Homeschool Weirdos! Yep, we have those.

Homeschoolers are weird. This is probably the most common phrase regarding our lifestyle choice and it's also the most common UNtruth. But don't take my word for it, see it for yourself. 

The kids and I have been talking about what we'll do in June when they finish their experiment public school year, all the things we'll do over the summer and what our schooling will look like next year as we look forward to retirement from the Navy. One of the things they decided was joining the ranks of YouTubers. Not wanting to wait until school was out, they decided to start making video's now.

They wanted to let people know what homeschoolers get to do all day. How we learn by doing and exploring and experiencing the world. 

We started as fairly regular homeschoolers with a very Montessori flair. I'm certified in the Montessori method and have years of education experience so I knew just what to do when we started this 'homeschooling' thing. 

Famous last words.

Each year we continued homeschooling, following our kids to what they wanted to learn and love (as Montessori does), I realized that we are way more UNschoolers than anything else. 

We learn about whales by going to the coast and whale watching after a bit of library research. We explored building and mathematics and following instructions at Lego School. We learned about the rainforest by hiking in it and seeing it first hand. 

These are the experiences that my children thrive in and beg for. So when they said they wanted to start making YouTube videos... you bet I was on board.

They made a list of ten different episode ideas, then gave each episode a list of materials it might need. We sat down and gave each episode a 'budget' and discussed using it wisely. We talked about making videos with no cost to save up for a video with more materials. 

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Yeah, it's 'school'. 

Each episode requires such planning and organization, when I involve them in it, they learn. Learn by doing and being responsible and planning and even editing.

Yes, you read that right. 

#WestWind is the editor. I record them (like, I actually push the record button... go me!). We decided this would be best, as them watching themselves in selfie mode would just be disastrous. Then I upload the clips and she takes over in iMovie. 

She LOVES it. After working all day at school, asking to edit is the first request when she gets home. If there aren't episodes to edit, she is actually sad. She has learned about royalty free music and where to obtain it. She has leaned about cutting out 'dead air' and watching for when her brother might feel the need to scratch himself (ahhhh), so she can cut that out too. No one wants to see it ;)

The aforementioned brother? #FlyBoy is a natural in timing and poise. He knows just how to move the video along and sign off when everything is done. The youngest? #MoonSeeker is just an adorable addition for now. But don't you worry! She's working on her own segments too, you'll see. 

Do you have weird homeschoolers? 

What are they doing lately?

How are they learning and loving it?

ING

!jen

Bishop Museum? Yes Please!

Quick Tips.

**Located at 1525 Bernice St, Honolulu, HI 96817, the Bishop Museum is close to town and still easy to get to as it's right off the free way. 
**I believe parking is now paid, so be prepared for that. There is a main lot to the left of the entrance gate and a secondary lot if you follow the road to the right after the entrance gate.
**If you get a membership, it includes a parking pass, I believe.
**After a day's fun is done, you can put your ticket purchase toward a membership. So save your receipt.
**The gift shop can help you with daily stickers after you're a member if the ticket window has a long line.
**The gift shop also always has a few items themed to the changing exhibit.
**The cafe is fabulous!! We liked planning our trip for first thing in the morning and eating before we headed home.
**Before the cafe opened (and sometimes still after it had opened), we packed a lunch and ate on the grass, or tables or ramada.

Shortly after arriving on Oahu, my brother and sister in law gifted my kids (and lets be honest, ALL of us) with a family pass to the Bishop Museum. We have seen every exhibit over the last 2 years. Every. One.

My kids never tired of going, even the exhibits that didn't change were always a big hit. The psychedelic tunnel of Hawaiian creation, the volcano, the lava, the wind experiments, and the stage with bug costumes...the giant whale with the half exposed skeleton! never gets old.

The changing exhibits were ALSO amazing.
The very first one we saw was the Roller Coaster exhibit, possibly the best exhibit I've seen at a museum, ever.

But since all those pictures were on a hard drive stolen from our old house... I'll just give a nice Bishop Museum overview.

Comprised, largely, of 4 exhibit buildings, and a massive central lawn, it's never a bad day when you visit.

The entrance is a good place to start (hehehe, get it?). 

So in this building is the: J. Watumull Planetarium. 

We've seen several of the shows available there (not all because we usually have a the baby and chancing it is always out voted). But the few we HAVE seen were SO fabulous. The kids loved them and I learned a few things too. Also, while waiting for the show, there are a few hands on activities regarding the planet. My kids are a big fan of the 'sand pit'. They move the sand around to create valleys and peaks and then hold their hands over spots to make it rain. This activity uses a thermal sensor... maybe. Now that I think of it I'm not sure what the camera is that hangs above the sand pit. Way To Go Blogger. nice research ;) 

Hawaiian Hall

This hall has an amazing display of royal Hawaiian artifacts. Head dresses, paintings, jewelry. Very impressive to see.

Across from the artifacts, is a changing exhibit room. Last time we were there, it was all about birds of Hawaii. Native and invasive species, how to identify them, how to assist in population efforts, lots of neat information and a few interactive elements. 

Continue through this room and you come to the "The Realms of Hawaiian Hall". This three story exhibit follows many years and areas of Hawaiian history. Not a nook or cranny is left uninformed. 

 

The Pacific Hall

Attached to the Hawaiian Hall, this two story exhibit focuses on the oceans role in the islands of the entire Pacific. Again, every nook and cranny is full of information and there are a few hands on activities that explore boats and clothing. 

MAN! were they excited when the sign said "Please" touch.

Paki Hall

As I'm going over the map... I realize, I don't think we ever went in that hall. I assumed it was offices and such. So someone go there and let me know. Mahalo Plenty!

Castle Memorial Building

THIS is where we spent most of the last 2 years. It's the location of the changing exhibits. The roller coasters were here, then dinosaurs, then World of Wearable Art, then Candy, then Sharks... non-stop fun for my kiddos and their homeschooling friends. 

Hale Ikehu

This is a great little ramada. We have met here for a story with our co-op. We have eaten here when it starts to rain a bit. A nice little resting spot.

Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center

Explore wind, lava, volcanoes, wildlife, Hawaiian creation, Earth and Water relations and take a break at the stage upstairs. This kids put on costumes and play out invasive species taking over or being thwarted by the "good guys". My kids love the costumes!

Hangin' on the Goose outside the Science Center

That's all the Halls. I hope you're able to enjoy some time at the Bishop Museum and by 'some time' I mean two entire years like we did ;)

ING

!jen

Scholastic News at Home

Scholastic News at Home

I’m Homeschooling…. Now What??

Our journey to and through homeschooling has been quite, well, Tumultuous. My oldest just turned nine, in public school, she’d be starting 4th grade in August. Here at home? She’s reading at a 6th grade level, playing with numbers on lots of levels in many operations and still counting on her fingers at times. Her little brother will be five next week and we’ve been officially doing preschool at home since he was 2. He LOVES to listen to audio books (another blog on this later), counts about average for his age, and until recently, couldn’t care less about the sounds letters made. My youngest will be two next month, is already counting quantity to 5 and loves to practice letter sounds. These are simply facts. I care much more about their personality, kindness, compassion, daily living skills and willingness to help others. Even with academics not being MY priority… as I follow my children, academics happen and I roll with them. 

Such was the case with Scholastic News.

In our first year, I was SO torn over not being able to offer my daughter the full scope of Montessori materials for her age that I started her in a Montessori Homeschool Co-op. It was a beautiful blessing! Her teachers were right after my own (Montessori) heart and they were fabulous, beautiful people. They offered a subscription for Scholastic News. It was like $8 for the year, so why would I NOT?? Scholastic News started coming home with her. She’d read a bit on the way home and then pile them in her room. After a few months we had a ginormous stack and I couldn’t bring myself to just toss them. So we read a few together and I saw how AMAZING they were. 

As far as I can tell, you order them in ‘class’ amounts. So maybe I’ll have to get a group of homeschoolers together when we move to keep this going ;)

Anyway, they had a predicable format, quizzes at the end for comprehension, and links for videos online to further knowledge.  

Front covers with great images really catch her attention. even in subjects I wouldn't think she's care about.

Fun short stories to get her thinking, interested and engaged.

So I, being the tech savvy, Montessorian that I am, saw opportunity. I looked over a few scholastics and created a worksheet for my daughter to fill out while/after reading each one. 

Click 

on 

the 

picture 

to 

download 

it 

for 

FREE! 

:) 

She did these intermittently for a while. As part of lots of different options to her school day. Now, she does them as her ‘days work’ when we have a co-op event, field trip, or other learning opportunity that takes us out of the house for most of the day. She’ll do her Scholastic news before we leave or after we get back. 

It’s easy to see when our kids encounter things they love. It’s also easy to see when those things are helping develop their ‘thinking brains’, as we say in our house. But it’s not always easy to see how we, as parents, can help them take it a step further. 

I’ll eventually blog on a few other things; ‘games’, that we’ve incorporated into our homeschool routine at different points over the past few years. Oh, and side note? On non-outing days she’s currently working through a self guided workbook that she loves. So Scholastic News is not the only thing we’re doing right now. We live an eclectic life and thus our schooling has the same philosophy.

ING

!jen