Need yet another reason to homeschool? Apparently it's ok to discriminate if the child is 5

Sorry, I am crossposting this on all of my sites. I simply feel the issue is too important to ignore. Thanks!

You might remember earlier this year about the teacher from Port St. Lucie, FL who had her class vote on whether Alex Barton, a child with autism, could remain in her Kindergarten class. He was voted out, traumatized and refused to return to school. There was a great uproar and teacher Wendy Portillo was suspended without pay for a year with her tenure revoked.

The school board quietly reversed its decision this week ...read the rest here, and you do need to read it if you care about special needs kids and/or education.

Thanks!

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Science Projects Are Not Just For Public Schoolers: Resources to get you started on cell models

Here at Sweet Schoolin' we have a fondness for Science. Especially the oldest, who has a penchant for Biology, that has been mentioned before.

She takes a Sophomore Biology class and had to write a paper on a type of cell. She also had to create a model of said cell. The paper, with the help of Google and some books, was a resounding success. The cell model was fun to do, and allowed her to show her creativity.

And you can, too.

Cell model project ideas
Science online cells (great, K-6 ideas!)
Science Faire Projects
Kids Love Kits (for purchase)

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Wait? Did He Just Call Me a Fool??

The little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. JBug has been reading Shakespeare lately (what? YES, on her own! That's called homeschooling..I rarely force her to do any school work) ahem. Ok. She started with As You Like It and the book I have is about 300 years old (1937) and the type is this big. Also, there are two characters with the same name, but both are abbreviated: Orl: makes it impossible to figure out the cast. So I found the time for a trip to the bookstore. First I found this one: But my concern is that with the modern english translation right there on the opposite page it would make it too easy to ignore the beautiful prose that is Shakespeare. So, I compromised, found this series, instead. It has definitions of antiquated words at the end of the chapter, so it makes it a bit easier to understand, but doesn't do all the work for her. I want her to find the fun in The Bard. Because, when she breaks the rules, and I say to her, "Get thee to a nunnery!" I want her to understand the reference.

For more on Shakespeare:

Shakespearean Insult Generator
Folger Shakespearean Library
Bacon and Shakespeare??
Alphabetical List of Foods in Shakespeare's Plays
T, who continues the campaign to geekify her

Fun With Genetics

JBug is very into Biology and genetics. So she has been asking us some random questions regarding traits that are passed down:

*attached vs. detached earlobes (mine are attached, hers are detached, like her father)
*can you roll your tongue, like a taco? (we all can, though the littles haven't learned to, yet)
*hitchhiker's thumb, meaning, can you bend your thumb backwards, at a 45 degree angle? When the thumb is fully extended, is it straight up, or further back? (we all bend at a 45 degree angle, except my son, who can bend his almost 90 degrees!)
*widow's peek...a semi-v-shaped point at the top your forehead where the hair grows (we don't have this at all)
*cleft chin (nope all smooth here)
*extra teeth (none here)
*dimples (nope, none here)
*vision anomalies (nearsighted, me...JBug)
*freckles (only JBean, only in the summer)
*polydactly (typing this with only 4 fingers and a thumb, same for all of us Just seeing if you are reading closely)

For more information on genetic traits:

Attached vs. Free Earlobes
Introduction to Genetics
Human Genetics: Suite 101
Interactive Textbook: An Introduction to Genetics
T.

Open Source Education Software

Yesterday, I spent the day at the Southern California Linux Expo. I know, right? But they were having a track with Open Source in Education and I thought it might be helpful to my homeschooling. It was, somewhat. I have some good suggestions for obtaining open source software when you are homeschooling. As you know, part of the expense of homeschooling when you are going it on your own is curriculum. Try this list of sites to find it:

Schoolforge.net
Freesmug (Mac Users)
Open Source as Alternative
Wiki on Open Source Software in Education (tons of really good stuff here, everything you can imagine)
Sugar on a Stick
Moodle (open source course management system and virtual learning environments)

T, who figures that should get you started...

With Apologies to Alice Cooper...

Yes, to pencils, yes to books, but no to teachers' dirty looks....

Tomorrow is our Last Day of Summer. That's right. Thursday we start band, and Friday, JBug starts her classes at the college. They aren't college classes, but are advanced-placement. She is taking Logic (as if she needs more ammo for being able to successfully argue!) and Biology. With a Creation bias. But we will supplement. Also, she didn't leave her brains at the door, she is discerning, and that is on both sides. No worries.

Here is her curriculum..still working on course descriptions:

• Biology: Abeka, through the class program


• Logic: through the Classically-based, class program she is attending


• Economics: Thinkwell


• English: Study Skills & Lightning Lit/Teaching Co.


• PE: yoga, dance, 4-H, probably horse project


• Latin: Cambridge


• Algebra: Teaching Textbooks, 1st semester, finishing the book, maybe Geometry after that


• Band: 3rd year, clarinet, Intermediate level


• History: teaching co.


• Bible, whatever she wants


• handcrafts: she is currently teaching herself (!!) to knit, via books and videos on the web


• piano: again, self-taught, and getting pretty good. Will probably have to chase down lessons for her soon, though. As soon as I know what her schedule will be and how busy she'll be

I still have to do a 4-yr plan for her.. and as I said, course descriptions...but tomorrow...

T, who doesn't push her, she does most of this on her own