Home Education Network Committee Meeting
| 26 May 2006 | ||
| 11:00 am |
Friday May 26
Meeting starts 11.00 a.m.
At Colita Scott’s home, Hollyburton Park
Phone Colita for directions: 5428 5332
B.Y.O. Lunch or something to share
All Welcome
Science at Monash: Ralph Revisited - Exploring Light and Colour - Junior
| 30 May 2006 | ||
| 11:00 am |
Junior: Ralph Revisited - Exploring Light and Colour
Find out what light is, how to split it into different colours and how blowing bubbles can help us understand more about the world around us.
Tuesday 30th May - 11am
See the Science at Monash category for more information about booking.
The Danger of Maternal Overload and Maternal Distress
By Rosanne Trevaskis
Home education is not an easy option. It differs from classroom education and produces different results in the child, parents and in the family as a whole. Choosing to educate your child at home is making a long-term life-style decision that will affect every aspect of your family’s life. It is not a choice to be made lightly because it requires a great deal of commitment, time and diligence. It would be unwise to embark upon home education unless both parents agreed upon the decision.
Otherways - Issue 108 - May to June 2006
In this issue:
- The New Education Act Becomes Law.
- Intelligence, Schools and Failure. Words of wisdom from the late John Holt.
- Self-directed Education. Lyn reflects on her children’s education and her own.
- An Argument between Friends. Shay Seaborne argues with a long-term friend about compulsory education and home education.
- Gifts of Home Education. Rachel Phillips reflects on the benefits of the time and experience that home education gave her.
- Home Education taking hold in Japan. Darren Pickett reports on the rise of school refusal and home education in Japan.
Plus our regular features:
- Age of Reason: Written and edited by homeschooled teenagers
- Your letters
- Colitas’ couch - Book reviews
- Home-ed Kids
- Science workshops
- Support group news and events
Intelligence, Schools and Failure By John Holt
When we talk about intelligence, we do not mean the ability to get a good score on a certain kind of test, or even the ability to do well at school; these are at best only indicators of something larger, deeper, and far more important. By intelligence, we mean a style of life, a way of behaving in various situations, and particularly in new, strange, and perplexing situations. The true test of intelligence is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don’t know what to do.
The intelligent person, young or old, meeting a new situation or problem, opens himself up to it; he tries to take in with mind and senses everything he can about it, he thinks about it, instead of about himself or what it might cause to happen to him; he grapples with it boldly, imaginatively, resourcefully, and if not confidently, at least hopefully; if he fails to master it, he looks without shame or fear at his mistakes and learns what he can from them. This is intelligence. Clearly its roots lie in a certain feeling about life, and one’s self with respect to life. Just as clearly, unintelligence is not what most psychologists seem to suppose, the same thing as intelligence only less of it. It is an entirely different style of behavior, arising out of an entirely different set of attitudes.
The bright child is patient. He can tolerate uncertainty and failure, and will keep trying until he gets an answer. When all his experiments fail, he can even admit to himself and others that for the time being he is not going to get an answer. This may annoy him, but he can wait. Very often, he does not want to be told how to do the problem or solve the puzzle he has struggled with, because he does not want to be cheated out of the chance to figure it out for himself in the future. Not so the dull child. He cannot stand uncertainty or failure. To him, an unanswered question is not a challenge or an opportunity, but a threat. If he can’t find the answer quickly, it must be given to him, and quickly; and he must have answers for everything. Such are the children of whom a second-grade teacher once said, “But my children like to have questions for which there is only one answer.” They did; and by a mysterious coincidence, so did she.
Self Directed Education - Lifes Greatest Adventure By Lyn Loxton
At the recent HEN symposium, a member of the audience asked the question, ‘How can I give my child a high level of education when I didn’t do very well at school myself?” This is not only one of the most asked questions, but many adults today assume that, just because they failed or dropped out of school themselves, that they are uneducated.
As a notorious school failure and drop-out, these were also my thoughts when I began home educating 17 years ago.
Research on Home education and special needs children
Special Ed Class or Homeschool? Statistics Speak
HSLDA writer - summary of Dr. Steven Duvall’s research
Academic research on home education of special needs children is encouraging. Dr. Steven Duvall is a behavioural psychologist who has objectively measured the amount of time and the kinds of interactions that take place in the classroom and in homeschool settings. He found two of the biggest differences between home and public special education classes to be in the physical arrangement of the room and the amount of academic responses.
Leunig on ‘Enough Rope’
Celebrated cartoonist and journalist, Michael Leunig, was interviewed on Andrew Denton’s Enough Rope and talked about home educating his children.
The transcript is available here http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1632918.htm . The topic of home education comes up about halfway through the transcript.
June Portsea Camp - 10th to 15th June 2006
Saturday 10th June - Thursday 15th June 2006
6 days, 5 nights encompassing June long weekend
The June Portsea Camp is the latest Home Education Retreat organised by the Home Educaton Network. This beautiful location, nestling up aginst the Mornington Peninsular National Park, offers superb ocean views and an almost limitless choice of walking tracks to beaches and natural wonders of the area.
The camp itself consists of mulitple outdoor play areas, beach access and large indoor spaces. The main hall and kitchen has verandahs with ocean views as does the large conference room. All cabins are heated, have double bunks and their own small bathrooms. There is a commercial kitchen open for self catering. As with Licola, we are offering a catered meal. Come and enjoy the experience with friends old and new!
Activites: Basketball, Volleyball, Rollerblading, Cricket, Soccer, Rockclimbing, Giant slides, swimming, rockpooling, walking, dolphin watching, table-tennis, pool and much more.
Paid acitivites at $5 per child: Giant Swing, Flying Fox.
Location: The Portsea Camp - 3704 Point Nepean Road, Portsea Melway Map 156 F2
Accomodation: 17 ensuite rooms, 12 shared ensuite rooms, small and large bunkhouses.
Cost per night inclusive of GST:
Adults $30, Teens $15, Children 6-12 $10, 5 and under free
Catered Meal approx $9 per person (optional)
For bookings and further information phone Lyn - 9431 4826
$50 deposit required for securing a cabin!
Day Vistors: $5/person per day (under 5 free)
Soundhouse Excursion
| 15 May 2006 | ||
| 11:00 am |
Students will create their own music track and produce a professional video clip using Vegas Movie Studio’s user friendly software with powerful video effects. Students will experience the latest trends in video editing by combining audio and video to make awesome video projects.
Monday 15th May: 11am-3.45pm