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Here's a great read on what science is and what it is not. What an important basic concept to understand!
https://fee.org/articles/why-the-bastardization-of-the-scientific-method-is-so-dangerous/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020_FEEDaily  After the educational debacle in 2020 resulting from closing schools and sending everyone home, I thought it was high time that I responded with some sense. I have heard the unfounded criticism that online learning is a poor substitute for in-person learning and yet, that has been almost entirely based on the experience of public school children and teachers who were thrust into an unfamiliar learning situation overnight. That was an unfair burden put upon teachers and it did indeed negatively impact the children. Learning online has its advantages and its drawbacks. One thing it is not, however, is merely in-person learning transferred online.
Consider that most of the children had never “gone to school” online and did not know how to download the appropriate software and set up their computer for audio and video. This is assuming they have a computer with reliable internet service. Many of the children have parents who work full-time, so they did not have any adult supervision to oversee that their children were setup and actually in their seat ready to learn. Without rules and some order in this new online environment, children felt free to get up and get a snack whenever they felt like it, play with their pets, or even watch tv or play a video game during the instructional time! Teachers did not have any training to prepare themselves for teaching in this new format, so their lessons were not digital-ready. They spent most of their time trying to help children with the software and audio challenges and trying to engage their attention in the midst of a variety of distractions. In many schools, the hours of instructional time were greatly reduced and students were left to do homework on their own without much direction. On top of that, many parents believed that they were “homeschooling” because their children were having to login to meet their teacher online. Nothing could be further from the truth of what real homeschooling is like. This was an educational disaster. It was not what quality online education looks like. Online education, also called “distance education” has many advantages when teachers and students are prepared for it. Many online classes are live, which means that they have a specific meeting time (just like in-person classes) and they have video capabilities where students and teachers can see and hear each other. The only difference is that everyone is in a different place. I have found in my teaching experience which encompasses both in-person and online, that children are far less distracted online and I have been able to accomplish more with them than when they are surrounded by little talkers, people coming and going in the classroom, or outright misbehavior. In an online environment, we are able to use a whiteboard, and notes and in-class work can be emailed directly to students. Videos can be shown and students can give presentations. Unlike an in-person class, online lessons can be recorded, which is great for review or for those who are absent. There is little that cannot be done in an online environment. Another advantage of online learning is that courses can also be offered “on demand” which means that students can work through lessons on their own schedule and at their own pace. Hands-on projects are more challenging to do online, but it is still possible. Even group work can be done online in “breakout rooms.” Convenience is another important advantage in online learning. With the gas prices escalating overnight, staying home saves money. It also saves time in traveling to and from in-person school. Before I finish, I know there are some who are wondering about “socialization.” The implicit assumption is that the socialization that is going on at school is all positive. It surely is not. Bullying continues. Illegal drugs are ever more accessible. Now the LGBTQ agenda has been welcomed regardless of what you, the parent, feels about it. In public schools they have miniscule amounts of time to socialize. Most of the time they are told to be quiet. They have a short amount of time at recess and at lunch, but other than that, they don’t socialize in school as much as adults think. Socialization is a rather large topic and beyond the scope of my topic here. The truth is that children do not need the amount of socialization with same-age peers that adults often think they need. Parents who are concerned about their children not socializing can make opportunities for their children by joining clubs and parent/child play-date groups or homeschool groups. These groups are great for making friends and going on field trips. Church youth groups are another place where children can learn and interact. There is no reason for children to feel isolated. It only takes a parent with a bit of initiative to make it happen. I am biased and I freely admit it. But I am also honest. I have taught in both environments (in-person and online) and I know the advantages and disadvantages of both. I know that online learning is not for everyone, yet others thrive in an online environment. I have always promoted options. My objection is the blanket criticism of online instruction simply because the public schools bombed at it during the Covid shutdowns. The Inspired Scholar offers live online instruction as well as on-demand courses and one-on-one tutoring both online and in-person. We also offer in-person writing workshops (Journalism Camp) and dance classes. Yes, that’s right. Dance is a little hard to do well online. If you are interested in learning more, visit www.inspiredscholar.com. Our new class offerings for the 2022-2023 year will be posted in March.  Polyphemus Moth I am not a lover of insects. Some of them I can admire, but mostly I avoid them as much as possible. It matters not whether they are venomous or harmless. I am eternally thankful that a large six-inch preying mantis fell next to me on a chair at the laundromat and NOT in my hair. I don't think I would be living to tell this tale. How, then, did I end up engrossed by a book on moths? I even count this among some of my favorite non-fiction. It all goes back to reading A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter. In it, Elnora earns money to pay for her textbooks by collecting moths for a scientist. Through that fictitious world, I developed an interest in learning more about them. It turns out that Stratton-Porter was truly interested in moths and wrote a whole book about them, "Moths of the Limberlost." She made me see the exquisite beauty of moths. Reading, goes far beyond making us literate, but can take us down other paths and open doors into another world that we might not peer into otherwise.
Are you looking for a high school literature course for this fall? Check out my year long class on World Literature & Composition. Starts Aug. 26, 2021 - Thursdays 1:30-2:30 p.m. EST.
I like to give my students an opportunity to be creative in demonstrating what they have learned. It is not necessary for them to always write essays. Open-ended projects such as these online interactive posters teach them to think and plan as well as to show what they have gleaned. The first is a study of The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The second is on "Evangeline" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
 Don't make the mistake of discontinuing to read to your readers. Once your children are independent readers, your job isn't done. You can still read books that are just beyond your child's reading or comprehension ability and explain things along the way. Reading-aloud even to your teens builds family relationships and gives everyone something in common to talk about. It builds vocabulary effortlessly, which translates into students who have an easier time of writing. It's just plain worth the time to do it.
Some of our best homeschool memories were the shared books we read-aloud. For older children, 12 years old and up, I recommend the series of books by James Herriot, who was a veterinarian in Yorkshire, England in the 20th century. The first one is All Creatures Great and Small. In them, he relates his experiences, many of which are hilarious in his dealings with animals, his boss, his boss' brother, farmers, and other people. They are a bit graphic at times (he was a vet of large animals after all), and that is why it would be better to wait until your children are older before you read these aloud. There is also a series of books for children, which I don't think are quite as good as his original books that these stories are culled from. If they are young, just wait on this one.  Good writers are nurtured. Many avenues exist to do that, but the key element is fun. How do you make writing fun? That is the wrong question. Writing is already fun but not everyone has discovered that.
I love to play games and what kid doesn't? One of my favorite "word games" is Origin. I am not very good at it because it requires keeping a straight face when offering up my explanation as to how something got started. It has to be believable and yet at the same time, it shouldn't sound like the correct answer, not if you want to earn points. It's hilarious good fun that gives players an opportunity to be creative while listening to others' attempts at fooling you with their explanations. It's a consistent, steady diet of having fun with words and language that makes it easier for children to write stories and reports.  I teach young people.
I teach young people how to write. I teach young people how to write using IEW curriculum. My focus is on individuals first and then the subject of writing and I have been doing so for over ten years now. Many good writing programs exist, but one of the ones that I use consistently is IEW because it produces stellar results with those students who regularly apply themselves to it. Further, it builds confidence, which I love to see! In the most recent issue of "Arts of Language" (April 2021) produced by The Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), Andrew Pudewa, the founder, has written an intriguing article, "You Don't Have to Like Writing" that resonated with me. At first, you might think that liking something makes it easier, and surely, it does, but sometimes that just isn't possible. Fortunately, a student doesn't have to like writing to still be able to do it well. Pudewa mentions how he hears from many parents who want their children to "enjoy writing" however, he correctly explains that this is not guarantee-able, no matter the enthusiasm or skill of the teacher. The other goal parents have is for their children to be able to express themselves. Mr. Pudewa corrects their thinking on this by explaining that "writing is much more about expressing ideas than selves." To do that they must have the tools, which, of course are words and ideas. It is critical that the environment be saturated with quality literature in the form of novels, poems, plays, biographies, history, Scripture, stories, etc... Young minds absorb the literary devices and sentence structure as well as ideas. I frequently remind my students that they must be reading a variety of material all the time. If they don't fill their minds, they will have nothing to draw from when it is time to write. Reading also fuels thinking. Isn't this what Charlotte Mason advocated all the time in her writings!! Yes! A literary-rich environment is a foundation of Mason's principles. Great educators do think alike. Next, students must have tools to put their ideas into words and sentences, stories, and essays. They need strategies and techniques as well as models to imitate. They need guidance in how to approach the writing task, because for most, it is a task. Writing requires deep thinking. Writing is not easy, even for people who enjoy it. Although it is one of my goals to inspire students, the primary goal is developing competence which builds a well-earned confidence.  Most people, I would say, have heard of Handel's Messiah, or at least the "Hallelujah Chorus." However, I was well into adulthood before I had ever heard of this famous oratorio. I was in a choir rehearsal at my church and one of the sopranos made some comment about everyone knows the "Hallelujah Chorus." I was so obliging to have her meet one of those heathens who had never heard of it. I thought the poor woman's eyeballs were going to fall out, she had never encountered such impoverished musical ignorance before! I was equally shocked at my appalling ignorance and sought to speedily remedy that. I obtained a copy of the complete Messiah and listened to it in its entirety. It didn't grab me. My first thought was, "I am so woefully ignorant, I just don't get it. This is a really special piece of music, so I must try harder." On the second go around, it still didn't take hold. Finally, determined to find what I was missing, I got a copy of the libretto (the words) and listened in small sections with ATTENTIVENESS. Only then did I began to understand, to get the overview, to become more acquainted with it. Now, I not only have favorite sections, but I LOVE the entire oratorio. Since then, I have learned some riveting details. Handel wrote the music in a mere 17 days. It has been performed somewhere in the world every year since it was first performed April 13, 1742. He wrote it to benefit London orphans. All of the words are from the King James Bible and tell a story of Christ,'s birth, death, and resurrection. A truly wonderful devotional that comes with a CD of some selections is The Handel's Messiah Family Advent Reader by Donna Payne and Fran Lenzo I cannot recommend this highly enough as a great part of your family's musical education and one that will enhance their appreciation of the Messiah. One of my favorites is: I Know that My Redeemer Liveth I know that my Redeemer liveth, And on the earth again shall stand; I know eternal life He giveth, That grace and power are in His hand. Chorus: I know, I know that Jesus liveth, And on the earth again shall stand; I know, I know that life He giveth, That grace and power are in His hand. I know His promise never faileth, The word He speaks, it cannot die; Tho’ cruel death my flesh assaileth, Yet I shall see Him by and by. 1 I know that my Redeemer liveth, And on the earth again shall stand; I know eternal life He giveth, That grace and power are in His hand. Chorus: I know, I know that Jesus liveth, And on the earth again shall stand; I know, I know that life He giveth, That grace and power are in His hand. I know His promise never faileth, The word He speaks, it cannot die; Tho’ cruel death my flesh assaileth, Yet I shall see Him by and by. [Chorus] I know my mansion He prepareth, That where He is there I may be; Oh, wondrous thought, for me He careth, And He at last will come for me. [Chorus]  I just have to share another treasure with you from The Annual of Christmas Literature and Art. Plus...reading always gives me ideas!
Isn't this Christmas Alphabet art a beautiful way to tell the Christmas story? Wouldn't this be a fun writing and art project to give your children? They could make a Christmas Alphabet for their younger siblings. |
Renee MetcalfWhere will you find me when I am not teaching? For your reading pleasure!
May 2026
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