SBA Testing Week

Due to traveling last week, the kids were not able to make it to the state standardized (SBA) testing that is required of all homeschooled kids in Alaska. This week was make-up week. Of the 300+ kids in Homer who belong to Connections and took the SBA (I don't know how many of those are in pre-testing grades, but probably not that many), less than 10 were there for the testing make-up days this week. Since my kids missed all three days of testing last week, they showed up for all 3 days of testing this week. Technically they could have taken more than one test each day, but that would have been grueling. Reading was probably the easiest test, and took 1 1/2 hours. Writing took 2 1/2 hours for Denver to complete; he said he was having a lot of fun and got carried away with writing his story. For math both kids only had one problem they weren't sure of the answer but otherwise were confident of how they did; it still took them 1 1/2 hours to complete. Denver took the 4th grade science test the previous week during the scheduled time.

I had to drop them off at 8:45, testing started a 9:00. When they were both done they would call me and I would come pick them up. It works out--I just had to find a place to hang until they were ready.

In the schools the SBA becomes a huge event. Like Aurora said about last year, "My teacher spent 15 minutes just showing us how to fill in the bubbles!" Snacks are provided, notes are sent home to make sure kids are well rested and in school on time for test days, and relaxing events are planned for the afternoons since the kids are so tired from testing for hours. I will admit, both of my generally motivated kids had no desire to do schoolwork the 3 days they did tests. Two of the days I told them to pick any 2 subjects to do, and after 2 1/2 hours of writing on Wednesday I told them they didn't have to do any schoolwork. Both are hard workers and if they are fried, I'm not going to push too hard, especially since both have already finished their math books for their grade level and are ahead of their grade level in most subjects.

So testing is over; now we wait and see how it turned out!

I made them take swimming lessons....

I knew Connections offered swim lessons to kids during the school year and I knew that was going to be one of my non-negotiables. When I told the kids they both protested: "Do we haaaaaave to? Why? I know how to swim!" For 2 months I have listened to their complaints, but last week when they began lessons the complaints suddenly disappeared. Each day when they were done with swim lessons I asked, "How was it?" And each day they both would respond with a solid, "Good!"

Score one for mom (with full support from dad)! Besides it being a relief that they stopped complaining, my joy is twofold. My daughter has a beautiful stroke, and what was just a couple weeks ago a crazy, splashing frenzy is now a smooth, svelte crawl across the pool. And my son is now considering being on the Homer swim club, a well-developed, strong group with regular practices and good coaching. So cool! I am a happy mom. Though I have to admit, part of my happiness right now is that it is over! One hour practices every day of the week for two weeks has gotten old, though it has been great running errands and chatting with other homeschooling parents poolside.

Spending Money: Homeschool Budget

One of the perks of homeschooling in Alaska is that you get a budget. Each homeschooling provider (for example, there is Connections, IDEA and Raven Correspondence in Homer) gives a slightly different dollar amount, but through Connections one receives $1600 per child K-5, $1900 for middle school kids, and $2300 for high school students (I'm pretty sure about the amounts and grades, but not totally). My kids are very much conscious of budgets, so part of the interest of homeschooling for them has been having a large amount of money to "spend" on their educational materials.

Unfortunately, I did not realize that we had to 'buy' all of our textbooks. Back when I sat down with the supervising teacher last spring and we decided on materials, she never mentioned costs for anything, so I mistakenly assumed that we were just borrowing the materials from the district (since they already had many of the materials and books we ordered) and would return them at the end of the year. As I found out, that is not the case. We had to purchase every textbook, teacher's manual, workbook and more. Apparently there is a storage space in Soldotna where homeschoolers can go and borrow things from, but there is no such space in Homer so we have to get the materials ourselves.

Our startup costs for homeschooling were large, in part, because I hadn't learned to scrounge around and find materials from other sources yet. True, we got an awesome chemistry kit, a robotics lego kit, a physical science lab kit and more. We also had to get a whiteboard, markers, easel paper, pencil sharpeners and other basic supplies that a school would already have. So before we even started school we'd probably spent over $1000 already.

Once we started adding sports and art lessons, that finished off our budget. Those things are very expensive. The sports and lessons are paid for, but not supplies, so that comes out of our own pocket (sports equipment, etc.). Our budget has been hit for the year, and I have learned that $3500 isn't that much money when we're trying to provide a vital, enriching education for our kids! Next year, however, we'll be much smarter about this whole thing. Plus, we'll already have lots of that 'big stuff' that we won't need to buy again.

Testing, Testing!

I just got an email about TerraNova testing for 5th & 7th grade Connections students. It is testing time of year again. While most teachers I know get a little tired of the emphasis on testing, it also has a valid side. A month ago I asked for the SBA (Standards Based Assessment) tests for writing, math and reading for my kids. I do wonder whether they are learning what they need to be learning and "at grade level." I suppose this concern is part of the national testing mania and the desire to "quantify" learning. So last week Aurora began her SBAs and I will be having Denver do his practices starting in a few weeks. What it will do is reassure me that the kids are indeed learning (or that at least they know what other kids at their grade level should know), and it will also give me a platform for teaching the kids what they need to know, filling in any learning gaps. I feel like my homeschooling classroom is just one step away from a real classroom, with few radically different teaching and learning methods going on. The biggest difference is just that the kids work at their own pace and more independently. Thinking about the testing issue brings this home to me because many homeschooling families I know are anti-test and would avoid being in Connections just so they could avoid the tests. I don't want my kids to base their self esteem on how they do on tests, and I tend not to talk about test scores with them too much, but they are a good tool for seeing where they are at.

Extracurricular Activities in the Schools

One of the advantages of being in a 'school' is being able to participate in sports and other activities. One nice thing about having the school district running the homeschooling program is that there is an agreement that homeschooled kids can play in sports and participate in clubs, as well as take up to 2 classes in the school. Up until now my kids have not taken advantage of any offerings, but Denver expressed an interest in being part of the forensics club at McNeil Canyon School, so we checked with the organizing teachers and they gave it the thumbs up.

There was no big rigmarole. Denver just had to show up. It was quite a relief. Practice on Monday was the first time Denver has been in the school with other kids around since we began homeschooling. I was curious how that went for him. As he said, "It was horrible! Everyone wanted to say hi to me!" Personally, I think that is great: they were happy to see him and just wanted to talk to him. Denver, on the other hand, had some self-consciousness and even plotted coming in a back door for future practices so people wouldn't see him. I nixed that idea and told him to just be comfortable, or at least pretend to be comfortable. The practice itself was no problem and Denver was perfectly happy. He did have to make one tough decision: to work with Bill (the 5th grade teacher) or to work with Melon (his 3rd grade teacher last year). He waffled quite a bit until Melon helped him decide that he could go with his first gut reaction, which was Bill.

So now I get to head up the hill to McNeil twice a week, and Aurora and I will get ski time while Denver perfects his speaking skills. And for those of you that know him, working on his volume will NOT be an issue!!

More Planning For a New Semester

Today the kids met with the kids' supervising teacher for the first time.  It was only the third time I'd met with her ever, and the first time since our meeting last May to sign up and plan the ILP's.  In going over the kids' ILP's the other day, I had many questions about materials, items covered, etc.  It was a very productive meeting and reassured me that I wasn't completely on my own with all this. 

Throughout the fall my emails were not answered for days and the whole homeschooling system seemed sluggish.  Connections enrollment was up like 26%, and the student load that each supervising teacher with Connections had was increased as well, overloading the 3 supervising teachers to an crazy level, particularly since there were so many new families in the system, a time-intensive process.  I'd become very frustrated since my initial impression last spring was of very quick turn-around on my questions and responsiveness. 

Responsiveness and openness was the atmosphere of today's meeting.  I went into it with uncertainity about what we should do and how we should do it, and came out of it with renewed energy, ideas, books and resources.  I don't know if I would have taken the homeschooling plunge if I didn't have this structure and guidance.  I would have had to be much more enterprising, searching for my own answers on the web and experiencing much more trial and error.  Have an "expert" teacher--someone who works with a variety of students daily, and who has also been in the classroom--is a valuable resource.  It is their job to help, and their goal is ultimately the same as a classroom teacher's:  high scores on standards-based tests.  However, as with any classroom teacher, they have their own personal goals and passions which is why they are in this job in the first place.

We will finish up today before a 2 week break, but I will look forward to the spring semester more having had a good, focused session.  And the kids, always focused, have a better idea of the direction as well since they've been part of the process this time.

Planning for Next Semester

Yesterday I sat down with each of the kids and walked through their ILP's line by line, figuring out what we need to study for the coming semester.  Their Individual Learning Plan (ILP) was put together jointly last spring by myself and the kids' supervising teacher with Connections, Patricia Kane.  We considered their passions, interests, learning styles and grade level as well as state standards and my desires as we decided what subjects to have the kids work on. 

I had to quiz the kids a little bit to see if they had learned certain items on their ILP's.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are right on track for being halfway through the semester.  Aurora has nearly completed her entire Course 1 McDougal Littell math book, and when checking the ILP the items that she didn't know were the ones contained in the final chapters of that book.  The Jamestown series for reading and some writing dovetails very nicely with the basics skill development in reading:  analyze literary devices, differentiate between fact and opinion, understand concept of theme, accurately restates and summarizes text, etc.

Part of the challenge of teaching is trying to break things up so that it doesn't become monotonous and boring, trying to keep it challenging enough without being overwhelming, and teaching things that are not as intrinsically interesting and satisfying.  Each person has things that they love, but if it is presented in a certain way the joy goes right out the door.  Denver can spend hours working with his simple machines lego kit, building and refining designs but has resisted any related bookwork.  Does that mean learning isn't happening?  Not at all; learning can happen in the absence of books, but we've become conditioned to think that if students are not using textbooks they are not learning.  How many workplaces have textbooks to teach?  Most jobs offer on-the-job training and observation followed by practice.  While that can be a difficult ideal for teaching basic facts, it has some merit.

The bottom line is that in planning next semester I felt my way through it, sensing the kids' motivation levels and interests.  Tomorrow we will meet with the kids' supervising teacher to refine and ask questions.  And then for break time!