Posts Tagged christian homeschooling
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!
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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!
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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?
Authentic Classical Homeschooling Primer
Posted by Diane in Personalized Homeschool Curriculum on March 11th, 2008
Why should parents consider the authentic classical homeschooling option? Here is a quick primer on the very best home education Western Civilization has to offer.
The Long Track Record Predicts Success
Western Civilization was built on this model in that leaders were classically educated. Classical education dates back to Greece, and Rome. Medieval Europeans, especially leaders of the Christian Church, were classically educated as were the founders of the American Republic. During the 19th century, the U. S. immigration population soared, and the common school movement was born which effectively obliterated classical education in the United States by the beginning of the 20th century. With the exception of a minute group of homeschoolers, our nation’s leaders are now being trained on the public school conveyor-belt which teaches children what to think and not how to think. This education tradition successfully raised leaders for nearly three millenia.
The Skills are Simple to Teach
The classical homeschooling renewal movement is still in its infancy, and many variations in practice exist like the classical variations of Charlotte Mason, Susan Wise Bauer, and Oliver Van DeMille. In the excitement to embrace classical homeschooling, many parents jump right in without really thinking about what distinguishes classical education from other viable homeschooling methods. For example, some would tell you that classical languages like Latin are a critical component of a classical education (more on my opinion of this in a later post!), but the content of classical homeschooling is not nearly as important as the methods by which the content is taught. The three skills of the classical trivium provide structure for organizing content while socratic dialogue and inductive reasoning provide the tools by which to understand the content. Teaching three skills (language, thought, and speech) is relatively simple, and mentoring teens during high school prepares them for leadership.
The Curriculum is Entirely Customized
Authentic classical Christian homeschooling is not as difficult as many people believe it to be. In fact, when you know your main objectives, classical homeschooling can be extremely freeing and relaxing while still rigorously challenging both parents and children. Teach three skills to substantial mastery during the early years (language, thought, and speech) and let socratic dialogue drive the instruction during the homeschool high school years as the parent mentors the teen in the acquisition of knowledge. Once the three skills are mastered (the trivium), the parent can tailor the homeschool curriculum to meet the specific interests and abilities of the high school student (the socratic paideia). How you get to mastery of the three skills and acquisition of knowledge by specific discipline is entirely up to you. Complete customization of the homeschool curriculum is possible.
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So considering the long history of successfully raising leaders, the simplicity of the teaching, and the potential to completely customize the homeschool curriculum, what homeschool parent would pass on the incredible privilege of authentic classical homeschooling? For more details, consult Trivium Mastery: the Intersection of Three Roads and Socratic Paideia: Dialogue Drives Instruction.
How Busy Dads Can Participate in Homeschool Teaching
Posted by Diane in Personalized Homeschool Curriculum on November 27th, 2007
The number of home school moms who are actively involved in the daily academic routine of their kids is disproportionately higher than the number of homeschool dads who are involved in the same activities on a daily basis. Shocking revelation? Not really. If you’ve ever been to a homeschooling convention or participated in a home school cooperative, you’ve probably noticed that the parent more frequently in attendance is a mom. Although our culture’s position on this is changing, for our generation, men were raised to assume the roles of provider for and protector of the family, and this is good. However, unless the dad works at home, he is physically absent for most of the day making a living for his family while the homeschool mom stays home to take care of the kids.
I couldn’t find any hard statistics to support my premise, but we all know that in the United States, the modern homeschooling movement has been primarily carried by the women. Now don’t get excited…that’s not to say that our supportive husbands have not been bolstering us, encouraging us, and equipping us behind the scenes. In fact, I would suggest that within the Christian homeschooling community, most men believe that as head of the household, the education of their children is ultimately and finally their responsibility. I read a homeschooling Dad’s comment once that he was “just as responsible, just not as available.” As such, it takes a creative Dad to overcome the demands of a busy career to impart knowledge and wisdom to his children on a regular basis.
Classical scholars reject the traditional educational paradigm which states that learning begins and ends with the “school” day. Learning can happen at any time of the day or night, weekends included, in any circumstances (It’s really important to drive home this point when the kids are young or they might resent instruction on the weekends when they get older.) This is where Dad needs to be creative with instruction and take every chance he gets. (I know you’re tired, Dad, after a long day of work, but if you are alert to teaching opportunities, your brief interludes can yield multiple results!)
My husband, David, manages to creatively squeeze instruction into normal conversations with the kids by seeing every topic as a springboard for further review and learning. For instance, last week, I took notes during our morning Bible time reading the book of 1 Kings at the kitchen table just to show you how he covered more meaningful content in 45 minutes than I sometimes do in a day!
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Here’s the scoop. Although King David wanted to build Yahweh a house, the Lord told David no; his son, Solomon, would build the Temple in Jerusalem. The passage in 1 Kings goes into a lot of detail about the construction, and when we came across the measurement “cubit,” we checked the footnote to see how that converted to inches. Well, it turns out that a cubit is 18 inches in length, so David told our 13 year old to go to the whiteboard and perfom some “real-live” math. Connor groaned, but he knew what was coming because he’s used to our mantra that “all of life is learning.” He began calculating, and soon shared with us the dimensions of the Temple in length, width, and height. Well, that wasn’t too bad…after all these were linear dimensions and straight multiplication. Connor sat back down. But then, we read the next section which described the circumference of the pillars. Uh oh. Connor knew what was coming. David launched into a mathematical discussion of pi and the Greek philosophy behind their fascination with this unique number, and soon Connor was recalling the formula for circumference and calculating the pillar measurement.
During the course of our reading that morning, David used Socratic Dialogue (ask leading questions…don’t tell them the answer) to explore the following additional areas of learning that came straight out of the text:
- Literary analysis – David likes to closely read the text, so we talked about construction of the passage and how the writer made a general statement then went on to particularize that statement with details
- Religion – The writer mentions 2 pagans: Solomon’s Egyptian wife and King Hiram of Tyre who provided the cypress wood for construction of the Temple, so we briefly talked about the possible pagan influence especially the cows used in the Temple “bath” (the basin filled with water for offerings.) This bath was sitting on 12 oxen sculptures. Cows were worshipped in Egypt and Tyre as fertility gods. Remember the golden calf of the Exodus?
- History – Bronze is used in the Temple utensils, so we had a quick history on dating the text through the observance of weapons and tools (Bronze Age versus Iron Age)
Now none of that teaching was preplanned. My husband does it ALL the time. (The kids are always on the spot when Dad is home.) He just pays attention to what’s going on at the moment and uses what he already knows to lead a discussion. Sometimes he explains, but more often, he asks questions then explains. Dad can use all of life to teach and participate in the home school…whether he is playing racquetball with the kids, changing a tire, cutting firewood, or reading Scripture. All it takes is a Dad who is a lifelong learner and alert to the possibilities for learning.
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Dad’s involvement is only one of the 7 essential elements of a classical Christian homeschool. Learn more by clicking on the link.
