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HUUmans at Home Spring 2002
HUUmans at Home
Spring 2002
Issue 25
A UUA Related Organization
Member, National Home Education Network
Member, Rose Rock Inclusive Homeschoolers
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In this Issue
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Editor's Note by Teresa Willingham: It's a Brave New World From the Editor It's a new and exciting year for UU Homeschoolers, as we go into 2002 one hundred and thirty members strong and growing day by day. On March 16, we held the first-ever state UU Homeschoolers get-together, LIFE Fest 2002, at First Unitarian Church of Orlando in Florida. Thirty families from across the state attended, and we enjoyed speakers ranging from Rosemary DuRocher of the highly acclaimed Florida Virtual School, to Pinellas County science teacher Doug Scull, who wowed attendees with the wonders of snakes and bugs. We hope to make this an annual event here in Florida, and perhaps inspire similar get-togethers in other states. One of the more exciting results of LIFE Fest has been the creation of an inclusive state support group called LIFE of Florida. We have several affiliate member groups now, inclusive regional support groups that welcome an open forum for networking and sharing resources. Our ever-expanding list of fascinating families at UU Homeschoolers is mind expanding as well, with discussion topics ranging from how to create “healing baskets” (reprinted in this issue) to curriculum comparisons and teen issues. Resources like February's Darwin Day and the Great Backyard Bird Count draw us together from our disparate corners of the country to work towards ends that serve us all. It may also prove to be a new and exciting year for parent directed education, as well. One new member told me recently that she had brought her daughter home, feeling disillusioned about giving up her “dream of good public schools.” We may not have to give up that dream if we adjust our paradigm of just what constitutes an education in America, not just for ourselves and our families, but for those who guide education in America. The Friedman Foundation is one organization working towards changing the educational landscape in the US to embrace parental choice, whether that choice be public, private or home education. This is an issue UU Homeschoolers has long been interested in as we've sought to look beyond homeschooling itself to the broader issue of individualized education that can take many and varied forms that don't always fit into any one category of learning. And thanks to the generous contributions of UU Homeschoolers members, we covered the $50 cost of our “Related Organization” membership renewal with the UUA for a second year, and we continue to grow in esteem and acceptance among UUs everywhere. It's slow going sometimes, but we're going! It's an exciting time to be a liberal home educator, and I'm looking forward to seeing homeschooling take its rightful place as the educational reform movement it is, instead of a special interest conservative clique. The dream of good public schools isn't dead…it's just being redefined! In peace and continued freedom of learning, Terri Willingham Editor Many, many thanks to our wonderful contributors, Jackie Boone, Norma Curry, Camille Sobun, our copy editor, and Gwyneth Butera, our Web Coordinator! |
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UUA News: (Read complete articles online at http://www.uua.org\) Unitarian Universalist Ministers Return to Scene of Brutal Civil Rights Murder (Selma, AL - March 7) On March 11, 2002, the 37th anniversary of the death of the Rev. James Reeb after he was attacked on a Selma street by white assailants, more than 50 Unitarian Universalist ministers will return to Selma in a pilgrimage of solemn remembrance and rededication to the struggle for equal rights for all Americans. In addition to visiting to the site of Reeb's murder, the ministers will assemble at Browns' Chapel, the headquarters for the 1965 Selma demonstrations, and meet with Mayor James Perkins, Jr., the first African American mayor of Selma, at the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute. Though long at the forefront of civil rights struggles, the historically white Unitarian Universalist Association achieved a similar milestone last June when it elected its first African American president, the Rev. William Sinkford. The pilgrimage to Selma will conclude with a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of the police assault on civil rights marchers on "Bloody Sunday," March 7, 1965. On Tuesday, March 5, 2002, Alabama Congressman Earl Hilliard introduced companion bills in the U.S. House of Representatives to name the United States Post Office building in Selma in honor of James Joseph Reeb and the Post Office building in Marion, Alabama, in honor of Jimmy Lee Jackson, the young African American whose murder in February of 1965 inspired Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to call on religious leaders from all across the nation to join him in Selma for the history-making march to Montgomery. It was in response to King's call that James Reeb and more than 100 other Unitarian Universalist ministers came to Selma. Unitarian Universalist President Calls for Middle East Cease-fire (Boston, MA - March 27) Saying that the "escalating levels of violence and reprisal between Israelis and Palestinians" compels him to speak out, the Rev. William Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Univeralist Association, has written a pastoral letter to Unitarian Universalists calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East region. In the letter, Sinkford cites the goal of establishing "a Middle East where the state of Israel is confident in its security and the Palestinian people have not only their own state but also a sense that justice has won out." He cites the "Petition for Peace" signed by more than 235 Unitarian Universalist ministers at their recent Convocation in Birmingham, Alabama, urges Unitarian Universalists to educate themselves on this complex issue, and provides references to a number of resources that will assist them in doing so. The pastoral letter also notes the interfaith work done by one Unitarian Universalist congregation on this issue as a possible model for other congregations to emulate. Sinkford concludes his letter by writing, "I dedicate myself and my administration to joining with religious people everywhere who will commit to working toward a richer imagination on how to achieve peace. May the new imagination start now, within each of us. The killing must stop." |
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Homeschool News from around the Nation: BY Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki, Detroit Education Writer Need a frozen pig to dissect for biology? No problem. Want a CD-ROM to learn Japanese? You can buy that, too. With 700,000 to as many as 1.25 million homeschoolers, companies providing curricula, textbooks and everything else needed to set up home classrooms are thriving. It's a $700-million to $1.1-billion annual industry and is growing by about 15 percent each year, said Bill Apelian, director of Brigham Young University Press, one of the country's largest suppliers for homeschool families. Costs can vary -- from less than $50 for a basic lesson plan to $1,000 for a kit including textbooks, work sheets and other supplies. Some schools specializing in homeschool assistance also sell curricula. Most days are bustling at the Clonlara School in Ann Arbor, which sells supplies to home- schoolers. Teachers consult with parents on the phone, and homeschooled students can attend occasional classes at the school. Founded as a day school in 1968 by Patricia Montgomery, a former nun with a doctorate in educational leadership, Clonlara added the homeschool program later and in 1980, had two homeschoolers enrolled. Now there are 7,000 students in 27 countries in the Clonlara homeschool program, including 14 schools spawned as offshoots. For $500 per student each year, parents receive a binder laying out Montgomery's recipe for education. The binders also explain their area's homeschool laws and include an envelope stamped and addressed with all the forms parents need to file. Clonlara helps homeschoolers network with other families and coaches them on how to use community resources such as libraries, museums and zoos. "You have a full range of resources, and you are accountable for showing the work you did in a very clear way," said Diane Linn of Detroit, who is using the Clonlara method with her children. Students in Clonlara's home- school program graduate with a high school diploma accredited by the National Private School Accreditation Alliance. A famous newcomer in the homeschool market is former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett, who in 1999 established K12, an online program for homeschoolers. Some charter schools are also using the program. The company sends parents books and instructions for six subjects for $1,000. Private and parochial schools can cost thousands of dollars more. K12 offers curricula for kindergarten through second grade, and plans to add three grades each year. Bennett, a longtime advocate of education reform, saw home- schooling as a logical extension. "If we don't do the fundamental work of getting parents more involved, a lot of that effort will be for naught," K12 spokesman Jason Bertsch said. Homeschool families can check their progress by buying some standardized tests. Bob Jones University, for example, sells homeschoolers the Iowa Test of Basic Skills or the Stanford Achievement Test. The students can meet with a test administrator or, if they are qualified, parents can administer the test to their children, said spokeswoman Janet Abbott of Bob Jones University. Some tests require parents to have college degrees. Parents testing their own children, however, raise the question of cheating. "Obviously, we have no guarantee that such a thing wouldn't happen," Abbott said. "Many of them simply want to make sure that they are staying on track with their students, kind of like a report card for parents," Abbott said. ****************************** By Shira J. Boss | Special to The Christian Science Monitor Jan 8 2002 (This is just a partial reprint of this article. You can see the entire piece online at http://www.csmonitor.com.) One daughter loves going to third grade at public school every day; the other one started rebelling in kindergarten. Carolyn Kimmerling wanted to try home-schooling her reluctant learner, Rebekah, who is now 7. But she says she didn't feel confident enough to choose her own curriculum, and it was too expensive to buy one. Then she heard a radio interview with former Secretary of Education William Bennett, who has started a company that sets up virtual schools. Parents lead their children through lessons that are monitored by teachers through the computer and telephone conferences. That gave Ms. Kimmerling the guidance she needed to help educate her daughter. Plus, the bill for tuition and all of the materials - including the computer and the online connection - is picked up by the government. That's because the virtual school is organized as a charter, which uses public school dollars to fund private-style education. Mr. Bennett's company, K12, is also affiliated with virtual charter schools in Alaska, California, and Colorado. "We're all pioneers," Kimmerling says. "This really is a new way to teach." More than 700 students across Pennsylvania have enrolled in the Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School (PAVCS), the second-largest of several cyberschools now operating in the state. It offers kindergarten through second grade, and plans to expand gradually through high school. But some local school districts are rebelling against programs like PAVCS. The cyberschools intensify the controversy already surrounding charter schools - which divert money from traditional public schools. The Pennsylvania School Boards Association has initiated a lawsuit alleging that online charter schools are not legal under the current charter school law (see below). Their argument, however, has more to do with issues of funding and school board supervision over local students than it does with concerns about the curriculum - which follows state guidelines - or the quality of education. An independent audit of cyber-charter schools by KPMG Consulting, which was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, praised PAVCS for offering a well-researched program and an appropriate assessment plan. When a student enrolls in PAVCS, the family is sent boxes of materials: textbooks, a phonics kit, art supplies, and a computer and software. A teacher is assigned to work with the parents, who guide students through the lesson plan and record their progress online. Contrary to what many may imagine, most instruction is not online. "We actually downplay the virtual nature of it. That's not our essence," says Michael Maslayak, the school's principal, who has 30 years of experience as a public school teacher and administrator. While parents or other adults are teaching the students, teachers are available to help by telephone or e-mail, and hold teleconferences every other week. The students sometimes send samples of their work by e-mail or through regular mail, and teachers check their knowledge firsthand on the telephone. "We ask the students specific questions to make sure they've covered certain topics," says Anita Fiel, a PAVCS teacher who previously taught for 18 years in a traditional public school. Teachers also have access to the family's lesson plan and students' scores, and can assign remedial or enrichment work. "It's very hard to tailor and pace a curriculum for a particular student, and this is the perfect opportunity," says Jennifer Eastman, a PAVCS teacher who says she loved the public school where she taught kindergarten but was also interested in technology. "Some children want to move faster and go really quickly; others have special needs, and this gives them the opportunity to slow down and concentrate." The virtual school tries to combine the strengths of home-schooling, such as individual attention, with the advantages of a structured and supervised curriculum. The formula is attracting parents who otherwise might not home-school their children. |
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HOMETIME edited by Jackie Boone Back around the first of the year, a discussion on creating Healing Baskets came up on our online support list. Here's what our group virtually created, under the guidance of members with homeopathic interests and experience. (Necessary 21st century disclaimer: Nothing here should be construed as medical advice, but is simply a reprint of information that appeared on the online discussion list, UU Homeschoolers. Please check with an appropriate health care provider for appropriate health care advice.) The Healing Basket 1) Lavender Oil (apply topically for burns, smell for headaches, in bath for colds and flu.) 2) Weleda Creams: Arnica Ointment (for bruises), calendula cream (for rashes and boo-boos), calendula oil (for massages for growing pains), burn care cream and wound care cream. (Depends on the bruise. Homeopathic Arnica spray works best so you don't have to put any pressure on the bruise when applying the Arnica.) 3) Tea Tree oil (antiseptic for topical application, also in bath for colds and flu, put a drop in a cup of warm water with 1 tsp salt for a sore throat – gargle.) 4) Citrus seed extract (for treating funguses-dilute at least 1:4 in water or will burn skin.) 5) Rescue Remedy (from Bach Flower essences for stress and tantrums.) 6) Chamomile Tea bags (wet and apply to sunburn, or steep and make soothing tea for colds, tantrums etc.) 7) Ledum or Apis Homeopathic (for bites) Get these in a 30C pellet for acute care, 30X tablets for the youngest ones. 8) Aloe Vera Gel (for sunburns.) 9) Arnica pellets (take orally for wounds.) (Homeopathic Arnica pellets or tabs are for trauma, be it physical, emotional, or mental - any kind of trauma. Get the 30X tabs for the wee ones because they dissolve in the mouth instantly. Get the 30C pellets for older kids and let them dissolve slowly, sublingually.) 10) Red washcloths for washing up scrapes (can minimize child's stress from seeing blood on washcloth.) 11) Sting Stop (for bug bites.) 12) Boo-Boo bunny (can be filled with ice or lavender.) 13) Herbal version of “wet wipes.” 14) Yarrow leaves (the fern like leaves contain healing ES oils. The leaf can be used like a band-aid, tied around injured finger and knotted. Achillea millefolium can be planted in the garden.) 15) A bar of homemade antiseptic soap (melt and pour glycerin base soap, add a bit of tea tree oil and lavender, pour into molds. Make it with the kids.) 16) Small vial of Rock salt that has a few drops of Eucalyptus oil or peppermint, lavender or lemon ES (to sniff as a decongestant.) 17) A Eucalyptus Chest rub (for colds and coughing.) (Be careful about using strong scented oils at the same time as homeopathic remedies. This would apply to Eucalyptus, too. And storing them together can get self-defeating, especially if something spills.) 18) Hypericum spray, salve or gel (for burns and wounds.) (Homeopathic Hypericum spray is wonderful for any injury to areas rich in nerves, like fingers, toes, tailbone. Again the spray is best so you don't have to put any pressure on these painful injuries. The spray, however, would not be good for wounds because it is alcohol based and will hurt the little ones when you spray it on a wound. It is not recommended for wounds.) 19) Echinacea gummy bears (for colds and flu.) 20) Band-Aids 21) Tweezers (for splinters.) 22) Clippers 23) Handkerchiefs 24) A small bundle of dried lavender (for child to hold and smell, may be tied onto handle of basket.) 25) Rosewater (as "Fairy Juice" for boo-boos that don't need any first aid, but do need love, attention and a little validation - can also be sprayed around the bed to ward off bad dreams.) 26) Fairy Dust (little tube jars of very fine glitter, sprinkle a little bit for extra magic healing power - be careful not to get in the eyes.) 27) Words for a little healing blessing, or song from Seven Times the Sun (or one made up by the family.) 28) A boo-boo book and some special crayons (sheets of construction paper held together with a ring binder thing; child can draw the "story" of their boo-boo.) Again, watch mixing homeopathic remedies with strong scents or fragrances. |
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UU Homeschooler INSIGHTS The Journey To Quakaterianism, by Norma Curry "Contemplation for an hour is better than formal worship for sixty years." - Mohammed When I first started attending Quaker meeting again I was an adult with my own child. I felt drawn back to the silence, to the contemplation, for I had never found another church that had fit me and my wide range of beliefs. And I encountered so much uncomfortable to downright condemning dogma in most churches that I quickly walked away, seeking spirituality in the many teachers who walk among us, especially during the late sixties and the early seventies. Along my personal spiritual journey I had the great fortune to encounter some spiritual masters, or gurus, and I learned much from them, exploring various forms of meditation, contemplation and inner searching. But something happened in my 42nd year of life after the birth of my first and only child, when I felt drawn to return to Quaker meeting. Living in the mountains between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico, I started attending weekly meetings in Albuquerque and became accustomed once again to the wonderfulness of silent worship, to the spiritual energy that flows through a room of worshippers who choose to sit together in a simple unadorned space in silence, to listen to the "still, small voice within," rather than conducting formal "programmed" services. Of course Quaker meetings are not always silent. Anyone may speak, but Quakers learn that one should find oneself "thrown to one's feet to speak." In other words one doesn't show up at Meeting for Worship with something prepared or planned, but this speaking, or leading, should originate from the light within, and from the silence of worship. And one is also discouraged from responding to what someone else says in Meeting for Worship. In other words, Meeting for Worship is not a dialog, but a series of spontaneous leadings that come from each individual's unfolding inner revelation. Often this is something simple, like an expression of joy at the beauty of the morning, or a leading may sound more like a true confession. Or sometimes, quite unexpectedly, something very "weighty" pops out, as Quakers often designate revelations (or people) of importance. But these leadings usually dot the silence, leaving long stretches of quiet to be filled by the voice within. That doesn't always happen. I've attended some meetings, sometimes referred to as "popcorn" meetings, in which folks are in such a hurry to speak that one hardly finishes before another one is "popping" up to speak. My old college meeting at the University of Michigan was often like this. I find these meetings uncomfortable, especially if they keep "popping" week after week. Most Quakers observe the rule that one should listen in silence at least as long as the preceding speaking, and preferably longer. Believing one must pause and truly listen, contemplate what has been said, the worshipful Quaker does not just jump up to respond. Quakers today segregate themselves in many ways, but the most basic is the division between the programmed and unprogrammed Quakers. The programmed meeting is quite similar to almost any Protestant denomination's church service with a pastor and a certain amount of structure. But the unprogrammed variety, the type of meeting I miss, is quite different. One enters the silence when one enters the worship space. And often the first half hour of worship is traditionally designated for complete silence. Then, if one feels compelled to speak, one might speak from the silence, not from the hurry of traffic and stress of getting to worship. Some of the best "First Days" are those filled with awesome total silence, sometimes referred to as a very "gathered" silence. Children seldom sit through the silent part of worship, but instead attend First Day School, very much like UU religious education, learning about different religions, Quaker history, Quaker songs, crafts, and social awareness. Often the children enter the meeting and join their parents toward the end of worship, bringing their joyful lively energy into the worship space. No collection is taken during Meeting for Worship. All donations are voluntary, given whenever the individual feels led to give, and all giving is considered equal. Those who can give only time and energy, or talents, are valued equally with those who may traditionally donate more money to a meeting. The Meeting for Worship usually ends when the Clerk of Meeting, someone who accepts this volunteer position for a specific term, stands to announce the close of meeting. At this time the Clerk of Meeting may remind people that a collection box sits in the outer hallway, or that they may contribute directly, and how to do this. In the Albuquerque Meeting personal introductions with accompanying brief announcements around the circle of the entire meeting usually proceeded the close of meeting, followed by tea, coffee, juice and and socializing. In our small Worship Group we usually followed Meeting for Worship with a pot luck meal at which everyone was welcome. Once a month, the Monthly Meeting will hold a Meeting For Worship For Business, usually after worship. That's where Quakers differ considerably from other religious organizations. The business meeting is as worshipful as the Meeting for Worship, beginning with a period of silence, then moving to the agenda. Quakers do not traditionally vote on issues, but instead the person assigned as Clerk of Meeting will express the "sense of the meeting," summarizing what he or she has heard from those who speak to any issue brought before the business meeting. If everyone agrees and finds this summation acceptable, then no one does anything and the sense of meeting is recorded as a minute. But if someone disagrees, or is clearly not satisfied, then they will speak, expressing their discontent. Periods of silence often stretch through the business meeting, especially when dealing with "weighty" issues. If no resolution is reached by the whole of the business meeting, in what is called "unity" rather than consensus, the Clerk of Meeting may ask that this matter be held in the light until the next meeting, or that a special called meeting or a threshing meeting might be scheduled for this matter. Some issues can drag on for years, like any suggested changes to the Meeting House, for example; but surprisingly most business moves along as quickly as it does in any other kind of business meeting. Most amazing, perhaps, is how this process called "unity" can peacefully resolve some very contentious issues. For until the Meeting for Worship for Business reaches "unity" on the matter it will continue to worshipfully consider it and no action will be taken. With most issues, especially very emotional issues, the process works quite well, smoothing all the ruffled feathers with time, silence, and most important, worshipful listening to one another. Every voice speaks equally in this process, and everyone has the opportunity to speak from the silence. In many Quaker meetings no distinction is made between members and attenders, giving all equal voice. Since unprogrammed Quaker meetings do not retain a minister or pastor, each Quaker is considered to be a minister, and can serve in ministerial capacities in hospitals, or prisons, or other appropriate situations. And Quaker weddings and funerals, or memorial services, are very different, too. All such services begin with silence, and people speak from the silence. At weddings attenders will speak from the silence, sometimes telling stories about the individuals being married, or speaking of marriage in general, or reading some piece of favorite inspirational writing. The couple may or may not have prepared some words they wish to speak, may or may not include music as part of their wedding service. But in the end all who attend the marriage sign the official license as "ministry." And at a Quaker memorial service many will speak from the silence about the person, often sharing and revealing beautiful little stories about his or her life. Those memorial services that I have attended have lovingly and joyfully celebrated and honored the person's life. In New Mexico we ultimately formed a small Worship Group in our rural mountain area. The group ranged from 5-25 attenders, meeting about twice a month. We became a very close, very supportive group of f/Friends. We chose to remain independent of any Monthly Meeting, rather than being "taken under the care of" a Monthly Meeting. And we chose not to deal with money either, holding our meetings in homes, taking up collections whenever needed. We trusted each individual to find and support their own causes, though we always appreciated being informed about various Quaker actions going on around the planet. Most of us subscribed to or received one or more highly informative Quaker publications from the Monthly Meeting or Yearly Meeting. And we each supported our own social action causes, applying our own initiative, rather than relying on our "church" or our ministry, or a board of directors, to select where money or time and energy should or should not go. The hierarchy in Quakerism is the meeting itself. Monthly Meetings usually schedule Meeting For Worship For Business once a month. Quarterly Meetings gather four times a year; Yearly Meetings once a year. These meetings usually grow in size and geographical area with their decreased frequency. The Yearly Meeting is the biggie in most parts of the country, usually a very fulfilling experience, with Monthly Meetings encouraged to find ways to allow as many members and attenders as possible to participate. Most have funds just for this purpose, so that everyone with the time and the interest can attend. Lodging might range from camping space to lodge or dormitory accommodations. Meals are usually vegetarian, or have considerable vegetarian options available, since more Quakers are vegetarian than not, especially in the West, and most figure a few days of vegetarian eating won't hurt them. Quakers need not affiliate with any meeting to call themselves Quaker. Quakers no longer wear "plain clothing," or speak in "thees and thous," usually, although you will find some Quakers who do choose to do these things. Most Quakers ascribe to the testimony of peace based on a quote from George Fox, founder of the Religious Society of Friends in the 1600s: "I told them I knew from whence all wars arose, and that I lived in the virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars, that I was come into the covenant of peace which was before all wars and strife." But each Quaker must listen to that inner voice, and in times of war some Quakers will choose to serve in the military. So, all Quakers are not pacifists or draft resisters. Most Quakers do not take oaths or swear allegiances. Some do not address others with titles, recognizing that all are created equal in the eyes of God, and refusing to subscribe to man's hierarchical overlays, dropping the Mr. or Mrs., or the Dr. or Rev., or the Capt. or Sgt., when greeting or meeting others. Many Quakers do conscientiously object to war and some still refuse to pay war taxes. Since this is a religious organization that encourages each and every person to look within for guidance, each Quaker must decide what is right themselves. Some Quakers are Christians, but being Quaker does not necessarily mean that one is a Christian. George Fox's simple truth is the foundation of this religious organization, the Religious Society of Friends, a worldwide network of those who do not find the need for someone else to package up religious protocol for them. Fox's simple truth is: "Walk cheerfully over the world, answering to that of God in everyone." And that's as close as Quakers get to religious dogma. You get to define "God/god." You get to define how you choose to worship. The silence is a respectful acknowledgment that each individual has the right to determine his or her own form of worship. We come together in silence in simple rooms without religious symbols or ornamentation, out of respect for each other, and to share the extraordinary "gathered" force of what happens when we do sit or stand together in worship. I appreciate the silence, not as a ritual, but as a choice that respects each person's right to commune worshipfully in his or her own way. No one interferes or imposes one form of worship on anyone else. At home in our daily worship, or in special gatherings with others, we may do asanas to the sun, or bow to the east several times a day, or dance to the beat of drums at the new and full moon, or chant mantras, or walk a maze, but when we come together for First Day worship in Quaker Meeting we honor the personal worship choices of each individual by worshipping together from the silence. And if, from the silence, that still small voice throws you to your feet to chant an ancient Sioux prayer, or to sing a favorite hymn, or to recite a special poem, or to share your personal joy or sorrow, or your convictions and concerns, then those who sit with you in silent worship will listen, allowing the seeds of your words to grow in the fertile soil of Quaker silence. Since we have moved from our beautiful New Mexico mountains and have found ourselves in a place where racism rears its ugly head far too often, within the local Quaker meetings and within society in general, we have chosen not to attend any Quaker Meeting here, but have, instead, enjoyed exploring other forms of worship. We are currently affiliating ourselves with a UU church, and have discovered we are not alone, that other "Quakaterians" have preceded us. We are finding that these two groups share many things in common, attract many of the same people. We love the diversity of our UU church here, and our 14-year-old daughter enjoys the youth group very much. My husband has chosen to add his deep bass voice to the choral group in our church, while I am still searching for my niche. I miss the silence, the time spent in silent worship together. So, I remain a Quaker in my heart. But I am enjoying meeting all the wonderful people in our UU church and learning more and more about UU history and organization. I think I may soon be a true "Quakaterian." |
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HUUmans ONLINE Distance Learning has finally come home. Today you can find whole sites devoted to the once obscure notion of online learning. Distance Learning on the Net, at http://www.hoyle.com/distance/define.htm, offers an excellent and comprehensive tutorial on distance learning (distance learning about distance learning!). The Distance Learning Resource Center, http://www.dlrn.org/, is the home of the “Star Schools” program. The Star Schools Program “is one of the largest and most successful public and private partnerships for delivering distance learning in the United States and around the world.” Distance Learning Clearinghouse, at http://www.uwex.edu/disted/home.html, is managed by the University of Wisconsin Extension Service, and brings together resources and information from around the world. All of these sites provide information and networking resources, and a wide variety of programs that everyone can enjoy. A first cousin of distance learning is “collaborative learning,” where students at home or in a classroom setting can participate with other students from around the world in a specific project. One of the most popular collaborative learning program providers is Stevens University's Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE), http://k12science.ati.stevens-tech.edu/currichome.html, based in New Jersey. CIESE offers a series of completely free, ongoing programs for children of all ages. The Square of Life project leads children in a comparative exploration of their backyards or schoolyards, letting them share their discoveries on a community discussion board with other children from around the world. The Global Sun Temperature project incorporates science, math and geography in a study involving graphing daily temperatures over a period of days and comparing the information with other students' results. CIESE also conducts water sampling and other data collection projects. Their website is full of resources to help teachers, students and parents make the most of these great projects, and there is plenty of online support to help with technical issues. Other collaborative learning programs include the Global Schoolhouse, (http://gsh.lightspan.com/pr/index.html), the Houghton-Mifflin Project Center, (http://www.eduplace.com/projects/index.html), and Teleprojects (http://exchange.co-nect.net/Teleprojects/). And there are many, many more. |
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Homeschooling Contacts: See our web page here for the most up-to-date list of contacts. |
HUUmans at Home
HUUmans at Home HUUmans at Home is a quarterly publication of UU Homeschoolers Contents reflect the views of the authors and are not necessarily those of any particular group of people. The editor welcomes submissions of articles, letters, media reviews and other items of interest to our readers. Inquiries and submissions can be sent to:
Email: Terri sparrow@tampabay.rr.com
Rights to all submissions to this newsletter remain with the authors. Permission is hereby granted for homeschoolers to quote from this newsletter in whole or in part with the requirements that this newsletter is properly credited as the source and that a copy of the quote is sent to the editor at the above address.
