Review and Giveaway: Exploring Microgravity (Janet's Planet)

 Do you have kids interested in science? Exploring Microgravity, by Space Florida and featuring Janet Ivey, is a new DVD that helps younger kids exploring gravity and microgravity.

From Janet Ivey

“For the past decade, science education has been my passion and America’s children have been my inspiration.  It is incredible to see how excited children can become about the world around them when the information is presented in an accessible and fun way.  That is the mission of Janet’s Planet, and I look forward to continuing to support better science education in the years to come.” 

Janet explains gravity in a fun and engaging way.  As she talks in front of the camera, graphics and video are brought in and out on the screen. The approximately 35-minute DVD concludes with Janet experiencing  a parabolic flight on the Zero G Boeing 727 (my personal favorite part!).  The explanations are quite thorough, yet simplistic enough for a younger crowd. Overall, I'd say the target age range is probably early-to-mid elementary.  What I especially appreciated about Exploring Microgravity is that having a female host could be encouraging to young girls to pursue science studies and careers.

Check out the Janet's Planet website , where in addition to purchasing the DVD, visitors can also play games, watch videos, ask questions, and more.

Now for a bonus for my readers, I get to giveaway a copy of Exploring Microgravity to one lucky person.  Enter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Review: The Ultimate Homeschool Planner System

For years I’ve struggled with planning and scheduling, using numerous planners, both purchased and self-created, with mixed results. Some challenges in finding something that works is that our homeschool is quite an eclectic mix and our needs change often. For example, some of my kids’ courses are very scheduled, especially outside classes; others are quite relaxed. We have classes that are done daily, weekly, and monthly, with some lasting all year, others a semester, and some for six weeks. In addition, my children approach their school day very differently. One needs a very specific assignment list and schedule, and the other would rather have assignment due dates but not held accountable to an exact schedule each day. As for me, I hate being stuck to a rigid schedule but find that I absolutely need to have some sort of overall planner or I won’t be able to keep it all together.

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner, designed by Debra Bell, is a planning system. In addition, the parent planner is meant to work *with* the two student planners, The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens and The Ultimate Daily Planner for Students. Our family had the opportunity to review all three planners, each designed for a particular need, yet they all worked together. I think this is key, at least for our family.


Let’s start with the planner meant for the homeschooling parent, The Ultimate Homeschool Planner. First of all, I simply like the feel of this planner. It has a large spiral and it easily lies flat and open. The cover is plastic and has some substance, yet is flexible. The planner is significant in size so it won’t get lost, but it isn’t bulky. The covers also have pocket folders, perfect for those I’m-not-sure-where-to-put-this-but-it-is-important-to-have-nearby items.
The content is a nice balance of instruction and inspiration with useful recording and planning pages. The beginning pages teach the parent how to purposefully plan, starting with a big picture of goals and time commitments, and bringing it down to how that looks at a daily level. The parent is walked through a Yearly Planning Retreat, Monthly Planning Sessions, Weekly Planning Breaks, right down to Monday Morning Tutorials and Friday Afternoon Reviews with all the appropriate forms. Being a highly visual person, I love, love, love the pages showing how completed planning pages might actually look, including the student planners.

The bulk of the planner consists of monthly and weekly planning pages for one calendar year. Each month is a two-page spread, with the dates blank so you can begin to use the planner at any time of the year and be able to fully utilize it. The weekly pages consist of two full page spreads. The first is a grid of six blocks across and six down. There is also a section in the margins for notes, supply lists, and appointments. The next weekly page spread is more for purpose and reflection. They include sections for recording Bible study and focus, prayers, outreach, memorable moments and “evidences of grace” each week. The best feature of the weekly page is flexibility; the rows and columns are not labeled. It took me a couple of tries to figure out what worked for me, but I eventually came up with a personalized system. I need very detailed plans or I will forget some important tasks. Therefore, allotting a block for a day’s work or a subject’s assignments was simply not working. Instead, I drew a line down the middle, giving each child three rows and six columns. I wrote the days across the top and used three blocks for each day’s work, keeping the order of subjects consistent. This way I could include appointments and activities as well. It wasn’t pretty, but the important part is it worked. Having a detailed week’s plan for both children on a two-page spread was just what I needed. I’m still tweaking my system. Since my youngest usually doesn’t need as much space, I’m thinking of adding a row in the middle for my activities and appointments as well.
The remaining pages contain forms to record grades, reading lists, year-end review notes along with several teaching tips articles.

Check out the available copy of the Table of Contents and a Planner Sample for a better idea of the structure and layout.

My kids used two different planners. My daughter used The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens. After a couple of year overview type pages and then twelve monthly pages, each week is provided a two-page grid plan with the days across the top and blank column boxes. Each box also has two segmented circles representing an hour each, allowing the student to keep track of on task time in 15 minute increments. The student planners are about half the size of the parent planner, which was preferable to my daughter. However, she found she didn’t quite have enough room to write all her assignments fully. There are only five rows with which to work, requiring some grid boxes to contain more than one subject. My daughter relied on abbreviations and I kept more detailed information in my own planner. The last 35 pages are devoted to grade records, an activities log, credit tracker, general study information, college application planning and notes.

My daughter’s past success rate with planners has been similar to mine. She simply hasn’t been able to find one she’ll consistently use. I also have a difficult time balancing giving her freedom and micro-managing when it comes to her schedule. Most of my daughter’s work is either outside classes or independent study. If I give too much freedom, I become very out of touch of what assignments and projects she has coming up. This means I can easily overschedule her with other activities and she can also get in too deep too quickly if I am not overseeing. On the flip side, she resents me structuring her exact daily activities. With The Ultimate Planners, we’ve been having a weekly meeting were we decide together her goals and daily activities for the week. This keeps me in the loop and ensures we are on the same page, in addition to allowing me to guide unrealistic time expectations or help prioritize. I then have a reference in my own planner in order to check in with her throughout the week.

It looks a mess, but this planner really does keep her organized.  Items are starred upon completion.  The circled items are those still needing completed that may have gotten bumped in the schedule.

Take a peek yourself by checking out the 14-page sample of the teen planner.

My son used The Ultimate Daily Planner for Students. Even though he is a teen and the planner was designed for elementary and middle school kids, this planner has been a great fit for him. In fact, he has seen become very reliant. It has surprisingly created a focus and consistency in his work he didn’t have previously. The format of the weekly planning pages is more a checklist style. Each day has eight lines for assignments with “done” and “approved” columns. My very linear thinker loved the straightforward schedule in addition to being able to see a week at a time. I keep the order of subjects very consistent and he has developed a routine for completing his work. I used to give him a daily check list, but having the whole week written out in daily increments has been much more effective for him. It gives him the big picture he needs without overwhelming him. I am quite impressed with how focused he has been in completing his tasks for the day. In fact, if I neglect to have the day’s assignments written in, he badgers me in the morning until I complete his planner. I can see how he will easily transition to the teen planner and begin creating his own schedule after using this one for a while. The remaining pages are similar to the teen planner, minus the college preparation pages. (Note: The spiral binding on this planner glows in the dark!). This planner is a huge success story for my son! If you have older kids who need something different than the teen planner, I would not hesitate to give this one a look.

My kids' different personalities are quite obvious by looking at how they use their planners.  This is my linear, "just give me a list to complete" child.

A sample of the student planner is available for a closer look.

These planners are each different, yet work together as a system.

While I’m not utilizing this planning system fully yet, I am consistently using it with success.  It is not intimidating and is fairly flexible.  Furthermore, it has plenty of tools, should you decide to use them, but the function of the planners is not dependent upon them.  The fact that the planners all work together yet serve different needs it the greatest benefit.

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner is available for $28. The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens and The Ultimate Daily Planner for Students are both available for $19 each.  All three planners can be purchased through Apologia.

Preparing for Convention

I've been going to homeschool conventions off and on for many years.  This first one was a small local convention I attended our first year.  I only went as a participant the one time, but the last two years I've had a different perspective as a vendor. It has given me new appreciation for the other side of conventions!

Our booth for www.peareducationalproducts.com

This week, though, I'll be a participant. I started attending the Midwest Convention the very first year they had it, when it was located on a church campus outside of Cincinnati. Now, however, this convention was massive.  Honestly, I don't know how new homeschoolers would take it all in.  With a little preparation, however, you can get a lot more out of the experience.

I usually just skim the vendor participant list. I always budget for some impromptu purchases, but overall I use the vendor hall just to look.  I may have a particular subject narrowed down to two programs and will take the opportunity to hold them in my hands and talk to the vendor.  In general, though, I don't make major purchases (but I have been known to make some if I'm really listening!)  I tend to make my purchases the very last day, so I can ponder if I really need the item.  I also use the vendor hall time to just browse lesser known vendors and see what is out there.

Usually, though, I'm there for the workshops. Some time slots have over twenty workshops offered!  How in the world does one decide?

First, I print off the schedule, with just the titles, not the whole description (to avoid pages and pages).  I pull up the descriptions on my laptop.  I usually have a couple workshops I'm drawn to, so I read those first. Then I read any workshop description that is even remotely applicable to our homeschool.  I often end up crossing some off and adding others based on the descriptions.  Make sure you read the bio of the speakers, too.  It will give you a feel for their perspective on the topic.

In previous years, I would be able to narrow it down to just a couple or as many as a half dozen in the same time slot. Some have readily available recordings and get crossed off the list.  For example, many of Andrew Pudewa's talks are available for purchase at the IEW website.  I usually end up purchasing many of the recordings at the end of the convention too.  Sometimes I make the wrong choice in which to attend.  I have left one workshop for another on my list if it ended up being not what I thought.  Tip: Sit in an area where you can easily escape.  I once ended up in an overfilled room, on the floor in the front corner.  I wanted to poke my eyes out and plug my ears the whole time because the speaker was giving some misinformation.  It was impossible to leave the room gracefully.  Seats by the door are now my choice.

You always know which are the great workshops because you'll hear others talking about them and the available recordings will constantly be selling out.  If you hear a particular speaker is good, look ahead in the schedule to see if they are giving another workshop later, even on another topic.

I highlight my choices, using a designated color for first, second, and third choices. Because I've been to the Midwest Convention numerous times, I've heard many of the speakers already.  It makes choosing so much easier.  Also, with teens, many of the topics no longer apply here.  We've got the reading down, I've figure out unit studies aren't my thing, and I could probably present Homeschooling 101 myself.  I have most time slots narrowed down to one or two workshops of interest.

Now the rest of my preparation will be focused on comfort. See those shoes in the pic above?  Most. Comfortable. Shoes. Ever!  I purchased them to walk around Disney for our last vacation and I dug them out for this week.  Skechers Go Walk if you want to make a shoe run. I also plan to pack a light jacket or sweater.  The rooms are always freezing.  I pack a notebook and pen for notes, but I usually just use them to doodle since I have trouble sitting still.  I may bring some knitting along this year to help with that. I highly recommend packing some snacks to eat on the run and bottled water.  This year I think I'll have time to catch a proper meal, but several years back I hardly had time to eat between sessions.  I do best with high protein snacks, like beef jerky or cheese.  If you are a coffee drinker, you may want to scope out a coffee shop ahead of time.  (Hint: There is one right outside of the vendor hall in the convention center.)

Aside from packing, I'm ready to go. Once I get my morning Starbucks, I will be prepared for each day at convention.

Happy Pi Day!

The original plan was macaroni and cheese, but my kids insisted I make chicken pot pie instead in honor of Pi Day.  We had apple pie for dessert. Yum!

VeggieTales The Little House That Stood (Giveaway!)

Anytime someone in our household has misplaced an item and mentions it, the result is usually a spontaneous rendition of "Where is My Hairbrush" from VeggieTales.

The history of VeggieTales in our house goes way back.  In fact, it goes so far back that I remember the first release, which was the beginning of our entire VHS collection (yes, VHS!).  Our collection is now long gone, but my kids still reference VeggieTale jokes and belt out an occasional VeggieTales tune (Madame Blueberry's "I'm So Blue" is quite popular, too!).

When the opportunity to review The Little House That Stood presented itself, I couldn't help but get a little excited - even though my youngest is a teen!

Synopsis (from the website):
  
When the Three Little Pigs roll into Cabbageville looking to build some new houses, they meet one builder with a plan and two without a clue! Larry builds with hay, Mr. Lunt with bricks, but only Bob builds his houses on a firm foundation - following the wise plans from the Master Builder's Handbook! Will the Little Piggies make the right choices when it comes to building their houses - and their lives - on solid ground? Find out in this parable that shows kids when they follow God's blueprints, then can stand strong when the storms come!

I won't call out which one, but one of my kids requested to watch the movie the day it arrived, giggling through the whole thing. I love that the VeggieTales movies always have plenty of quirky jokes for the over 12 audience.  I have to admit I might have giggled through the "Happy Toothday" Silly Song by Larry the Cucumber (though "Where is My Hairbrush?" is still my favorite). 

If you'd like to take the movie beyond 49 minutes of giggles and quiet time (for either you or the kids, depending on how you look at it!), the website has coloring pages to download and a discussion guide.  There are also some clips of the movie to preview, including Larry's Silly Song "Happy Toothday".

 
The Little House That Stood is an adorable merger of fairy tales and Bible parables to teach kids about decision making. I'm excited to be able to offer my readers a chance to win a copy of VeggieTales' The Little House That Stood! Enter the giveaway below!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the Passenger's Seat

On Friday, we woke up to snow-covered streets and falling snow.  The salt trucks hadn't completed their rounds but we had already planned on meeting some friends for a morning workout at the local Y.

It was a perfect time for my student driver to get a feel for driving in the snow.

Snowy Roads + Teen Driver = Nervous Mom

It was a short drive, I told myself; we could do this.

And we did.  It was an uneventful round trip there and back.

It would have been so much easier on me to just do the driving and just say, "Look, honey. This is how it is done."

Of course, that is not what my teen needed.  My teen needed to experience the drive, control the wheel, plan for herself, and adjust if she started to slide.  My job was to sit in the passenger's seat and be ready to direct, guide, warn...and hang on for dear life.

It is sort of symbolic of parenting, isn't it?

Sometimes teens need us to take the wheel, and that is ok. There are times when I've had to tell my kids to figuratively pull over so I could drive for a bit and get them out of a mess.  However, don't be too quick to take the wheel.  Kids often just need us to be along for the ride (possibly holding our breath), ready to rescue them from a near collision. Sometimes I see danger barreling down the path, but I need to give my teens a chance to see and react first.  Otherwise, I'll diminish the lessons that can be learned before they need to travel on their own.

It can be terrifying.

I've had other parents question some decisions I've made for our kids. Sometimes it involves safety concerns, such as allowing a child to fly alone to visit out-of-state friends.  Other times, it may involve academic choices or social situations. Usually it isn't an outright judgement, but more of an "I'm not sure if I could allow my child to do that." It is about a parent's lack of comfort in letting their child make choices - to see and to react -  on a path that isn't completely clear.

It definitely isn't comfortable.  Not at all.

Here's the thing - I'd rather have my child navigate some of these slippery paths with me right there in the passenger's seat where I can direct, guide, and warn, rather than for the first time on a solo drive. Just like driving, life takes practice.  You wouldn't send them to drive in a snow storm solo without a little guided practice first. Why do so with the path of life?

After surviving our short jaunt to the Y on Friday, yesterday I decided my teen was going to take the wheel for our normally 45-minute trip home from choir.  Because our drive home involves three major freeways during rush hour, she had never driven the route home. Yesterday, it also involved rain, sleet, and heavy snow as a storm blew through the area.

Having a little more life experience in wintery weather traffic conditions, I was much more nervous than my teen. Her earlier drive on Friday had given her a little confidence.  Even so, she knew to still be on high alert. She was quite willing to take instruction, but really didn't need much. I tried to keep my mouth shut and she tried not to comment too many times when she saw my foot move toward the imaginary passenger's side brake. With traffic congested and moving slowly, it was a long ride.

Despite my visions of ending up in the ditch like some fellow drivers, two hours later we made it to our neighborhood safely.

Did I want to take the wheel and make the drive myself? Yes. Was it uncomfortable? Absolutely.  But I now feel better knowing my daughter has managed a storm with me by her side.  She'll know what to do if one unexpectedly comes in while she's driving alone.

It isn't easy being in the passenger's seat, whether figuratively or literally. It can be terrifying.  It takes courage - and prayers.

But sometimes, you just need to let them drive.

Planning with Simplicity

They say your blog should reflect you and be real.

A friend often tells me I have an “all or nothing” personality. If that is the case, my blog definitely has been a reflection of the nothing part. It has been seriously neglected lately.  In fact, it has been bordering abandoned.  

For a variety of reasons, I decided to get back on track.  If you have an “all or nothing” personality, you know that a challenge in making changes is creating obtainable, yet satisfying, goals.  I need to be careful to not go all grand plan and try in an effort to make myself an overnight sensation of the homeschooling Blogsphere.

Baby steps.  I must do this in baby steps.  I also need to keep in mind, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” which is a really old saying that is still around, so there must be something to it.

When Mosaic Reviews asked that its team of reviewers check out a list of blog planners and select one for review, I sort of cringed - and possibly even twitched a little. While I know I need to plan, I quickly became overwhelmed with some of the really awesome and elaborate planners out there. They just didn't fit with my writing-when-inspired approach to blogging (a.k.a. flying by the seat of your pants and hope it works out).

A simple blog planner is what I need.  

I found it.

Check out this planner offered for FREE by Girl in The Woods.

A whole month of planning is on *one* page.  It gives you space to think about daily topics (weekends off!) with a side column to note tags, categories, and links.  Up at the top is a short and simple reminder list for each post.  Following this checklist would have saved me some past headaches!

I’m not sure if I will be able come up with enough topics and inspiration for a daily blog post. I think I’ll commit to posting two or three times a week for starters. Perhaps I can use the other days spaces to plan for blog hopping, posting on my blog’s FB page, or some other non-posting activity.

Also, if I think of a topic, but don’t have time for it at the moment, I can just jot it down for a future week, rather than trying to recall that great blog post I had thought of when I didn’t have time to write, but was sure I would remember. Some weeks I have tons of ideas and little time.  Other weeks when I actually have time to write, I've got nothin'!  This simple planner will help me organize my random thoughts and time into something that just may work.

The simplicity of this planner, available as a free download, doesn't make me overwhelmed and feel like I have to fill in every blank or I'm a blogging failure.

Thank you, Girl in The Woods, for the inspiration to get back on track.