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Article Index
Build a Quality Home Library Cheaply
Socialization: What Exactly Are Homeschoolers Missing?
Use College-Level Exams To Get a Jump Start on College
How to Study for College-Level Exams, Part 1
How to Study for College-Level Exams, Part 2
You Can Teach Your Child to Write! Part 1
You Can Teach Your Child to Write! Part 2
How to Evaluate Writing
Writing Motivation: Using Contests to Motivate
Homeschool-Friendly Writing Contests
Homeschooling Through High School (slides - PowerPoint)
Homeschooling With Literature (Sonlight)
Making Time For Things That Matter: 7 Principles for Family Centered Living
7 Principles Slides (PDF)
Education Quotations
Einstein Quotes
Newsletter Archive 2006
Newsletter Archive 2005 & Earlier
Announcement Archive
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Articles
Newsletter Archives
Here's where you'll find some of the old newsletters. Not all of them, unfortunately, because some were lost when my old computer died, and I didn't save others. However, there are still some interesting articles and links here, and these will give you a good idea of the sort of information I include in the newsletters. Be sure to sign up for a subscription of your own!
Everyday Education – August 2006 Newsletter
Contents
Note from Janice
Events and Deadlines
Excerpt from My Blog
Coming Next Time
What's Up With e-Books?
Guest Article: "Homeschool High School the Third Time Around" by Barbara Frank
Featured Free Resource
Sponsors
You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for it on the www.EverydayEducation.com website or at a homeschool convention. If you would like to change your contact information, or stop receiving the newsletter, please see the bottom of this e-mail for instructions. Thank you!
Note from Janice
It's late summer, and I don't know about you, but I'm thinking "back to school!" I love fall, and the start of the school year is always exciting. It's going to be a bit different at our household this year, though. If you've been on my mailing list any length of time, you know that my two oldest sons have graduated from college, one at 20, and the other at 19. Now it's time for my last two boys to start taking a few classes at the community college. They're both scheduled for placement tests this week, and are alternating between anxiety and excitement.
If any of you e-mailed me between mid-June and mid-July, and received no response, it's because the spiffy new spam filters installed by my webhost had a default setting of filtering out EVERYTHING. I have other e-mail addresses, and communication usually drops off during summer break, so it took me awhile to figure out that something was wrong, and how to fix it. Please e-mail me again if you e-mailed earlier and received no response-- I always respond if I receive mail, so please, write again!
The summer was busy and productive, though. I was able to finish Get a Jump Start on College! A Practical Guide for Teens in time to have a beta print version out for the summer conventions. I have the complete e-book available at the Everyday Education website, and hope to have a print version available in the near future.
I've also published Connie Schenkelberg's wonderful Grammar Made Easy; Writing a Step Above as an e-book. If you need a comprehensive, inexpensive grammar program to teach several grades at once, you can read on the website why I highly recommend this resource. You may have seen it in previous years as simply Writing a Step Above, but if you visit the website, you can read the story behind the name change.
The next exciting project that is coming up is my Zeitgeist Literature courses. Many of you have asked when the classes would be available in book form, and I'm happy to tell you that I hope to have them ready in e-book format by late August or early September. If you're not sure about e-books, be sure to read the article below. I'm sold on the benefits of e-books for homeschoolers, and I hope that after you read my article, you will be too.
I did post a family photo from the wedding on the Contact page on the website, in case you're interested. The wedding, and the acquisition of a delightful daughter-in-law (who is also an excellent piano teacher!) was the highlight of our summer, but it was a pleasure to meet many of you at the conventions we attended. The remainder of the summer will probably be spent finishing Zeitgeist Lit, and battling Japanese beetles (I spray them with olive oil-- they seem to find it unpleasant!).
Enjoy the remainder of the summer, and remember to keep quick and easy records in your Transcripts Made Easy book!
Blessings,
Janice Campbell
P.S. This newsletter was almost ready to go out last week, and just as I was reading through it for the last time, a construction team from our local cable company cut through our phone line. So, after several days with no internet access or telephone, I'm back online. Just another event in the saga of trying (since June) to transfer to high-speed access...
Approaching Deadlines
- Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop
August 17 at The Homeschool Center in Lovettsville, VA. Contact Kathryn Stephens at homeschoolnet@verizon.net or call 540-822-4422 to register. For more information on this SAT preparatory essay workshop, visit www.essayworkshop.com.
- Virginia Homeschoolers Conference will be held at the Science Museum of Virginia on August 25-26. I'll be doing a transcript workshop there, so if you happen to be there, please drop by my table and say 'hi!'
- September 18-24- Home Educator Week at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. Special programs for homeschoolers will include Audiences with Nation Builders, Everyday Experiences at the Wythe House, Storytellers, and A Revolutionary Adventure.
- September 19- I'll be speaking on creating transcripts at a meeting of the HERE Support Group in Hampton, VA. For more information about the group, you may visit their website.
- If you're homeschooling in Virginia, the deadline to file your Notice of Intent is August 15. You can get a copy of the updated Notice from Home Educators Association of Virginia. The revised Notice reflects the new law permitting parents with high school diplomas to homeschool under option 1, rather than option 4. It's a wonderful change!
- SAT: The next SAT will be administered on October 14, 2006. Registration deadline is September 12, late registration deadline is September 20.
The remaining SAT dates for this year are November 4 and December 2. Visit College Board to learn more and register.
- ACT: The next ACT will be administered on October 28, 2006. Registration deadline is September 22, 2006, with a late registration deadline of October 6. Visit ACT for more information.
- FAFSA: Applications for financial aid for the spring semester of college must be filed by September 15, 2006. Earlier is always better! File at FAFSA. It's a free application, so don't file anywhere that demands a fee!
- Note: If you took the SAT in October 2005, you are probably familiar with the problems that came up in scoring. To keep up on the latest news about it, go to College Board.
Article From My Blog: "Summer Reading"
What have you been reading this summer? Here's a partial list of what I've been reading:
-CS Lewis- The Weight of Glory
-Dante- Divine Comedy: Inferno
-Nicholas Kilmer- A House in Normandy
-Boswell- Life of Johnson
-Augustine- Confessions
-Suze Orman- 9 Steps to Financial Freedom
-Edgar Lee Masters- Spoon River Anthology
-Alexandra Stoddard- Creating a Beautiful Home
-Stanley and Danko- The Millionaire Next Door
-E. Christian Kopff- The Devil Knows Latin
-H.R. Rookmaaker- Modern Art and Death of a Culture (There's more on this in my July 5 blog entry.)
Coming Next Time
- A book review of The Latin Centered Curriculum by Andrew Campbell (no relation!).
- More links to free resources for homeschooling through high school and beyond.
- And more!
What's Up With E-Books?
I've been buying and using e-books for years, and now I'm making my own books available as e-books. Why? Because the e-book concept is particularly practical for homeschoolers who may need more than one copy of reproducible worksheets or a workbook. E-books can be downloaded almost instantly, even with a dial-up connection, and they are immediately useable.
For books such as Transcripts Made Easy, Get a Jump Start on College, or Grammar Made Easy: Writing a Step Above, which have reproducible forms or exercises to fill in, you may print as many copies of these as you need for your immediate family. I remember the days when I had to buy more than one workbook for each child-- that got pretty expensive. I have encountered moms who have actually cut the pages out of a single workbook to reproduce for multiple children. This is not only inconvenient, but it is also illegal under copyright law unless expressly permitted by the author.
Here are some tips that will help you get the most out of the e-books you buy:
- Save them onto your hard drive in a folder called 'My e-Books' or something similar.
- If you don't have a laser printer, you may wish to print them at night, so your ink-jet printer won't be occupied for too long.
- If your printer doesn't duplex, or print both sides of a page, text-only books may be printed two pages to a sheet.
- For some books, you may want to read the text on-screen, and just print copies of the reproducibles.
- For some books, you may want to print a master copy to store in a binder.
- All my e-books come with a cover graphic that may be printed to insert in the front of a view-binder for a professional look.
If you'd like to read more about how e-books work, see the article, How E-Books Work on my website. It will open in a new window. I have enjoyed reading many e-books, and while they'll never replace print books (p-books), they are efficient and useful for certain applications. I hope you'll try one someday!
Homeschool High School the Third Time Around
by Barbara Frank
The baby I carried on my hip while I homeschooled my first two children is now 14. It’s time for me to think about how I homeschooled her older siblings when they were teens, and how I want to homeschool her now that she’s reached high school age.
In reviewing what I did with my older two, my goal is to avoid what didn’t work and to repeat what did. In that vein, here are a few things I’ve decided.
This time around in our homeschool high school, I will not:
1) Use a correspondence curriculum with prescribed course requirements and graded-by-computer tests. I did that with my older children, and consequently they learned to memorize facts long enough to ace the test, and then forget them. That’s what I did in high school, and I certainly wanted better than that for my own children. But I was afraid to tackle my older children’s home education without the guidance of a formal curriculum, nor did I have the time to design each one’s ideal program because I had two younger children (including one with disabilities) who needed me. But this time around, my youngest is 12, and while he will always have developmental delays, he’s much easier to care for. So I am now free to design and implement a high school curriculum tailored to my daughter’s interests and future plans.
2) Use the local school district’s driver education course. Both of my older children took driver’s ed at the local high school, and we all agree it was a total waste of time. Since then, the school board has voted to raise the fee from $50 to $300, which makes this decision even easier, since private driving school costs about $350.
3) Cut our teenager slack on household chores because she may have a part-time job, rigorous school work, or both. We did that with the older two, and found it difficult to ever get them back in the groove of helping out at home. That’s why our home-for-the-summer college student son is very little help around here.
There are also some things I did with the older two that I definitely want to do with our third-born. This time around, I will:
1) Regularly update her high school transcript on my computer, adding every bit of volunteer work, every job, every online course, her driver’s ed class, and every bit of “school work” she does that can be listed on a transcript. I will do this promptly, so I don’t have to rely on my not-very-good-these-days memory. This way, each time I need a copy of her transcript for future college applications, I can just print out an up-to-date copy from my computer. [http://www.transcriptsmadeeasy.com]
2) Sign her up to take the ACT each year of high school, so that by junior year, she’s very comfortable with it. Doing this with my older children was part of the reason they both scored very well. I already knew that high scores make teens very attractive to colleges; what I learned was that they directly lead to scholarship money.
3) Continue to encourage her to learn to use the computer (she bought a laptop with babysitting money) because she will need that skill in the future, whether she goes to college, works, starts her own business, and/or runs a household.
4) Use community and local colleges to augment her studies, as they’ll provide her with classroom experience in areas I don’t want to teach (#1: Chemistry!) as well as college credit.
5) Give her increasing responsibility for deciding when to do her assignments, to the point that by senior year, my involvement in her schoolwork will center on a once-a-week meeting with her to review her assignments.
6) Do Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers (LINK) with her during her junior and senior years of high school, because it worked so well with the older two, and because I’d like to add some resources and books to it that will be chosen just for her.
Also, as I did with her older sister, I will:
7) Give her increasing experience in cooking, cleaning and other household chores. That, combined with the babysitting she already does in our neighborhood, will help train her for that most important of all jobs, being a homemaker for the family she hopes to have someday.
8) Continue to garden and sew with her, because it gives me great joy to share such pleasurable activities with her, and because I want the time with her. I learned from the last two to treasure such times because the days pass so quickly.
Finally, in addition to the all of the above, there’s one more thing I will do with her that I was not able to do with her older sister:
9) I will continue to do the Mother/Daughter study of “Women of the Bible” that we began a year ago, because it’s so nice to study the Bible together, and we have had such great discussions!
These are the basics of my plan. Making these plans is kind of bittersweet, because this is my last opportunity to do our “traditional” version of high school. (My son’s high school will be much different because of his delays, but will surely bring its own joys, as teaching him thus far has done.) This time around, I have a much better idea of how well homeschool high school can be done; I saw it with my older children. Thus I have a lot more confidence this time around.
If you’re going to homeschool your children during their high school years, I hope these tips help you. Just remember the most important thing: enjoy these years, because they will be over before you know it.
© 2006 Barbara Frank / Cardamom Publishers
Barbara Frank is the mother of four homeschooled-from-birth children ages 13-22, a freelance writer/editor, and the author of “Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers” and the new eBook, “The Imperfect Homeschooler’s Guide to Homeschooling.” To visit her Web site, “The Imperfect Homeschooler,” go to www.cardamompublishers.com.
Featured Free Resource
National Gallery of Art Education Resources- This isn't just a single resource, it's a whole catalog full of high-quality free, borrowable, resources for teaching art! Available items include slides, teaching packets, videocassetes, videodiscs, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. You can search the website by curriculum, subject, artist, and resource format, or you may prefer to request a catalog and browse from the comfort of your rocking chair. These are terrific resources for studying both art history and art appreciation, and they would be very helpful for students who plan to study for the Humanities CLEP exam.
Please be sure to visit our sponsors! I've chosen three sponsors that offer information you can really use. Enjoy!
- Rosetta Stone Homeschool
 : The fastest way to learn a new language-- guaranteed! I used this program before travelling to Paris, and was amazed at how much I learned in just a few weeks. I was able to understand menus and street signs, construct basic sentences, and even decipher some of the newspaper headlines. When I stopped at a French post office and ordered postcard stamps, the post office worker told me I spoke French very well-- not bad for just a few weeks of study!
If you'd like to explore doing college at home, these two databases can get you started. Whether you'd like for your student to take a few classes, or earn an entire degree online, there is certain to be a school that fits your needs. Just request free information and begin comparing!
Watch for Zeitgeist Literature: Self-Directed, College Preparatory, Literature-Based English for Homeschoolers-- coming soon! You'll hear about it if you're signed up for the newsletter!
Until next time, take joy in the fleeting days you share as a family. The years pass more quickly than you can imagine!
Janice
Everyday Education – April 2006 Newsletter
You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for it on the www.EverydayEducation.com website or at a homeschool convention. If you would like to change your contact information, or stop receiving the newsletter, please see the bottom of this e-mail for instructions. Thank you!
Contents
Note from Janice
News: Approaching Deadlines
Article From My Blog: Baby Videos? Never!
E-book Review: HomeGrown Business
Upcoming Events
Resources
Note from Janice
The year is already picking up momentum. I can hardly believe it's April! We're rushing madly toward convention season, but before that, we have a couple of exciting family events-- a college graduation and a wedding. Life is going to change, but we are deeply thankful for our boys and the time we've had with them. Time with family is truly one of the things that matter!
I plan to be at three conventions this year-- the statewide HEAV convention in Richmond in June; NoVA in Northern Virginia in July; and Virginia Homeschoolers in August. Perhaps I'll see you there!
I hope the rest of the school year goes well for you!
Janice Campbell
Approaching Deadlines
- SAT: The next SAT will be administered on May 6, 2006. Late registration deadline is April 12.
The last SAT of the school year will be administered on June 3, 2006. Registration deadline is April 28, late registration deadline is May 10.
- ACT: The next ACT will be administered on June 10, 2006. Registration deadline is May 5, 2006, with a late registration deadline of May 19.
- FAFSA: Applications for financial aid for college must be filed by July 2, 2007. Earlier is always better! File at FAFSA It's a free application, so don't file anywhere that demands a fee for filing.
- Note: If you took the SAT in October 2005, you are probably familiar with the problems that came up in scoring. To keep up on the latest news about it, go to College Board. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/scores/oct_2005_sat.html
Article From My Blog: "Baby Videos? Never!"
Have you heard about the new "Sesame Beginnings" videos that are targeted toward babies and children up to three years of age? Because these videos are designed to be watched by parents and children together, they have gotten the "quality time" pass from several "experts," who seem to conveniently ignore the fact that, for many good and scientific reasons, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against any sort of television/video viewing for children under two. If you want to know more about that, just google 'dangers of television babies children' for a quick overview of some of the primary arguments against television viewing for children.
Mental, physical, and spiritual dangers aside, sitting and staring is rarely genuine quality time. It certainly does not provide a baby with the intellectual stimulation of playing or talking directly with a live human being, preferably a parent. And those infant moments are fleeting-- why waste them on prepackaged mental junk food?
For more stories about the controversy, go ahead and google 'sesame baby video controversy.' That should keep you busy for awhile! I'll add links to interesting editorials as I find them. You may also want to read the article on my website "Making Time For Things That Matter: Seven Principles For Family-Centered Living." Not surprisingly, the second principle is 'Do and be; don't sit and stare!'
Resources: If you have a television in your home, please read one or more of these books. The evidence is compelling-- overwhelming, even-- that television is very bad for children (and it doesn't do anyone else much good, either). Remind me to post some day on the glorious possibilties of life without television!
E-Book Review:
Category: The Everyday Entrepreneur (Homeschool + Home Business)
Reviewed by Janice Campbell
If you want some hands-on, nitty-gritty, from-the-trenches tips and stories on how to start and run a successful home-based business, this is the book you're looking for! Jesse and Crystal Paine, experienced entrepreneurs themselves, have edited a volume of personal stories of how businesses were conceived and how they evolved over time.
With chapters written by 29 home-business owners, the book offers an intimate peek into the back offices and living rooms of many homeschooling families. These busy entrepreneurs graciously share valuable ideas, including:
- How to start a business on a shoestring
- How to balance home, school, business, and family life
- Creative ways your kids can help in the business
- Marketing tips
- Mistakes to avoid
- How to adapt your business to changing family circumstances
- Time management ideas
- Business success stories
- Much more!
You'll gain an understanding of the issues that face small businesses, and how real business owners surmount difficulties. You'll discover that almost any business, including printing, publishing, landscaping, midwifery, graphic design, small engine repair, breadmaking, and more, can be operated from a home office. And most of all, you'll find inspiration in the ordinary families who dared to try!
This is an instantly downloadable e-book-- you can get it by clicking on the title link and following the instructions. If you'd like to read more about how e-books work, see my article, How E-Books Work. It will open in a new window.
Events
Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshops
Because May will be pretty full with our son's college graduation and wedding, I won't be able to do many Beat-the-Clock Essay workshops. If your student is planning to take the SAT soon, you may want to get in on one of the workshops currently scheduled! If you'd like to know more about these challenging, fun workshops, visit the Beat-the-Clock page at the website to read more about them.
May 6 - Henrico Library at Innsbrook, 10-2:30. There is limited space, so if you would like to attend, please contact Paula as soon as possible to register for the workshop.
July 13 - I will be offering a special BTC workshop at the Dulles Expo and Convention Center. It will be held as a kick-off event for the Northern Virginia Home Education Conference, and there is a nice discount available when you register for both events. You can download a registration brochure at the website, as well as read more about how this workshop prepares your student for timed essays such as those they will find on the SAT and ACT and on college final exams. It's a fast way to give your student confidence, and some of the tools they need to succeed!
What will I learn at a Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop?
o A simple three-step process for writing essays on any subject.
o A quick formula for making the best use of limited time.
o How to find your thesis within the essay question.
o How to use your personal frame of reference to develop a thesis for almost any essay question.
o How to organize thoughts and information for maximum impact.
o How to quickly evaluate and improve your essay.
o How to approach any writing topic with ease and confidence.
Join us-- you'll be glad you did!
For more information on the essay workshop, visit www.essayworkshop.com.
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Resources
Blog of the Month - Carnival of Homeschooling - There's always something interesting to read at the Cate family blog! In addition to 'Today in History' (not updated daily), they offer brief synopses of interesting articles from other homeschool blogs. It's an attractively designed blog, with excellent graphics to accompany the history facts. Think of it as an especially literate 'readers' digest' of homeschool writing.
A Home for Homeschoolers - This is a new portal site that offers links to blogs and books, plus some forums. It looks as if there will be reviews, used curriculum for sale, and more.
Online AP Courses - If you would like to study for AP or CLEP exams, this site offers free AP courses. I browsed through the American History course, and it looks interesting, and certainly helpful. It looks as if all you have to do is choose the courses you want to study, and click on the links. Each course is broken into lessons, and each lesson is broken into separate parts which you click on in the left sidebar of the website as you are ready for them. This should be a wonderful resource!
Resources from ACT - ACT offers several free downloadable booklets that offer information about the ACT assessment, planning for college, and more.
Need money for college? Use FastWeb's free scholarship search to find information on more than 600,000 scholarships!
Homeschooling on a Shoestring - If you're looking for ways to enhance the educational experience without breaking your budget, this site has quite a few good ideas and a forum.
Free Old Time Radio Shows - If you enjoy old-time radio, here is a site where you can listen to traditional shows such as Abbott and Costello or Hopalong Cassidy and big band music in MP3 format on your computer. Audio quality is surprisingly good, though you don't always know what will pop up when you click on a show.
Please be sure to visit our sponsors! I've chosen three sponsors that offer information you can really use. Enjoy!
- Rosetta Stone Homeschool: The fastest way to learn a new language-- guaranteed! I used this program before travelling to Paris, and was amazed at how much I learned in just a few weeks. I was able to understand menus and street signs, construct basic sentences, and even decipher some of the newspaper headlines. When I stopped at a French post office and ordered postcard stamps, the post office worker told me I spoke French very well-- not bad for just a few weeks of study!
If you'd like to explore doing college at home, these two databases can get you started. Whether you'd like for your student to take a few classes, or earn an entire degree online, there is certain to be a school that fits your needs. Just request free information and begin comparing!
Thank you for reading! Have a joyous April-
Janice
Copyright to all articles and newsletters is held by Janice Campbell. For reprint permission, please e-mail me.
Everyday Education - Mid-Winter 2006 Newsletter
Contents
- Note from Janice
- News: Approaching Deadlines
- Homeschooling in the News: "Homeschool Applicants Attractive to Top Liberal Arts Colleges"
- Article From My Blog: Scholarship Hunting
- E-book Review: Website ABC?s
- Upcoming Events
- Resources
Note from Janice
I hope your year is off to a joyous start? I always feel that my ?real? new year begins in September when the boys and I pick up school once again. January is our secondary new year? a time to take a break and see how we are doing, and to recalibrate our studies as necessary.
We got a rather late start this month, after passing around the flu and colds, but the most significant change I?ve made in our school day is to add just a bit more writing to both boys? curriculum. I?ve been surveying college admissions officers and reading books on success in life, and the one success ingredient that seems most often mentioned is the ability to write clearly and well. As I tell students in my Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshops, writing is simply thinking on paper.
Have you ever considered that learning to write clearly is a matter of learning to think clearly? It?s true! Until you learn to think clearly, you cannot possible write clearly. Fortunately, the act of learning to write? particularly when it includes analytical writing of some sort? is an ideal way to learn clear thinking. Writing and thinking are as inextricably linked as the chicken and the egg? you can?t have one without the other!
If you have any questions about homeschooling through high school, getting an early start on college, high school paperwork, or similar subjects, feel free to write.
I wish you a very happy year!
Janice Campbell
News: Approaching Deadlines
- The next SAT will be administered on April 1, 2006. Registration deadline is February 24, 2006, with a late registration deadline of March 8.
- The next ACT will be administered on April 8, 2006. Registration deadline is March 3, 2006, with a late registration deadline of March 17.
- Federal income tax forms must be filed by April 15.
- Applications for financial aid for college must be filed by July 2, 2007. Earlier is always better! File at FAFSA It?s a free application, so don?t file anywhere that demands a fee for filing.
Does homeschooling prepare students for college? Absolutely! According Sabena Moretz-Van Namen, University of Richmond associate director of admission, ?self-direction allows many homeschoolers an easier transition into college academic work than that experienced by graduates of traditional high schools.?
Be sure to read this interesting article, which includes quotes from several homeschooled students, including my son, Taylor, who will graduate from UR in May. (There is a bit of pronoun confusion in the paragraph leading to his quote, but the meaning is clear.) The bottom line is, homeschoolers are not just marginal candidates for college, but many are outstanding, and colleges are taking notice.
You can help your student get into college! Find out how you can keep the kind of records that make a difference in Transcripts Made Easy: Your Friendly Guide to High School Paperwork. Order it today!
Article From My Blog: "Scholarship Hunting"
Everybody talks about it, but hardly anybody does it.
What's that, you say?
Scholarship hunting! Thousands of dollars go unclaimed each year because very few people are willing to put in the effort it takes to rake in the kind of scholarship money that counts. You don't have to be the most spectacular student on the planet to earn significant funds-- you just have to put in the hours and hours it takes to write essays, gather reference letters, fill out applications on time, and keep good records.
Steve Rosen's "Kids and Money" column offers an indepth look at the scholarship hunting process through the eyes of a student who amassed over $25,000 in scholarships. Read it-- you'll learn what it takes, and I hope you'll be inspired to jump into the competition!
You might want to check out my favorite scholarship search engine (below), but don't overlook the very important financial aid office at the college you have chosen. Your academic advisor can occasionally point you toward some very little-known scholarships, and these are the ones that have the least competition. Whatever, you do, don't be afraid to ask questions!
Need money for college? Use FastWeb's free scholarship search to find information on more than 600,000 scholarships!
E-Book Review:
Web Site ABC's by Phyllis Wheeler
- Category: The Everyday Entrepreneur (Homeschool + Home Business)
- Reviewed by Janice Campbell
The Computer Lady has done it again! Phyllis Wheeler has taken a seemingly complex subject, and made it accessible. Internet Commerce (aka e-business or e-commerce) is a vibrant, growing field, but in order to provide goods or services online, a company must have a website! There are many books and programs available to help set up a website, but most are too complicated for computer novices, or too expensive for a start-up venture.
Wheeler's new e-book, WebSite ABC's, bridges the gap between the beginner and a first website. Using detailed text instructions, coupled with screen shots, Wheeler walks the reader through the process of learning exactly what is necessary to get online in just hours. She covers simple HTML, how to find and use a free web design program, how to create an information or sales site, how to find affordable hosting, how to tie in a shopping cart, how to make an e-book, and much more.
The greatest strength of WebSite ABC's is its simplicity. The information presented is adequate, but not overwhelming. Using Wheeler's information, anyone with internet access can create a simple, income-producing website. The casual tone and 'let me show you' warmth of WebSite ABC's removes the intimidation factor from unfamiliar terms and concepts, and leaves the reader with a 'can do' feeling.
Information in the e-book is applicable to both PC and Mac. While Wheeler's example screenshots show a PC, she includes keystroke instructions for the Mac when necessary. WebSite ABC's is a remarkably friendly introduction to the world of e-commerce, and is suitable for both high school students and adults. Now there's no excuse for not setting up a website!
Click Here! to purchase Phyllis Wheeler's WebSite ABC's.
Events
"Say What You Mean" Online Communication Convention
The 1st Annual Say What You Mean Communication Convention begins Wednesday, February 1st and goes through Friday, February 3rd. It is in honor of The Great Communicator's birthday and designed to bring attention to the importance of communication skills-- especially for the Christian community. It promises to be great fun for the entire family with free seminars, contests and prizes!
Wednesday is Homeschool Day! We are offering a free 5 Day eCourse for parents that will help them teach communication skills to their children. We also have a free eBook with the best of my communication articles for homeshoolers, free audio seminars you can download as well as some live interactive chat workshops. Your children can have fun as they hone their presentation skills by entering our Silly Product Contest! We also have a drawing and a scavenger hunt where you can win prizes donated by our sponsors like The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Art of Eloquence and Write Shop!
Thursday is Business Day! We are offering a free 5 Day eCourse for small business owners, a free eBook with the best of my communication articles for entrepreneurs, free audio seminars as well as live interactive chat workshops. You can get some exposure for your business as you compete to win in our Elevator Speech Contest.
Friday is Teacher Day! We are offering a free eBook with the best of my communication articles for classroom or co op teachers, free audio seminars as well as a live interactive chat workshop. Enter our Most Creative Teacher contest for your chance to win a prize! This is a very unique event and we are excited to bring all this information to you in a fun and entertaining environment.
Stop by February 1st -3rd at Say What You Mean! Communication Convention
Pass it on... Please feel free to pass this along to your homeschool groups and other Christian organizations you belong to! All are welcome and the convention is FREE! Remember, God gave each of us something to say that only we can say...something that someone else needs to hear! Let's fellowship together, have fun and hone our skills so that the Lord can work more effectively through us!
Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop
I will be offering a special BTC workshop on July 13, 2006 at the Dulles Expo and Convention Center. It will be held as a kick-off event for the Northern Virginia Home Education Conference, and there is a nice discount available when you register for both events. You can read more at about how this workshop prepares your student for timed essays such as those they will find on the SAT and ACT and on college final exams. It's a fast way to give your student confidence, and some of the tools they need to succeed.
"Home School Digest" Special Subscription Deal!
In the Home School Digest , you'll find practical tips, simple homeschooling suggestions and bold Biblical challenges that make up an open forum for wrestling through the complex issues that affect homeschooling families. We pray that the broad, yet uncompromising approach you'll find in the Home School Digest will strengthen, encourage and equip you in your journey of homeschooling , raising Godly children, and walking closer with Jesus Christ.
From now until February 15th, 2006, you can save $6.00 off the regular $18.00 subscription price. To receive your special $12.00 rate, go to www.wisgate.com/promo and enter coupon code: eved1 This offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer made by Wisdom's Gate.
Resources
HSLDA Discount: Home School Legal Defense Association is offering a $15 discount on a one-year membership for people who join or renew online before March 18, 2006. Read more about it here.
Random House offers an occasional literature e-newsletter to educators. To sign up, send an email to sub_acmart-literature@info.randomhouse.com.
Biblical Concourse e-Newsletter: The Biblical Concourse of Home Universities seeks to function as a 'national home school support group for people interested in private, Christian-parent-directed higher education.' You may read more about it and subscribe to its e-newsletter here.
Thank you for reading! Have a joyous February-
Janice
You have received this newsletter because you signed up at the Everyday Education website, www.EverydayEducation.com. You may forward the newsletter in its entirety to anyone you like, and you may reprint all or part of it, as long as you include the following information: "Copyright 2005 by Janice Campbell, and provided as a service of Everyday Education. If you have received this information as an e-mail forward or a reprint, I'd like to invite you to visit www.everydayeducation.com to sign up for the newsletter and browse the other articles, links, and resources on the site."
Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshops
Intimidated by the new SAT essay?
Unnerved at the thought of essay questions on college exams?
Don’t be!
Come to the Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop™ where you’ll learn:
o A simple three-step process for writing essays on any subject.
o A quick formula for making the best use of limited time.
o How to find your thesis within the essay question.
o How to use your personal frame of reference to develop a thesis for almost any essay question.
o How to organize thoughts and information for maximum impact.
o How to quickly evaluate and improve your essay.
For more information on the essay workshop, visit www.essayworkshop.com.
1.25.06 - I've moved some of the older newsletters to the Newsletter Archive page, and will post the January / February newsletter here in a couple of days. Meanwhile, please enjoy the website, and enter your name and e-mail address in the box to the left to subscribe to the newsletter. I promise that I don't share your information with anyone, and I won't crowd your mailbox with a whole bunch of stuff. I try to make my newsletters and mailings interesting and relevant, and I welcome your questions and ideas for future articles. Thank you for stopping by!
You have received this newsletter because you signed up at the Everyday Education website, www.everydayeducation.com. You may forward the newsletter in its entirety to anyone you like, and you may reprint all or part of it, as long as you include the following information:
Copyright 2005 by Janice Campbell, and provided as a service of Everyday Education. If you have received this information as an e-mail forward or a reprint, I’d like to invite you to visit www.everydayeducation.com to sign up for the newsletter and browse the other articles, links, and resources on the site.
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by Dr. Jane Healy