Exploring music

At Troubador and exploring instruments today. Planting seeds.

Weekly update from Dad

Still getting into the routine of Weekly updates here.  This is a supplement to Time4Learning and really here to share content beyond online learning materials.

Some comments on Tilden's transition:

Grades are new.  Quiz scores are low in some areas because he's still learning that grades are how we rate our mastery of content.  This is in stark contrast to the prior years at Waldorf, where information was shared to build capacity, and less about building structured content retention.  I expect this transition to take some time.

Self regulation of educational materials is new.  He gets to pick his T4L which activities he does in a day so long as his weekly quota is filled.  This is a trial to see how he does being more autonomous, where he accelerates and where he encounters trouble.  What I'm finding is that Science is much more dense reading and loses him almost right away.  And math has some holes.

So I'm considering this:

1. disengaging from the weekly parsed material that T4L automatically generates when you purpose the year's beginning and end dates and 
2. pushing harder on the T4L language arts, 
3. going back to his 3rd grade workbook, and 
4. pushing off T4L science off for a few months.
5. adding a foreign language component:  latin or spanish

Overall things are good.  I'm focused on a nice transition to homeschooling with T4L 5 days a week as the core along with 90 min of reading EVERY day.  He seems to like the idea of online school more than a workbook.  He's enjoying the added free time it avails him to explore other interests.  He does enjoy youtube more these days and we are closely getting to the point where he can write a report for his eportfolio on everything he watches.

Also, we are slowly getting there but the plan is to map all the places we explore in Oregon and blog what we see and learn.  I want him to learn how to travel - navigate, research, explore interest, budget, reflect on the adventure...  

Wonder and Wander

Nice time with new peeps. Tilden is the oldest boy and a little unsure, but he seemed to enjoy helping youngers and is happy to play dog tail chase with Everyone.

We learned about the history of Beizel Park and some of the natural forest there - it's main focus is a managed forest.

Property Changes science lesson

TLG is challenged with much of the science educational material from T4L, primarily because the words are complex and reading is pretty dense. But also because the quizzes are about grading performance - something new from prior Waldorf years.

So Granny decided to share a project from today's lesson. Below is her capture of the experience. Check out that kids face as he sees how exciting science can be!!!

Appreciating outdoors, Fall Colors all on his mobile balance board.

YouTube show - 10 People who Fell into Animal Enclosures at Zoos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkvs6fdTQH4

This is not Rated R.  This show doesn't actually show people getting hurt.

I thought this show would let me see how people just fall in.  I thought it was all on accident.  I used to climb rocks and stuff and so I thought that's how they fall in.  One man tried to commit suicide by climbing into a lions cage.  That made me feel sad because that man was sick and then the lions had to be put down as a result.  There was one person that like polar bears a lot.  She didn't realize that it'd be a problem.  The bears were very territorial.  She lived though because the staff pulled her up. In summary it's my feeling that this show helps us know what not to do.  

YouTube program - Top 10 MOST INSANE Pools YOU WONT BELIEVE EXIST!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07QofA2GgpA

I watched this fun show about insane pools.  My favorite one was the one with the catfish in it.  My second favorite one was the one with the heights.  My third one was the one that looked like you were in the pool but actually you weren't.  I liked these three because one of them makes it so that you have to not be affraid of heights.  Another reason was because you had to drop off of a high cliff into the water.  Then there's the one I really like because it's like a mural.  Another I like because it looks like youre in a volcano and it's warm through all 4 seasons.

Weekly update from DAD

Largely this last week has been focused on getting going with Time4Learning as the core cirriculum and getting adjusted in FL.  We are finding lots of extra curricular fun things here at the YMCA and other sources.  We are hoping to connect today with the YMCA homeschooling program and learn from others in our area.  Wish us luck!