Archive for category Various Essays for Homeschool Parents
High School Transcript: Congressional Award
Posted by Diane in Various Essays for Homeschool Parents on June 1st, 2010
As a homeschooling family with two high school kids, we know that free time is at a premium. Consequently, we have been very intentional about crafting the high school transcript so that (1) the choices we make reflect each child’s unique talents, gifts, and passions and (2) we find activities that we can do together. A friend told me about the Congressional Award a few years ago, and although it is a lot of work, it meets both criteria for a high school transcript winner!
Would you like to learn more about how to use the Congressional Award in making that homeschool high school transcript zing? You can find my article, “From Transcript to Transformation,” on page 16 of the June 2010 issue of Heart of the Matter Online (Focus on High School) which details my experience with the Congressional Award, so go have a look. And here’s my personal recommendation: don’t wait until high school to start accumulating your community service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition hours. A fourteen year old qualifies, so go on and start now.
Even if you are not homeschooling high school yet, you’ll want to visit the Heart of the Matter website because there are tons of helpful homeschooling resources as well as live homeschool conferences which will meet your needs whether you are homeschooling a toddler or a high school teen. In fact, Heart of the Matter is one of my favorite websites for fresh, timely homeschooling resources. Enjoy!
A Last Home School Hurrah
Posted by Diane in Various Essays for Homeschool Parents on May 25th, 2010
For all of you wonderful moms who are so busy with the daily rigors of homeschooling, here’s a little peek at the future that is sure to encourage you. Written by my good friend, Pennie Gelwicks, who just graduated from The King’s College in Manhattan…(you might want to go get the kleenex now)…enjoy!
* * * * *
A bright, hot New York City summer is commencing without me, and it’s okay. I’ll be there soon enough. I graduated from college in New York a little over two weeks ago. Right now, I’m in the Midwest for a few weeks, jumping in on a myriad of family events and celebrations, and enjoying the AC while I can (we have none in my apartment). Last week, it was a wedding in Cleveland with my boyfriend, this week, my brother graduated from high school, and next week is the Indy 500. The next week, my sister returns from doing medical work in Togo, then we’re going to Virginia Beach for my brother to compete in nationals for speech and debate. I’ll take a bus up the coast back to NYC in time for my internship to start.
Yesterday was my brother Roger’s open house graduation party. The most conservative estimate is that there were about 150 people there. We still have fruit, corn chips, and three Cost-co size bags of pita chips left over. Celebrating milestones and witnessing ceremony are two of my favorite pastimes, also, pita chips and hummus are generally what I live on. It’s been a good three weekends.
It was a bittersweet time for my family because Roger is our youngest, so we all feel like we’re graduating from the world of homeschooling- and believe me, it is a whole world. As much as I like to poke fun sometimes at the quirks and hang-ups of the homeschooling subculture, I willingly affirm that after this week, I’m so proud to have been homeschooled.
Roger’s open house wasn’t just the typical collection of relatives in the house and cluster of peers in attendance, though both were there. It was a parade of entire families who are friends with my entire family, adults who have invested enormously in Roger either through our homeschooling cooperative, church, AWANA, or 4-H. Most of them also invested in me in the same ways- several commented that they’d been to all three open houses for us kids. One family we are close to volunteered to do set-up and keep abreast of all the food through the whole party so we could focus on mingling with everyone.
Earlier this week, I went to a homeschool production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” which, I must say, was just as high-quality as any high school play I’ve ever seen. I caught up with three old friends there watching the play- one has started her own photography business, another is doing ministry in Colorado, one is in pre-med at Vanderbilt. The audience was teeming with small children, and every last one was quiet and attentive through the entire performance.
Also this week, I went to a homeschool graduation ceremony for a homeschool co-op with 5 graduates. I made it for the tail end, just in time to hear one of the dads talk about his twin sons from the stage as he handed them their diplomas. He spoke of how both boys were interested first and foremost in being servants of Christ, in being men who love the Bible and live a life of faith. He spoke about his sons’ strong character and maturity. I remembered these twins from when Roger played in a basketball league with them years ago. Another graduate was from our 4-H club. Another had been a friend from AWANA.
The cooperative was called Iron Sharpens Iron, drawing from Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” An appropriate name, for in my homeschooling experience, such sharpening is allowed to happen over the long haul and through many different avenues. I don’t agree with everyone about everything, to be sure, and some think I’m a little crazy for living in New York City. We all agree that being countercultural is hard, and I can only pray that one day my children could have a community this vibrant and enriching as they pursue an uncommon life of faith no matter where we live.
* * * * *
So don’t give up, Mom! Look what awaits you at the end of the homeschooling journey. If you are interested in The King’s College, Pennie highly recommends it, and I understand that about 1/3 of the student population is former homeschool students.
This Course Will Rock Your World!
Posted by Diane in Various Essays for Homeschool Parents on May 20th, 2010
For those of you who are looking for the very best christian homeschooling resources for your older high school students, I cannot think of a better course than Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. Perspectives appears to be a 15 week course, but in reality, Perspectives is much more than a high school course for credit. Perspectives is a movement of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of those who are courageous enough to accept the invitation to join the Living God in His pursuit of all the nations! This course will ROCK your world!
I have a lot of experience with Perspectives. I took the course for certificate back in 2000, and David and I were so profoundly moved by the course that we served on the host team in Lexington, Kentucky for three years. I personally know how life-changing this class can be…after Perspectives, the Lockmans accepted invitations to serve in Estonia, India, Kenya, the U.K., and Peru! Currently, we partner with missionaries in Tajikistan and Peru who are actively planting churches and translating Scripture. And one day, we pray we’ll get to Zambia to help out the private school in Alfred and Muumbe’s home.
Don’t be surprised if the Lord suddenly shifts your thinking from ordinary to extraordinary! He completely opened my eyes to the fact that missions is not just one of many ministries of the Church. Mission is the primary focus of the Church. The Lord showed me that since the call in Genesis 11 of Abraham to be a blessing, He has been about the task of (1) overcoming evil so that He could (2) redeem children from all the nations to (3) worship and glorify Him for all eternity.
You and your high school student can take the course online or in person at one of many locations around the country. This fall, Meredith will be taking it for transcript credit. You could easily substitute Perspectives for a worldview credit, call it an elective, or allocate partial credit across biblical studies, Church history, and cultural studies.
Next week, I will be hosting a live web conference to tell you all about the Indianapolis course which runs from August 24-December 7 on Tuesday nights at Church at the Crossing (Keystone and I-465). As grading coordinator, I am happy to report that we have made optional arrangements for your high school senior to receive dual credit through Geneva College. Look for the email invitation next week, and please join me if you can!
* * * * *
If you live in the Indianapolis area and would like to register for the fall 2010 Perspectives course, you can save $ 40 if you enroll before June 30. Registration is open. If you are interested in the course and don’t live in Indy, just click on the map to find a class in your area. Online classes are also an option. Let the nations rejoice!
Unschooling Without Books, Tests, or Classes
Posted by Diane in Various Essays for Homeschool Parents on May 17th, 2010
Alas! I just watched an ABC News segment presented on Good Morning America about unschooling as a homeschooling philosophy without books, tests, or classes. Needless to say, it caused me to cringe. Although the reporter, Mrs. Chang, does not appear militantly opposed to homeschooling in general, she does selectively emphasize the lack of discipline in two unschooling families which she then uses to logically seque to the questions on everyone’s minds begging to be asked: Is unschooling a good idea? Is unschooling as a homeschooling option legal? Mrs. Chang then displays a map of the United States coded by degrees of state regulation and leaves the audience wondering if it isn’t in the best interests of the child and the nation to standardize homeschooling regulations in general.
Unfortunately, the two teens that she interviewed projected an awkward and insecure demeanor which naturally made you wonder how they could possibly set their own course for enlightened self-education. I know some Christian unschooling families who would have presented a much better picture of unschooling. Sigh! I just wish ABC News would interview some of the Christian homeschooling teens in my Indy REJO!CE speech and debate club. The American public would see a completely different side of homeschooling which would knock their socks off and give them hope about what we are doing in the Christian homeschooling movement!
* * * * *
Have you seen the ABC News video yet? If not, you can watch it now. What is your reaction? I didn’t see any indication that the two families were Christian, so if you are pursuing a Christian unschooling philosophy, please give us your perspective. Leave a comment below so that we can process this report on unschooling without books, tests, or classes.
If You Want to Be Great, Serve the Least
Posted by Diane in Various Essays for Homeschool Parents on May 11th, 2010
On March 12, 2010, my wonderful husband and Indy REJO!CE debate coach, David Lockman, delivered the following devotion to 230 Christian homeschooling speech and debate competitors and their parents at the NCFCA (National Christian Forensics and Communication Association) Region 6 – Indianapolis Qualifying Tournament. The message is based on Mark 9:33-37 where Jesus confronts the disciples about an ongoing debate that they were having. I hope you enjoy!
A despondent guy stood on a bridge about to jump. Someone saw him and yelled, “Don’t do it!”
He said, “Nobody loves me.”
The person said, “God loves you. Do you believe in God?”
He said, “Yes.”
“Are you a Christian or a Jew?”
He said, “A Christian.”
“Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?”
He said, “Protestant.”
“Me, too! What denomination?”
He said, “Baptist.”
“Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”
He said, “Northern Baptist.”
“Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”
“Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.”
“Me, too!” Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”
“Aw jump, you heretic!”
Is this the type of debate that the disciples were having on the road? Trying to distill the characteristics of the greatest that would eventually eliminate them until only one was left standing? The form of the resolution was simple,
“Resolved: that I, [state your name], am the greatest.”
How does one judge such a debate? What are the criteria for establishing a winner? Notice the ambiguity of the resolution. Greatest what? At least a noun would help construct a context, but it is obviously missing.
Of course, the disciples are not so different than us, are they? Isn’t an overarching theme of any debate and speech tournament the discovery of the greatest through competition? What’s our currency for establishing the greatest? Is it speaker points? Ranking in the tournament? Making the out rounds? Best overall? Highest number of picket fences? We adults have our own currency for deciding this personally important issue as well. Annual compensation, position in a company or firm, size of house, or quality of our rides, are all criteria submitted for our place in the pecking order. Even the lowly Christian homeschooling mom puffs out her chest and cackles like hen that has just laid an egg to present her children as evidence of her place in this debate. The looks, the grace, the achievements, and the irrefutable potential of her children are all stellar exhibits of greatness.
Ludicrous, that such a debate could even take place in the presence of Jesus. Yet, wasn’t Jesus partially responsible for this debacle? He did not emphasize that the Son of Man was king of all nations. Instead, he taught “that the Son of Man would be delivered into the hands of men and they will kill him, and when he is killed, after three days, he will rise.” Such teaching was beyond their comprehension and even though the source of clarity was less than a spoken word away, they clung to their lack of understanding and feared approaching Jesus on the topic. Why? Was Jesus imposing? Was He an overbearing intellectual task master who ridiculed those without ears to hear and those without eyes to see?
Of course, not. Look at his response to the farce of a debate that had derailed the disciples from focusing on the lesson Jesus was teaching them regarding the Son of Man. A direct question, “What were you debating on the road?” Well, what were we debating on the road this morning? Does Jesus need to ask? Not really, but he wants us to acknowledge our debate. Can we speak it here in the presence of the assembled Christian homeschooling community? Or would we rather join the disciples in their sheepish silence?
Despite the awkward silence, Jesus did not think these disciples were incapable of learning, though what encouraged him to think so optimistically of the group is not immediately apparent from the text. How do we know he thought them worthy of his teaching? He sat down. With that action, he assumed the posture of a teacher with his students. Rabbis sat amongst their disciples to teach. He also revealed a form of exclusion had already occurred in the community of his disciples because he called the twelve. The twelve were a group that had been set apart not for anything they had done, but because he had called them. A special place had been given to them because Jesus had shared with them his authority to cast out demons and heal illnesses and had sent them on a mission to exercise this authority. They returned from that mission with news of all they had done and taught. They had been separated from the larger group of disciples, but the burning question of the day appears to have been,
“Which one was the greatest?”
Distinctions are present in our community here today as well. Into outrounds, some have been relegated to audience-only roles. In a few minutes when the “breaks” are announced, some more of us will join their ranks. Others will anxiously rejoin the fray to present their evidence that “I [state your name] am the greatest.” In the heat of this debate, Jesus interjects some winning advice,
“If anyone desires to be first,
he will be last of all and servant of all.”
How broad is this reach of all? Jesus demonstrates its reach: he receives a child, puts him or her in their midst and takes the child in his arms. The act looks relatively harmless, but in first century Palestine making oneself a servant of a child was absurd. Yet Jesus underlines the point, “Whoever receives one such child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me, but the one who sent me.” The implication is clear. God’s authority demands that the least be included in the community and that they be served. Want to be the greatest in the community? Consider yourself to be the last in community. Exclude none from the circle that can ask you for service. Do you want to debate who is the greatest? It’s OK. Jesus doesn’t cut off the debate. He simply establishes the criteria for the debate and any evidence not meeting these criteria is irrelevant.
How significant is this winning advice? It is game changing. Those who arrived today thinking there was nothing for them to do, but move chairs, help clean up, and listen politely to those anxiously awaiting the next posting, can now understand that the real debate is not over. They are not excluded because the debate is not about U.S. federal government environmental policy. It is not about the most articulate person or team. It is not about who is the most persuasive, the most erudite apologetic, or the wittiest improvisational speaker. But it is about competition and cooperation. Who will cooperate with Jesus to allow him to give us a clean heart, wide arms, and a courageous view of community? Will we swallow our pride and serve all? The awards ceremony tonight establishes nothing of lasting value. The biggest winners of today may receive no medal, certificate, or applause. No, the one who desires to be first, will be last today and servant of all.
The rescuer on the bridge had a narrow view about the community that God loved and failed to serve when, by his standards, he was able to exclude the despondent man from his community. Jesus, on the other hand, challenges Christian homeschooling students and parents to open our arms to receive and to serve the least in our community. Who is ready for that competition?
