Blog - Techie Homeschool Mom

Techie Homeschool Photography Club

How often does this happen to you? You open up the photo gallery on your phone, only to discover a whole series of selfies taken by your child. Or maybe the images are petsies or toysies. Chances are that at some point in their life, your digital natives will take a picture and share it with the world. They see all those attractive images on social media or websites and want to duplicate the effect. On our vacation last week, my daughters spent lots of time trying to get cool shots of nature to share on Instagram and Facebook. I was thrilled that they were experimenting and got even more homeschool-momishly excited when they asked if they could learn more about photography. So, I did what I always do when my kids want to learn something new….I looked online for a course. I started with my usual first stop (Udemy) and <BOOM!> there it was – Photography 4 Kids. I read the reviews, checked out the course contents and watched the preview lessons. I knew my girls would love the weekly photo adventures, so I signed us up. Then I got … [Read on, my friend]

50 Udemy Online Courses for Kids

Udemy is a great resource for any techie homeschool family. This online learning marketplace is used by over 10 million students taking online courses in everything from programming to yoga to photography–and much, much more. Each of Udemy’s 40,000+ courses is taught by an expert instructor, and every course is available on-demand, so students can learn at their own pace, on their own time, and on any device. With so many courses available, it can be hard to find one that is right for kids. But…I’ve got you covered, my friend. Here is a list of 50 courses for kids on Udemy. Keep in mind that I haven’t tried all these courses, so you’ll want to check out the previews and decide if the course is a good fit for your family. ART Drawing for Kids: How to Draw Step-by-Step Interactive Art Art for Kids and Beginners: Learn to Paint Acrylic Paintings Art for Kids: Learn How to Draw & Paint Animals in Acrylic Art for Kids & Beginners: Drawing and Watercolor Painting Watercolor Painting for Children Building Kids Confidence Through Drawing: Art for Children Art School for Kids Oil … [Read on, my friend]

3-Day Sale….20 % off ALL Online Unit Studies until September 9

Don’t miss this week’s 3-day sale. I’m offering all Online Unit Studies for 20% off with coupon code “3DAYSALE”. Choose from 13 courses, including “All About Elections”, “Famous Artists”, “Solar System” and “Ancient Egypt”. Click HERE to learn about each course. Use coupon code “3DAYSALE” for your 20% discount. Coupon expires at midnight PST Friday, Sept. 9 and cannot be used in conjunction with any other discounts.

Homeschooling 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th and 12th Grade

There’s value in learning what curriculum other families use for homeschooling. I learn about new products or get some confirmation about a resource I was considering. I can also discern what won’t work for the learning styles of my kids. And I can decide on the best resources to reach our goals for home learning. [Related Post: How I Answer When Asked “Why Do You Homeschool”] Even though we homeschool year-round, I usually evaluate our plan in August and rework our home learning routine. So, I thought I’d share our new home education plan with you in case you need some ideas for your family. A few things to consider…. In the mornings, the girls (remember, I only have daughters) work on the courses that are specific to them….either by grade level or interest. In the afternoons, we do our “family learning”…those things that we all do at once. My 14-year-old is developing into a more independent learner, so I don’t expect her to participate in all our family learning time. As long as she’s productively pursuing her interests and talents, she’s on her own. My 17-year-old is enrolled in … [Read on, my friend]

Free Lesson: “Why Do We Have Elections?”

Discover the importance of government Learn election vocabulary Create a virtual newspaper to share what you learn Online Unit Studies integrate multiple subjects for multiple ages of students. Students access websites and videos and complete digital projects. With Online Unit Studies’ easy-to-use E-course format, no additional books and print resources are needed. Just gather supplies for hands-on projects and register for online tools. Since it is a stand-alone lesson, “Why Do We Have Elections?” gives you a peek inside the All About Elections Online Unit Study without needing to enroll in the full course. Sign up for access to your “Why Do We Have Elections?” lesson.

Sports, Spreadsheets and the Big Screen: Learning About Jesse Owens

We’ve got Olympic fever at our house. After two weeks of watching the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, our whole family has been inspired by the dedication of the Olympians we’ve cheered on. And I wanted my children to know about one of America’s most well-known athletes, Jesse Owens. That’s why I chose to celebrate Owens as one of the September birthdays in the Famous Birthdays Online Unit Study. But, no celebration is fun if you do it alone, so I’m sharing the Jesse Owen’s lesson from the Famous Birthdays Online Unit Study with you… Learning About Jesse Owens “We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.” – Jesse Owens Jesse Owens made his dreams a reality and gave hope to many people. To learn about this great athlete, read Jesse Owens on Epic!. (You’ll need to register to access the ebook..and the thousand other ones…but you can get a free trial for 30 days) For a less in-depth study, CLICK HERE to read Owen’s biography and to discover his achievements at Ducksters.com. Which of Owens’ achievements do you think … [Read on, my friend]

Why Your Kids Should Read eBooks

I have a confession. As techie as I am, I’m not fond of eBooks. Reading eBooks doesn’t seem natural to me. I’ve always loved books. The library is one of my favorite places in the world…all those choices of words and illustrations! And I’ve strived to pass that love of books onto my children with at-home shelves full of books and trips to the library. With the advent of eBooks, I’ve had to change my perception of “book”. I’ve considered what it is that I love about books. Is it the rich language? The new worlds I enter? The characters I meet? The actual feel of holding a book? That smell of ink and paper? Or even the comfort of doing something I’ve done my whole life? And honestly, my answer is ALL OF THE ABOVE. But my kids are developing a different definition of “book” as they read electronically. And guess what….that’s OK. I realize that they are still being exposed to the power of words, traveling to new places, and relating with interesting characters. My kids are developing reading comprehension, plus exposing themselves to writing styles to model. … [Read on, my friend]

5 Ideas for Techie Family Fun

We’re a TaeKwonDo family, and the saying at our dojahng is “The family that kicks together, sticks together.” I’m stealing that line and altering it to “The family that clicks together, sticks together”. (Really nowadays it should start “The family that swipes together…” but all I could come up with as a rhyme is “…gripes together” and that totally goes against the point I’m trying to make.) My friend, how often do you hear people complain that technology isolates people? Comments about how when someone is staring at a screen they’re not interacting with the people around them…they’re in their own little cyber-world? I’ll admit that there’s potential for isolation, but that’s not how it has to be. We can combat that problem by teaching our kids healthy tech habits. As the first generation of digital moms, we need to figure out ways to guide our kids towards healthy habits and attitudes about electronics usage. And one way to do this is offering screen time that brings people together. 5 Activities for Techie Family Fun YouTube Karaoke – Check out The Karaoke Channel or Sing Sing Karaoke to find your favorite tunes. … [Read on, my friend]

Techie Schooling Giveaway + coupons for everyone!

Win 7 Online Homeschool Courses valued over $600 Plus, everyone entering gets the Techie Schooling Coupon Bundle to save up to $70 Sign up below for a chance to win these online courses for homeschoolers All About Elections Online Unit Study by Techie Homeschool Mom – $25 value Learn about America’s electoral process.With Online Unit Studies’ easy-to-use E-course format, students access websites and videos and complete digital projects. No additional books and print resources are needed. Famous Birthdays Online Unit Study by Techie Homeschool Mom – $25 value Celebrate the birthday of two famous people each month. Learn about each person, record information on an ever-growing digital timeline and complete projects. 20th Century Music Appreciation Course by Gena Mayo of Music in Our Homeschool – $99 value Everything you need to earn a 1/2 credit in fine arts (20th Century Music Appreciation). Go through 36 lessons to discover a wide variety of styles from all decades of the 20th century from America, Europe, and South America. Glamour Girls Sewing Course by Katrina Marie Studios – $99 value A beginning sewing course with FIVE girly projects for girls ages 6 & … [Read on, my friend]

Olympics STEM Activity: Creating Graphs with Google Sheets

Let’s be real, my friend. We homeschool mommas like to turn whatever we can into an educational experience, right? With the Olympics fast approaching, we’ve got the perfect chance! Tackling Phys Ed is a given because you’re learning about different sports. And you can totally cover geography by learning about the different countries competing. History? No problem…just learn about the ancient Olympics. And there are plenty of notebooking and lapbooking options to practice writing. But, how about techin’ your Olympics study? Have you considered ways to reach STEM standards? Try out this STEM activity from the Olympics Online Unit Study. By tracking medal standings during the Olympic Games, your family will learn about spreadsheets and graphs. Check it out! To complete the activity, you’ll need a Google Drive account and a basic understanding of Google Sheets. You can learn more about these webtools HERE. To complete this project: Sign up below to get your copy of the “Olympics Medal Standings” spreadsheet template to your Google Drive. Bookmark it so you can easily find it to update daily. Choose at least 5 countries that you’ll track medals for during the Olympics. Type them … [Read on, my friend]