. Later he let loose a raven which never returned since the ground had dried. Utnapishtim then left the ship.
Chaldean
There was a man by the name of Xisuthrus. The god Chronos warned Xisuthrus of a coming flood and told him to build a boat. The boat was to be 5 stadia by 2 stadia. In this boat Xisuthrus was to put his family, friends and two of each animal (male and female). The flood came. When the waters started to recede he let some birds loose. They came back and he noticed they had mud on their feet. He tried again with the same results. When he tried the third time the birds did not return. Assuming the water had dried up the people got out of the boat and offered sacrifices to the gods.
India
A long time ago lived a man named Manu. Manu, while washing himself, saved a small fish from the jaws of a large fish. The fish told Manu, "If you care for me until I am full grown I will save you from terrible things to come". Manu asked what kind of terrible things. The fish told Manu that a great flood would soon come and destroy everything on the earth. The fish told Manu to put him in a clay jar for protection. The fish grew and each time he outgrew the clay jar Manu gave him a larger one. Finally the fish became a ghasha, one of the largest fish in the world. The fish instructed Manu to build a large ship since the flood was going to happen very soon. As the rains started Manu tied a rope from the ship to the ghasha. The fish guided the ship as the waters rose. The whole earth was covered by water. When the waters began subsiding the ghasha led Manu's ship to a mountaintop.

Australia
There is a legend of a flood called the Dreamtime flood. Riding on this flood was the woramba, or the Ark Gumana. In this ark was Noah, Aborigines, and various animals. This ark eventually came to rest in the plain of Djilinbadu where it can still be found. They claim that the white mans story about the ark landing in the middle east is a lie that was started to keep the aborigines in subservience. This legend is undoubtedly the product of aboriginal legends merging with those of visiting missionaries, and there does not appear to be any native flood stories from Australia.
Europe
Greece A long time ago, perhaps before the golden age was over, humans became proud. This bothered Zeus as they kept getting worse. Finally Zeus decided that he would destroy all humans. Before he did this Prometheus, the creator of humans, warned his human son Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha. Prometheus then placed this couple in a large wooden chest. The rains started and lasted nine days and nights until the whole world was flooded. The only thing that was not flooded was the peaks of Mount Parnassus and Mount Olympus. Mount Olympus is the home of the gods. The wooden chest came to rest on Mount Parnassus. Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha got out and saw that everything was flooded. The lived on provisions from the chest until the waters subsided. At Zeus' instruction they re-populated the earth.
North America
Mexico

The Toltec natives have a legend telling that the original creation lasted for 1716 years, and was destroyed by a flood that covered the highest mountains and only one family survived by a closed chest. The Toltecs claim they started as a family of 7 after they built a large tower to provide a safe place if the world were destroyed ahain, however, the languages became confused, so different language grous wandered to other parts of the world.
Aztec- A man named Tapi lived a long time ago. Tapi was a very pious man. The creator told Tapi to build a boat that he would live in. He was told that he should take his wife, a pair of every animal that was alive into this boat. Naturally everyone thought he was crazy. Then the rain started and the flood came. The men and animals tried to climb the mountains but the mountains became flooded as well. Finally the rain ended. Tapi decided that the water had dried up when he let a dove loose that did not return.
United States
The Ojibwe natives who have lived in Minnesota USA since approximately 1400AD also have a creation and flood story that closely paralleles the Biblical account. "There came a time when the harmonious way of life did not continue. Men and women disrespected each other, families quarreled and soon villages began arguing back and forth. This saddened Gitchie Manido [the Creator] greatly, but he waited. Finally, when it seemed there was no hope left, Creator decided to purify Mother Earth through the use of water. The water came, flooding the Earth, catching all of creation off guard. All but a few of each living thing survived." Then it tells how Waynaboozhoo survived by floating on a log in the water with various animals.Ojibwe - Ancient native American creation story tells of world wide flood.
Delaware Indians - In the pristine age, the world lived at peace; but an evil spirit came and caused a great flood. The earth was submerged. A few persons had taken refuge on the back of a turtle, so old that his shell had collected moss. A loon flew over their heads and was entreated to dive beneath the water and bring up land. It found only a bottomless sea. Then the bird flew far away, came back with a small portion of earth in its bill, and guided the tortoise to a place where there was a spot of dry land.

South America
Inca During the period of time called the Pachachama people became very evil. They got so busy coming up with and performing evil deeds they neglected the gods. Only those in the high Andes remained uncorrupted. Two brothers who lived in the highlands noticed their llamas acting strangely. They asked the llamas why and were told that the stars had told the llamas that a great flood was coming. This flood would destroy all the life on earth. The brothers took their families and flocks into a cave on the high mountains. It started to rain and continued for four months. As the water rose the mountain grew keeping its top above the water. Eventually the rain stopped and the waters receded. The mountain returned to its original height. The shepherds repopulated the earth. The llamas remembered the flood and that is why they prefer to live in the highland areas.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Astronomy class.

Jupiter.. and its Big Red Spot!!, The craft:

Make a hurricane!..It was really fun... they could have spent hours turning it over and over and over again racing with each other to see which one wins. And they are very excited every time we get together to learn Astronomy, which is good, because S. wants to be an Astronaut and M an Astronomer!...

Monday, December 15, 2008

Astronomy class.

The Mars project was really fun. They had to create an artificial ecosystem to be able to live in. All they had to work with, were boxes, masking tape, aluminum foil, and plastic containers... and this is what they made with their friends!!.They are covering their mouths, because they are outside and there is NO OXYGEN!!. It has solar panels and windows to look out into space! ,and it is REALLY big!!!.. it takes over my basement!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Some of our homeschool days...

The Solar System/ Astronomy :





The Sun:
... yes, those are fingers marks that enjoyed part of the experiment..


A cell (membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus):


yummy!. We'll do another one soon with more "parts of the cell"... they can't wait. M.. wanted his to look more "realistic" with out the bag.. where S. wanted the membrane to be seen (with the bag).

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Shark



My son M, dissected a small shark today in our science class. His presentation was simply amazing!!, and with no problem he dissected the little shark. We saw its heart, liver, stomach, brain, intestine. It was really fun. The smell was not as bad as you can imagine, but the experience was unforgettable!.


Thursday, April 10, 2008

Volcano


And this is one of the reasons I home school... looking at this faces, makes it worth it all the "clean up " involved in the process of teaching.