Feasting Features
For this week's edition of "Feasting Features":Noeo Science One Month Update,
two free and helpful websites,
and a hard (but not bad) homeschooling week.
1. Noeo Science: One Month UpdateWe've now been using Noeo Science for one month. We are using the Noeo Biology 2 program as our Group Science lessons. We do one lesson each week, during our Family Studies Day. This program, as I've mentioned, is carefully chosen to meet the growing and expanding needs of my 6th grader while also including my 2nd grader in a subject that we love. This is the perfect representation, I think, of the intersection between the importance of communal learning and the importance of meeting individual needs. My 6th grader has 2 science streams that he does without my 2nd grader, and I could have chosen Biology 2 to be one of those, rather than a group subject. One of them is actually much simpler than Noeo and would have made an "easier" group lesson. I desired, however, for my 6th grader to find it necessary to think deeper while also being patient with the limitations of his brother and I wanted my 2nd grader to find it necessary to appreciate what he can't entirely understand. These are desires with intentional provisions, and science is a perfect subject for meeting them.
After one month, we are still very much enjoying Noeo, and it is very much meeting the needs mentioned above. It is perfect for communal learning, and it is also capable of meeting individual needs simultaneously.
Here are this week's Notes pages, so that you can see the difference between what each child gains from this program.
2. Two Free WebsitesStudent News Daily is a conservative daily news website for students. I appreciate this resource because rather than presenting material written for students specifically, it gathers news from national newspapers and presents them in a form adapted to students. It also has a weekly editorial cartoon that is aiding our discussions about logical fallacies, and opening up discussions about the power of journalism and media. I am truly enjoying presenting the material without my own personal bias, and allowing my son to think for himself and to wrestle with the ideas presented (and the methods, literary devices, fallacies, etc that are used in the presentation) and then discussing with him.
*Note: the conservative/republican bend of this source is intense. I would NEVER use this exclusively, and I discuss with my son often than an extreme bias on either side of the political spectrum is dangerous and clouds a person's vision. He is developing the ability to read through the bias and find the accuracy within the slant. I think it's a helpful resource to counterbalance the opposite slant readily available from many other sources. 😉
A Music WebsiteThis week I accidentally stumbled upon Mrs. Folsom's Music Web Site. This is the working website of a public school teacher, and it includes teaching notes for subs, etc. But, if you are willing to scroll through her notes and explore, there is SO much goodness here. There are so many resources and links and helps for teaching music. She also has a unique collection of Folk Songs, including Jewish, African, and Indigenous songs. I am slowly making my way through her collection of notes and saving resources for future or current use, and I think her Folk Songs section is incredible! (I even found the Folk Song for the upcoming volume of Delighting in Song and Tale in her collection!!)
3. This week was hard.
I am tired.
Much was required of me in motherhood, and those parenting issues presented themselves smack dab in the middle of our homeschool days. I feel like I've been through the ringer, and I know for certain that I have given into my temptation to lecture instead of to actually mother the hearts of my children.
But, you know what? It wasn't a bad week. Why?Because hard does not equal bad.
And, as often as I say that to others, I have to say it to myself with even greater frequency.Hard. Does. Not. Equal. Bad.This week wasn't perfect. And, it exhausted me. But, it was good. The hearts of my children (one in particular, ahem) were molded and poured into, and my exhaustion is the result of that pouring out. And, that pouring out is stewardship of the work God has given my hands to do. I am tired because I was a good (imperfect) steward of my children, and the calling of God upon my life.Goodness, where else would I rather be?
Nowhere!
It was hard, but it was good.
Praise God that good isn't the same as easy.
How was YOUR homeschool week?
For this week's edition of "Feasting Features":
Noeo Science One Month Update,
two free and helpful websites,
and a hard (but not bad) homeschooling week.
two free and helpful websites,
and a hard (but not bad) homeschooling week.
1. Noeo Science: One Month Update
We've now been using Noeo Science for one month. We are using the Noeo Biology 2 program as our Group Science lessons. We do one lesson each week, during our Family Studies Day. This program, as I've mentioned, is carefully chosen to meet the growing and expanding needs of my 6th grader while also including my 2nd grader in a subject that we love. This is the perfect representation, I think, of the intersection between the importance of communal learning and the importance of meeting individual needs. My 6th grader has 2 science streams that he does without my 2nd grader, and I could have chosen Biology 2 to be one of those, rather than a group subject. One of them is actually much simpler than Noeo and would have made an "easier" group lesson. I desired, however, for my 6th grader to find it necessary to think deeper while also being patient with the limitations of his brother and I wanted my 2nd grader to find it necessary to appreciate what he can't entirely understand. These are desires with intentional provisions, and science is a perfect subject for meeting them.
After one month, we are still very much enjoying Noeo, and it is very much meeting the needs mentioned above. It is perfect for communal learning, and it is also capable of meeting individual needs simultaneously.
Here are this week's Notes pages, so that you can see the difference between what each child gains from this program.
Here are this week's Notes pages, so that you can see the difference between what each child gains from this program.
2. Two Free Websites
Student News Daily is a conservative daily news website for students. I appreciate this resource because rather than presenting material written for students specifically, it gathers news from national newspapers and presents them in a form adapted to students. It also has a weekly editorial cartoon that is aiding our discussions about logical fallacies, and opening up discussions about the power of journalism and media. I am truly enjoying presenting the material without my own personal bias, and allowing my son to think for himself and to wrestle with the ideas presented (and the methods, literary devices, fallacies, etc that are used in the presentation) and then discussing with him.
*Note: the conservative/republican bend of this source is intense. I would NEVER use this exclusively, and I discuss with my son often than an extreme bias on either side of the political spectrum is dangerous and clouds a person's vision. He is developing the ability to read through the bias and find the accuracy within the slant. I think it's a helpful resource to counterbalance the opposite slant readily available from many other sources. 😉
A Music Website
This week I accidentally stumbled upon Mrs. Folsom's Music Web Site. This is the working website of a public school teacher, and it includes teaching notes for subs, etc. But, if you are willing to scroll through her notes and explore, there is SO much goodness here. There are so many resources and links and helps for teaching music. She also has a unique collection of Folk Songs, including Jewish, African, and Indigenous songs. I am slowly making my way through her collection of notes and saving resources for future or current use, and I think her Folk Songs section is incredible! (I even found the Folk Song for the upcoming volume of Delighting in Song and Tale in her collection!!)
3. This week was hard.
I am tired.
Much was required of me in motherhood, and those parenting issues presented themselves smack dab in the middle of our homeschool days. I feel like I've been through the ringer, and I know for certain that I have given into my temptation to lecture instead of to actually mother the hearts of my children.
But, you know what? It wasn't a bad week. Why?
I am tired.
Much was required of me in motherhood, and those parenting issues presented themselves smack dab in the middle of our homeschool days. I feel like I've been through the ringer, and I know for certain that I have given into my temptation to lecture instead of to actually mother the hearts of my children.
But, you know what? It wasn't a bad week. Why?
Because hard does not equal bad.
And, as often as I say that to others, I have to say it to myself with even greater frequency.
And, as often as I say that to others, I have to say it to myself with even greater frequency.
Hard. Does. Not. Equal. Bad.
This week wasn't perfect. And, it exhausted me. But, it was good. The hearts of my children (one in particular, ahem) were molded and poured into, and my exhaustion is the result of that pouring out. And, that pouring out is stewardship of the work God has given my hands to do. I am tired because I was a good (imperfect) steward of my children, and the calling of God upon my life.
Goodness, where else would I rather be?
Nowhere!
It was hard, but it was good.
Praise God that good isn't the same as easy.
Nowhere!
It was hard, but it was good.
Praise God that good isn't the same as easy.
How was YOUR homeschool week?
No comments:
Post a Comment