the ELLA echo

because i jumped the gun....

 

 

last year i had so much fun with the not-back-to-school blog hop that i was freaking out that i couldn't find this year's edition online anywhere--that's because it moved, from life with my 3 boybarians to heart of the matter online.  so in july, when i was grieving that this fantastic blog hop would not happen again this year, i went ahead and posted about our classroom.

the good news is--i'm not behind this time.  LOL  so i invite you to visit our very own one-room schoolhouse, complete with over description and photos.  i'm pleased to report that this has become our favorite daytime place in the house.

after you visit, go back and check out the other learning places linked at the blog hop.  as of this writing there are over 150 posts you can visit, so make a lunch.  :)  and please let the bloggers know you were there, it is very encouraging to hear from readers.  

*we did make the birdfeeder i mention in the classroom post--and we have had so much fun watching birds that i might have to put up feeders at all our windows!

wordless wednesday: budding artist

 

 

 

 
 

  

oh my gosh, we're in 2nd grade!!!

 

it's here again!  the not-back-to-school blog hop!  started by life with my 3 boybarians, this year it is being hosted by heart of the matter online.  

this week's subject is curriculum.  we don't use a purchased curriculum so it probably seems weird to be joining the blog hop this week, but i do so in the hope that others who wish a less formal learning experience might find something useful here.

in preparing for this year, i reviewed our philosophy and homeschool mission statement and found that they both still feel relevant--that seems like a good sign.  :)  

i also reviewed our learning goals from last year and found that they remain very much the same as well--basically, we'll learn as much as we can from our day-to-day experiences, but i plan to structure the learning a little more, make it a little more intentional, as ella has expressed a desire for more formal work. to that end i have a subscription to enchanted learning (what a fantastic resource of fun, truly valuable printables for homeschool!), i check in on currclick regularly (they have tons of great resources, many for free!) and from time to time i find something magical at the local mckay's used bookstore (but i'll admit it--mostly what we end up bringing home from there are veggie tales DVDs.)

image by justmakit on flickr 

our 3R's continue to evolve, for example ella's language arts now includes some quiet reading on her own and composition of simple stories.  our science this semester will focus on solar power and mammals, as those are her two greatest areas of interest (with the occasional detour into the world of dinosaurs).  we still find our greatest math learning opportunities in our daily life--while cooking, shopping, etc.  i do have some math activities planned that are more like "school work" but i believe she will enjoy them and she has recently come to appreciate the value of the check mark on her work.  :)

 

for the "extras", we continue to explore the world of the various arts by actually doing them, but NO, she is not enrolling in any dance or music classes right now.  that's a rant for another day.  we were unfortunately presented a tremendous opportunity for community service this past spring in the form of a 500-year flood here in nashville, and i'm proud to say that ella met the challenge with aplomb and a selflessness that puts many people to shame.

 

this year ella will be preparing for her first holy communion, so that will be a focus of our religious studies.

the surprise: looking back at our last year in order to get ready for this year, it turns out that the things i specifically said we would NOT be doing were the very things that we did specifically end up doing. lesson re-learned:  never say never.  that is one of the many benefits of homeschooling--you can change course when needed.  i try to remain flexible that way, but i'm making no promises.  :)  i do hope (hope) to be more disciplined about our workfolders.

please take a moment to visit the other homeschool curriculum links at the not-back-to-school blog hop, there are already over 100 links there 200 links there now!--something to suit every homeschooling style and personality.  and when you leave a comment for the sites you visit (please do that--it means a lot, especially to the new homeschoolers), let them know i sent you!

*if this is your first visit to the ELLA echo, welcome!  please have a look around and let me know you were here.  feel free to subscribe and to follow me on twitter.  and if you have found something valuable in this post or somewhere else on the blog, go ahead and share it with all your friends on facebook. :)

he's "our" paleontologist now

actually he's a paleoanthropologist, but ella always calls him a paleontologist because she has not seen any "anthro" stuff on any of our visits. LOL

since my first post about meeting jun ebersole at the mcwane science center we've had the opportunity to return several more times.  the most recent trip ella got to spend time with him in the lab, sorting and organizing a giant sloth skeleton, megalonyx jeffersonii (jefferson's ground sloth) that will be on display at the museum.  he demonstrated how to prepare the pieces that are broken, using an adhesive called butvar B-76, and he let her compare the different parts of the assembled body to her own body parts.  he also showed us how to label the different bones so they wouldn’t get mixed up.

yeah, i was holding it upside down.  that’s is the kind of thing i’m prone to doing when i get to hold a REAL, HONEST-T0-PETE dinosaur bone for the very first time.

 

ella also spent a lot of time sketching the exhibits, which is one of the ways she learns best.  by spending quiet time looking and recording what she sees, she is able to slow down and make important comparisons, noticing details that are sometimes overlooked when they aren't being documented.

 

of all the sketches she has made so far, this one is the most complete, in that it includes an environment.  it is of the dinosaur in the above picture, an appalachiosaurus.

 

jun also gave us some tips on where best to do our own digging in our area. our plan is to bring whatever we find to him to evaluate.  ella is pretty much sure she'll either find a t-rex or she'll discover a brand new, heretofore unknown type of dinosaur, which she plans to call the ellasaurus regina.

this has become a really sweet relationship.  ella has developed a greater understanding for the real work involved, and a meaningful relationship with a working professional.  for his part, jun always treats ella with kindness and respect--he listens to her questions and responds with clear, thorough answers. he allows her to be part of the process and that gives her a great sense of ownership in her learning. 

one of the best things about this experience is that she is learning how to approach a professional in a given field with maturity, healthy curiosity, intentionality, and clarity of purpose.  that is not something i could have taught her at home. 

again, i encourage every parent to take a chance, make a connection to someone who is actively involved in your child's area of interest.  even if all they do is hang out together, the benefits will go far beyond just the details of info that your child might learn.  finding an adult who will openly and freely share your child's passion will fuel the fire of learning in a way no textbook ever could, and your work load will be greatly lightened along the way.

unless your child asks the paleontologist about a dinosaur he is not familiar with.  be prepared to whip out the smartphone and look it up for him.  :)