Google SketchUp (free) is an easy-to-learn 3D modeling program whose few simple tools enable you to create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions, woodworking projects – even space ships. You can add details, textures and glass to your models, design with dimensional accuracy, and place your finished models in Google Earth, share them with others by posting them to the 3D Warehouse, or print hard copies. Google SketchUp (free) is a great way to discover if 3D modeling is right for you.
Google SketchUp is free for personal use. No registration is required. Download Google SketchUpit now to start modeling.
Posted by Lisa - Unschooling Mom as Freebies , Coupons and Money Saving Ideas, Fun Activities for Kids, Fun Stuff, General Homeschool and Unschooling, Math Skills and Homeschool Math Sites at 10:39 PM EDT
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Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko is a Dundas Ontario-based writer who home-schools with her husband and three daughters. For the last five years they have been producing Radio Free School, a weekly radio show by, for and about un-schoolers. Beatrice will be writing six columns on the subject of home-schooling.
This is 1st article in the series:
Minding your own - Home based education
Stefanie Mohsennia is a librarian, a self-described “sit down, read and write type.” She liked school and did very well. But as a parent, she began to see that her son’s learning style differed from hers; she became concerned the school would be unable to answer his needs.
Basics, like the structure of the school day, interfered. Mohsennia said her seven-year-old son “would not be interested in math at 8 or 9 a.m. in the morning.”
“Why sacrifice his love of learning?” she asks.
She took a big step and decided to home-school her son. But ironically, to home-school, she had to leave her home.
Mohsennia relocated to Canada from her native Germany, where home education is legally verboten.
Home-schooling is legal everywhere in Canada. Mohsennia’s son joins the 80,000 kids estimated by the Canadian Centre for Home Education who are being home-educated as the movement to teach your own grows steadily.
An increasing awareness, understanding and respect for different kinds of learning styles and multiple types of intelligences are stirring the public conscience.
An intensive parenting trend is driving this “profound culture shift,” says Professor Scott Davies, a sociologist at McMaster University in Hamilton.
According to Davies, an “underlying culture” among middle-class parents that “prioritizes the needs of the individual child” leads to a “highly individualized conception of learning, one that prizes a customized experience to enhance a child’s personality, idiosyncratic talents, cognitive style and sense of self.”
Read the full article here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_ekoko/20060713.html
Posted by Lisa - Unschooling Mom as General Homeschool and Unschooling, Homeschool in the Press and Media at 8:31 PM EDT
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This is a good site to bookmark, http://www.kids-in-mind.com/ It rates movies in 3 different categories: sex and nudity/ violence and gore/ profanity. It is not a preachy site just lets you make informed choices.
For example I don’t really care that much about profanity but violence is a biggie. It gives a review of the movie and then ratings from each category on a scale of 1-10. I believe the sites is sun by rottentomatoes.com and not a political or religious group. Pretty much any movie you can thnk of there- as well as current releases.
I don’t lik to “censor” per se but realize that we censor all the time- I don’t sit down and watch the Sopranos at 11 am with a cup of coffee and my 9 year old. I don;t “refuse” to let my children watch anything- but on the other hand I don;t offer them the choice either. So this site is meant to help censor but to help parents make choices.. If you can follow the Big Brother doublespeeak :-).. I don;t censor- I make choices.
Posted by Lisa - Unschooling Mom as General Homeschool and Unschooling, Movie Recommendations at 6:36 PM EDT
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This is pretty neat site- it is fairly new. The concept is for “teachers” to upload their own original worksheets, lesson plans or study ideas. etc and they can set a price and sell ( usually $1-10.00). In order to sell you first have to offer/upload something available for free download. The site is quite new- but I think it a great idea and will probably catch on quick.
The site is called teacherspayteachers.com, Check out for free worksheet downloads and make a little money by selling you own worksheets!
Posted by Lisa - Unschooling Mom as Freebies , Coupons and Money Saving Ideas, General Homeschool and Unschooling, Outstanding Sites and Resources, Worksheets , Lesson Plans and Printables at 10:14 AM EDT
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