Comment Prompt

I would like each student to post a paragraph long comment to this post.

Prompt: What do you think about the influence of Big Brother? What does it represent? Are there any examples in everyday life of a "Big Brother" or moderator?

We will discuss your answers in class. Points will be awarded to those who comment.

Second Assignment

Before Monday's class please follow this link and read on George Orwell and his life. We will discuss his influences and his life's work. Please leave a post talking about what you read and your thoughts on his life.

George Orwell

First Assignment

Here is the link to my website.

http://kilukclassroom.weebly.com/

I hope that everyone enjoys this blog. The first book the class will be reading is 1984 by George Orwell. I would like the first 2 chapters read by the second week of class. in the future we will be discussing the significance of Big Brother on society and the role of obedience in the book.

Welcome to my blog

Welcome everyone to my new blog. I have created this blog for my class EDT 211. I hope to become a Special Education teacher in the future. Thank you for visiting my blog please leave a comment and remember to keep it clean, it’s a family show. Thanks.

Homeschooling Essay

Elizabeth Kiluk
Professor Yerks
November 12, 2009
Composition 106

The Social Benefits of Homeschooling

Freedom of speech, petition, press, assembly, and religion, are our First Amendment rights. These fundamental liberties are what America was established on. As such, freedom of education can be deduced as well from this statement. In many states, it is impossible to exercise this right. Still other parts of this “free country” have put in place very stringent rules for those who wish to teach their children in an alternate manner. I believe that people should have the power to choose the manner of education for their own children, that includes homeschooling as a valid option. It provides individualized care for students who need it and offer limitless learning for those who are above average. A lot of the responsibility for learning is placed on the student, which initializes foundational values such as personal responsibility, and problem solving skills.

Home-based education has been useful in many situations. Homeschooling provides a learning environment that allows a child the same advantages as anyone else. Sometimes a child simply needs close attention in order for them to concentrate especially in the example of an attention disorder. They often need to be taken aside from the class to be taught by themselves, and away from distractions. Homeschooling creates that environment in the comforts of the child’s home, allowing them to focus on their studies. In many cases the public school system fails to have an adequate program for such students, which yields far worse symptoms in the long run of their education and career.
Certain states still limit the rights of homeschoolers despite the obvious benefits it has to offer. North Dakota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont are amongst the states with high regulation; these states require parents to send notification or achievement test scores and/or professional evaluation, plus other requirements (e.g. curriculum approval by the state, teacher qualification of parents, or home visits by state officials). (HSLS 2). In Vermont a commissioner may order a hearing after a child is enrolled if he has “information that reasonably could be expected to justify an order of termination.” In other words it is the commissioner’s verdict that ultimately decides whether a family is doing a satisfactory job homeschooling or not. Rules such as these make it difficult for parents to teach in these states. I was fortunate to be a resident of Michigan, which has very liberal homeschool laws, so I did not face any confrontation by the state law in regards to my education. Residents of other states like those listed are under a lot of pressure if they homeschool, and if they are able to teach they are required to use material that is picked out by the state whether it is best for the student or not. Students in high regulation states must also report all tests taken to state officials to be evaluated, a step that public schools are not required to do with the exception of standardized testing.
There are many school authorities that believe Homeschooling is either illegitimate teaching or does not present children with social experience. “You have no doubt seen articles and editorials in the general media that rely on the opinions of school experts, primarily in the form of principles, teachers, and school board personnel, to comment on the pros and cons of homeschooling. This is unfair to both the experts and the public they are speaking to because these individuals are being called upon to comment on something they have little or no knowledge of.” (Gathercole 12) Teachers specialize in teaching, not homeschooling, thus they cannot speak with full understanding on this topic. The real authorities are the parents who labor at this and the multitude of students who have gone from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Home-based education is more that just teaching at home it is real life application of lessons learned.
Homeschooling has also been used to help students excel farther than they could by being enrolled in a public or private school. Since the curriculum is flexible, students can have the freedom of having lessons that keep up with them even if they are advanced learners. It is easier for a homeschool student to get ahead in their classes because they select and purchase the curriculum themselves. Parents can also measure the abilities of the student first hand make a fair assessment. When I was homeschooled I found that some of the required material was below my level. My parents were able to request books that truly challenged me and kept me engaged in my studies. It helped me to attain the high expectation of myself that I have today. Through homeschooling, I have been able to achieve great things and learn as much as I can.
One of the questions most frequently asked of homeschoolers is, “how do children who don’t go to school become socialized?” Instead we should ask, is a public school setting really the standard, which our children should aspire to? “Most think of school as inseparable from socialization because school has become, in people’s minds inseparable form childhood itself.”(Gathercole 39) Society unconsciously defines socialization as the normal school child, however socialization can be attained through the everyday experiences. Homeschool students experience life, have friends, and travel to interesting places. One of my fondest memories was going with my other homeschool friends to the science museum Cosi in Ohio. We learned so much about mathematics, science, and physics. At the museum my friends and I got to experience first hand how electrical currents flow through a circuit by experimenting with a huge model. We saw how optical illusions are formed through manipulation of perspective in a room that was of average size but when looked at in a different angle appears smaller. Museums such as this are pregnant with knowledge and are accessible to anyone.
For our history class, my mom took my sister, my friends Abi and Ian, and myself to Greenfield Village to see just how the country looked 100 or so years ago. It was something that I will never forget. We learned how colonial people carded, spun, and weaved wool to create clothes. We watched girls play the game of graces where two players pass a small hoop by tossing it to each other and catch it on two sticks. This was particularly fun to play and learn. Our favorite part of the day was experiencing old fashioned means of transportation. At about eight years old I went on my first train ride. It was an enlightening experience that gave my studies a context, which not only helped me remember my classes but also understand why things were that way they were. It was trips like this one that really encouraged me in school and expanded my learning beyond the books and made it real to me even at such a young age.
As with anything, there are certain factors that must be considered if one chooses to homeschool their children. Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles is the time commitment. Without the time to teach one’s children, it becomes increasingly difficult to succeed. It is something that is best taken one year at a time to see if work schedules and activities permit the parents to teach their children adequately. It is also a financial investment. Homeschoolers are required to buy their own books, school supplies, hand out sheets, teacher guides and test booklets. Homeschooling usually requires that the teaching parent will not be working out of the home. Some sacrifices will need to be made if the family is used to two incomes. If the parent or guardian can make the time and financial commitment then home based education can be a wonderful tool that should be considered by future and current parents.
The option of one’s education ultimately is their choice. Every student is unique and must be thought of as an individual. Each child is a different situation and should be aided in a way that is most beneficial to them. Homeschooling has presented me with wonderful learning opportunities and the chance to “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life” (Thoreau 59). I never would have had the chance to participate in so many science experiments, done so many informative exercises, or paid such close attention in to school work, had it not been for my parents who dedicated so much time and effort in to homeschooling me and shaping me into the person that I am today.




Work Cited

Gathercole, Rachel. The Well- Adjusted Child. 1st. Denver, Colorado: Maple Tree Publishing,
2007. 12. Print.
“Legislation.” Homeschooling legal defense association. http://www.hslda.org/.
1996.Web.November 15 2009.
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Dover Thrift ed. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, 1995.
59. Print.