Month: February 2016

What I Discovered on My Teen Daughter’s Pinterest

I was concerned that my teen daughter was spending too much time on Pinterest. Then I checked out her boards and I was surprised. Find out what I discovered.

Recent conversation with my 14-year-old… Me: “What are you working on, Sweetie?” Her: “Oh, I’m just on Pinterest.” Me: “Really? What are you doing?” Her: “Just getting ideas” Doubts that hit my brain…. “Again? She’s always on Pinterest.” “Should I let her be on so much?” “Is she being productive?” “Is this helping her grow?”   (These is the same “in-my-head” conversations I had when she was younger and always had her nose in a book.) We’ve been teaching our 5 daughters to develop healthy tech habits. [Read 5 Tips for Healthy Tech Habits in Your Family] So, I needed to … [Read on, my friend]

5 Benefits of a Paperless Homeschool

We didn't go paperless intentionally. It's just that we added more interest-led hands-on activities and digital learning to our home education, and naturally paper consumption decreased. I just sort of realized it one day, and then considered the benefits of using less paper.

“Mommmmmmm the printer’s not working!” For some reason, that holler grates on my nerves. That is one of the wails I dislike more than anything, probably because I struggle with finding a solution. I see the documents in the queue, but it takes deleting the documents, shutting down the computer, and reprinting to correct it. I have a theory  though. I think the little minions inside the printer forget what they are supposed to be doing because ….we hardly ever use the printer anymore. We only print monthly chore charts and schedules to post on the fridge and an occasional math … [Read on, my friend]

St. Patrick’s Day Online Unit Study

Learn all about St. Patrick's Day with Online Unit Studies.

This FREE (to subscribers) Internet-based tech-driven e-Learning course is perfect for homeschoolers. Check out this video to find out what our St. Patrick’s Day Online Unit Study is all about. Your family will discover the history of St. Patrick’s Day and learn about the man behind the holiday. You will create a watercolor painting, then use your original artwork in a digital illustration. Be sure to check out the BONUS at the end to discover a way to extend your learning. Click HERE to take a peek in an Online Unit Study. Online Unit Studies are tech-driven discovery learning experiences. Students access websites and videos … [Read on, my friend]

New & Improved Homeschool Unit Studies

As much as I love unit studies, I've been disappointed with the format of traditional unit studies. I’ve wanted a more “modern” unit study, something updated that meets the needs of my “digital native” children. I couldn’t find what I wanted, so I created unit studies in a new format for my family. Now I am sharing Online Unit Studies with your family.

What’s not to love about homeschool unit studies? You can choose topics that interest you and cover multiple subjects at once. They work great for families with a range of ages and learning styles. And unit studies lend themselves to a more experiential education with hands-on project-based activities. We’ve been homeschooling with unit studies for over 12 years. However, as much as I love unit studies, for the past few years I’ve been disappointed with the format of traditional unit studies.  I need to gather and/or purchase lots of additional resources. I end up with tons of paper and projects cluttering my … [Read on, my friend]

25 Free Webtools for Creating Homeschool Projects (Free Printable)

A must-have list for digital learners. Discover cloud-based applications for creating graphics, video, infographics, timelines, map and more.

“25 Free Webtools for Creating Homeschool Projects” is a must-have list for digital learners. Discover cloud-based applications for creating graphics, video, infographics, timelines, maps and more. Want to see how these webtools can be used? Check out Online Unit Studies.  Students use these tools for digital projects in most Online Unit Studies. To discover more digital learning tools and resources, follow me on Pinterest  Visit Loving Learning Freely’s profile on Pinterest.

Are Your Kids Wasting Time on Electronics? 3 Questions to Ask

Are you concerned that your children are wasting time on electronics? Use these three questions to determine if screen time is productive or not.

Here we are, all home on a Sunday afternoon, most of us cozied up on the couch….and there are six screens glowing. Daddy’s researching products for a client, I’m writing a blog post, two girls are playing Minecraft together, two girls are watching YouTube and one girl is jamming to some tunes while she washes the dishes. Some people look at our family and think “They are on electronics all the time. They should be doing something more productive.” And, honestly, I think that myself sometimes and start doubting our unlimited tech time policy. But, my children are digital natives, and using … [Read on, my friend]