Are you having problems with doctrines and/or policies?
Your family is more important. Is it your hope that you and family remain JWs? Are they supportive of your plans?
shadow
JoinedPosts by shadow
-
69
Your Experience with Resigning as an Elder
by committeechairman ini'm considering resigning as an elder.
i'm not planning to fade or stop as one of jehovah's witnesses, just stop serving as an elder.. i have responsibility in the congregation and in circuit, district, rbc, etc.
and i'm completely exhausted.
-
-
-
75
HOME SCHOOL and the upcoming generation of scientifically illiterate kids
by Terry inwhen i worked for a book store i became familiar with beka text books for home school.. i spoke with the mothers who came looking for them.
i realized something didn't smell right.. then, i realized there are a couple of generations of fundamentalist kids who have had no exposure.
to the scientific method, science facts or any conversancy with physics or biology or history as a result of beka textbooks.. in a nutshell here is the situation:.
-
-
shadow
Band: Try to remain calm. Have a nice day.
-
75
HOME SCHOOL and the upcoming generation of scientifically illiterate kids
by Terry inwhen i worked for a book store i became familiar with beka text books for home school.. i spoke with the mothers who came looking for them.
i realized something didn't smell right.. then, i realized there are a couple of generations of fundamentalist kids who have had no exposure.
to the scientific method, science facts or any conversancy with physics or biology or history as a result of beka textbooks.. in a nutshell here is the situation:.
-
-
shadow
Band: If there are thousands, then it should not be too hard to find one to post, but so far this thread is at zero.
-
75
HOME SCHOOL and the upcoming generation of scientifically illiterate kids
by Terry inwhen i worked for a book store i became familiar with beka text books for home school.. i spoke with the mothers who came looking for them.
i realized something didn't smell right.. then, i realized there are a couple of generations of fundamentalist kids who have had no exposure.
to the scientific method, science facts or any conversancy with physics or biology or history as a result of beka textbooks.. in a nutshell here is the situation:.
-
-
shadow
GrreatTeacher: It seemed to me that this thread turned into a home-school bashing party, without any research to support the bashing. I'm well aware that either method can produce an uneducated product. I bring up the stats and research that I could find which provided a different picture of home-school. Obviously it doesn't cover the whole picture but there does seem to be some prejudice here against home-school that I don't believe is justified. I personally found public schools to be less than challenging but your mileage may vary.
Terry: Yes to both.
-
75
HOME SCHOOL and the upcoming generation of scientifically illiterate kids
by Terry inwhen i worked for a book store i became familiar with beka text books for home school.. i spoke with the mothers who came looking for them.
i realized something didn't smell right.. then, i realized there are a couple of generations of fundamentalist kids who have had no exposure.
to the scientific method, science facts or any conversancy with physics or biology or history as a result of beka textbooks.. in a nutshell here is the situation:.
-
-
shadow
I'm a product of public schools. Obviously not all who went to school learned what does and does not constitute evidence to support their claims. Some resort to blathering platitudes over and over believing that somehow validates their opinion. I have not done any exhaustive checking of the studies used in graphics that I posted, however a better refutation of them would be to cite studies with different results rather than scoffing at them without doing any checking yourself.
Personally, I neither advocate nor condemn one over the other since each one can lead to failure or success.
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homeschool-methodologies/126403-why-homeschooled-kids-are-smarter/
Why Homeschool Kids Are Smarter Than Kids Who go to Public School
written by: Ronda Bowen • edited by: Donna Cosmato • updated: 7/12/2012
A Canadian study has shown that kids who are homeschooled are, on the whole, smarter than kids who attend public school
. These findings are not surprising, but they do support the decision one will make to homeschool their kids. Learn why you should make the jump to teaching your kids at home.Why My Kid is Smarter
I don't mean to brag, but I receive compliments on my kid all the time for two things: his intelligence and his good character. Many parents around the time their kids turn into teenagers are biting their nails hoping for the best. I don't worry. I know my kid is comfortable enough in his own skin to hold his own out in the world. I attribute both of these compliments to a simple fact: I have chosen to homeschool him.
Before getting into a discussion of the Canadian study that supports what homeschool parents already know, I'd like to offer a few reasons why that I believe that homeschooled kids perform
better on tests and why they tend to be more intellectually inclined.First, homeschooled kids don't learn to hate learning. In the public school
environment, with the system of punishments and rewards, the fun intrinsic to learning new things about the world around us is diminished. Instead, public school needs to demonstrate an adherence to a certain body of knowledge. If your kid finds that he or she is excited by the study of the solar system, there's no room for that in the classroom once the class has moved on. Sure, the student can pursue the study in his or her *free time,* but when the student is homeschooled, the student could get as in-depth about this study as he or she likes.With one-on-one instruction, students excel. There's a reason parents hire tutors for struggling students - the one-to-one ration works when it comes to learning. When there is only one (or a handful) of students, there is more attention focused on knowing whether a student understands material or not. If the student doesn't understand something, the parent-teacher can then stick on that topic until mastery is obtained. In the classroom, this is not possible. Teachers need to cover a set curriculum over the course of the year. The converse is true as well, if a student demonstrates mastery quickly, there is no need to have him or her study that topic longer.
I'm an eclectic style homeschooler. I combine the best of both worlds from classical and unschooling philosophies. This may seem like an oxymoron, but I think history is best learned chronologically. My son loves the classics of literature (and no, Shakespeare does not scare him in the least). At the same time, by putting the responsibility for learning in his hands, he has learned to set his own goals (including learning Chinese) and to manage his time. These are key skills homeschoolers are likely to have.
Homeschoolers don't learn to fear tests. They learn how to learn about anything. Even if my son doesn't know what something is, he knows how to find references that will support his learning about that subject. These are key skills for lifelong learning.
The Canadian Study
The Canadian Study, originally reported in The Canadian Journal of Behavioral Health, followed 74 students - 37 were homeschooled and 37 attended public school. The findings showed that while public school kids would test at grade levels, homeschooled children far above grade level. Generally, the homeschooled children would perform at least half a grade ahead when it came to math and two grades ahead when it came to reading. This may sound great - why wouldn't it - but there are some things to keep in mind.
Homeschooling is Not about Competition
When you're homeschooling your child, please try to avoid comparing him or her to other kids! Even if you're teaching a fourth grader reading at a 10th grade level, but his or her friend is reading on an 11th grade level, do not look at homeschooling as a competition. If you start treating learning like a game to be won, for most children, this will take the love of learning out of the activity. When it becomes about besting the members of your homeschooling group, you're losing focus on the real goal: Making sure that the student has the tools he or she needs to be a successful adult.
Really, that's what all schooling is about - it's not about who crosses the finish line first. It's not about who is smarter - your kid or the kid living down the street going to public school each morning. It's about making sure that our children have the tools they need in order to get along in the world. It's good to set goals. It's unhealthy to use your child as a pawn to boost your self-esteem.
Not All Kids Progress at the Same Rate
Don't freak out if your child is "behind" where you think he or she should be. One of the reasons that you're choosing this method of education is that it allows for greater flexibility. This means that you can cater studies to your child. If he or she struggles in spelling, but excels in math, then you can adapt to that! That's the beauty of it. You also have a better understanding of his or her strengths and weaknesses (everyone has them). Don't push your kid just because you want to be ahead. Make sure that at every step of the way, you're focused upon helping your child receive the education he or she needs.
What do you think? Are homeschooled kids smarter? The Canadian study suggested that this was true only in structured homeschools, but do you think unschooled students can also perform well if given a chance?
References
- Image courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1336260
- Krasny, Jill. (Sept. 15, 2011) "Canadian Study Finds That Homeschooled Kids Are Smarter Than Public School Students." Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/structured-homeschool-canada-2011-9
- Villarica, Hans (September 14, 2011) "Study of the Day: Home-Schooled Students Score Higher on Tests." The Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/09/study-of-the-day-home-schooled-children-score-higher-on-tests/245036/
-
75
HOME SCHOOL and the upcoming generation of scientifically illiterate kids
by Terry inwhen i worked for a book store i became familiar with beka text books for home school.. i spoke with the mothers who came looking for them.
i realized something didn't smell right.. then, i realized there are a couple of generations of fundamentalist kids who have had no exposure.
to the scientific method, science facts or any conversancy with physics or biology or history as a result of beka textbooks.. in a nutshell here is the situation:.
-
-
shadow
http://blog.writeathome.com/index.php/2012/03/homeschool-vs-public-school-statistics-infographic/
Home / Blog / Homeschool vs Public School Statistics Infographic
Homeschool vs Public School Statistics Infographic
Posted on: 03-21-2012 by: Brian Wasko
I realize that not all WriteAtHome students, and certainly not all of our regular blog visitors, are homeschoolers, but the great majority of WriteAtHome families choose to educate at home. I thought, therefore, that you would appreciate this new infographic from the folks at College@Home.
The two parts I found most interesting are–
- the statistics that show neither household income nor the amount spent on homeschooling has any significant effect on student success, and
- the “socialization” score that places homeschoolers much higher than public schoolers. I’m curious about how they measure that, by the way.
It’s not that I’m surprised that homeschoolers are better “socialized,” since I can’t think of an institution that, generally speaking, does a poorer job of socializing than public high schools (at least from my experience).
I’d love to hear what you think about this!
Help Students Write Better with WriteAtHome!
-
75
HOME SCHOOL and the upcoming generation of scientifically illiterate kids
by Terry inwhen i worked for a book store i became familiar with beka text books for home school.. i spoke with the mothers who came looking for them.
i realized something didn't smell right.. then, i realized there are a couple of generations of fundamentalist kids who have had no exposure.
to the scientific method, science facts or any conversancy with physics or biology or history as a result of beka textbooks.. in a nutshell here is the situation:.
-
-
shadow
The article I posted had a few nuggets of objective data. The majority of comments are anecdotal and completely invalid for any "scientific" discussion of the topic.
-
75
HOME SCHOOL and the upcoming generation of scientifically illiterate kids
by Terry inwhen i worked for a book store i became familiar with beka text books for home school.. i spoke with the mothers who came looking for them.
i realized something didn't smell right.. then, i realized there are a couple of generations of fundamentalist kids who have had no exposure.
to the scientific method, science facts or any conversancy with physics or biology or history as a result of beka textbooks.. in a nutshell here is the situation:.
-
-
shadow
Ironic that a post about being scientifically literate fails so miserably at even the most rudimentary level of using scientific methods.
Homeschooled Students Well-Prepared For College, Study Finds
| Posted: 06/01/2012 11:35 am Updated: 06/01/2012 11:35 am
1,005
36
218
61
Get Teen Newsletters:
Subscribe
React:
Amazing Inspiring Funny Scary Hot Crazy Important Weird
Follow:
College Admissions , Getting Into College, College, College Prep, High School Graduation, High School News, Home Schooling, Homeschools, Us News And World Report, Teen News
By Kelsey Sheehy
Between deciphering college financial aid awards and settling into a shoe-box sized dorm room with a perfect stranger or two, making the move from high school to college can be a shock to the system for even the most put-together teenager.
The transition, many may assume, would be even more jarring for students coming from a home-schooled environment.
"Transitioning from home school to college can be a daunting experience, especially with the lack of socialization that is associated with home schooling," says Los Angeles-based therapist Karen Hylen, who counsels people she says have not made the transition successfully.
But parents and students from the home-schooling community say the nontraditional method yields teens that are more independent and therefore better prepared for college life.
More than 2 million U.S. students in grades K-12 were home-schooled in 2010, accounting for nearly four percent of all school-aged children, according to the National Home Education Research Institute. Studies suggest that those who go on to college will outperform their peers.
Students coming from a home school graduated college at a higher rate than their peers -- 66.7 percent compared to 57.5 percent -- and earned higher grade point averages along the way, according to a study that compared students at one doctoral university from 2004-2009.
They're also better socialized than most high school students, says Joe Kelly, an author and parenting expert who home-schooled his twin daughters.
"I know that sounds counterintuitive because they're not around dozens or hundreds of other kids every day, but I would argue that's why they're better socialized," Kelly says. "Many home-schoolers play on athletic teams, but they're also interactive with students of different ages."
Home-schooled students often spend less time in class, Kelly says, giving them more opportunity to get out into the world and engage with adults and teens alike.
"The socialization thing is really a nonissue for most home schoolers," he says. "They're getting a lot of it."
Jesse Orlowski seconds Kelly's sentiment.
Home schooled from the age of three, the 18-year-old San Diego native played baseball for two years in high school, started a flag football league, is a "big fan" of swing dancing, and is an active street performer.
"I had a lot of time to pursue outside interests… to really zone in on things," Orlowski says. "If I wanted to make something happen I usually could, with a little wiggle room."
Extracurricular activities were not the only opportunities Orlowski seized. The flexibility of home schooling allowed him to focus on his passions: math and science.
As a junior, Orlowski convinced a physics professor at San Diego State University to let him sit in on an upper-level electrodynamics class. He later helped that professor with research projects.
"I can go out and say, 'OK, what class do I want to take, from what professor, at what college in San Diego?' and then I just go out and try and contact them," he says. "Most people would be skeptical at first and then I'd meet with them and they'd say, 'Alright, let's give this a try.'"
Orlowski enlisted the help of admissions counselor and author Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz, who previously worked in the office of the dean of students at Stanford University, to help craft his home-schooling experience into a high school transcript.
[Ask these questions at freshman orientation.]
Home-schooled students often choose academic and social pursuits because they find them important and meaningful, and college admissions officers are drawn to that authenticity, Shaevitz says.
"They have to take account of time… that other students have structured," she says. "The possibilities of showing all the kinds of things that colleges are looking for -- curiosity, confidence, resourcefulness, ability to deal with challenges -- you name it. That's a part of being a home-schooled student."
Rather than a hindrance, home-schooling was an asset, Orlowski says, one that landed him acceptance into 10 top-tier schools, including Princeton University, Vanderbilt University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Orlowski will attend MIT in the fall and plans a double major in math and physics. His advice to other home-schooled teens:
"The flexibility that home-schooling gives you, you can leverage that into getting all sorts of opportunities," he says. "Seize the day by using home-schooling as a springboard to college admissions."
-
25
Mr. Pierce...Mr. Pierce...Mr. Pierce... Mr. Guy Pierce
by confusedandalone ina few minuites ago talking to my sister who is finally seeing the watchtower for what it is and is scrutinizing it alot brought something to myu attention that troubled my longtime jw mother dearly.
she said after reading the article about the death of guy pierce she noticed that they never refered to him as brother pirce.
she said everytime they mentioned his name they refered to him as mr. pierce.. .
-
-
-
19
newspaper is now naming names in OKLA cover up
by Jack Miller innewspaper now publicly names one of the local elders that covered up child abuse.
it is same elder that wt glorified before because of his work at nasa.. .
http://m.mcalesternews.com/mcalester/db_291911/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=3taku8gs.
-
-
shadow
Too bad that reporter did not post scans of letters
